It's summer in Seattle, and I'm thinkin' Salmon!

You think you're too busy to enjoy the small stuff, when it all of a sudden it's there right in your backyard. Literally.

So my mom calls me the other day, and says, "I got a chance to talk about Etsy today!" Love that my mom is all psyched about Etsy. :-)

She proceeds to tell me that this great guy, Isaiah Heyer, who's doing some landscaping for her also creates these beautiful glass fish. She suggested he jump on the Etsy bandwagon, and he may just have his shop up and ready any time now.

In the meantime, be sure to check him out on his website: http://glasssalmon.com/index.html. Don't be fooled by the name - he makes glass trout too!

Also, take a look at his landscaping page, as his ponds and stone walls are quite beautiful too! http://www.islandgardenarts.com/

new studio neighbor at the OK

I just found out that one of my dear friends, David Lindes, will be moving his photography business in to the OK Hotel!

That's right, yet another reason to come drop by First Thursday Art Walk.

I met David almost 3 years ago when he was doing tech for a small startup in the suite next door. He and his co-workers used to drop by for coffee, and I carried his prints as one of our cool, up-and-coming Seattle artists. He now returns to the OK Hotel with his true love, photography. (I may be sneaking in to his darkroom, to return to my roots... shhhh...)

David tends to work with darkness and light, movement and long exposures. His colors pop brilliantly against his frequently dark backgrounds.

Be sure to check him out:

http://photo.lindes.net/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindes/

And of course, come see him in person soon!

(P.S. As a quick reminder, all images on this blog remain copyrighted by the artists. I have borrowed these images from the artists' websites for the purposes of promoting their fabulousness.)

I’m the green-eyed monster…

I discovered my dream place last night.

Having walked down this street many times, and recently hearing of this place mentioned by several others, I was excited to finally make my way over to “grey” for a drink.

“grey” is another combo of bar and gallery, but I was really impressed by the balance they’ve found. There are many galleries that serve wine for receptions, and many bars that feature local art on the walls, but “grey” has discovered you can have a true 50/50 balance.

This month, they have two featured artists, one of whom makes smaller drawings and hand-embroidered drawings. The other makes larger sculptural pieces. So even between the two artists they chose this month, there is a harmony between pieces to fill the walls while you enjoy a drink, and larger pieces to inspire you to walk around, explore, and create flow through the space.

In addition to enjoying the space and the artists they chose, they had attentive bar staff, and a great menu! I enjoyed 2 glasses of the Portuguese red, which was impressive for $5. And while I didn’t get a chance to eat this time, I did enjoy watching them make a few of their savory crepes. Art, cocktails, crepes, and music? Sign me up! I found out they are open all day, so expect to see me lounging here for lunch some nice weekend.

Check them out:
“grey” http://greygalleryandlounge.com/
Noah Grussgott (artist) http://noahgrussgott.com/
Sabrina Small (artist) http://www.sabrinasmall.com/

vacations, and holidays, and drama, oh my!

(Warning, this post contains elements of all things creative, from visual art, to food, to architecture, theatre, and more. Beware of sensory overload.)

After a month away from this blog, I'm excited to share what all I've been up to!

First a trip to Boston. Having never been to Boston before, I was struck by how beautiful (and clean!) the city was. Everywhere I turned, it was another cobblestone street or cute boutique. Not to mention a number of art co-ops that were very put together. And did I mention the watercolor society housed in the attic of a classic church? What an inspiring place for a young artist to visit!

My first morning, on the way to the Commons, I walked up Charles Street and walked into a a great little art gallery Judith Dowling Asian Art. Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures in this venue. While intuitively drawn to Eastern cultures, I realized how very little I know about their art and culture. The piece that drew my attention was a fabric scroll with an elaborate painting of Japanese people at work and decorated with real gold. The detail was amazing with small twisted strands creating the characters' hair. I started chatting with the curator(?) and he mentioned this was actually a religious relic. The hair belonged to the deceased wife of the man who commissioned the piece in her honor. Sweet! Give me that over an epitaph anyday.

Once I got near the Commons, I realized I was starving, so I stepped into Parish Cafe for lunch. Parish is cool because their menu is comprised of individual sandwiches/dishes from various renowned chefs around town. I had the Nebo, which I can't even begin to describe, so I will quote directly from the menu:

**The Nebo / $11.25 Created by: The Pallotta Sisters, Executive Chefs-Nebo, Boston
Italian tuna on a crunchy baguette with an olive tapenade, Mediterranean aioli, lettuce, tomato, sliced hard boiled eggs, fresh basil and red onions. Served with a string bean-tomato salad.

