I grew up in an artistic family. When I was a teenager, I was waiting at the DMV office where there was a beautiful airbrushed wall mural of cars from ‘30’s and 40’s in a beach scene. I was immediately enchanted, not only by the hyper-realism of the chromed bumpers and shiny paint colors, but by the subtleties of the seabirds and colors in the sky, clouds, and sand.
I didn’t learn to airbrush until I was over fifty, and my work tends to the dreamlike—almost something half-remembered after awakening. I’m creating scenes with liquid music, using symbols and scenes that resonate in ways for which I have no words. I know that a piece is completed the same way that I know I will love a song after first hearing it; there is a knowing, but not from the mind.
I’ve heard stories from people who wear my shirts about how they become their favorite shirts. The beauty of airbrushing on clothing is that it will outlast your shirt while getting softer. You can cut it out and frame it later if you want. It’s art you wear over your heart.
Currently my work is available at the Vernonia Open Air Market during about half the Saturday events through Salmon Festival the first weekend of October. Otherwise contact me at: epaleck@gmail.com or 503-704-5970.
More examples of airbrush art:
