The Day We All Looked Up

A long time ago now, 2008 I believe,  I created a little collage called "And Suddenly the Multitude Turned Their Heads."   It was filled with silhouettes.  The same Person, a stand in, anonymous. Shortly after I finished it, I tried to make a painting from the collage.  This was when I was out at Evergreen Studios in Redmond, back at the beginning of this blog, of this time, of this process.  I was really quite lonesome then, hadn't quite found what I now call The Village, although I had met a couple of them.

Back to the painting.  I failed. Miserably.  The painting defeated me.  The silhouettes looked dumb, the patterns looked dumb, the palette, everything.  Dumb.

Fast forward to now.  I was commissioned to complete a big mural for Visit Bend, to be installed in, guess where?  Tin Pan Alley.  (I think that Visit Bend doesn't realized how much time I spend in this alley).  When thinking about what I was going to do for this piece, it became obvious to me that I needed to present The Village.  The failed painting from 2008 immediately came back to me.  But this time, instead of imaginary silhouettes, I gathered the people of the village one by one and captured them (well, as many as I could fit.  I need a bigger canvas). Now I am filling in the silhouettes with their  "them-ness."  My dear Alicia (of Howl) is being represented by her favorite Pendleton Wool Pattern that she used for many of her creations.  The Lovely Cyr is becoming a golden sea, a golden ocean.  Sarah McMurray has a peacock pattern,  much like her most beautiful tattoo.  James Ryan will have a grid of compass shapes.  One is a beehive, one is vintage floral wallpaper.  All of them have their chins lifted, gazing to the sky.

 Of course I had to wait to do this painting, of course.

And I have titled it:  The Day We All Looked Up.

Now, Back to work.  I am working on a Deadline Now.  Oops.