OH MY GOD. I've died and gone to food heaven. Perhaps haven't tasted anything whose flavors meshed so well together in.... 4 years? (And I've eaten some pretty awesome food in Seattle. Major props to the Pallotta Sisters.)

So once I got over my food-joy experience, I enjoyed a couple more days in Boston, then did the appropriate tourist thing. Went on a Duck Tour. While floating in the Charles River, our lovely tour-guide was pointing out landmarks, and points out the Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary. He noted that the building owners wanted to expand but wanted to stay in the same location. So they built a new building right on top of the old one. What exactly is this supposed to say? Visting a city that is literally 3 TIMES the age of my city, and with all their own self-appreciation of their history, one would naturally assume that keeping the old building at all is to preserve the history.

But seriously, look at the new building. The big, strong, modern, cement structure dwarfs the smaller historic beauty. Is the new building eating the old? Perhaps a statement of new technology overcoming/obliterating history and tradition? If intentional, this would be a bolder statement than simply replacing the original structure.

........

So I get back from vacation and catch up at work, then here comes Mother's Day! Inspired by a great silk wrap my mother saw at the mall, I had a great time creating a similar style wrap. Check her out! My mom is going to look super swanky on her Alaskan cruise. The top pic is a close-up of the paint detail.

........

Finally, I'm gearing up to direct a production of No Exit on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Message me if you want to participate in the production or advertise in the program.

seattle unfriendly to art?

My eye was drawn to an article in The Stranger entitled "The Vancouver Problem: Why is the Art Up There So Much Better Than the Art Up Here?"

Of course, my first thought was How Dare You Jen Graves - you're supposed to be on our side! But then I read the article, which proved a true point about the Seattle art scene. And to build further on her criticism, we can look at other cities besides Vancouver.

For a city that appears art friendly (most neighborhoods hold monthly art walks, and many cafes have local art on their walls), the City itself could go far in terms of improving an artists' chances here.

I just came across an online article about cheap dating tips, and it suggested Art Walk; the event itself is free and there was no risk of spending money because "no one buys that crap anyway". Ouch.

How do we encourage legitimate customers to attend, who are not just there for the free wine? And if the art really is that bad, how can we encourage a culture that appreciates good art, and encourage its artists to develop themselves?

In a city with several art schools, how are we not a culture that supports the arts, holds the artist to a higher standard, and also has a consumer base that appreciates it?

One place to start: In New York City, where the cost of living is very high, and the paychecks are not comparable, and therefore people have smaller homes with less room for art, how is art still prevalent and successful? The local rules of play art that setting up a booth on the street is FREE and requires no vendor license. Catch this: selling your art is considered freedom of speech. You still need your business license and need to claim income, etc. But the actual act of going public becomes very accessible. And with all these artists right there in your face, the general public now sees art on a regular basis, and comes to appreciate it.

Conversely, in Seattle, where there are sprawling suburban homes with plenty of wall space, where are the consumers? You must jump through hoops to vend on the street, and likely will have to pay 10% of sales to the neighborhood or community association. You can buy an $80 framed poster print at Beb Bath & Beyond, or you could spend the same $80 on an original by a local artist, but how will you do that if you don't know the artist exists? In a city where we pride ourselves on buying local food, because it's more green, should we not also pride ourselves on our local culture?

Do I have any solutions for change? Not yet. But it is certainly time to start the dialogue.

hanging out at first thursday

If you are looking for a fun activity, you should check out the neighborhood Art Walks in Seattle. Each neighborhood's falls on a different night of the month, but Downtown and Pioneer Square's in the First Thursday of each month.

Swing by - I'd love to say hi! Make an evening of it by checking out the venues at firstthursdayseattle.com.

While I'm hanging out, I'd like to introduce you to some of my new pieces. I'm working on something a little different from my norm - a line of children's (or fun adult's!) paintings, based off of a character I'd painted on of my silk scarves.

Meet the first 3: Giraffe, Pegasus, and Zebra.

These are creatures with attitude. Giraffe shrugs it off and lazily sticks his tongue out. Pegasus sadly (suspicously?) looks over his shoulder at some mysteriously rounds things in the sky behind him. Wait, aren't I the only flying creature up here? And Zebra closes her eyes to feel the wind flip through her mane. It's true - I am Queen!

All have black painted edges, so they can hang unframed. I will also take photos soon so prints will be available.

