Art Dreams

A group of Artist Trading Cards I made at an
evening meeting of artists in a local studio.
My friend Sue and I go to ATC events together.

These days I have a friend Sue who loves to drive around town and suggest how a certain house could be just right for her. Once I said one of her houses would be too much for me. “But you’d need a room for a studio, one for writing, one for living in, and on for sleep,” she insisted, “and maybe a second bedroom for company.” 

“No. That would be more than I’d ever want to clean,” I responded.

“But when I fantasize,” she rebutted, “I always assume a large house comes complete with a staff: a person to clean, one to cook, one to take care of the lawn and grounds, and one to drive me around.”

“Oh. I just don’t have those kinds of fantasies.”

“Well maybe you need some,” she retorted. 

I suppose her challenge to me is to dream bigger in order to clarify just what I want and need. We are different, my friend and I. We talk together a lot and although we differ on our housing fantasies, we do sometimes dream together of having a large studio together where, away from the phone, our families, and other interruptions, we could spend serious time painting, art printing, making collages, creating mixed media works, and probably talking until our throats were raw. Actually we may end up tiring our voices over this fantasy because already we’re clarifying just what we want to do, what kinds of equipment we need, and the like. We haven’t yet let anyone else know we have these dreams. We still seem insecure about where the visions will lead us.

I am reminded of my childhood friend Keith with whom I would fantasize about many things. We’d lie on the twin beds in his room and talk and talk about all the things we would do in a kind of duet daydream. The big project we undertook in this fantasy world was to dig out his family’s basement so we could build a rifle range. We actually did remove a few wheelbarrows full of dirt before we gave up on the idea. I guess we grew out of that kind of communal fantasy when our lives started becoming too different, our interests diverging—his into hunting, woodworking, and messing with large machines; mine into making music and studying language. Those kinds of changes happen to seventh graders.

But my friend Sue and I as adults continue driving around Denver talking, wondering if we will ever get to work in the same art studio. The dream seems possible when we work together in another artist’s studio we make Artist Trading Cards. Working alongside other artists stokes one’s enthusiasm and encourages creativity. Having such a studio is a dream I’d like to pursue, so I guess I’d better start dreaming about how to get the money to do it! Sue’s already watching for vacancy signs. I’m still dreaming. Maybe I’ll go out and buy a shovel. Who knows where this dream could lead.

Denver, 2014

A Day at the Gallery

Same picture as last week but one referred to
in this post.
Acrylic washes on paper by Phillip Hoyle

Fortunately I found my folder that morning last week. I needed it for the security codes that provide the key to enter and the ability to turn off the security system of the gallery where I was scheduled to work. The gallery sits on the main street of Georgetown CO, a small mountain town high in the Central Rockies west of Denver and just a few miles east of the Continental Divide. The historic town sits at around 8500 feet above sea level, an old place that grew due to the discovery of silver. Today it’s mainly a tourist spot near scenic passes, alpine skiing, and a small lake that is fished all year much of the time through thick ice. Tourists can ride a narrow gauge train to another mining town, tour the train and mining museum attached to the depot, visit the old Hotel du Paris museum, enjoy good food, gather curios, and shop at the two art galleries including the Colorado Mountain Art Gallery where I was headed.

I joined the co-op gallery a year ago and was fulfilling my monthly obligation by working there. My partner for the day had not arrived so I opened the door—successfully I was glad—and began turning on the lights. There are many lights to highlight the art of nearly sixty artists in a building that is about half a block deep. By the time I made it to the front of the building, my partner had arrived and was waiting for me to let her enter. Then we shared the opening process.

I had not worked in retail since I was a kid and found myself facing old but new challenges in my membership at the gallery. With so many owner-members—probably some with even less experience than I—the gallery provides a detailed list of daily duties. It covers opening up, cleaning, clerking, running the credit card machine, and closing the gallery. (If you’re curious, keep reading.)

I was pleased to be working with Lisa who is a fast and endless worker as well as a wonderful and experienced painter. Between us we counted the money, turned on lights in jewelry display cases, started the paperwork that must be done daily, set out the sign, bench, and chair on the sidewalk in front, cleaned the restroom, ran the sweeper, washed the front window and doors, cleaned the glass tops and fronts of the many display cases.

We also had each brought more artwork to replace or change out in our own displays. Lisa decided to re-hang her display. She removed the paintings, pulled out nails, filled the holes with putty, and painted the spackle. Then she worked to hang at least one or two more paintings on the wall. Later, I did something similar except I was not planning to redo my whole display. I simply added to it some smaller pieces and changed what was hanging in the front gallery with another painting, this one of a petroglyph of a Rocky Mountain big horn sheep in preparation for last Saturday’s Big Horn Sheep Festival in Georgetown. Of course, when one hangs more paintings or adds pottery or sculptures or whatever, there is bookkeeping to be done. We adjusted our inventory records and made printed and hung wall tags.

We worked pretty steadily with the many projects through the eight hours we were at the gallery, well until the last hour when we were done with our work, itching to get out of there, and had no more customers. Actually on this midweek day in November, we had only seven or eight customers, but we talked with them, sold a few pieces, and enjoyed both their personalities and the diversion they provided us. Nice people, elders on fall outings, mostly from the Denver area yet also two from England, folk Lisa remembered had visited last year. At 4:00 we sat together in the front gallery and talked—swapping stories and art concerns—until it was time to begin closing up. That last hour the air also began to cool. We were extra glad we were leaving in mild weather and not having to battle a snowstorm on our ways home. On my way out I did remember to gather all my belongings, including the folder that had eluded me all last month!

Denver, 2014

Still at It

This past week and over the weekend I dedicated quite a bit of time to my current art project that I described a couple of weeks ago. I have completed six of the projected twenty-three pieces. I'm pleased with the results and am looking forward to displaying them soon. 

