Luke Tucker
Memories, subconscious feelings and intuition are Luke Tucker’s fuel when creating his dynamically peaceful works.
Luke Tucker is a contemporary landscape painter based out of Oregon. His work can be described as a mix of tonal, abstract and impressionist. Inspired by the grey skies of the Pacific Northwest, he often places heavy importance on mood and atmosphere. His work can be found on his Instagram (www.instagram.com/luke_e_tucker) and in galleries throughout the Columbia River Gorge. We are lucky to have two of his works on offer here in the works for sale section.
Tonalism.com: Do you call or think of yourself as a tonalist?
Luke Tucker: Sort of. It’s definitely a large part of my chemistry. The thing I enjoy about having a more tonal approach is the focus on mood. The atmosphere and general feeling of my work is the number one priority during the creative process. I think tonalism lends itself well to this approach.
Tonalism.com: What is your definition of tonalism?
Luke Tucker: I think of a tonalist painting as one that is minimalistic and heavily reliant on atmosphere. With a focus on the subtle. Not to overuse this word, but moody. Or like something from a dream. Distinct, but not quite like a memory.
Tonalism.com: What’s been the story of your journey as an artist?
Luke Tucker: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, in a farm town north of Seattle. My father was a park ranger, so naturally I spent a portion of my upbringing in the woods. Later on as a young adult I got a job at the parks department as a park aide where I would clean campsites, scrub toilets and go on trash runs. Behind the not so glamorous parts of the job was a setting that would later influence my work. The foggy mornings, constant drizzle and the marine layer that never seems to lift. All of it seems to play a subconscious role as I paint.
But it wasn't until my mid twenties that I would actually pick up a brush. I struggled with alcoholism and addiction for many years. It was something that I honestly thought I was never going to overcome. It wasn't until I hit a fork in the road, where I had to choose between one life and another, that I was forced to change. It definitely wasn't easy at first. It felt just like the other times I had tried to sober up. I doubted that it would last. Lucky for me I found a way to cope with the early stages of sobriety. That way came in the form of three 5”x5” canvases and some cheap Walmart oil paint I found in an old box buried in storage. My first painting was a crude attempt at a very emo scene of myself holding an 18 rack of Keystone Light looking at an empty beer can on the ground. It honestly made me laugh upon completion. I thought to myself “What are you doing dude!? You're being so dramatic.” But I enjoyed it. Before I knew it I was cutting and priming up countless sheets of hardboard, playing around with different mediums and grinding out my new found trade everyday.
Snohomish, July: A piece inspired partially by memory as well as photo reference. I spent some time last summer in my hometown looking for inspiration amongst the trees and local waterways. I walked the Snohomish River with my mom, reminiscing of the past on a beautiful summer day, taking photos as we went along. It was a great experience and was something that I needed. I took those memories and photographs back with me to Oregon and started on a series of Snohomish inspired works. This is the golden child of the bunch.
In 2014 my wife and I moved to the Columbia River Gorge. It’s here that I started to really hone my trade as a landscape painter. The setting is not much different than the one I grew up in and for most of the year has a fantastic atmosphere to draw inspiration from. You’ll find me down on the Columbia chasing light.
Tonalism.com: What are the main objectives of your current approach?
Luke Tucker: My number one goal, before anything else, is to feel like I have grown from the experience. Whether that be technically, mentally or emotionally. In my experience, that always seems to shine through to the viewer. As an intuitive painter, I want my work to feel like a memory or elicit a sense of nostalgia. If that concept lands with the viewer then I have done my job.
Out at Sea: This piece was inspired by memories of the Puget Sound. I wanted to try and convey the atmosphere of twilight on the Sound through the unique hues of blue that often compromise the moment after the sun sets. I remember watching the ferries going in and out of port, the light reflecting off the water as the ships approached. I take great enjoyment from creating paintings from distant memory.
Tonalism.com: What was the actual process or series of events that led you to paint as you do now?
Luke Tucker: Since I began painting I always gravitated towards landscape. I started going out and taking reference photos, gridding my canvas and trying to get my colors and values just right. I did this for a while, fighting the process the whole time. At the end of the day it was not working with my personality. I decided to limit my palette and take more of an intuitive approach rather than over engineering my work. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my creative process was much smoother. I was able to do a lot more with less.
