Ruby Saves The World

Ruby Saves The World Christmas 2008

MR HIGGINS COMES TO TOWN

Mr. Higgins came to town last week. He watched me work on " Girl with a big fish ". He is familiar with watching artists do their work, he has been watching us for years. He seems to like watching us stare at our canvas. Maybe because he was raised by artists. Maybe because he is an artist.

" Mr. Higgins with Gary ""

October 29, 2008

DESSERT

" Dessert "

10" x 10"

2008

acrylic

ZANZIBAR

" Zanzibar "

10" x 10"

2008

acrylic

SCRIMPADELIC

" Scrimpadelic "

10" x 10"

2008

acrylic

RAYS

" Rays "

10" x 10"

acrylic

2008

POSTAL BABE

" POSTAL BABE "

2008

10" x 10"

acrylic

WE ARE BACK AND IN THE WOODS

We have been on a short break for about a month. Needed the time to plot what direction to be headed in. Empress Mountain Studio is back in full swing with fresh work and new ideas. I confess that after each show I find the need to take some time to measure the success and what needs to be focused on. I find that to be a way to stay grounded and move forward. The good news comes in pairs; first I and my great friend RL Crabb will be having a joint show at The Center For The Arts July 20 through August 10, 2009 and I have a one man show scheduled for September 2010. All that is very good. I have worked and completed six very small works ( by my standards ) each being 10 inches by 10 inches. Here is the first piece.

" Lootapalooza "

10" x 10"

acrylic

THE ADVENTURES OF WILEY DOG AND SPARKY the last quiet moment of the show

The day after we hung The Adventures of Wiley Dog and Sparky was Wednesday and it was the last moment of solitude for the show. My great friend and supporter Patti Foster had joined me for a special moment. That was when in the empty gallery we could enjoy the work. It was for me a most special occasion. The work just jumped off the walls and although there was just we two it seemed like a party.

THE ADVENTURES OF WILEY DOG AND SPARKY Hanging the show

The Adventures of Wiley Dog and Sparky Show would like to thank Gene Thompson, Gail Damskey, Robert Benoit, Peggy Levine and Susan Barry for all their help in hanging the show. Here are a few pictures of the crew.

SHOWS UP THANKS GENE THOMPSON GAIL DAMSKY BOB BENOIT SUSAN BARRY

FIRST EVER WILEY DOG AND SPARKY PAINTING

The 2008 show " The Adventures of Wiley Dog and Sparky " is up at the Center For The Arts in Grass Valley, California. A special thanks goes out to ; Gene Thompson, Gail Damsky and Bob Benoit for all the help to hang the show. I could not and it would not have been so much fun with out you guys. A special thanks also goes to Gallery Director Susan Barry who has helped me so much on this show and the two before . Come and see the work y'all.

WILEY DOG'S NEW SHOES

" Wiley Dog's New Shoes "

2008

20" x 20"

acrylic

2006 SHOW

The 2006 show was the first one - man show since 1983. And to have a breakout show at The Center was a dream come true. Thanks to Gallery Director Susan Barry, I once again had a chance to celebrate my color work. Barry had been a fan of my work since the 1970's and she told me that she had always wanted to put on a display of the work. The timing could have not been better for me as I had been painting non stop and was continually having break through with each piece. It was a time of great joy with my work. Feeling good about your work is a great feeling but even with that it can be a constant struggle with the canvas. Struggle in my book is a good thing for it really means you are pushing yourself. And pushing yourself is in my way of thinking the only way to get better at this craft. And it can be the smallest of details that you as an artist agonize over while in most cases the viewing public does not have a clue. I learned early on that those monumental " break through " pieces that mean so much to your artistic journey most times have little impact on the viewer. From this I have an understanding that all works should stand on their own merits and not be influenced by statements from the artist. It was a powerful lesson that freed me and my work from each other. And that allows my creative journey to move forward, alas, not without a few steps backwards now and then. In the early seventies I had tremendous failings in the process of completing a painting. When things would not work out I would abandon the work and move to the next. With at times the same frustrations. A friend and fellow artist Hazel Whitford insisted to me that my creative process was always going to fail if I continued this way of searching for the " perfect " painting. She convinced me that I must finish each piece and go from there. She was so right ! Each piece became a world of it's own and became a spring board to more quality work. It seems simple now looking back , but it was such a struggle at the time. Thank you Hazel ! In my college days I had such great teachers and I was such a poor student that I did not think that I had learned anything about painting. Many years later I realized that they had taught me the building blocks to be an artist. I believe that all artist must be self taught in their own way, but being told how to do things can make the journey sweeter. I think that Irving Marcus, a well known California artist and a teacher of mine, might have helped me the most. It was simple but direct, " If you want to paint a person with a green face, then paint them with green faces !". That sentence freed me from almost all chains in my artistic journey. It was such a huge moment for me and it has stuck with me for over 40 years. The 70's and the 80's were filled with success, many one - man and group shows my work grew but my artistic business skills were non existent. I was a rebel without a cause. Fighting your canvas is one thing but fighting the art world proved to be a hazard. I soon found that certain work would sell and I slowly drifted to that way of creating. And the results I was painting for the viewer and not for myself. I had lost my soul ! Many people would have done it different I am sure but for me I had to proclaim that I had killed the art inside of me. I stopped painting. For three years I did not pick up a brush, my being a artist faded away. Then the desire to create finally came back. This time I convinced myself that if I were to continue this path I had to find my own way. And I painted in obscurity for a decade letting no one see the work. Then I let a few people in on the work. And by 2006 I was ready to show again. And of the 14 pieces shown I had sold 15 and donated more money to The Center than any artist. I felt I was back. But just then I remembered in my early days of being an artist I was told you could not call yourself an artist if you had not sold anything, which I had not at the time. Well that is a lie, and unfortunately at the time I was not ready to rebuke that statement. Yes, I have now sold many works but that will never make me an artist. Creating makes me an artist, and I have been blessed with that for so many years....thank you.

LAST YEAR'S SHOW

Last year's show was a special show for me. I had just completed two and a half years of only painting. Keeping at it every day finally was reaping it's rewards. New ways of handling paint had been discovered as well as new ways to apply the paint. The show reflected this growth and that made the artist in me so very happy.

SHOW IN ONE WEEK

In one week I will be hanging The Adventures of Wiley Dog and Sparky at The Center For The Arts. Of course there are the normal pre - show jitters but as a whole it has become very exciting. Another chance to show a year's plus of work. I really do like that feeling. Still a lot of details to finish but that should be accomplished without to much fan fare. After all as an artist all you really can do is put on the best show you have at the time, the rest is in other hands. Then again it is my way of thinking that all you have to do to be an artist is to create. You do not have to show or sell your work all you need is to continue to create. If that is done the rest will find it's course. That means that you must constantly strive to fulfill your goals with your work and with these goals some will be constant and some will surface as the work demands.
This years journey was filled in learning about materials and tools. After some 40 plus years of working with the same objects ( paints , mediums, canvas and brushes) I started paying closer attention. It seems funny to think that but that is what this year has been about. Learning how to paint is some kind of journey !

UTOPIAN MOMENT

" Utopian Moment "

2008

52" x 52"

acrylic

EL CAPATAIN

" El Capatain "
2008
52" x 52"
acrylic

NOT IN MY TOWN YOU DON'T

" Not In My Town You Don't "
2007
52" x 52"
acrylic

TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA

" Trout Fishing In America "

2000

36" x 36"

acrylic

Le Di

" Le Di "

2007

52" x 52"

acrylic

SUCH A CUTE LITTLE TOWN

" Such a cute little town "

2001

36" x 36"

acrylic

GRACELAND

" Graceland "

1998

52" x 52"

acrylic

Sparky Suddenly Bolted

" Sparky Suddenly Bolted "

52" x 52"

acrylic

1999

Suddenly Corporal Sparky made his move

" Suddenly Corporal Sparky made his move "

