Caleb is passionate about his art. He feels a physical need to paint and hasn't let anything stop him. A few years ago, his family home caught fire and many of his materials and earlier artworks were destroyed. He has been able to get back to painting, but has to schedule art-making in with his work and his job as a TA at MJC. Since he works with oils, he sometimes has to paint in a small section of his family's garage, and I was amazed at what he can accomplish in the tiny space he has. Other times, he has to paint outside. In fact, the first time we tried to get together for photos, we had to cancel because the Tracy wind made painting outside impossible. On the day I photographed him, Caleb was working on a painting of ducks near the lake in Hidden Lake. He brought crackers to toss on the ground to bring the ducks to him. Sometimes we had ducks around us. Sometimes we had neighbors stopping to watch him paint and pay him compliments. Caleb was grateful and courteous to everyone despite the distractions. He used an easel that he carted over to the lake in a wagon along with his painting supplies. When I first met him, Caleb told me that most of his clothes have paint on them. He often has to squeeze in time for painting between his other activities, and he doesn't have time to change clothes. I was hoping to catch him in his paint-covered clothing, and he didn't disappoint. His sweatpants basically match his palette paper. Caleb has an exuberant personality. He is excited and enthusiastic about his art and his purpose. He sees his talent as a gift from God that he wants to use to help others. Caleb loves using vibrant color in his work. Color is very important to him, but he also speaks in terms of light and dark. He said, "I want to give people hope and joy to pull back from darkness." He also talked about experiencing times of darkness himself, especially during the last year-and-a-half with covid restrictions. However, he doesn't express those dark feelings in his work. Instead, when he is in a dark place, Caleb paints joyful paintings with lots of color. He said, “I’m doing battle with paint.”
1 Comment
Kathleen Wong
12/20/2021 04:23:41 pm
I am watching Caleb's career with great interest!
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |