What: I love it when my paintings not only show a dynamic scene as it unfolds-- but do so inside a tightly held aperture of exposure. I love the fly on the wall, that moment when you sneak a peak at someone across from you in the waiting room lobby, caught between moments. I love it when only 70% of a painting makes sense. Often, the action occurs in dynamic or unexpected environments; when I create a good visual, I'll imagine it, lay it out on paper, and then usually wind up stylizing it or compressing the perspective to suit my needs. One goal is for these to lean toward abstract. I delight in all the tools-- especially value; I also experiment with color, contrast, and any other elements that help me define my point of view.
Influences... I am influenced by the absurdity of daily life and our capacity to overlook or ignore life's warning signals which are all around us always. My paintings often investigate the juxtaposition of this fundamental fact, against the treadmill of everyday life. With relish, and ideally mustard, I delve into truth and fantasy, flesh and soul, the novel and the mundane. I also love Velázquez, Diarmuid Kelley, Cesar Diaz Castro, Konstantin Somov, Susan Lichtman and about a thousand other fabulous painters.
Goals... In a society dominated by consumer appeals and market spectacle, I want to paint an opportunity to stop scrolling, to see to the root of something that matters, or at least get a surprised lung of clean air. I want us to remember our collective right to live in dignity and authenticity, without apology or guilt. We are after all, god's backwoods cousins (who best not be mentioned in mixed company). And speaking of goals-- maybe you've noticed I have many and varied interests, mediums, and subjects. One goal going forward is to try to narrow my focus into something consistent, but still two-dimensional. I think as goals go, that is pretty reachable. A related goal is to pack as many of my dream-state middle-aged-white-man-visions as possible into one format and medium, one picture at a time, without compromising my esthetics or standard of beauty. That'll be less easy.
My background: First there was coming out of the closet and then there was a bachelor degree. Then, after AIDS destroyed my future, I had a career in mechanical engineering. All that time learning and working I was making art, but only ever on the side. During lockdown, I decided it was time to step away from all that. Now art is finally where I've wanted it to be my entire life-- front and center. This, along with my husband, is why I feel so blessed: through the fire and still breathing. Those who say art isn't central to what makes life worth living, can leave now.
Whoretense Facepillow, fyi, is an alternative name/identity that came to me after getting to know the Radical Faerie community. If you're not familiar with the faeries, they are a loosely knit (gay) collection of like-minded folks that I am very much a part of. This is why my email address = radfeyart@gmail... Google "radical faeries" to find out more.
I've worked in many mediums in the past, including finger painting, concrete, acrylic, watercolor, cars, sugar cubes, clay, printing, plastic, crushed glass, compressed air, Photoshop, and all manner of pencils and hand-held marking instruments. These days I'm leaning into oil paint as it speaks to me most clearly, doesn't require a huge shop, and is more or less reversible. Its super hard, yet more forgiving than anything else. I am self taught (except for a year at Gage in Seattle). Growing up all over the United States, I had a love of creating most anything from an early age-- I just never gained the confidence or savvy to channel that into a way to pay the bills. In spite of that, I've been able to get my work in front of an audience these past 10 years or so:
I've recently relocated from Seattle to the city of Vancouver British Columbia. Feels good.