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?