The Art Blog

Here are a few more images of new work created for my show in Sun Valley. I will be at the opening night reception on Friday, August 29th from 5 to 9 so please come by if you are in the area.

"Evolution" Encaustic on 9 panels. Total Dimensions: 72"x72" I am here in Sun Valley, Idaho for my opening at the Gilman Contemporary on August 29th. I will post additional images and comments when I return to Seattle. Happy Labor Day!

Tidal Rhythms 2008 - encaustic w/mixed media 20" x 24" Tidal Rhythms detail I wanted to share these images from a new painting called Tidal Rhythms . This piece was inspired by a walk along my neighborhood pier. As I looked down into the water I saw these beautiful kelp heads floating gracefully near the surface and the sunlight was penetrating and surrounding them with this ethereal glow. I knew immiedatly that I had to paint this experince. I tried to recreate the feeling of that moment based on memory. When I look at this painting now I am reminded of that walk and the beautiful light of that summer day. I will be showing this painting along with other recent pieces in August at the Pacini Lubel Gallery in Seattle. Next week I will start posting some preview photos for my upcoming show at the Gilman Contemporary in Sun Valley, Idaho.

summer painting class with Mark Miller Detail from pod painting Detail from flower painting Detail from abstract floral Pods - 2008 36" x 40" -mixed media on canvas Abstracted Flower 2008 - 32" x 32" mixed media on canvas Summer painting class - work in progress 1 Summer painting class - work in progress 2 Here are a few photos from the experimental painting class I've been "playing" in this summer. The class is lead by Seattle painter, Mark Takamichi Miller, check out his art at whitelead.com . We are working in his studio that's housed in a funky old Boeing warehouse in Seattle. I can just imagine the place filled with Rosie's riveting planes during the WWII era. It's a great space to work in and the class has been creatively freeing for me as a painter. Just river's of paint with no rules to follow and really fun. I'll be in this class for another 4 weeks so I hope to have more images to post soon.

I am in the studio every day now working towards my next show in Sun Valley, Idaho. I’ ve been creating large encaustic panels that are really luscious with tons of wax - I will post a few highlights from this body of work when it’s complete. The show runs August 28 to Sept.30 at the Gilman Contemporary . In the mean time, I have a new painting up at the Pacini Lubel Gallery in Seattle along with several older works. The Piece is called Boundaries (see image at left) and now that it's out of my studio I miss it. Pacini Lubel Gallery is having a group show opening August 7 th and I should have some additional new work included in that. For a bit of playful distraction I have been taking an experimental painting class once a week in an old Boeing warehouse in Seattle– It’s been really fun, chaotic and messy and has allowed me to stretch as an artist. I will post a few images and more details from the class next week.

"Hide & Seek " wax, wire, collage on wood Above are some images of the bowling pin art I created for the Pinned to PONCHO fund raiser. The Inspiration for this piece came while watching the birds that frequent my garden. I wanted to capture their animated body language and tell a visual story of playful mischief. Various carving and painting techniques were used to create a luminescent and textured surface for the base and more than 120 feet of steel wire went into the creation of the bird figures that give this piece a sense of curiosity and amusement. Here's the blurb from the PONCHO website about the event: Local artists "spare" some time decorating bowling pins for charity. Join the fun Thursday, June 26, 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Lucky Strike Lanes in Bellevue. Lucky Strike Lanes , Bellevue’s retro-chic bowling lounge, holds a special commitment to bolstering the talents of up-and-coming and established artists in the Puget Sound and across the country. Right ...

I am so honored to have my work featured in an upcoming book on encaustic painting. Portland artist, Linda Womack, and her husband ,William Womack, have created a beautiful book filled with information, how-to steps and wonderful samples of encaustic work by some amazing artists. The book is launching this weekend at the National Encaustic Conference , and will be available through the author's website, embracingencaustic.com ,by June 15th, 2008. The book features one of my paintings, Delicate Balance, posted above. I am currently working on another cool art project for a PONCHO fund raiser. The event is called Pinned to Poncho where artists are invited to creatively reinterpret a bowling pin and the work is then auctioned off to raise money for northwest arts organizations. I will post images of my final pin creation next week - Super Fun!