Beach-themed art of “Ebb and Flow”

beach5Mt. Hood will showcase an exhibit titled “Ebb and Flow” by artist James Lilly in the Fireplace Gallery from Tuesday through March 27.

Lilly’s art will consist of pieces made of wood painted to look like rusted steel, weathered wood, stone and other types of similar materials. The work on display features marine life.

“I’ve always lived close to the ocean or saltwater,” he said. He said he is inspired from things he’s observed, or places he’s been to. “I’ll see something locally, sometimes on the news, I’ll go investigate it in person. Sometimes when I find a place, or event, I’ll make sure I go there and I’ll shoot some photos to give me memory cues when I go back and start building things.”

Lilly has been creating art that embodies a marine-life theme since the 1980s. He’s done work with different themes, but returns to the underwater scenery “time and time again,” he said.

He began with the sea life because it was usually found around him. “When I first started, (it was) just certain special places I’d been to. It seemed like they needed some sort of tribute to them,” he said.

Although most of Lilly’s pieces are three-dimensional in nature, he likes to refer to them as paintings. “A lot of people find it more comfortable to call them wall reliefs, or wall sculptures,” he said.

The art on display at Mt. Hood consists of two main formats. One has the characteristics of a cabinet. “Somewhere along the road I built one that resembled a medieval alter,” he said. “There (are) clues or details about the particular adventure piece on the outside, and when you open (it) up, it reveals a little bit more, and explains it.”

The second format is somewhat assemblage based, but all elements of the work are created by Lilly. A lot of these pieces contain a frame. “The frame is every bit as much part of the piece as the imagery on the inside,” he said.

Lilly teaches art, photography, ceramics, and technology at Highline High School in Burien, Wash. He also coached their track team.

He ran track in his high school and college days, and came to Mt. Hood to compete multiple times during the ’70s. He has three children that attend Haven High School in Renton, Wash. where he is a volunteer track coach.

He tells his students to do something related to their art every day.

“You want to be consistent, and just find your passion,” he said. “I always try new stuff, I always want to experiment with new things, and so having a bunch of different areas to teach in helps with that.”

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