Fishtown artists had the vibe, but few produced the goods. It’s tough to work in a leaky shack. For every James Castle, using spit and soot on discarded bits of cardboard, there must be hundreds of artists who could have connected if they had a creature comfort or two. Below, 10 non-Fishtown painters (and one photographer) who’ve covered the Skagit. All could retreat to rooms somewhere, far away from the cold night air.
Richard Gilkey A 1955 weather report: muck with the certainty of flowers.
Guy Anderson, not dated. (Yes, the earth moved.) It’s depressing how few good Andersons are online.
Also Anderson:
Norman Lundin He can imply rain without painting it.
Kathryn Altus The Asian influence. Water becomes another shade of sky.
Clayton James The jeweled earth.
Jay Steensma Alone, even when he’s with someone else. His idea of shelter is like a dirty lung, struggling to expand and contract.
Alice Wheeler The air leaks blue.
Ray Hill Father figure to Alden Mason. Peel back on Hill’s serenity and you have Mason’s jitterbug forms.
Alden Mason Life in a junkyard invaded by farms.
Thomas Wood Tulips become clouds.
Paul Havas Like the barrier across the road in Lundin’s Skagit roadway, Havas’ thicket gives the viewer work to do.
great post Regina, your qoute about Steensma is “breathtaking”.
don’t forget Stanwood’s R. Allen Jensen…