The eighties brought both turbulence, and a fountain of creativity.
The studio on Prescott Alley which I bought in – 1984
Some of the ‘stand out‘ events during the 1980s.
In a nut shell, at the beginning of the decade, we moved from Westtown into the town of West Chester – (three miles away) The death of my dear father in the spring of 1983 aged 62 was, and still is a great loss. We had a fully fledged teenage son in the house and all that goes with that:) My becoming ill and needing major surgery. The purchase of my studio on Prescott alley. An eight year old daughter and her many friends. Bill continuing to go through very difficult changes with his career. I was 34 and Bill 35.
From the outside we looked like the perfect family, but along with the above, I was grappling with a ‘social phobia’ which presented itself in the form of extreme anxiety. – something that no one spoke of back then. In short I found it very difficult to be around pretty much anyone other than family, close friends and animals. My painting and studio gave me the perfect retreat from it all.
With the death of my father I began to act out in all sorts of interesting ways. For one year I only wore pink and purple….(funny but true). I stopped trying to please everyone……I began to dig deep within.
Looking perfect on the outside was a real catch 22 situation! I was prescribed tranquilzers by my doctor for the anxiety…….This lead me to believe that I had found the panacea for all of my concerns but of course life doesn’t work that way.
You can imagine what the galleries and others thought when I stopped painting animals and began a series of what I called my Rock and Nudes. This painting which is with me today in London, is dated 1982. It was one of many paintings in that series of (large oils and watercolours
The series came about when I was painting on the remote island of Isle au Haut – part of Acadia National Park in the Penobscot Bay, Maine.
I was sitting on one of the huge boulders on Boom Beach when I had a profound revelation……a knowing and deep understanding that all of life is Interconnected. A moment that changed my life for ever.
I took the many sketches from Isle au Haut back to my studio in West Chester where I incorporated the human form.
At the same time I knew that i needed to bring more consistency to my work….I needed to hone my observational skills. This was when I began painting intricate still life paintings….many of them autobiographical in nature.
I worked from 9 til 6 p.m. every day….and even if I wanted to work until midnight…I didn’t….all part of bringing consistency into my life.
This small oil on canvas….is all about observational skills and at the same time getting beneath the surface of things….in this case evoking a sense of calm and peace.
And then there were the portraits. Always portraits.
My dear friend Sue Hineman. who I met at the Quarry Swimming Club in the early eighties.
Bonnie Paul – who was to become my agent and dear friend in the eighties. She arrived at my Prescott Alley studio one day and gave me a big commission for one of her clients…. She also introduced me to mural painting. We worked together and kept very much in touch until her death a few years ago.
I met Mary Ellen Bilisnansky McMorrow AKA MEBS in the eighties…We always had great fun together. Another fantastic artist.
with my husband Bill and MEBS at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
My son Jarrod sitting in front of one of my oil paintings of Sam Kenworthy (AKA Uncle Sammy) in the Prescott Alley studio
I finished this decade with a large alla prima self portrait…. along with an autobiographical still life. Both paintings are with me in London….They remind me that no matter what is going on….to stay focused.
large oil on canvas….autobiographical still life.
Bill and I always had so much fun together…..even though chinks were beginning to show….
From my book – The Apple Exercise….
“Given the fast pace of our lives today, and the fact that so many of us are plugged into technology of one kind or another, our collective senses have been deadened.
Along with this comes a feeling of loss. A loss that in many ways we are unable to identity.
As we constantly try to fill the ever widening holes within us with more and more frenetic activity and STUFF…..our frustration levels grow.
Feeding our senses through the creative process, in all its many forms, can produce almost miraculous changes, which lead to a sense of well being and fulfillment’
In my next post…..Cousin Lyn came to visit …along with mural painting.