Face the Wolves III, 14x11", SOLD

Face the Wolves III, oil on acrylic on canvas 14x11". SOLD.
Aliza and Her Monsters x Cormac Mccarthy
@cormac.mccarthy.art collaboration preview for our April 2022 show at the University Business Center. Show goes up April 5th!

“If you can’t face the wolves, don’t go into the forest.”
🐺

Cormac and I have three important things in common: We like to paint, we work super frigging hard to pursue our art, and we’ve both lived on Whidbey Island. He has a beautiful gallery in Clinton, and I was born and raised there. It’s a special little community where we never crossed paths-I moved to Seattle when I was 18 and didn’t start seriously pursuing my art until 2020.

When I saw Cormac’s landscapes on ig last year I immediately envisioned my monsters inhabiting them. I reached out and an unexpected friendship evolved during the pandemmie.

We talk about studio struggles, various painting problems and art marketing. I was elated when he agreed to combine forces and see what we could accomplish together. He paints in textured acrylic so it was decided that I can layer my oil subjects over his marks. I did not anticipate the painting problems I encountered or the drama that came into the studio when I was very much concerned my marks might destroy his.

It took me awhile to get over that and I didn’t start on these until the fear of messing up his work was out of the studio, or at least quiet enough for me to ignore. I didn’t want to paint scared- I know I’d be holding back. When you hold back, it shows. Your marks are timid and the process is agonizing.

Here’s to facing the wolves in the studio and stepping up to that easel to bring them to life. Remember the rule: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.