Inspiration Doesn't Always Have Air Conditioning

I have been a bit wistful for the freedom of an open road and unscripted days.

Despite the continued heat, summer is officially coming to an end.

All of our vacations, holidays and road trips will take a back seat to more mundane things like homework, billable hours and chores. Working in my studio, I have been a bit wistful for the freedom of an open road and unscripted days, so I suppose it is no surprise that my most recent piece reflects that sentiment.

A few months ago my husband and I rented a vintage orange 1984 Volkswagen Westfalia camper van named “Janice” (as in Joplin) and drove her to Padre Island National Seashore for the weekend. Janice, like other Westfalia vans of her era, has no air conditioning and no power steering, but she does come with a sweet cassette player and a bucket of tapes. With the dog and our own personal collection of 80s cassettes in tow, we cruised along the back roads of south Texas, in part because Janice doesn’t really like to go more than 55 mph.

It was a fantastic trip—a bit sticky, but carefree, whimsical and adventurous. So, it’s no real surprise that this escapade inspired a new piece of artwork of the same spirit, aptly titled "Westfalia." That’s one of the truly magical things about being an artist….I need, nay, must, travel and have adventures to do my job well. I need inspiration. And I have learned that sometimes the very best inspiration doesn’t have air conditioning.

Westfalia,/ 48” x 60” (acrylic, ink & vintage 1970s Volkswagen Westfalia maintenance manual on aluminum panel)

When I am working on a piece, I try to let the source material guide the mood. For “Westfalia,” I wanted to capture that sense of adventure, exploring lands unknown, and all of the quirky characters that enter into that kind of adventure. My work is always abstract, but I have found it amusing that several visitors to my studio have looked at this piece and exclaimed “I know where that is!” I think that is one of the things I love most about abstract work: it lends itself to “be” whatever each viewer wants it to “be.”

FYI, should you like to take Janice out for your own adventure, here is the Outdoorsy link: Outdoorsy is a fantastic Austin-based RV rental company, and David, the owner of Janice is awesome!