Stretching the Artist in Me

I used to wonder how I could most effectively Stretch the Artist in Me and grow my style, techniques, etc.. I don’t know why, but it seems silly now to think I was not really doing that already. The past few years, I have been taking classes that would enable to me be active in the world of Incident Management. Which runs the gamut of natural, to man made disasters and events, nationally. Mostly, my interest is in Wild Land Fire. Well, that has provided a whole new set of challenges to my creative world. Stretching not only the artist in me, but all of me, mentally and physically.

The really big challenge for me, was giving up my summer to do this during fie season by traveling an area that covered five states, in a short response time. Staying packed and ready to go within a few hours. Packing stuff to take for the art portion was going to add weight to the already constrained amount we can safely take, learning how to do that and not forget anything. Yes, stretching the artist in me.

Being on active duty for up to 21 days at a time and on rotating call at a minimum of 2 weeks at a time, or until the next fire breaks out during the Fire Season. The off season this past year I was on one of the only national type 2 teams year around. We went out from late spring clear in to October this year. No signs that will change any time soon.

All of which meant, I would be painting mostly in the studio during the winters. Also, keeping updated on fire classes as well. BUT, it also meant that I had to get faster at working thumbnail images on scene, and labeling the locations, to take home to the studio. Being constantly reminded that photographs  may be fooling my eye and memory when I get back to the studio.  Keeping a sketch book on me at all times, has been one of the most difficult things for me to accomplish. I am always forgetting to grab it. There are just not enough pockets for that stuff, in the 8 pocket pairs of pants we have to wear. Talk about stretching the artist in me – whoa.

Following my self imposed learning mode of Stretching the Artist in Me, allowed me to try other types of canvas to use -if you will. Last fall I started painting on chain saw bars. Well, talk about a learning curve. Yes, that definitely was Stretching the Artist in Me. You have so much prep work to do before you can even begin to put medium to the metal.

Let alone, seal it and make it safe to hang on a persons wall once completed. Saw bars are very heavy and have sharp points on the head of them which actually rotate. So many, many challenges.

I donate all of those to the Wildland Fire Fighters Foundation and the Colorado Wildland Fire & Incident Management Academy, or CWFIMA.

As I grow this area of my art, I hope you will join me in the journey and follow along as it takes me to many wild places and provides interesting topics for painting their stories.

Anderson

Enjoy, and I hope to see you along the river soon, in the meantime, go fish! Andy-

Anderson teaches classes in silk painting for beginners and advanced artists in both a classroom setting and extended advancement through private instruction.

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