Steven Walker herbert hoover national historic site, iowa
A friend once asked me what made me happy. I was in my early 20s, and it was a question that stopped me in my tracks because—although it’s simple—I hadn’t actually heard it before. So I had to think about it. When was I most at ease? And my answer was: on road trips, and when I was camping—those were the best times in my life. Big skies, open fields, peace and quiet, going off the grid a little bit. That can be a challenge as an artist. When I was getting started—just selling paintings in coffee shops and libraries, anywhere I could get my work seen—I’d work a job at a warehouse from 9 to 5, go home and paint until midnight, and then do the whole thing over again. Even once you’ve established yourself, it’s tough. By the time I applied for the residency I was getting maxed out as far as my creative potential: I had ideas, but I didn’t have the time between teaching classes and day-to-day business. I knew I needed a break. I had no idea what I was getting into at Herbert Hoover, honestly. I drove to
the residency with my entire truck-bed full of canvasses—from 30˝x40˝ down to 8˝x10˝—because I didn’t know what I would need. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do. Because of the lighting I like to have, I’d go out in the early morning or late afternoon. I’d take my compass with me and deter- mine what time to be there so that the light’s going to hit just right, take photos, and sketch thumbnails to determine the best composition. The park is built around the birthplace of President Hoover, and I’m sure
thirty or forty—if not a hundred—artists have already painted that house. So the challenge became to do something different. I opted to paint the farmhouse that was on the property but often went unnoticed. It was beautiful and unlike anything along the normal tour. The residency allowed me to slow down and experiment, to work without feeling like it was a factory where I had to turn out so many pieces per hour. Often, where I live, I can miss out on capturing a beautiful sunset because it takes too long to get outside and away from power lines and buildings. On the park grounds I could simply walk out the door—and there was my inspiration.
52 · LAND&PEOPLE · FALL/WINTER 2014
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68