Bagged, acrylic washes on watercolor paper
by Phillip Hoyle

I've been messing with these petroglyph designs for many years and have never tired of them. I'm working with some designs that are familiar and others new to me this time. It has been fun to try a few different colors and shades. The great breakthrough for me was when I began to use masking medium in the process. By building up washes close in color and texture to the "exposed" rock (that that has weathered less than the face of the rock) and then applying the design in masking medium, I create the effect of the subsequent washes being the weathered rock. The design can look like color was removed. At least that is how I have learned to work. 

By not using flow enhancer in the acrylics I get a more rustic look that seems compatible to me for the look of sandstone. Anyway, I love working with these primal subjects and ever changing artistic ways and always seek to treat the designs in a manner respectful of the people who made them in some cases many hundreds of years ago. 

Hope your art projects are bringing you the same kind of buzz.

Denver, 2014

The Haints

Yesterday we purchased treats to give to neighborhood kids on Friday. We usually have fifty to ninety costumed visitors. Few are frightening although I’m sure this year we will have to suffer quite a few of the walking dead. I get joy from handing out the goodies and seeing the kids—and their parents—all dressed in celebration of this pageant that has become as popular with adults as with kids. We have plenty of candy to keep ‘em happy.

I’m reminded of my years in Missouri where among Ozarkians ghosts are sometimes called haints, an archaic spelling and pronunciation of the old word haunts. I like using that word and found it an apt title for some paintings I made of a petroglyph of Osage origin from Mid-Missouri. The figure appears in William Clark’s journal from the Lewis and Clark expedition, an entry made in June of 1804. At one stop they made Clark drew figures from the cliff, large figures he described in spooky terms. 

Acrylic washes on paper by Phillip Hoyle

My “Haint” is a tribute to the Ozarks. The tree-covered hills and valleys did seem a fitting habitat for haints. I wonder if any will ring the doorbell on Friday. Happy Halloween

Denver, 2014

Save That!

In a week-long painting workshop I attended years ago, in which I learned a particular approach to using acrylic washes on paper, my teacher had us lay out all our first designs and went around to talk with each of us. He saw one of mine and pointing at it, said, "Save that and hang it in your studio." I was somewhat amazed for it seemed like just a few paint strokes and lots of dribbles in basic colors. He went on, "You will rarely get that free again." AND he was right. So I framed the thing and hung it up where I'd see it every day. 

An assortment of Ute designs

Last week I finally got around to beginning a painting project of smaller pieces, petroglyph designs I could sell at a low price at the co-op gallery up in the mountains. I chose to use all Ute designs from the tribes that roamed what we call the Central Rockies and the Colorado Plateau these days. It's a project still in process, but here's what has happened. I selected sizes and designs. I drew the designs on the designated areas of large pieces of Arches 140# watercolor paper. Then I washed the background with two coats of similar color, the second one slightly darker than the former. and upon washing the second one sprayed a mist of rubbing alcohol on it. The droplets push back the paint leaving a stippling effect similar to the way I see the sandstone rocks where these designs were made. 

The masking medium is shiny and resists the washes leaving
the undercoat untouched.

When they were dry I tore the papers into the marked sizes and painted the designs with masking medium--actually a product used with watercolor washes but that I discovered also works with acrylic washes. It's a resist medium made of latex and ammonia that when the paint dries can be removed with an eraser. It will be left on the paintings through several more washes.

My current "Save It" guide
acrylic washes on paper by Phillip Hoyle

I'm not referring to that first "Save It" piece, but this time using a painting of a petroglyph I made several years ago, one that attracted the interest of collectors and artists. I will this week paint the other layers of washes and next week let you see what happened. 

Art is always a process, and for me it is a process that may go on for weeks. Whatever work you do, get to your studio and get it underway!

Denver, 2014

Spider Mania

Spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

Perhaps I am just trying to emulate the enthusiasm of some of the artists I hang around with, but I found myself making more preparations for Halloween Artist Trading Card swaps. In addition to the spiders I made last week, I have made even more. These critters are on orange grounds made from photographs of shadows of fall plants as they appeared one night on the sidewalks in my neighborhood. The street lamps cast an orange glow. I added spiders! Don't get scared or have spider dreams.

Spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

I drew spiders and then added a clear coat to their bodies to give them depth and a creepier look. I think it added just what I wanted. At Saturday's ATC swap several people thought the spiders were stickers I had put on the cards. I explained that they were drawings with a spot of shiny! I traded all 18 of the spiders on orange! I was pleased; also I am enjoying the many cards I brought home from the trade.

Spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

Spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

Spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

I also traded all but two of my black and white spiders. (See some of them in last week's post.)

Halloween is coming; get your costume ready. I, too, will be busy because I am proposing more sheets of spiders, these as Sci-Fi characters.

Denver, 2014

The Holiday Approaches

Halloween spider ATC by Phillip Hoyle

A few posts ago I warned that Christmas is coming. I made the public announcement in order to motivate myself. Thankfully I got all my cards printed and am ready to rework my mailing list!


But of more imminent concern is the quick approach of Halloween, which concerns me not because of a costume. I won’t dress up this year. I don’t worry over candy; my partner takes care of that. But I do go to Artist Trading Cards swaps twice a month, and every October the theme is Halloween and Day of the Dead. The people I trade with get intensely interested in images related to human death—sometimes grossly, sometimes humorously. Usually for the October trades I have made miniature masks (2.5 x 3.5 inches) inspired by primal cultures or made up on my own. But this year I have turned, at least initially, to spiders. 

Take a look at the cards, but don’t get scared. I’ve been observing these interesting creatures as I clean the house and yard. I hope what I’ve done entertains you.



Denver, 2014