Glenn D Brewer

ARTISTS STATEMENT

I don't remember much of my early years as a person drawn to art. I don't think I had much of an understanding of what constituted "ART". I knew I was able to draw well enough to reasonably replicate what was visual but did not attach much importance to it as my peers, teachers and parent were more impressed with an older brother (5 yrs.) whose drawing talents were more advanced.

An incident in junior high school alerted me to the power that drawings could have moving people to action. It was brought home to me when having been caught cartooning several of my teachers likeness and labeled as Hitler's henchmen. This brought some disciplinary action and faint praise for my drawing skills. There was an attempt by the school staff to redirect my attention to more acceptable behaviors. It wasn't until taking an art course as a high school senior when Miss Davis, the art teacher, grabbed me by my shirt sleeve one morning after submitting the required homework sketchbook saying, "where have you been the last four years? Get in here you can draw", whereupon she worked my tail off. And I came to realize that being able to visualize and create images with graphic accuracy might lead to a viable occupation.

I followed my older brother to the University of Washington School of Art, spending the next five years experiencing the myriad aspects of the curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Art Education. As it turned out my strengths were sculpture, jewelry and three-dimensional design even though Wendell Breazeau .a painting professor, attempted to lead me to a painting major. At that time I didn't believe I was a painter.

Upon graduating in 1952,I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and was called to duty for two years during the Korean War. The last ten months of service I was stationed in central Japan. That turned out to be a meaningful artistic experience for me with attempting to understand the nature of Japanese art and architecture. It was a frustrating endeavor in some respects not having enough language to ask questions of any depth. However I observed and learned to appreciate the skill and style of the artists and architect's endeavors. I learned much about their perception of reality, the abstraction of nature, figures and the beauty of their wooden structures. I was enthralled with the idea of redesigning reality to fit ones own cultural perceptions. This was something I felt I could and would also like to do in some manner.

Upon returning to civilian life I entered the College of Architecture at the University of Washington seeking a degree allowing me to earn a living creating full scale, walk though sculpture. (Architecture) I received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1958 graduating at the top of my class and receiving both the Architecture Alumni Traveling Scholarship and the AIA medal for "General Excellence in Architecture". Heady times those. I worked the next six years for several prominent Seattle architectural firms learning a great deal that school doesn't teach. I moonlighted small architectural projects, a couple of which were published in the Seattle Times, Better Homes and Gardens and Sunset Magazine. The notoriety allowed me to open my own practice and I never looked back. I did not create full-scale walk through sculptures. I found out quickly that is not what clients wanted or needed. Ah well, I pushed projects as far toward Art as possible--practical almost always won out. I did some good buildings, made clients happy, received enough praise from peers to satisfy my ego and judged it to be a good useful life. Thirty-eight years later with over 500 projects completed I retired as an architect

What was next? It took a while to realize I could still draw without a triangle and T-square. Sketching at coffee shops, life drawing classes and travels scenes lead eventually to watercolor. I was introduced to the North West Watercolor Society ,joining in 1999.1 entered their and other regional juried shows succeeding in being accepted into, at last count, thirteen exhibitions and four Signature exhibitions. I have achieved signature status with Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) and have been accepted as a member of the ''Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters" (A men's painters fraternity).

The subjects of my paintings ranges from landscapes to figurative studies, the later being the most numerous. I have a strong sense of design and enjoy bending reality to fit a more ideal configuration. My style, if any, is still in transition, (Had I the opportunity for a one man show it probably would look like a ten man show) not sure exactly where I am going yet but enjoying the excursion. I look forward to leaving evidence of my existence both in structures designed and painting--legacy?