Wired Murmurations

 Many of the difference in the U.S. and Philippines can be symbolized by the arrangement of our power lines.  Here is an example I observed in Manila.  

Power lines and telephone wires and their interaction with birds have always fascinated me.  In fact, observing that phenomena as a young child is the first place I remember thinking about the concept of "personal space."  There seems to be a rhythm to how the birds sit together- whether close or far away.  And there does always seem to be one that breaks that pattern by either sitting too close or further away.  I find the rhythm and the display of the bird's physique against the backdrop of the sky particularly appealing and have I have painted those scenes numerous times.

"Congregation"

41 x 73

Do you notice birds on wires or is it just me?

Friends come and go but sisters are forever (who takes your "nervous away"?

 

I'm in awe of the sisterly bond of my wife and her two sisters.  I've watched in amazement at how well they get along and how they are constantly looking for ways to help and nurture each other.  Maybe the result of losing their mother at a young age?  

I'm also intrigued by the complex relationship of my daughters.  I've never seen two more different siblings, but I love to think of the story of the first day Emmaline went to elementary school after Savannah had moved on to middle school.  She looked at my wife in dismay and said, "I miss Savannah.  She takes all the nervous away."  
Do you have someone like that? As we all move into the hustle and bustle of this season of the year, I hope you find your person to take the nervous away and are reminded of that feeling as you look at my "sisters" pieces.
-Tyler

Is this the most overlooked tree?

Today I dropped my son off at the Missionary Training Center where he will spend a couple of weeks before heading off to Cincinnati, Ohio to serve for the next two years.  Since this is our third child to "fly the coop"- it is filled with a mixture of excitement as well as nostalgia.  He made a final visit to my painting studio.  When he was young, he thought it was the stuff of dreams.  We reminisced about him bringing all of his friends over after school one day for a play date and the time he wanted to have a sleepover there and we stayed up late into the night shooting BB guns in the back. I remember waking up in the middle of that night to his laughing in his sleep.  

 

As I spend the evening watching old movies of his youth, I hope you can enjoy a re-posting about my thoughts on this painting from the archives of my old blog.  I’ll be back to original content next week.

 

 

“Catalpa” 

60 x48

 

I have always loved these overlooked trees. Rarely have a I ever seen this tree on the "right side of the tracks". Usually it is the tree that springs up in the poorest neighborhoods (some of which are becoming more desirable). I have seen it growing right up through the middle, and out the window of a row-house in southeast Washington, DC and in slag piles in Oakland, CA.

Unfortunately, I often see their naturally, characteristic conical crowns, truncated for overhead power lines. Their beautiful blooms, huge leaves, and the long bean pods (seen in the painting), have always drawn my attention.

 

Do you love an early snowfall? (Finding beauty in the moment)

 

An early snowfall reminds me of the times when my parents lived in Fallon, Nevada for a few years.  If you haven't visited, to get there- you drive out into the middle of nowhere, then take a dirt road into an even farther nowhere.  However, fun fact- Fallon is the home to the U.S. Navy-Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).  My dad worked there for a few years and my young family and I made the trek quite often, particularly around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I spotted the little sparrow in this painting on a branch, at a truck stop, in the dead of winter on one such road trip.  I'm not a huge fan of winter, and this is a reminder to me that there is beauty all around us, if we just take a moment to stop and observe.

Where have you found beauty in an unexpected place?

After Midnight (Scary or Dreamy?)

Borghese Garden After Midnight 1

16 x 20 

 This time of year seems filled with stories that take place "after midnight" so I thought I'd highlight a painting of mine with that name.  Interesting, it is about a time that I have intensely fond memories- no horror over here!

I've done quite a bit of traveling over my life, so I didn't expect my time in Rome, Italy to be much different than other places I have visited.  There were, of course, a few things that I had really looked forward to seeing, but I was quite unprepared for how much I fell in love with the city.  For the first few months, the project I was working on took up most of the day and I could only really go out in the evening.  My oldest son and I would ride our bikes around at night, after I got home from work.  Invariably, we would find ourselves in the Borghese gardens.  It was winter and the sky was usually overcast, silhoetting the trees against the misty night sky.

Are there places you have visited that leave you with an indelible memories?  I can't wait to go back to Rome!

-Tyler

Unshakeable Dependability (unlike my newsletter?!)

"Stalwarts"

48 x 36

 I apologize for the delay in the newsletter this week.  I am currently on my way to work on a project in the Philippines and the logistics have been complicated.  Ironically, I had already decided on writing about this piece before I left and the obstacles that I need to power through currently have me trying to channel the energy of these two beauties.

I've recently been commissioned to do a new version of this piece and I've been thinking about the inspiration of the original.  In a neighborhood park that I used to often visit with my children, I noticed two mature pine trees that were green amidst the surrounding snow of winter.  They had obviously been there for generations, and displayed the power to resist and endure.  Loyal and reliable are those two trees- it brings me peace just to look at them.

I'll be posting the progress of the new commission on social media.  I'd love for your to follow along on the journey and let me know your thoughts as the new piece comes together.

Are Fall and Winter my favorite times of year?

 

This time of year, as the days get shorter and the mornings are colder, I am reminded how much I dislike fall and winter.  That may be surprising since the bulk of my paintings seem to portray that time of year.  Maybe it is the search to find beauty in the midst of despair?

As I was visiting the historic skyscraper that was the only realized high rise of Frank Lloyd Wright in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, I saw this couple of starlings stopping on their migration in an oak tree.  The tree was almost totally bare of leaves so the silhouettes were particularly noticeable.  

What about you?  What is your favorite time of year?  How do you find ways to enjoy those parts of the year that may not initially bring you joy?

-Tyler

The pull of pottery (how I got stuck spinning pots)

 

(Ceramic piece in place in a collector's home)

Recently our family has enjoyed the HBO show "Pottery Throw Down."  Besides the obvious entertainment value of the show, it has me reminiscing about my own ceramics journey.

I was just finishing up my last semester of my art degree with an emphasis in Painting and Drawing at the University of Utah when I signed up for a wheel thrown pottery class.  I had always wanted to take that class, but just hadn't found the time to do it.  The first assignment was to throw a 6" cylinder.  It seemed easy enough until I realized that for me, it was almost impossible to center the clay.  

After futiley trying for several hours, I called my wife to tell her I wouldn't be coming home until I figured this out.  That resulted in four days where I don't remember leaving the seat of the wheel.  After completing the assignment, I promptly went to the office of the register to sign up for a further two years of pottery classes before graduating vowing to not leave the University until I had conquered this medium.  Of particular interest to me where the Shino glazes and the lusters and iron oxide effects from slight chemical alternations.  I continue to be attracted to similar effects in my paintings.

Have you ever tried wheel thrown pottery?  Did you find it as difficult as I did?

-Tyler

Did I capture it? (the struggle of a commission)

 

Warrior Woman

108 x 144

I find that one of the most difficult parts of a commission is trying to capture the vision of the patron.  I might be given a blurry photograph with no context or asked to paint a specific tree that obviously holds deep meaning that I am only witnessing as a spectator.

In 2008, I was commissioned to paint the biggest artwork I have ever completed.  The client requested a piece that celebrated the Native American heritage of his wife as well as her strong personality.  He was clear enough about his desired look that I could be pretty sure that my usual techniques would not produce the piece he envisioned.  I felt like I got a good start with the sketch, but was overwhelmed by the immensity of space to fill.  I went several directions before finding footing, one night even bringing my 10 year old daughter (a budding artist herself) to the studio and allowing her to paint in the background.  The freedom of watching her paint in joy over the expanse was inspiring.  It helped me recover the spontaneity I had lost in the stress of trying to create a piece that fulfilled the commission.  If you'd like to see the evolution of this piece, check out my real on Instagram.  I'm still proud of the result.

-Tyler

It's a dare (why I use bright colors)

Given the brightly colored spray paints I often use, you might be surprised to learn that I'm really afraid of color.  In response, I find that I am drawn to paint using colors that seem like they will be difficult to use effectively.  Originally that was a metallic paint.  It seemed like it would be difficult to make a piece that could be considered "serious" artwork when metallic was one of the main components.  Now almost all of my paintings have at least some metallics in them.  When I first started using fluorescent pink, it was at least partly due to the pull of finding a way to use it.  Now I find those pinks everywhere in nature and combining fluorescent pink with bright green, turquoise and canary yellow in palatable combinations is almost a dare that I can't refuse and might be the best parts of any of my pieces.