52" x 52"

acrylic

1997

SPARKY Yipee Kai Yeah

" Yippe Kai Yeah "

26" x 26'

acrylic

2005

SAVING MIC

" Saving Mic "

52 x 52

acrylic

2007

1939 CITROEN ROADSTER

Wiley Dog and Sparky were lucky to have for their use in Paris. Made with right hand drive in 1939 at Slough, England. There are only six left in 2008. The grill sports the Citroen logo which is the " double chevron ", referencing Citroen's early work on the " herringbone " or double helical gear, but there are other theories about this. Citroen, was Jewish and also an internationally well-known Freemason, attached to the Lodge of " La Philosophia Positive " in Paris. The logo may be interpreted as a masonic symbol - a double masonic square or a double masonic compass, associating the masonic ideology of Citroen with his invention of the double helical gear. In masonry, the compass is associated with the symbolism of the " architect's tools ", so it is possible that Citroen used a double compass to represent his invention, in a masonic way.

SAVING MIC The Citroen 2 CV Mic's ride

They made almost 9 million 2 CV's in it's 42 - year history. Designed to carry 2 French peasants with 100 kg of farm goods to market at 60 km/h. in clogs and across muddy unpaved roads if necessary. The car would use no more than 3 litres of gasoline to travel 100 km. The 2 CV would be able to drive across a ploughed field without breaking the eggs it was carrying. The roof was raised so that you could wear a hat. Rarely seen in America the car became a French icon. For such a common car Mic's was awfully rare. It was a 2 CV Sahara, one of only 27 ( out of 694 made ) that are known to exists today. The Sahara, is a four - wheel drive car, equipped with two engines ( 12 hp each ), each having a separate gas tank. One was mounted in the front driving the front wheels and one in the back driving the rear wheels. A single gear shifter, clutch pedal, and gas pedal were connected to both engines. Perfect for Wiley Dog and Sparky's trip from Baghdad to Harare in their attempts to save Mic.

RUBY Saves the World

" Ruby Saves the World "

1998

acrylic

SOUTHERN PACIFIC Number 4449

" Southern Pacific number 4449 "

1998

pen, ink and watercolor

Southern Pacific's 4449 is still in operation pulling the beautiful Daylight Special on special excursions. All decked out in orange and black it is a rail road enthusiasts dream sighting. It is also called The City of Portland and is based in that Oregon city. One of our favorite steam locomotives.

SANTA FE Super Chief 347C

" Super Chief "

1998

pen, ink and watercolor

Sparky's first train ride was on the Santa Fe Super Chief from Stockton, California to Dallas Texas to see his grandmother. She lived in Centerville Texas which was about 100 miles south of Dallas. The Chief 's shield on the front of the engine could be one of the most famous in the world. Poppa Sparky says that the young Sparky was afraid of the Chief and did not want to get on board. As he proudly told the story when ever he had the chance; " I could hear him screaming as the train pulled out of the station !". He always got a chuckle out of that. As for a young Sparky, he can not remember any of that but he grew up to love trains. I guess that trip started it all. Engine 347C is at the California State Rail Road Museum in Sacramento California.

LEE and SUSAN Thurston Summer road trip as of July 22, 2008

" THEY ARE BACK ! "

WESTERN PACIFIC Feather River Route

" Western Pacific Feather River Route "

1996

pen, ink and watercolor

Sparky and I always have had a great love for trains. We grew up with the old Western Pacific being close by. The California Zephyr was one of America's finest passenger trains. It ran from Oakland California to Salt Lake City Utah. The journey through California's Feather River Canyon was considered one of America's most scenic train rides. The Zephyr was the last great passenger train to operate regularly in the United States. This engine can be found in the California State Rail Road Museum in Sacramento.

TOM LEGG'S International project

" Tom Legg's International "

2002

felt pen and watercolor

" Tom Legg's International "

2002

felt pen and watercolor

" Tom Legg's International "

2002

felt pen and watercolor

WILEY DOG Road Trip

WILEY DOG and SPARKY save New York City

SPARKY always knew Bob was right