fossils | Niya Christine 365

by niya christine

In Between

#229/365 Paintings

There is so much ‘in between’ our forces of nature. The loud boom that precedes the crash of lightening. That question—the tension. The oblique light of dusk, nearly a ruby-lith for seeing what is true. It’s the most in between time as day drains and fills with night.

And not only is there a line between earth and sky, a famous phenomenon of ‘in between’ — but there are gaps in rock often so large that fierce animals live the cold dark seasons in these caves and crevasses.

What about the hunt? That moment when prey knows it’s over, there is the gasp and the surrender. The gap between life and death. There is so much ‘in between’ in a single visage; a landscape one seemingly whole until the eyes rests in the gaps. The Zuni made song of such patterns. The Mayan made religious rules from shadows, the shapes and destination points.

I’m thinking that ‘in between’ should have it’s own name—be a word. Just like a tree or sky, or ocean or human laughter. It does occupy a lot of human and physical nature. How could we actually see without it?

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

What’s My Name?

#226/365 Paintings

I don’t know what I am or what my name is, but I like it here. Even though my home has 3 brown moons and yours just has one pale moon, I am growing accustomed to how it lights my way at night at it’s fullest. I like how everything here is in motion. I especially like the ritual of food gatherings. We don’t have that where I come from.

I do have one question: How long do I need to be here before I can say “I love you” without it being, uh, as you say… creepy?

I can’t wait.

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

Red-tailed Hawk

#225/365 Paintings

I’m fascinated with these creatures, but keeping this one hidden in the dark – from bunnies who might feel slightly betrayed that I allowed the slightest amount of art on their fatal enemy. They are called the chicken hawk, but…

I tell the rabbits that it’s a redhead thing. They still snub the idea.

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

Screaming, Laughing Kayakers

#224/365 Paintings

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, OhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhMyyyyyyyyGaaaaaaawwwwwddddddd,Yaaaaaaaaahhhhhh, Whoooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa,Aaaaaaaaaaaacccckkkkk,HaHaHaHa…ha…ha…OMG,Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh,yiiiiikkkkkeeeessss,

This IS so FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

Swami the Llama

#223/365 Paintings

This Llama is a comedian. He lives with the family I’m visiting. I walked up to say hello, he ran up to me like an eager puppy. The tufts of his face hair flying up and down like he’d take flight any second. His eyes are as big as plums with a newborn’s expectations of my meeting his every need. He’s seriously in this for all the money… this life stuff.

Swami loves apples like nobody’s business, so I gave him a small pile in this painting.

Everyone should have a Swami in their life.

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

Hilltop Home

#222/365 Paintings

I’m visiting a stunning home in West Linn, OR with some super talented folks – friends of a dear screenwriter friend in Portland. This morning I played with pastels in their barn/art studio with one of their daughters. We listened to Sarah Mclachlan as she dove into the color lessons and some photographic memory exercises. She’s a realist/character painter — she enjoyed slopping around in the large world of color. Our manicures took on a whole new surface-powdered style. This is the pastel I painted of their home. We see horses, llama’s, dogs, sky and a landscape of charming homes on hills. I feel as though I’m could as easily be in Greece. So much to paint. So little time. Luckily, she and I are painting in the barn again tomorrow. We’ll focus on creating backgrounds for watercolor. I can’t wait.

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365

by niya christine

Odis the Dog

#219/365 Paintings

Odis is a deep thinker with a sense of irony. The other dogs think he’s a bit of a sad sack — that he’d be happier if he behaved more like a normal dog. Odis doesn’t think that peeing on the same tree day after day makes him normal. In fact, consider how the tree feels, he’d say to them. Odis wants everyone to know that he is not Asian, he is not a cousin of Blue Dog and those aren’t spikes on his collar. Odis is simply Odis. A quirky, observer with a keen interest in children. A protector of gold fish and small, defenseless creatures. He’s his own dog — a blue lump of love.

in August | Wild {card} / Project 365