-Tyler

Goodbye Summer (things I will miss)

"Wolf Creek 1" (in process)

 Do you feel it?  It seems like summer is quickly collapsing into fall and I'm going to miss a few things.

1. Evening play dates with my dog and her neighborhood dog friends.
2. My son (He graduated from high school and has big plans for the fall).
3. Kayaking at the reservoir (Although I have not been nearly as many times as I wish- the idea of the opportunity will be missed).
4. Late sunset walks with my wife.
5. Speed sun drying layers of my paintings.

What about you?  What will you miss about summer?

"Wolf Creek 1" (completed)

Green River Collection (Where is the River?)

 On an early morning trip to Lake Powell, I was mesmerized by a misty sunrise that highlighted the red-rock, coral banks of the Green River.  The stark green of the junipers in the middle of nowhere creates really beautiful combinations that I am sometimes able to capture in this study through an exaggerated color palette. The color is intellectualized at least as much as the forms.  The trees are a devised symbol for elements of that landscape.  The colors become more symbolic than an actual representation of the colors seen.

Most notably missing from my "Green River" series is the river.  These pieces are formed by mostly random brush strokes that I use to begin to create a feeling experienced while I was there.  I hopefully add enough more intentional brush strokes to make it so that others can also find that familiar landscape.

Have you visited “Green River”?  Did I capture anything familiar to you?

 

-Tyler

 

Energy and Drive (How to get projects done)

 After reading this title, you might think this newsletter will be all about productivity and getting things done- but let me assure you I am still trying to figure that all out.  This year has been one of huge transitions for me.  Because of some restructuring with the decorative paint company I started in 2000, I have been able to devote almost all of my time to painting.

While I've often felt like it was my dream for painting to become my full time job - it's proven to be more of a challenge than expected.  In the past, my paintings have been a mad rush between projects where I frantically stayed up at the studio for days on end in an attempt to get the images in my head into the  world.  Since these painting interludes proved fewer than I would have liked, I could live with this unorthodox schedule for short periods of time and maintain productivity and a family life.  I'm finding that this isn't sustainable over time and finding the energy and drive is difficult.

So how am I combating this?  A couple of ways... I'm being sure to apply to art shows so that I have some set deadlines.  I'm accepting more commissions which, although they don't necessarily have hard deadlines, do have some commitment to completion.  And lastly, I'm trying some really inventive techniques and ideas that may or may not prove to be successful- not because I have an end in mind, but just because they are fun.  

How do you stay motivated to remain productive in the most important parts of your life?

-Tyler

Lessons learned (Is this old dog learning any new tricks?)

I was recently asked what lessons I have learned in my career as an artist.  This is a really difficult idea to articulate, but I think that my process feels less fragile and precious than when I began. I’m more willing to let parts go if it means making the whole piece better. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices to aid the direction of the piece. I’ve become willing to walk away from what I once thought were good ideas if they aren’t working. I’ve learned I have plenty of other ideas that will work. Trying to force a process is a huge waste of time. Sometimes the best option is to quit. 

The above picture is a painting from a Wolf Creek study that I stopped working on over a year ago.  I really liked the way the beginning stages were coming together with this painting and its sister, but I found myself stuck in the middle.  Instead of pushing through to an end point, I decided to set them aside.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to pick them up again.  After looking at them from a fresh perspective, I found the finish easily.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the completed products pictured below.  They were a long time coming, but I feel satisfied with the result.

Method or Madness? (Trying to find artistic balance)

 

Orderly is probably not a word you would use to describe my studio space.  Because of this, you might be surprised to learn that my technique is actually pretty planned and methodical.  First I paint the main subject matter with bitumen, then I paint the light colors around it, then I spray paint water and other chemicals and then begin the process again.  It's a formula or a recipe that I follow over and over again.  

While this might create a somewhat predictable result, it also might lend itself to a piece that feels very dead.  You can't see the marks that I made, the gestures or the way the hand was moving to create the individual parts of the piece.  Since I have already visualized the way I want the finished piece to look, it is a constant push and pull of using that recipe and going back to paint in details to bring the piece alive again- calm in the chaos.

