Karen MacKenzie News

Charles Stokes-Northwest Mystic Painter with a twist.

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:24:02 CST

Stepping into the mystic circle...

When I first enrolled at Cornish College of the Arts in the early '80s I had no idea who Charles Stokes was, but as soon as I stepped into his anatomy class I was utterly enthralled by his vitality and brilliance. He was at once irreverent and pulsing with challenges. I was one of the lucky ones that edged my way into the inner-sanctum of his magical world and his influence found a chord within my creative soul that resonates to this day.

Here's Charles sitting in front of a charcoal drawing which would be the basis of the paintings evolution using gouache to develop even more complex and illuminated lines. The first time I saw one of his paintings (which was five or six feet long and painted on a piece of mulberry paper that Morris Graves had given him) it sparkled with so much luminosity that I turned around to see if someone had turned on a special light!

Charles lived outside of time...or so it seemed. And as a result his artwork has yet to really be documented. As far as I know it is sequestered in private collections and in a few museums, and I look forward to the day when someone takes on the process of really cataloging his work. Much of what he was doing when I knew him he described as "archetechtonic"...like universal lay lines that take the viewer into never before seen realms. And that is what Charles sought to do...to make the unseen visible...or more specifically to create something that hadn't been seen before.

Charles was an exacting task-master, always pushing his students to go beyond trite into the transcendent. I've always remembered a quote he gave me: "In ancient times elders wrought with greatest care each minute and unseen part, for the Gods see everywhere". He spoke of the power of duality in the creative process and in one painting exercise he had us laminate an Oriental paper onto a European paper and to then choose two opposite colors (mine were green and red) and to then visually delve into the concept of opposites at once dueling and melding and ultimately creating dynamic introspection by way of starting with a zen-like gesture and then coming up with a painterly response. Below is one of Charles versions of this exercise.

('Sudden Hysteria' by Charles Stokes)

When I threw myself into the Fine Art department at Cornish, I had no idea who the Northwest Mystics were...and I certainly wasn't aware of the kind of initiation I was receiving through Charles' mentoring. I was enthralled and deeply challenged and more alive than I'd ever been. I lived and breathed art. It became my religion. And Charles was without a doubt the reigning High Priest. He challenged my assumptions relentlessly and if I spoke too much about myself he would break into an operatic "I me me I"!!!! He was at once breaking me and opening me to a place of purity...a mindset that had no place for duality. Sometimes I was downright afraid. But Charles was kind, too, and a father to my creativity.

('Bay of Dreams Cascade')

A Force of Nature the like of which will never be again...

Charles left Cornish in 1985 with my best friend at the time Millicent Cummings, a voraciously talented artist herself. We had spent a great deal of time together as friends and creative cohorts often ending our evenings over champagne at the Pink Door. They moved to San Francisco and I moved into Charles' old apartment above the Paramount Theater and tried to adjust to life without the equivalent of Henry & June electrifying my existence. The heart and soul of my Cornish experience was gone and I soon followed suit going off to have my own adventures and eventually losing track of Charles.

Years later while stopping on Capitol Hill for a coffee I ran into an old art school friend Ferdous Ahmed who told me he'd just been in New York. I asked him if he'd looked up Charles. And that's when I found out that Charles had died (http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/article/Charles-Stokes-1944-2008-Seattle-painter-never-1271124.php). I had just gotten an address for him and was meaning to write, but it was too late. I was compelled to contact his sons, Ian and Saul and found Saul on MySpace. We wrote back and forth and it was comforting to see Charles' genius passed down to his children.

Then one night I had him in a dream. We were standing in a pool of water (an element we both shared astrologically, he being a Pisces and me a Cancer)...we communed spiritually and lovingly and then his faced turned into that of a Tibetan dragon like a reminder of his teachings around duality and illusion and I woke up in a lucid state. It was 3 a.m. and the sound of his jazz piano playing filled the air and then dissipated.

I will continue to explore my own distillation of Charles' teachings. The way of the mystic is well suited for painters...our necessary hours of solitude and striving for the ephemeral made visible. Although they say that Charles was the last of the Northwest Mystics, I would like to suggest that the tradition lives on and perhaps by virtue of their creative nature the new NW Mystics have yet to be discovered.