Columbia: I spend a lot of time on the bluffs of the Columbia River Gorge, high above the river helping in the construction of homes for rich Portlanders during the day. There’s definitely a reason Nike executives, drone manufacturers and various tech giants purchase homes on the Columbia River bluffs. The view is world class. The river is so wide in certain spots, it looks more like a Norwegian fjord than a flowing river. This piece was my abstract attempt to convey the massiveness of the Columbia in a subtle, Tonalist way.
Tonalism.com: Please describe a little bit of your painting process.
Luke Tucker: Although I've shied away from using reference photos, I still find it important to find inspiration. I'll typically get up early and head down to the river or up into the valley of Mt Hood to catch some morning light. I'll take note of anything I can draw from compositionally. I almost always start with stretched linen canvas with multiple layers of clear gesso. I like the natural color of the canvas to show through while I work. I usually skip the underpainting process as I get too caught up in the engineering of it all. I use my hands to slowly block in forms until my idea starts to take shape. My go to color palette at the moment is yellow ochre, burnt sienna, indigo and titanium white. This palette allows me to create the earthy tones I'm shooting for. After blocking and letting dry overnight, I'll start to layer using Liquin and solvent. I'll build layer after layer using more Liquin to speed up the process. Once I get to a point where I feel comfortable with my tones and values I'll use various application techniques to add a dynamic and textured look to my work. I use knives and brushes to flick paint onto the canvas and I’ll usually work in a couple more layers at this stage.
Before varnishing, I build and stain a frame for the painting. Once I have the painting set in the frame I will hang it and do the final touches while it's on a wall. I find it easier to add the final layer while the painting is in its final form. Afterwards I usually go with a matte varnish.
Spring, Oregon: This is one of many pieces based upon my impressions of the Deschutes River. This particular painting was inspired by an early morning scouting session in late February at the mouth of the Deschutes where it meets the Columbia River. Little spurts of green were beginning to develop and the clouds were met with low light that softly reflected off the surface of the river. I took some photos and headed back to the studio. My goal with this piece was to convey the atmosphere of early spring in a quick and dynamic fashion.
Tonalism.com: Could you name any specific influences on your work?
Luke Tucker: When I think of historical influences, Whistler and Degas are the first to come to mind. As far as contemporary painters, Kurt Jackson and John Virtue are my go to at the moment.
One book I love and refer to often is “Landscape Painting” by Mitchell Albala. It's a great book for beginners and got me going on the right track early on. I keep it on my bedside table along with a stack of other similar books, but I find myself going back to that one the most.
Riverbend: A special piece, the first in the new studio. It's a refreshing experience creating in a brand new atmosphere. I'm delving into an optimistic unknown and I like it. This painting is another from memory. I spent a year in my young adulthood working for AmeriCorps. There I worked mainly in riparian zones (river banks) planting trees. The cold, grey mornings provided a natural tonalist picture. I remember noticing the stark contrast of reflections on the surface of the Stillaguamish River as I shoved one of countless spruce trees into a shallow hole to grow in its new home. This piece is a reflection of those memories.
Tonalism.com: Any advice for the aspiring painters / tonalists?
Luke Tucker: My advice to an aspiring painter or tonalist would be to grind it out, paint every day, become acquainted with your palette. Don’t try so hard. You can’t engineer a great painting. Don’t let a bad month get you down because a breakthrough is usually right around the corner.
Deschutes, Morning Light: Another Deschutes inspired piece. This scouting session took place New Years on a rather clear day. The sun was hitting the river in such a way that you almost couldn't look at it. The light rippled off the water, exploding into tiny points of light. As I worked away at the canvas I began flicking paint, building up layer after layer, trying to emulate those tiny points of light.
Tonalism.com: Saving the big question for last, what is art’s purpose in the world?
Luke Tucker: I believe art’s purpose is to serve as the most compelling evidence that we were here. Everyone leaves breadcrumbs and footprints, but through art we can express so much. In pieces big and small, visual or written, carved or forged; they all have something in common. Nature didn’t create it. God didn’t create it. We created it.