In this interveiw, we present PEGGY POWNALL.

Q. When did you fall in love with the arts?

P.P.: I always loved art making. While I wasn't really aware of the formal concept of "the arts" when I was young, I can't remember a time when my life didn't revolve around creativity and imagination.

Q. Who and What inspires you?

P.P.: I love looking at great art, and I am probably most inspired when a work gives me a sense of the creative process, when I can imagine the questions the artist asked himself or herself. The most amazing thing to me is when art is completely unique, an entirely original expression of one person's search.

 

In terms of specific artists, there are so many - Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Egas, Cassatt, Klee, Kandinsky, Chagall, Cezanne, Matisse, Rothko, Pollock, Diebenkorn, Twombly, Hans Hofmann, Isamu Noguchi, Faith Ringgold.

Many years ago I had a brilliant teacher, James Rosen, who was the first person to really show me how to look at and think about art. And in more recent decades I owe a great debt to the mentoring of my good friend Joe Piasentin. And last, but not last, I am endlessly inspired and amazed by the artwork of children. Ah, to find that purity again!

Q: Some say that art communicates, strives to communicate to its audience. What are your paintings whispering in our ears?

P.P.: I hope that my paintings tell you something about me, because that would mean that they have a kind of authenticity, that I have in some measure tapped into my inner world and translated it visually. I don't want to create art that could be created by anyone other than me.

                                    

Q: Who is your ideal audience?

P.P.: My ideal audience is someone who is interested in looking beyond recognizable imagery to explore a painting's layers and meaning, someone who will take the time and energy to look for the hidden treasure.

Q: What is your favorite shape?

P.P.: My favorite shape is whichever one seems to be emerging from the painting I'm working on at the time. A part of my process is to bury and uncover, to allow shapes to reveal themselves. Sometimes I get ridiculously excited about their appearance. And amazingly, once a shape appears, it then seems to keep repeating itself, in varying forms. Of course, I do realize that I am creating the shapes, but because I try to paint intuitively, it seems that the painting has a life of its own. One of my wishes for a painting is that it have that kind of "inevitability".

Q. What has been your favorite museum exhibition?

P.P.: I don't think I can choose just one. I love the Academia in Florence. Although Michelangelo's amazing "David" is the centerpiece of the Museum, I have been even more impacted by his unfinished "Slaves", four remarkably powerful marble sculptures that completely illustrate his concept of releasing the already existing figure from the stone. With a beautiful tension, they are stirringly symbolic of our own psychological and spiritual struggles.

I learned a great deal about subtlety and creating art that is true to oneself through a visit to the Giorgio Morandi Museum in Bologna, Italy, which resides in the family home where he lived virtually his entire life. I love it when an encounter with a particular artist or work comes just when we are prepared to "get it!"

Other favorites were exhibitions of works by Alexander Calder and Anselm Kiefer, both at SF MOMA; John Singer Sargent at LACMA; the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam; Georgia O'Keeffe in Santa Fe and a wonderful exhibition of emerging Southern California sculptors at the Armand Hammer Museum a few years ago.

Q. What, if anything, are you currently obsessed with?

P.P.: An irresistible question for a person who tends to get obsessive!

The thing I think about the most when I'm painting is keeping it honest. I constantly try to re-center myself, simplify, get out of the way, whatever it takes to maintain the integrity of a painting. I'm a little obsessed with the search to find a clearer path to that pure place. Beyond painting, the three things I'm currently obsessed with are my brand new very own Mac computer (this is a big deal for me!); an upcoming trip to Russia, where I hope to spend many days in the Hermitage; and most importantly, my first grandchild, the amazing six-month-old Elly!

Q. Where were you born?

P.P.: I was born in Oakland, CA.

Q. Does your family, has your family influenced you as an artist? How?

P.P.: My first creative influence was my mom. I thought she could fix anything that was broken, find anything that was lost and make anything that I needed or wanted. Her delight in the challenge of the creative process was a powerful example. Both of my parents honored my love of art and validated my pursuit of it. They are still doing that, and I still draw encouragement from it.

My husband Tim, daughter Jordan and son Ty have always been my greatest support. I think each one has the soul of an artist, and Ty is a sculptor and painter as well. When my kids were growing up I taught children's art classes both at the elementary school they attended, and in our home. Art was part of life. I am definitely reaping the benefits of having passes along my passion for art to both of my children, and we are all anxious to pass it on to Jordan's daughter Elly!

Q. What are you currently reading?

P.P.: I just finished The Writing Life by Annie Dillard. And I've just started West With the Night by Beryl Markham. I'm also currently reading through the book of Psalms.

Q: What does it mean to you to be an Artist-In-Residence at SCIART?

P.P.: I am really grateful to be a SCIART AIR. Each day when I arrive I love walking through the sculpture garden and into the galleries and studios filled with art, supportive colleagues, and an aura of creative energy. When I reach my studio, I'm totally inspired and ready to paint! I am thankful to all those who have put many years of love and hard work into creating such a unique environment.

Q: Any of your own exhibitions you would like to talk about? Or a favorite?

P.P.: The show I did that stretched me the most was a 2005 solo exhibition at the Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University. It's an incredible space. I decided that I needed to do all new paintings in a relatively short amount of time. I loved the challenge; AND it scared me to death. It forced me to become better at distilling concepts, using my intuition, fighting through insecurities, and staying focused on the work.

My all-time favorite exhibition is the one I just saw at Claremont Graduate University, of new sculptures by Ty Pownall. He is doing incredibly exciting work with materials I can only dream of using. Pretty thrilling for an artist mom! I feel privileged to have the opportunity to make art, and equally gratified to share in the creative journey of those artists who are a part of my daily life and work.