Note: Charles Stokes Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stokes

New 'Gemini' fine art prints are now available

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:20:15 CDT

Follow the Rainbow !!!

I just had my new 'Gemini' painting photographed, translated to a disk (oh modern wonders), and now have it available for sale as prints, giclees or stretched canvas from FineArtAmerica!!! (Click the link to view or purchase Gemini Goddesses of the Rainbow.)

The original 'Gemini' piece was painted in oil on masonite. The subject matter is Gemini and I've depicted the twin Greek Goddesses of the Rainbow...so it's colorful

I'll be painting 'Cancer' next and going south of the U.S. border and delving into Aztec mythology, jungles, jaguars and feathered head-dresses!!! Please check back while I wend my way through all twelve signs of the Zodiac.

Note: here is the the original Gemini painting on my website as well.

Taurus: A painting dedicated to the healing and rebirth of Japan

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:06:14 CDT

Still the cherry blossoms in the midst of destruction~~~

Just as I was preparing to embark on the next painting (Taurus) in my Zodiac series, a massive earthquake hit Japan followed by a 23 foot tsunami on March 11th 2011. It was incomprehensible. The ensuing video coverage of waters rising to cover buildings...surging through villages and carrying cars like small toys...people, their whole lives devastated in an incremental span of time, left many of us paralyzed with the horror that these pictures show:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/massive_earthquake_hits_japan.html

How to respond? Good people and organizations rallied as with so many crises of this age, from Indonesia to Haiti, Somalian strife and mid-western tornadoes. An endless on-going list. And so while having a conversation with Stefani Quane about the attributes of Taurus she mentioned it being 'zen-like' and suddenly I was struck by a deep tearful emotion and knew that I would dedicate my new Zodiac painting to the healing of the people of Japan. And so it began...

Painting a Japanese Goddess of beauty and Fertility~~~

There are an amazing amount of Gods and Goddesses represented in various Japanese religions and traditions, (http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/godsjapanese.htm) and while Peggy burned through possible corollaries we suddenly landed on a particular Goddess 'Kichijoten' who in many ways fit Taurus by representing beauty and fertility AND she is depicted wearing a Phoenix head-dress. There it was! The essential piece. The perfect symbol of healing and resurrection for Japan.

So after a lot pictorial research concerning temples, kimonos, Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms and bulls the parts came together into a whole and in my own way I created a prayer of healing for Japan (including the Japanese word for 'healing' on the sleeve of the kimono).

Here is a link to the finished painting: 'Taurus-A Tribute to Japan'

There is so much more I would like to offer to the beautiful people of Japan in their struggle to rebuild, physically and spiritually...but this second painting of the Zodiac is my humble beginning. I would love to know if anyone else has been inspired to create artwork to express connectedness to this particular event and its ongoing ramifications?

A feminine-based painting of Aries, peaceful warrior of the Zodiac

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:34:07 CDT

Creating paintings that empower women

Once upon an idea ago while staring at the ceiling and awaiting sleep I had an inspiration descend upon me and settle in my psyche inviting me into a journey with no map. It had to do with creating a feminine-based series of astrology paintings, and gearing them towards offering images to women young and old that empower in contrast to mainstream media images that set impossible standards of beauty (and sexuality) that I feel is contributing to self esteem issues and a degradation in our culture as a whole.

There are twelve signs in Western Astrology with the first being Aries. For the most part Aries is always depicted as a male and a warrior. As I had planned to use mythology and archetypes in my paintings, I was instantly drawn to the Greek Goddess Athena who is a Goddess of war and wisdom. I decided to adopt her owl as a symbol of wisdom and to flip the war image into 'spiritual warrior'.

This ancient statue depicts Athena with a snake, another ancient symbol of wisdom.

Introducing my Astrological guides for this journey

I have been fortunate to have two wonderful Astrologers as guides during this painting project. One being Rick Levine who is a brilliant astrologer/author/speaker and has been kind enough to share his insights into the various signs of the Zodiac, and my friend Stefani Quane whose bold creative twist on astrology has helped to energize my previous concepts of who these characters of the Zodiac might really be! Stefani inspired me to give some contemporary qualities to the Aries in my painting by describing her as "A gutsy broad who speaks before she thinks...audacious...will run into a burning house to rescue a child...in good physical form/athletic...CEO material".

