River Valley

There have been places I've lived in my life where I've investigated rivers. Priest River, Spokane River, Little Spokane River, the Naches River, and others not coming to mind right now. Rivers are always moving along, unlike the tides that come back, go away, come back. Then there are the flood plains, like where I lived in Yakima, where water crept in the night toward the house, and that's what it sounded like, this stalk, sluicing closer and closer. Here this painting, with iridescent paint, looks like an aerial view of meandering water. I like the colors and the shimmer the mica in the paint brings to the finish.

Chinese Dragon

This painting was done on a hot press paper. Hot press is shinier and those takes paint and ink different than cold press paper, which is dull and obsorbant. The quality of the paint on the paper gives this picture a watery feel, more so, I think than paint on cold press. The water just moves on top of the surface. Very soothing but alive.

Painting a Day

This painting and the one after it, are very small, perhaps 3 x 3 inches. They are small because I wanted to try following the painting a day movement to see if that would work for me to inspire new work. Writing practice generates new work and draws out of me different memories and scenes that I don't seem to consciously draw up, and I think this is because it is a continual practice. A Painting A Day is a movement to generate 365 paintings a year--there is a poetry movement that follows the same momentum. If you like, Google Painting A Day and see what comes up.

Branches

This is a painting of branches, brush, twigs, in the woods. It's painted acrylic on paper. It's more realistic than my usual paintings of late. I like the red color, looks sort of mysterious.

Being Present

This shadow boxed is filled with jaw bones of small animals, and stones and tube worm casings and marbles found on the beach. The beach is a lovely place to find objects. I often come across bits of ceramic bowls and cups and even old dinner ware. I've found flow blue and roseville. I've found tiny bottles and glass stoppers. On the beach there are agates--you have to look hard at first, but then after awhile, they seem to appear without trying. I think this is like life--if you look too hard, you don't see. It's that soft focus that lets everything in--sort of a Buddhist meditation practice of sorts. Letting life in without resisting. Recently I read in a meditation book that nothing can stick--it just keeps going through--because we are energy. Interesting to think about. As an artist, it is the resistance that blocks the work. So letting go is the best--letting things come in--be like a window.

Number 23

This was the first shadow box I made. It includes a jaw bone from a small animal, a small bird's egg shell, buttons, ceramic bits from Italy, a birds wind, a key, a marble, and beads. This shadow box has significance for me, being that 23 adds up to 5--which is my birth number--if you've ever ventured into numerology, you'll see that numbers have meaning. This means that I'm to be a teacher--oddly enough--I am a teacher. The goddess is a symbol of my need for self expression as a female. I've been wounded around my femininity, as have so many other women. Supporting myself with loving kindness is the answer to rebuilding inner strength and a belief in oneself. Also doing art is a healing process, so I always allow myself the freedom to create.

Turning Knot

This painting was made into a book cover in 2005. My friend and poet, Kelli Russell Agodon chose this painting for her book cover, "Small Knots." To see the cover and read more about her, check out www.agodon.com/

Sound Current

This is an acrylic painting on watercolor paper. I tape down the edges of the paper first, using removable masking tape. When I peel up the tape after the painting is dry, I have a very nice border around the image. My inspiration for this painting came from the current on the water. Where I live, the Puget Sound is constantly changing colors and textures, from the wind, the clouds, the sun--even the rain. Snakes of current travel with the tides, the current moving in or out of bays and along inlets. It's beautiful, the smooth texture reflecting the light, edging the rougher grays. Of course the colors in this piece make use of artistic license.

Messenger of God

A plywood altar, painted with Daniel Smith's gold liquid acrylic, focuses on a Da Vinci drawing printed on a postcard purchased at the Codex show at SAM (Seattle Art Museum). The altar is complete with ginkgo leaves, ceramic shards from Italy, bottle caps, keys, stones, shells, feathers, and more. It is hinged so it stands, rather than hangs.

Shine on Sound

This painting was part of a quick series of work I did where the images all came out with swirls and spirals and if you notice at the top of this piece, bird shapes. Frequently images in up in my paintings, sort of automatic paintings if you like, and then I enhance the images that are there. They usually tell me a story, like this piece might be about the swirl of emotion I feel and how my life can be overwhelming, yet always there is a spiritual presence I can rely on for comfort. To purchase go to www.nancycanyon.etsy.com

Inside

This painting was painted in the same series as "It's Beneath". I was inspired by an artist's abstract work that I'd seen in Art News, and thought the way I was painting could change a bit, try something new for a thrill. The series didn't go far, but I do have several paintings now of round shapes with blobs in them that remind me of crows.

It's Beneath

Swirls and lines and dancing birds. I think this is about the stick game they used to play in the streets. Hoop game. My father played it, rolled along a hoop with a stick. Now there are video games and skateboards.

Cursive Loops

When I painted this painting, I wasn't thinking about trying a new style. It just happened that I felt a certain degree of boredom with what I was doing and smeared white paint over the surface and this lovely transparency happened. All's well that ends well. I'm at a new phase again with my art, which I think is difficult to execute. Anyone feeling uninspired knows what I mean. I can wait, or I can create. I'm more believing that it's the jumping in and doing that gets me going again.

A Woman's Place: Write your destiny

A Woman's Place: Write your destiny

Fig

Swirls of color painted with Daniel Smith acrylics on Arches paper. This one I painted alongside the other one I posted a couple of posts ago. I often tape down more than one piece a paper at a time. Sometimes the paintings become pairs that I frame and hang together, other times they remain individual pieces. I cut my paper the same size and mask the painting area the same size. If I keep all my paintings the same size, it makes it easier when I got to buy frames. I have a friend who makes everything the same size and them exchanges the frames from one piece to another when putting things in different shows. I'd prefer to frame the ones I like the best, if I can afford it. American Frame has great prices on mats and frames.