Sunlight streams through the window, streaking the pale wooden floor with shadows. The bell chimes above my head as I cross the threshold, leaving behind the biting February wind and breathing in deeply the smell of stillness and contemplation.

It’s Friday at the State of the Art Gallery, and I have just arrived for my five hour shift. Hanging my coat on a nail in the installation supply closet, I pull an extra chair up to the desk and begin chatting with Ed Brothers. It’s our first time sitting together, and I am eager to pick his brain about the work he has displayed in the current show, as well as ask for his help on a project or two.

For my final semester of senior year at Ithaca College, I have the opportunity to intern at SOAG. Working at SOAG has introduced me to the inner workings of a collaborative gallery space. I’ve attended monthly membership meetings, assisted the marketing committee, and helped spot the most recent installation (“spotting” is a term I just learned -it’s when you figure out where different pieces should be hung in a show and involves lots of discussion about space, sizing, color, and thematic flow). These tasks have revealed to me that this is the exact type of work I am interested in pursuing in the future and have laid the groundwork for an enlightening and joyful semester.

Patrons sporadically stream in and out of the gallery. The winter chill has turned many away from roaming the Ithaca Commons, and Ed and I reminisce, dreaming of beautiful blue spring days where I can hike and Ed can fish again. Our conversation today revolves around the artistic process, a topic I have long been fascinated with. An amateur artist myself, I am often frustrated by my lack of motivation to create. It is so seldom that I am bit by the bug of creativity, dropping everything in my midst to make a collage, or draw in my sketchbook. In the presence of such prolific and accomplished artists like Ed (who once won first place in the non-professional chapter of the global Oil Pastel Society competition), I intend to pick their brains for every piece of wisdom I can gather about keeping up a routine and intentional artistic practice.

When Ed paints, he works from reference photos he has taken at different places or of people he feels deeply connected to. Since honing his craft, he’s realized that he observes the world differently, seeing things in a different light – literally. He is more cognizant of composition as he hikes through the woods or gazes at the ripples in a river, taking care to frame his photos so he has a dynamic image to paint from later down the line. One part of Ed’s process that I find particularly inspiring is his dedication to his craft. Sometimes it takes him a while to decide what he is going to paint, but once he sets his mind to it, he will finish it. He has never started a project and abandoned it, never deemed a piece unworthy halfway through and scrapped it. Because of this, it can take him a while to decide on his next artistic endeavor. But once the photo is chosen, cropped, and ready, there is no turning back.

This steadfast tenacity, ability to put his mind to something and see it through to the bitter end, is an extremely admirable part of Ed’s work. Aside from this, his attention to detail -no doubt stemming from his background in microscopy – requires a great deal of patience and perseverance. The work that results from this level of concentration is technically advanced and visually exquisite. In his current body of work in the February member show, take a moment to note what year each piece was created. When you pay attention to this timeline, a story of his artistic career unfurls before you. His mastery of pastel technique is revealed, and you find yourself falling even more in love with pieces you thought you already understood. 

Talking with him is a masterclass in how attentive work can create a cathartic experience of reflection, bringing one back to a time and place they love. Ed’s pieces are rarely available for sale, as he finds that he becomes attached to them through the laborious process of creating them, often spanning weeks and months. His process inspires me to take a closer look at the places I frequent, and take time to see the beauty in the details of life.