Also coming in the future are Penguin, Cat, Fish, Elephant, and more!

some northwest flavor

If you've ever been to the Northwest, you've probably walked by a fair share of tribal art and eaten some pretty phenomenal seafood.

Metal artist Gator Chamberlain pays tribute to our Northwest culture through both wall hangings and free standing sculpture.

First exposed to Gator's work through a mutual friend, I was impressed by the intricate detail in his wall hangings. Each of these birds and creatures have designs cut into them that are as elaborate as a fine lace.

Besides the skill and craftsmanship, I'm intrigued by how expressive each of the characters are, each having a soulfulness - each of them seems as if they have a story they could tell.

Gator has also started a new series of human-sized, larger-than-life, free-standing fishing flies. As of yet, he doesn't have a website featuring his fine metal work, but I have a feeling we'll be hearing more

from this artist who has captured the spirit of the Northwest.

oh, carla, how i love thee.

Visit Carla Sonheim's website, and you will primarily see her series of adorable girls. In her own words, they are "inspired by the special and fleeting innocence of girlhood". I might choose to emphasize the word fleeting. Though simple in form, the colors are rich and sometimes somber, and the complete image is never childish, making these most appropriate as fond remembrances for adult women who may have been these girls years ago.

While the girl series is wonderful and noteworthy, I enjoyed digging deeper.

Her blog provides fascinating insight into her life as an artist. She has a great sense of humor, offering to entertain her students with spontaneous outbursts of song. I also appreciate that she shares her works in progress, sketches, and student's work., where many artists, myself included, are uncomfortable with revealing the not entirely finished. I love the lighthearted spirit that comes through.

My favorite pieces of Carla's are her mixed media animals. Check out the very human features on these cats, and a combination of bold tones with richer, deeper browns and grays. I think she's successfully achieved a balance of whimsy and sobriety that make all her pieces like a thoughtful daydream.

For more, visit www.carlasonheim.com.

oops, i fell in love.

I fully intended to cover a different creative topic this week, like music, or cooking.

But the recipes I made were horrible. And I was introduced to the work of two amazing, primarily 2-D, visual artists this week. Thank you Facebook and Urban Fashion Network.

First, Christoff Niemann. Is it wrong to blog about a blog? Niemann is an illustrator, whose pieces can stand alone, but his blog brings an added element. He strings several pieces together with captions and commentary, which add up to a whole storytelling-style piece.

One entry that's been floating around Facebook shows various ways you can depict New York trademarks with legos. But everyone, New Yorker or not, can enjoy my favorite of the series: the server with a larger than life peppermill!






Another entry tells a story about the artist's lifelong relationship with coffee by drawing on napkins with, you guessed it, coffee. Poetic.





These entries and more can be found at: http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/

Next week... I'll cover Carla Sonheim, mixed media artist from Washington!

i've seen the light.

(Pardon my missed posting last week - I got swept into the holiday weekend!)

My tiny little apartment had a very dark, tiny little entryway. With no options for floor lamps, or an entry table, and no desire to do electrical work in a rental, I was seeking a rare treasure: a plug-in chandelier.

Budget? $10.

Here's a how-to in 5 simple steps:

1. Visit your neighborhood re-use store and look through their lighting section. I found this fixture, sans globe, at Value Village for $1.99. And lucky me, they were having a 50% off President's Day Sale! Price: $1.

2. Find a "quirky bowl". Depending on your style, and the final size you want, there are several creative options. For a small square pendant lamp, consider a tissue box cover. For a larger fixture, a punch bowl works well. The overall goal is you will need an existing hole in the middle of the bowl, or you will need to be able to drill a hole for the cord to go through. Glass is bad unless you are really talented. A thin plastic works well. Unless you are using a halogen bulb, most materials should be safe. This was a pretty floral bowl from the seasonal section at Target. Price: $5.

3. If the bowl shape you like isn't the color you like, change it! I liked this hammered bronze spray paint. Price: $1 (I already had the spray paint on my shelf.)

4. Drill a hole in said quirky bowl.

4a. If your bowl is tall enough, your hole only needs to be big enough to feed the chain through. The bowl can rest on top of the fixture.

4b. If your bowl is more shallow, your hole will need to be big enough for the lightbulb base to fit through. The bowl will sit between the top of the fixture and the bowl. Use a strong glue or epoxy to affix the fixture to the top of the hole.

5. Hang that pretty fixture from a plant hook in the ceiling. If there is a chain, swag it with flourish. Enjoy your newly lit, no-longer-creepy entryway.

