So I Can Put A Buffalo On It

Rooster Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on masonite, 12 x 8 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

Hey, artists. We all know that we should never stop learning, right? Good, I'm glad we're on the same page about that. I love your hair that way.

I've been taking a painting class taught by beloved Oklahoma artist Bert Seabourn at Oklahoma Contemporary (which, until last week, was called City Arts Center). This is the second time I've taken Bert's class, which is really more of an open workshop. The images in this post are from the first time I took his class in 2011.

I've been to art school. Why am I taking a painting class?

Dancer Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 12 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

Because it's seriously fun.

A little bit of influence can go a long way. In Bert's class, I always paint something completely different from what I would have made on my own. There's no pressure - I'm not painting for a show, and I'm not getting any grades. As students, we get an open class format in which to experiment, ask questions, try new things, and get input from a master painter. We also learn by watching other students paint in our individual styles.

So I can learn by watching Bert.

Bert begins class by handing out copies of a sketch, a previous painting, or some other image that interests him. He invites each student to interpret the image in their own way.

Bert also paints along with us. He brings a new canvas to every class, makes a sketch (usually with vine charcoal), and the paints a painting. It's a little bit magic. Also, he's been doing this for awhile. You can see from his work that he paints in an energetic, spontaneous way, which makes it all the more wonderful to see him in action.

He walks around the classroom and makes suggestions, helping us if we get stuck or mired in a difficult spot. But, even more than his direct feedback, I love having an environment where I know I can try anything.

Seated Man Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 10 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

So I can dedicate time to paint.

When I'm in class, I stand over a canvas and paint on it for two hours, without thinking about much else. I don't know what I'll paint before I get into the room. When I leave, I take a painting with me that may not be finished, but it's off to a solid start, and it's something I didn't expect.

Paint Chip Buffalo, acrylic on masonite, 10 x 8 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

What is the Ninja, Kung Fu, and/or Vulcan weapon equivalent of this class?

It would have to be that awesome two-in-one sword that Michelle Yeoh uses in this fight scene. Working with Bert slices straight through what I know about painting, then comes back and hits me from the side with things I didn't know I could do. Excellent question, thank you.

Oklahoma Contemporary has an excellent education department, with classes for adults and kids in all media. They are a great asset to the OKC Metro - check 'em out.

Leftovers Series: Wedge Salad

Wedge Salad, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches, 2012.

This painting, from an ongoing series of still lifes of food, was created for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition's annual 12x12 Art Fundraiser in 2012.

My source material was a leftover beet salad plus the prosciutto-and-pears appetizer from The Wedge Pizzeria in Oklahoma City. (Hint: Don't visit their website unless you're prepared to get hungry.)

OVAC? Oh, yeah, I may have mentioned them a time or two.

 

The Lady Victory - Poems by Jane Vincent Taylor

Ennis Quadrangle, Patron Saint of Honne and Tatemae - acrylic and collage on stonehenge paper, 2009 by Sarah Atlee. Some rights reserved.Ennis Quadrangle, Patron Saint of Honne and Tatemae, acrylic and collage on stonehenge paper, 2009 by Sarah Atlee. Some rights reserved.

I am pleased to announce that my friend Jane Taylor has a new book of poems available, published by Turning Point Press.

The Lady Victory is a wonderful collection imagined within the walls of a home for unmarried pregnant girls. This is the setting for Jane's poems, but that tells you nothing of the warmth, love and humor to be found among the pages.

Jane chose my painting Ennis Quadrangle, Patron Saint of Honne and Tatemae for the book's cover. She and I talked about things that go unsaid, either because they are forbidden, or maybe just thought of as dangerous words. I can imagine many things going unsaid inside Victory.

See my previous post to learn more about the meaning of Ennis Quadrangle.

Here is one of my favorite poems (reproduced here with permission):

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from Part II: Dear Little Flame the Love Letters of Sister B.

26

Dear little wind behind the rain,

I wonder if you received the crocheted hat I made for you. I should have saved it for your birthday, but my favorite is Thanksgiving. They probably think these gifts come from your mother. She would have sent you pink but I thought purple. She would have dressed you in leotard and tutu. Little violet, your mother loved to dance. She had all the Victory girls doing the Pony on the screened-in porch. I secured permission for her to stage a mini Oklahoma. Mother S. insisted they leave out Ado Annie's song - Can't Say No. In my three year stint at Victory only your mother knew what to do with guilt and shame. She made everybody love her. If you ever feel like dancing, you best not fight against it. Everybody's born to something.

Born to write to you, Sister B.

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The Lady Victory is available at Full Circle Books in Oklahoma City, or from Amazon. Jane is the featured author and will read selected poems at Full Circle's Final Sunday Poetry Reading on 24 June, 2012. (See Full Circle's Events page for details.)

Later this summer, Jane is teaching a writing course titled The Poetry of Home at Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center. There are still spaces available - I wish I could go.