What about you?  Do you work best in a system or does your creativity thrive in disarray?

-Tyler

How to choose artwork (the lasting legacy of art pieces)

 I often think about why I like to paint.  When painting feels impossible and my efforts to portray the imagery in my head on a canvas seem futile, it seems like a particularly wasteful way to spend my time.  But then I am reminded of the artwork that I was exposed to in my formative youth.

Most of the paintings hanging in our homes were works by my maternal grandfather, Robert Fiske Hightower. His family worked for the railroad in Helper, Utah for years before, and after, his birth. An architect by trade, painting was more of a passion hobby.  He passed before I was ever really able to know him, but I am quite stuck by how “real” a person he is to me because of these paintings that I saw every day. 

With this in mind, I have filled my own home with paintings that I feel have been particularly successful.  Pursuing a form of immortality through objects that will endure after my passing remains irresistibly appealing. 

Have you found fragments of the wild in your midst?

 

“Gully”

52 x 84

Most of my formative years were lived in different parts of Virginia. There, I often found myself retreating from a problematic childhood, alone or with siblings, to the "woods" which were residual strips of undeveloped forest, between the suburban houses, neighborhoods, and strip-malls. Everyone wants a house in the woods, but they also want a lawn so little strips of woods are left between each house and become byways for all kinds of wildlife.

I became fascinated by the architecture of these forest ruins, and noticed I felt a kinship with the fauna also struggling to live among the humans. I was mostly into adulthood before I began to understand that everyone's childhood was disappointing on some level, and that most of us are left feeling detached and apart. 

Have you found this true in your life?  Do you have a little patch of “wild” where you retreat?


-Tyler

The accident that was the mother of invention

Pigeons

50 x 60

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke a little about how I use bitumen in my artwork- but in the interest of keeping things under 30 seconds for an Instagram reel, I left out the part about how I discovered this unusual ingredient.  



Early in my career after finishing college, I acquired an interior house painting company to add to my business.  While we were working for a client, some roofing tar got on the wall near some cabinets. We tried quite a few products, but found it almost impossible to cover up the tar.  I was intrigued and spent some time figuring out what made it so indelible.  As I experimented with it, I found that it reminded me of all of the interesting things I loved about studying ceramic glazes in college.  I love the unusually strong, appealing, translucent color it produces. The rich ambers, vibrant blacks, and luscious chocolate browns  in my paintings are almost exclusively the result of the tar’s influence on a very limited number of other paint colors in any given piece.

How to make your kid an artist.

My early artwork 

painted on fabric and quilted

(age 7)

 Last week a studio visitor asked if any of my children are artists and I've been thinking about it ever since.  What makes an artist?  Most young children love to draw and paint.  When I look at my own artwork from my childhood, I'm not sure you could look at it and think it had any promise.  I think what really makes an artist is persistence.  Though the early attempts might not be exciting (even when compared with same age peers), if they have an unquenchable desire to keep trying- you might be raising an artist.  I firmly believe that anyone can become an artist if they are willing to keep trying long enough and grow a thick enough skin to take feedback and make the necessary changes to get better.  So if you think your child might be on this path, keep encouraging even their most simple attempts.  I'm ever grateful that my mom did. 

-Tyler

P.S. In case you are still reading (and wondering)- I have at least two children that are artists.

Is my artwork any good?

Awaiting the Morning 

40 x 30

 I often wonder what would make people choose my artwork over someone else’s.  I don’t know the answer to that, but there are some things that I particularly like about my work.  I think it is unique in that, although somewhat abstract, the subject matter is identifiable.  As a result, the viewer is invited to find their own meaning without me forcing some hidden agenda.  In addition, I spend a lot of effort to make it look effortless.  There is a point where adding details might make a piece look overworked instead of more visually appealing.  It is a constant push and pull that I am continually working through.  As I’ve mentioned before, although I love the deep umber tones of bitumen, I use a lot of bright spray paint in especially the beginning stages of my pieces.  I think this adds depth to a painting without it being readily apparent.  Although I love to try new things, in some ways I keep coming back to the landscapes, birds and trees that constantly pull me as I navigate through life.