Aves: New show in San Francisco

The Cottage Industry Painting Salon

2326 Fillmore St. between Clay and Washington, San Francisco

opening Wednesday September 15, 7-9pm.

Show runs through September 30 with variable hours, contact me to arrange a visit.

Desert Bird (I), oil on panel, 3.5 x 4 inches

I’ve been painting birds this summer: tropical birds, familiar songbirds, woodpeckers, a heron, owls. They’re very small paintings, some so small you could fit them in your hand, others up to 12x12 inches. These are portraits of birds, and they are also portraits of what the birds represent -- states of being and relating that are as relevant for humans as for birds. When I paint birds, I think of people.

A heron eyes the gopher in its mouth, and the gopher looks back, wondering why it has to be this way. The heron offers no answer, it just is. A woodpecker flew back to his branch. It was a long day and he’s back and he’s safe and he eases into his territory. His red mane glows, the air around him glows, he is the king of this branch. A yellow songbird notices us but keeps her wings folded, she’s in no rush. Two owls share a perch, they touch but their gazes wander and we don’t know what’s next.

I love thick paint loaded on a brush and dragged across the painting surface. More and more, I love color. I am less concerned with detail in these paintings and more with the raw feeling behind the paint itself. It’s a more fun, more engaging, more visceral way to paint. There’s a tempo to it: a loose beginning, a middle period of discovering the painting’s meaning and rhythm, and a final effort that pushes the paint to a peak. Stopping at just the right time is crucial. It’s a more conscious practice, it feels good.

My work will be show alongside the work of my friend Kristin van Diggelen. Kristin is hosting the space, an off-the track art destination now in it's eight month. Each month features a new figurative painter, and there's always good wine and good company at her salons....so I hope to see you there.

Kingfisher (above) and Tree Swallow (below); both oil on panel, 3.5 x 4 inches