Art Written in Stone

An Etsy Treasury of Petroglyph-inspired Art

There's some really great rock-art inspired artwork out there. I made a treasury of prehistoric art-inspired goodness over on Etsy. I've also been working out a few ideas of my own.

Felted river stones with petroglyphs

I love making little fiddle-objects (you know, things you fidget with when you're thinking or talking on the phone), so doing some felt versions of painted rock seemed like the natural next step. They're available over in my Etsy shop. Later, I may do some larger versions with more elaborate petroglyph images.

Stepping Stone

Deer petroglyph I painted on smooth basalt

It's such a simple thing, but the plainness of the lines and the smooth, velvety texture of the rock held in my hand make me happy. I've been looking at pictures of petroglyphs, filling a page or two of sketchbook with designs and ideas.

Recent sketches

The idea fairy has been sending me some good ideas for combining my love of ancient art with modern craft. Stay tuned...

Monday's Inspiration: The Past

University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History

This year, I've been working to overcome my creative block and other issues keeping me from making art. Part of that process is taking myself on weekly "artist dates" where I do something special for myself, usually in a way that relates to my creativity, but not always. Last Friday, I decided to go the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon, my first alma mater. Lately, I've been wondering how I can combine my love for anthropology with my love for art, since I have degrees in both.

Stone lamp, found near the John Day Reservoir, Gilliam County

As I walked up to the museum, I was asking myself how this week's date related to my art. I had the answer pretty quickly, thanks to the work I've been doing recently to figure out what most speaks to me aesthetically. The museum's main exhibits are a series of near-life sized dioramas, showing Oregon's different regions –the coast, the valleys, the Columbia plateau, and the great basin– and how Oregon's first peoples lived traditionally.

10,000 year old sagebrush sandals

In the exhibits, I saw my favorite colors, greens, blues, browns, grays, black and white. I saw the beautiful textures of natural materials. I saw the enigmatic faces and symbols of rock art, found almost everywhere in the world - a universal human heritage. The experience was both restful and inspiring.

I'm going to be asking myself how I can incorporate the essence of this experience into my artwork in a way that is respectful of the sources, creating without acting in a way that amounts to cultural appropriation. One of the themes of the museum is to remind visitors that the descendants of the people whose lifeways are depicted are still here, something that is indelibly etched in my thinking as a result of my studies in archaeology and anthropology for my first degree.

If you happen to find yourself in Eugene, a visit to the museum is well-worth the time and the small admittance fee.

Favorite Things: Transition Times

A Sunset in Seattle

When I was listing my favorite things the other day, I thought about my favorite times of the year and the day, and I realized that the times I like the best aesthetically are all transitions.

Utah Winter Sunset

My favorite time of day has always been the late afternoon/early evening, with dawn/early morning coming close behind. The sky is so beautiful with its many shades of blue, rose, and gold.

Sunset over the Willamette

Summer is absolutely my favorite time of year, for the sun and warmth and sweetness of the air. But spring and fall are both prettier, and I love to watch the colors of the changes. In spring, I love the visual relief of the explosion of color, leaf and bud after the long, gray winter.

Spring Flower

In fall, the trees turn to fireworks; a last hurrah before the grays of winter take over again. Winter is my least favorite time of year, however, I still look forward to fall's colors.

When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall

I think my most favorite colors will always be nature's more restful shades of blue and green, but I do love the warmth and glow of rose, orange, and gold.

Monday's Inspiration: Trina Schart Hyman

One of my favorite childhood picture books. Possibly THE favorite.

With a childhood where I learned to read before I learned to remember, there were a lot of memorable and much-loved books. This one, Jane, Wishing, by Tobi Tobias and Trina Schart Hyman stands out as one of the first I actually remember reading at our local library. I read it again and again and again.

It wasn't just the story (and that was just marvelous) that held my attention -and my imagination- but the marriage of pictures and words that happened within those covers more beautifully than in any other book I remember reading in those early years.

Jane wished she had long red hair, thick and waving, down to her waist...

Ms. Hyman's work was my first experience with the idea that an artist could have their own distinct style. Before any other artist, I learned to recognize her work wherever I found it. The varying lines, the gentle curves, the rich details, the expressive faces, the soft colors - all unmistakably hers. 

Rich detail - so much to look at!

To this day, I am deeply inspired by her style of illustration, and some of the things I like best in my own style are inspired by hers. Gentle, expressive faces, soft curves and lines, plants and animals.

My better half says that my own drawing style is distinctive to him - that he could recognize my work wherever he saw it. I like the idea that like Trina Schart Hyman, I have my own visual thumbprint. If I ever manage to make it so beautiful and skilled as hers was, I will be a very happy artist.