The Painter

Pingo Ergo Sum:  (I paint, therefore,  I am)  this is the sweatshirt that Michael Spafford had on for the walk-thru talk at the gallery showing his woodcut prints, because a lot of the oil paint from these very prints is on that shirt.  He says he calls himself a painter not an artist because there are so many artists in the world..mechanics, chefs etc. but not painters.    I realized I learned everything I really needed to know from him in class at the UW 40 years ago (!!)  and he is STILL trying to make the perfect painting.   Not a representative image , but a good piece of ART that works,.   Altho he is a painter, he said the reason he started doing these simple black/white woodcuts was to see the paintings more clearly… the organization, the composition on the paper , the positive,/negative, the progression.  and the clearer one can see involves the least, simplest ingredients.   Black.   White.  Silhouettes.  He did 12-14 series of the Labors of Hercules, all a bit different, striving to improve.    The newest  series, is the 3 part behind him… every one of the twelve is: sideview with 2 legs on top, one leg in the middle and straight on on the bottom.   (actually 3 different woodcuts, can be printed horizontally)  Interestingly, (the extra, a small replica in this show) he did a huge (40 ft long, 7 ft high) Labors of Hercules murals (rather appropriately I think) for the Washington State House of Representatives in the 80s —all was praised by the administration,  architects etc, but once they were up and those representatives of the people from all over the state sat there, the S—- hit the fan and they were declared obscene and removed.   I remember at the time he said it was OK to destroy them, but they are now hanging in a college in  the state..  Lucky them.   Why Greek myths?  Because those Greek gods were so human,, did things that we humans do.   Including today.
This very unassuming man and his wife, also a painter, printmaker, have made a big difference to many of us understanding the power of paint and art and the energy and vision and love it takes to keep on doing it.    I loved this afternoon!   AND we saw a good friend there and had a lovely coffee nearby with her afterwards, and H and I walked to the 3 rd gallery showing his work , and thru the city and the market and home (with the trolley in the middle.. We bused down there this time...smarter))      

Here is the view of his paintings from the blip just last wednesday.      I told him my "revelation" about loving stripes coming  from him and he agreed it was a way to emphasize those important negative spaces. I feel so very fortunate to have known and learned so much from him.