I've come undone!

Scultpure's been on my mind. I've been noticing a significant amount of commercial pieces around Seattle. And not just the Sculpture Garden, but miscellanous pieces scattered thoughout the city, adding just a bit of interest as you are passing by or entering your office building. I was also talking to a co-worker earlier today about my secret wish to one day do some large scale metal lawn sculpture.

With all this on my mind, I started browsing for Seattle sculptors for inspiration. I stumbled upon Diem Chau, a Vietnamese-American artist, who received her training at our very own Cornish.

Now I had originally been thinking large scale, freestanding, metal or stone... I was completely suprised to find this body of miniature 3-D sculpted works. I always love being caught off guard - it gives me a little bit of joy to realize this artist has stumbled on something completely new and original.

First, the crayon figures. Crayola - not just for grade school anymore. I love the play on medium. Rather than using the crayons for their traditional purpose, as a drawing implement, the wax now becomes a sculptural medium. Yet the scale of the piece practically requires the context of the crayons to remain the same. The small scale encourages the adult artist to create a loosely detailed, child-like piece, reminiscent of the very drawings one would create with the crayons if used as drawing tool. It's downright witty.

Second, the miniatures within the dishes... Again, a play on the pieces used, this time with scale, using inverse proportions. How clever to use a plate to frame a table! Perhaps I'm easily amused, but it's this twist on our expectations that makes these pieces stand out.

Beyond amusement, though, I also get a sense of, well, eeriness. How strange would it be to be the little person who lived at that table, trapped in this room of white walls?

Next, Diem Chau has series of pieces that involve string adhered to dishes. The irony I find here is that, while many artists, including myself, try to find ways to make their art functional to appeal to a larger audience, Chau has done the opposite. She has chosen a functional canvas and rendered it disfunctional. Yet that simple choice adds charm to her pieces. I, for one, am drawn to texture of this mixed media, and find interest in the 3-D form created by using an alternate canvas.

The last piece. Does anyone else hear Weezer's Sweater Song?

P.S.

I'm pleased with my blue treasury I created on etsy tonight. :-)

craigslist, not just for amateurs anymore

In the sea of craziness that is craigslist, you will see a wide range of characters. We've all heard stories (both horror and amusing) of the experiences you can have when trying to sell things, of people standing you up, or trying to scam you, or when you check the personals or roommate listings, every entry reads "Just looking for someone normal?!". Craigslist is its own little microcosm of the internet world, and so entertaining that two gals, Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez, actually crafted a play called Kidnapped by Craigslist.

Well, the artists' section tends to follow the same pattern, with a significant portion of the promotional listings leaving you feeling a little confused as to what you just saw.

Today, however, I was browsing happily along, because I ran across a few awesome artists!

Vegas artist M. Mellon spoke to me on several levels - please be sure to check out his website, as I only have room to post a couple here. I often have the discussion with non-classically trained artists (whether it's visually art, music, anything) about why training is important, and usually the argument is that the untrained artists are worried their pieces would become too polished, and uninspired, just clinical or technical.

Mellon here is someone I admire for being that well-rounded artist. He has managed to master technique, demonstrating a understanding of anatomy and communicating through his figures' posture and gesture. His figures in ink and acrylic are equally matched with his more fluid and abstracted watercolors. He maintains technique and understands his media, while still keeping originality.

Three of my favorites:

"Death's Waiting Room" - I will be directing Sartre's No Exit this summer, and this is exactly how I pictured the room. Saving this one! My next favorite piece also reminded me of a scene I imagined.

Below is "Pleased to Drown," which, with that title, I can only hope to imagine that great minds think alike. I immediatly thought of the final scene of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Having moved apartments several times, I've finally settled down enough to unpack my boxes of books from high school. Getting to revisit some of this literature has been a joy, and even more of a joy to discover these paintings that so closely matched my imagination!

And, "Internal Landscape Six."

An alien seahorse. Clearly.

OK, enough love of Mellon. I also want to take a quick moment to appreciate San Francisco artist Hiroko Sakai. Here are a few teasers showcasing her varied styles, but you'll want to check out here website too. A great example of modern surrealism, with a twist of humor.

i don't know why i'm surprised

but there is a LOT of political art on Etsy! (I'm posting early this week with the excitement of the Inauguration.)

Even the classics, those artists who were paid by patrons to create what they wanted, found ways to insert their own messages, points, or even jabs. Politics have frequently found their way, whether openly or sneakily, into artistic creations.

