Artwork copyright James Pink. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Layla, 2002

James Pink
(American, born 1945)

Location: Washington Elementary School, Vancouver

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Layla is a mixed-media collage by artist James Pink. It combines painted elements with patterned fabrics. It is part of his body of work featuring images of wolves. The artist and his wife raised three hybrid wolves. They are gray wolf mixed with German shepherd. He notes, "They are shy, non-aggressive animals and only relate to us as pack. The shyest of our hybrids is Layla. She lets very few people ever touch her. She is very pensive and very beautiful. I decided to make a piece of art about her beauty and called it 'Layla.' (She is named after an Eric Clapton love song about unattainable love)."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Vancouver School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Nevada-based artist James Pink creates narrative paintings, drawings, and prints. He has served as professor of art at the University of Oklahoma, Norman and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a Master of Arts degree in art from Northern Illinois University. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Florida.