And so she began...

To create more cohesion I decided to drop a crop circle into the background. It was one of the easiest of the crop circle designs I could find and free-hand drew it from a video on YouTube! I also decided to give my female Aries a pair of contemporary cargo pants but tricked out the camouflage with peace signs. Even though she was initially inspired by a Greek Goddess I see her as Celtic.

Here is a link to my painting of Aries in her finished state.

The icing on the cake

Soon after I had launched my female version of Aries into the world I received a request from Katharine Kruger who teaches feminine empowerment to young women, 7th-9th grades, to use my painting of Aries on her website, www.joyw.webs/feminepresence.com. I will thrilled (and fulfilled) seeing my original intention take form!

I hope that all of my 'Empowered Feminine Zodiac' images will make their way into the lives of anyone who is interested in shifting the current paradigm into one of shared power and co-creating a world of fulfillment and who is looking for images that engender and inspire these ideals.

The creative process behind my new Zodiac painting, 'Gemini'

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:13:38 CDT

I've just completed my third painting in a series of twelve that will span the Western Zodiac while delving into world cultures, mythologies, and archetypes. Before I go any further I would be remiss in not giving ample credit to my colleague and friend Peggy Petersen who has been collaborating in this journey. Peggy is a scholar and teacher and has a vast knowledge of women's spirituality and as well facilitates workshops (based on the wonderful work of Dr. Brene' Brown).

When I first started this series of Zodiac paintings, I had a quasi sense of what I'd like to accomplish. It has however taken on a life of its own and until I hammer out ideas with Peggy I'm never sure what's next. Which I actually enjoy!

Along those same lines I made a BIG leap for this painting and switched mediums (how fitting for oft times fickle Gemini) and moved from Gouache into Oils. I had painted in oils before, but without appreciating their complexity and nuances. Another influence at this juncture was my friend Juli Adams whose luminous work rekindled my love of oils.

Finding the perfect Gemini archetype for my painting

In the midst of my meeting with Peggy I realized that I needed to let go of my idea of an Angela Davis archetype for Gemini (Peggy convinced me she'd be much better as Leo partnered with Sekhmet the lion-headed Egyptian Goddess)...So, what next?

Well you've never seen anything like Peggy going after information on the internet. I swear the computer smokes! So obviously we were looking for a Twin archetype and after wild dialogues around Yin and Yang, God and Devil and so forth she (almost blithely) mentioned Iris and Arke the twin Goddesses of the rainbow.

I knew about Iris, but who was Arke? And so the plot thickened with alliances between the old ways (the Titans) and the new (Olympians) represented by the twins, along with their family history being the daughters of Electra (who controls the sky elements, and Thaumas God of the wonders of the sea).

Without going into all of the details, we fleshed out what sort of images would go with Iris & Arke in the context of Gemini and then the ball was in my court to take it from there. That's when I start to do sketches and find (and take) photographic references...and ponder and stew and open myself to hopeful flashes of inspiration!

Work-in-progress photographs of 'Gemini'

Eventually, using lots of reference material, I got the drawing down onto my painting surface and I'm out the gate so to speak!

This is a portion of the upper half of the painting with it's first layer of blue paint.

Here I am anticipating the transparency of the rainbow dresses by painting in the outline of their bodies which I later glazed over. The rainbow arch in the background is already filled in.

I loved the results of the dresses (glazing is impossible with Gouache, which is one reason why I switched to Oils for this painting). Arke (left) has a lighter dress because she is moving into the past, while Iris' dress on the right is more solid.

Here's my painting area, complete with a couple of my final palettes of paint. Note the rainbow of colors!

My cozy painting corner, with books, light, brushes, paints included. :-)

Peek-a-boo! There are The Girls awaiting the final touches!

Voila! A quick snapshot of my 'Gemini' painting finished. See the full-size Gemini painting here. (Prints will be available soon).

Thanks for taking this journey with me. I'll try and make time to backtrack to Aries and Taurus and to maintain documentation of that process too!