winged away…on a wildgoup’s chase

moth, watercolor on concrete, 2″ x 2″, 2013

“He winged away on a wildgoup’s chase across the kathartic ocean and made synthetic ink and sensitive paper for his own end out of his wit’s waste.”– James Joyce, Finnegans Wake

My paintings are up at Madrona Wine Merchants, 1127 34th Ave, Seattle until Nov. 3, 2013. For those far away, I’m posting a bit more about the show.

As a wetlands dweller, I watch the patterns of life and listen to the rhythm of the creatures who inhabit it. Winged Away is a collection of my paintings of the inhabitants of Phantom Lake and beyond. Winged and feathered species have the benefit two views of the world; a perspective from the ground and another while in flight. Observational studies of nature such as these are central to my practice as an artist and the idea of a dual perspective resonates with me.

waterlily leaf beetle, giant waterbug, stink bug, metallic wood-boring beetle,        watercolor on concrete, 2″ x 2″ tiles, 2013

During one of our first summers here on the lake, I made a “bug board” with my kids.  Over the course of the summer, we collected up all of the dead insects we found and mounted them on pins the way that entomologist do in order to study them. Our neighbor, who happens to be an entomologist, showed us how it’s done…special pins, special board, special juice. She also politely asked us to use the word “insects” instead of “bugs”.

This summer, I found lots of specimens. Friends contributed to my growing collection. My watercolor studies of insects on concrete tiles are mounted in such a way that they are reminiscent of our sumer insect boards.

gray feather

feather

Since we moved to Phantom Lake (Bellevue) 11 years ago, I have painted my wetlands surroundings; the trees, the plant life, the water and especially the birds. Smaller birds and larger insects fall prey to other predators or are misled by window reflections and become my subjects. Many of my friends know I study these subjects, so they are generous with the specimens they find and the photographs they take (thank you, Bob Vinton, Henry Kirley, Veronica Hertzberg, and others).

meadowlark dragonfly, (in progress ), watercolor on concrete, 6″ x 6″, 2013

wing studies, 2013

cedar waxwing egg

 

I paint on salvaged stone tile, concrete and clay tiles I find at architectural salvage yards (Earthwise). The porous surfaces of these materials absorb the water-based paint in the way that “true gesso” does.

This is a piece that I’m still working on. There was not enough wall space at MWM, but I’m excited to share it. Veronica, my neighbor and CFO, (Chief Feather-gathering Officer) brought me this Great Blue Heron feather. It’s Edgar’s, our Phantom Lake GBH. It’s painted it on an 8 x 18″ slab of honed stone. Maybe I can have it ready by the time of the opening. We’ll see.

gbh feather, watercolor on stone, 8″ x 18″

The prices of the paintings in this show range from $125 – $600, which include custom frames created by Andy Norsen. If you are an artist, you need to know Seattle’s framing phenom, Andy Norsen (andynorsen@gmail.com). One way or another, I hope you get to see my new work. —>  WINGED AWAY, Genevieve Tremblay, works in watercolor. Opening reception October 13, 3-5pm (runs til Nov. 3), Madrona Wine Merchants, 1127 34th Ave, Seattle.