I owe the title of this series to my sex-same partner, who often opens the shade of a morning and exclaims, “It’s another sunny day in the desert.” The phrase can be understood as a point of fact, irony, or wonder. In a state that votes discrimination into law with such Senate bills as the federally-disputed SB 1070, and that narrowly vetoed SB 1062, which would have legalized a faith-based right to refuse service to assumed members of the LGBTQ community, it doesn’t always feel like a sunny day.
So much behavior comes from, and makes for, heavy hearts. To oppose fear and hatred, I am compelled to expose and explore with light-heartedness and whimsy. It is important to me to bring heavy subjects to “light.”
The master images for ANOTHER SUNNY DAY IN THE DESERT exist as light. Reading about David Hockney’s use of iPhone technology to make art led me to explore the drawing applications available on my iPhone. I settled on Green Gar’s Whiteboard app. I began making digital paintings in 2012 at local businesses, and outdoors at home of an evening or afternoon.
My use of color was greatly expanded by working with a digital palate. It was a delight to match colors in encaustic and acrylic with the digital colors. Each encaustic or acrylic corresponds to a digital fingerpainting and is one of a kind. Translating digital images into encaustic art required me to use tools in new ways. Previously I relied on incising, using paintbrushes to fill incisions, but with these pieces, I also used the brushes to paint. Next, I used a heat gun to move and to fuse the layers that I’d painted on. The process of moving back and forth between ultra-contemporary and ancient techniques is liberating.
The prints are produced in a range of sizes, with a maximum of 5 images per size and a maximum of 25 prints per image.
All works are discounted for purchase during the exhibit. If you would like to take a piece home today, Café Passe will accept cash on my behalf. If you would like to pay with a credit card ($5.00 processing fee on purchases of $100 or less) via PayPal, please contact me.
Thank you to Betts Printing and Fred’s Custom Stretching.
VALYNTINA GRENIER 