Downtown Spearfish Exhibition Space

Artifacts and Antiques building at 740 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD

I’m pleased to announce that I now have an exhibition space in downtown Spearfish, SD. This studio space will be utilized to showcase my original paintings as well as artwork by specially invited local artists. I will also be leading a variety of workshops and art events from this location, so I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter from this website to be notified of upcoming events intended to contribute to an already vibrant art community. See also my business website for Artifacts Antiques and Art as well as “like” the Facebook page to see what’s going on in downtown Spearfish.

Spearfish Canyon Tranquility

12 x 12″ Watercolor on Claybord

Framed in a beautiful artisan-made black walnut frame, this painting is from a recent series of similar sized paintings that were inspired by hikes in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The restful sounds of rustling grass, bubbling streams, and birds chirping are mixed with the unforgettable scent of the pine.

This and similar of my paintings of the Black Hills region are currently on exhibit at my Spearfish SD Studio in Artifacts Antiques and Art and at  Prairie Edge Gallery in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Spearfish Canyon Tranquility

Spearfish Canyon Tranquility

12 x 12″ Watercolor on Claybord

Framed in a beautiful artisan-made black walnut frame

This painting is from a recent series of similar sized paintings that were inspired by recent hikes in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The restful sounds of rustling grass, bubbling streams, and birds chirping are mixed with the unforgettable scent of the pine.

This and similar of my paintings of the Black Hills region are currently on exhibit at Prairie Edge Gallery in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Stand Tall

We all recognize this watercolor sketch as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.  (at least I hope I was able to relay this image!)

But, did you know that this structure was built by Gustav Eiffel’s engineering firm and designed by Maurice Koechlin for the 1889 World’s Fair?  Paris hosted the World’s Fair to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. The Eiffel Tower, as it came to be known, was considered a temporary structure.  In fact, many Parisians considered it to be an ugly eyesore. The tower’s use as a radiotelegraph station is what ultimately saved it from being torn down. Ironically, the Eiffel Tower is now is an iconic symbol of Paris and the French people. Just as the Statue of Liberty represents New York City and the people of the United States. (The Statue of Liberty was designed and built by the same Eiffel/Koechlin team, by the way). Who says art doesn’t matter?  Stand tall and be counted artists and art lovers… art and design is everywhere you look and plays a vital role.

 

Open Your Eyes and Your Brain Will See

My mother, Mildred Halsey, has been compiling quotes about art, and recording her thoughts about art and creativity.  She wrote, “Open your eyes and your brain will see”. I find this is very true. Although I may believe that I am observant, I know that art is an import tool to help me to truly see what is before me. Taking time to truly see and experience something through a creative lens helps me to more fully digest nuance.

This watercolor and pencil sketch was done years ago during a quiet moment shared with my son, Drew Dutton. We were in Rome, and together we took time from touring to sit and sketch a fountain that we spotted in a peaceful public courtyard. Seeing my son truly observing the fountain was rewarding to me, an art instructor, but also knowing that he was taking in the quiet and restful ambiance of the courtyard was a gift to me as a mother. His rendering was a birds-eye-view of the courtyard, showing to me that he was able to make the leap from a direct rendering of what was in front of him, to being able to visualize the lay-out of the courtyard from a totally different perspective.

Many Forms of Creativity

There are many forms of creativity, not limited to painting and drawing.  This image is of course, a pen and ink on paper, but beyond rendering a visual record, my travel experience to Delphi in Greece could also have been expressed in many other ways.  A written description of what I felt, heard, witnessed, and smelled could  have been employed.  I could have taken photos, wrote a poem or song, meditated, or bought a local food and ate it while people-watching. I could have visited with a local or another tourist, or I could have enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee while reflecting upon what brought me to this place in time.

Creativity is about being alive and wishing to further enhance or share that experience with others.  What I most love about the many journals I have kept while traveling, is that when I later look at them, that moment in time comes back to me. Through art, my recollections are nearly as vivid as they were the moment I took the time to let my senses catch up with all that I was experiencing at the time.

Using Your Creative License

I recently completed a PhD in Art History and Education and have been immersed in research pertaining to creative risk-taking.  I now teach these concepts through adult art education workshops, both locally as well as abroad.  As I teach, I frequently refer to using one’s creative license.

In my research, I  found that artist and author Danny Gregory offers a powerful analogy.  He poses the question, “What if we treated driving like we treat the arts?”  Just imagine if it was assumed that people were either born to drive or not.  We would only encourage a select few to drive, and then only support those who showed a predisposition to driving, as it would be assumed that only those who could drive professionally should drive. Perhaps the numerous other persons would be redirected to do something “more useful to society” and should not be encouraged to drive. Gregory challenges us to imagine what it would be like if  all others would never be able to drive, wouldn’t be supported in their driving efforts, and therefore they would “just stand on the sidewalks and watch the traffic”.  How sad would that be? I encourage everyone to get out their artistic license and be creative in any manner they choose and start driving!!!

Did I Really See that Red on the Cactus?

Did I really see that red color on the cactus?  No, it is called taking “artistic license”. This special and totally free license is the creative right I have to make changes and interpret what I am rendering.  When teaching other’s about artmaking, I find that the concept of artistic license holds a valuable key to helping people let go of their preconceived ideas of what is good art and whether or not their art qualifies.

Danny Gregory writes about the creative license, and he explains that this is largely about giving YOURSELF permission to “go for it”.  He specifically compares drawing to driving a car: it is very unlikely that anyone on the road today jumped behind the wheel and was an excellent driver.  In fact, there was likely much trepidation and hitting of the brakes before being able to steer the vehicle in the manner one wishes to.  Becoming a confident driver takes PRACTICE and PATIENCE, just as improving one’s drawing skills does.  Don’t be afraid to use your artistic license to explore artmaking of all kinds.  The only “wrong” thing when exploring creativity is not taking that first step, or not being willing to take the vehicle out of park!

Finding the Exotic in the Familiar

Finding  the exotic in the familiar is what sketching and journaling can offer.  Here is a small watercolor painting on paper that I did shortly after arriving in Tucson, Arizona.  I undertook a 3+ year process of obtaining a PhD in Art History and Education at the University of Arizona, beginning in 2013.  Displacing myself in this way allowed me to take a fresh look at what was new and exotic through my eyes, yet was mundanely familiar to the locals.  How can an artist not see the beautiful nuances of color and texture in a cactus and not be compelled to make a rendering? How can I not have reveled daily in the beautiful Black Hills that surrounded me in my home state of South Dakota? Recording that which was new and exotic to me helped remind me of that there is much beauty everywhere, including my own back yard.

Experiencing Creativity while Traveling

Shells and Feather Still-life

These found objects inspired a quick rendering that I painted indoors while on a trip to Florida. Due to a blustery day, the act of being present and taking time to closely observe what was before me, helped the beach visit to remain fresh in my mind once returning home.  Creating while traveling is a way of truly seeing what I (and many others) had previously walked by not noticing, and now, through the action of painting it, has become a life-time experience for me.