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/

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.

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?