P.T. Artist Sandra Stowell

I recently completed a simple written “interview” about making art, and my view of myself as an artist. Answering the questions forced me into thinking about making art in a serious way. The questions are nothing very unusual; indeed these are questions I have answered in the past. But I change, and my answers change over the years. I think about making art differently.

Early on in my focus on making, I was impatient with the questions; I had very little energy or understanding of my own motives. This made answering these questions difficult, and I had other priorities. I struggled to see myself as an artist at all. Eventually I made the effort to pursue my work seriously. The conviction that I am an artist came with time and a body of work. When you make art regularly, you are an artist, by definition.

Now is seems easy to answer the questions, and I go deeper with my replies each time I consider them. This time I found value in them, and took some time to respond. I know I could answer these questions at greater length and depth tomorrow. Indeed I find that I am already doing this!

I am told that this interview will be “published” on a newly updated website focused on art, but not immediately. So I won’t hold my breath for this to happen. Also I don’t much expect this site to get many viewers. I don’t really understand the plan. But it was an excellent exercise for me, and I quite enjoyed it. I plan to self-publish some of the questions and answers, starting today. So here is the first question, with an expanded answer.

Question 1: Why did you become an artist?

I have always had the urge to draw and to create. I enjoyed my parents’ books on art and architecture; all three children were expected to know something about art and art history. My grandfather was a painter and art teacher, and although he died before I was born, exposure to his work, and the family interest in art undoubtedly influenced me. However for much of my life I perceived my own creative interests as so different from his work as a painter that I could not consider myself an artist. It was not until I retired early from a career in computing that I found the time and the conviction to pursue art work seriously.

I feel that anyone who makes art is an artist, so that makes me rephrase the question. It becomes a bit different: why do I make art? Because I really want to express myself visually, I think. After some effort and time, this has actually become necessary to my satisfaction in life. I become restless and unhappy when I don’t express myself by making things.

And mostly I do say that I make things! Some of these things fit my definition of art. At other times my work may be merely decorative, functional, and/or entertaining. I don’t try to think too hard about what is art, or what is no. My work is mixed media work: I am not a painter, a sculptor, or a print maker; rather I use all three processes, and more, in making my art. I also use my computer background, my limited construction skills, and so many other things to create my finished pieces. I would love to make larger more ambitious work, but I am constrained to small artwork by my age, space, and abilities.

Sometimes it good to take a little time off, and step away from making art. For the past few days I have certainly been thinking about making art, and I will be making more “art” soon enough!

I recently refurbished this sometime portrait in a box, and posed it seated for these photos:

This is an any woman portrait. This sometime portrait in a box is a very personal work that speaks to me about death and the ages. The altered life cast face is at one with the worn stones I placed below it.

I made this from a life cast, that I altered significantly. Not just by adding the life channels that I carved and traced in graphite. The face shape and expression has been revised by careful carving.

I buffed and sealed the tinted plaster cast face, then mounted it firmly into the box. For the background I digitally manipulated a grayscale scan of an abstract pastel drawing, which is a piece titled “Dance Partners”. The transformed drawing relates to the found beach stones that I mounted in the box.

Here my portrait box is photographed on a chair that I spray painted using purchased stencil. I have my sometime portrait in a box comfortably seated!

Tucked Inn is a tiny house for a Community Build project; volunteers build small “wooden bedrooms” as transitional housing. These will be located in small “villages” with a shared bathhouse and a minimal kitchen facility. I think the idea is to have define community rules with some self-government, but also additional on-site management. The goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and secure home base for previously homeless residents, while they attempt to stabilize their lives and find long term arrangements.

My newest two Tiny Beetles have found a home: one in each of my two gorgeous Beetle Specimen Drawers (aka Beetle Museum Drawers).

I make most of my Beetle People with the intent to reproduce them by making molds and casts, but my Tiny Beetles are different. The larger beetles range from about 2.5″ to 8″ long so far. I strive for detail and interesting facial expression on my originals, and color the reproductions to make them unique. Some of the casts get modified a bit more: I may do a bit of carving before coloring them. Some are colored with pigment in the cast material, or with surface pigment bonded in the mold. Others get rub on pigment and/or paint. Most are finished with a clear sealing coat.

My Tiny Beetles are much smaller; the largest is about 1 1/4″ long, and quite slender! They do not have the same level of detail, and are one-off, so far. I do not plan to reproduce any of these Tiny Beetles.

The first of my two “museum drawers” already had two tiny residents, along with nine larger beetles. The first two are the very tiniest of tiny beetles. Today a third, slightly larger, Tiny Beetle moved into an area where she can be quite well camouflaged by color and texture.

The largest of my four tiny beetles, my beautiful bronze fellow, moved into the second of my “beetle specimen drawers”. He crawls about in the company of nine much larger beetle people, but as the largest of my four Tiny Beetles, I think he will be quite comfortable.

I feel sure they will both fit right in; two new Tiny Beetles have found a home.