So, in the spirit of this week's Presidential Inauguration, I bring you some of the Obama art that caught my eye.

First, this Circles of Change bracelet by tafurious. This is a bracelet I would wear regardless of theme, because I love the simplicity of design, and how each circle has a different texture. The words "hope" and "dream" stamped in two of the circles just add to the small surprises you find looking at this bracelet.

Next, I fell in love with this mixed-media painting by StormOne. I'm immediately drawn to his smiling soulful eyes. What is he looking at? If I didn't know this was Obama, what would I see? I love the jazzy feel of this painting. I feel like he could be inspired to start playing a double bass at any moment.

Then I stumbled across some Hope. Hope on a Rope, that is!

With the seriousness of this election, it's great to see some (loving, not mocking, in my opinion) playfulness!

I don't know if want Obama grinning at you in the shower, but this is sure to start your day off with a smile. And everyone will love this Obama, because he's purple (both red and blue friendly), vegan, and smells like fresh air. Thank you, dugshop, for making my day.

Additionally, if you thought Obama was just going to restore our country to fabulousness, you were wrong. O-Balm-Ah (by themefragrance) will also restore your skin. That's right, folks. You can put Obama on a rope, and you can also put him in a jar. Here's hoping the new President can heal our economy and reputation - but no matter what, we know he can heal our bodies!

With all this great Obama floating around,

let's all jump on the hope train.

breaking my first rule...

I had to. I had a request. A snippet about Paul Rudd:


According to IMDB, Mr. Rudd has 3 movies in post-production. Thank you for making my 2009! I'm a sucker for comedies, so I'll be seeing "I Love You, Man" and "The Year One" (been a fan of Michael Cera since Arrested Development, and did you see the rest of this cast?!?!).



Besides. Paul Rudd is hot. Here's proof:

Told you.

Now onto more important things! This is an art blog after all! And while Paul Rudd may be considered a piece of art, let's get to the real stuff.


Shortly after college, I moved to NYC to try out grad school, and then I ended up selling my art on the plaza in Union Square.


While I was there, I made friends with quite a few of the other street artists, and we'd often barter or give each other "fellow artist discount"s. This is how I began my own collection of art.


My very favorite piece of all time acts as the centerpiece for my living room. It's acrylic(?) on canvas, and it is entiled "The Hidden" by artist Cypha. I was drawn to the African imagery because I have a tendency to be attracted to international and eastern pieces, but I was especially drawn to how the abstract lines of the masks and leaves just blend into each other as if it was a geometric pattern.
I'm now very familiar with the piece, and the faces peeking through the bushes have become household friends, but at very first glance, the faces truly were Hidden. Every time I took a closer look and saw another face, it was a little joyful surprise.



Once I moved back to Seattle and knew I could make a permanent home for The Hidden, of course they needed a frame! How does a starving artist pay for a custom frame?! Well, they build one of course!


But what the hell do I know about framing?! What I do know is how to raid my dad's scrap wood pile and cut 45 degree angles on a power saw.


When I first told my parents about my intentions to build a frame out of two-by-fours, they stared at me with the usual, "What the hell?" and, "Shouldn't we research this first?" and, "Yuck! Two-by-fours! Eeeewwwwwww...." And I stared right back with, "Trust me, fools."


And just like when I was 5 and tried to dress myself with polka dots and stripes, etc., it somehow all came together.


Step 1: Build a frame. You all are smart, and I know you can work this out! It involves 4 - 2x4s, with 45 degree angles to join them together. You'll also cut (on the back side) a 1" x 1" groove to the interior side of each 2x4, so you can set the painting into the frame.






Step 2: Stain or paint the frame. I was VERY impressed at how well stain, on cheap wood, exposes beautiful grain.

Step 3: Hang your beautiful painting in your awesome new custom homemade frame which didn't cost $400.

Step 4: Stick your tongue out at Mom and Dad. You knew you rocked.

tune in thursday nights

Welcome to the new blog of stir, your local artist's boutique under the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.

A little about what I'll be doing here: Writing about anything creative or arts related! This may be sharing new projects I'm working on that will be available at stir. Or it could be instruction on a new technique I'm playing with. Or it could be sharing with you other cool artists I've discovered.

While I primarily focus on photography and painting at stir, this blog will cover the creative as I come across it in my daily life: 2-D visual art, 3-D visual art, architecture, music, dance, performance, cooking, even bartending!

So if you get a little thrill for the creative, please visit again. I'll be updating this blog Thursday nights, PST.

Best,
Kimberly @ stir