Some people find horizontal lines soothing. Maybe I’m weird, but I almost always prefer vertical lines. Perhaps a nod to the soaring peaks of the mountains I love so much? Textile artist Nike Schroeder takes full advantage of verticality in her string sculptures and I can’t get enough of them.
The tactile quality of the string and the way it hangs seems to give a nod in my eye to indigenous garments and weavings. There is also an intriguing sense of color field painting to each piece, as the individual string colors shift gradually, almost imperceptibly to create depth, line and shadow. The nature lover in me sees moss silently drooping in fog, a waterfall cascading over a cliffside. Silent representations of a world of life.
To see more of Nike Schroeder’s work, please visit her website.
I’ve written before about my admiration for artists using modern quilt making as their medium. I love the way these artists are taking an old folk tradition and making it fresh. But there is something altogether different about what Seattle artist Joey Veltkamp is doing with his contemporary art quilts.
The quilts, part of an exhibition titled It’s Not a Protest. It’s a Celebration! showing at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery in Seattle through June 7th, are part play, part politic and all truth tinged with humor. Veltkamp is known for his comforting subject matter– imagery of beer and blankets ( two of Mr. F’s favorite things! ) and now taking it a step further by creating his own art quilts and flags.
There is nothing so comforting as being wrapped in a quilt handmade with love– it’s almost like being shrouded in love. Many of Veltkamp’s quilts carry messages of tolerance and acceptance, a gentle way of saying to the world that we are all the same, all long for the same thing– to be bundled up in love.
To see more of Joey Veltkamp‘s work, please visit his website. If you’re in Seattle, be sure to check out his show at ArtsWest!
Mr. F and I have known each other a long time. We were friends from way back before we became Mr. & Mrs. Long enough and well enough to know each other’s exes. We often speculate on what our lives had we stayed with our former loves ( and thankful each day things turned out the way they did!! ). In her Men I Have Known series, New York artist Juliet Martin crafts woven textile sculptures, each representing a different lover.
In these colorful, playful phalluses ( I didn’t immediately see the phallic quality to some, but then I can be pretty naive like that.. ), the artist, according to her website, is satirizing the idea of man as conqueror and possessor of sexual power. Instead, she’s creating her own “trophies”, bedpost notches, if you will. At first glance, the viewer would have no idea the meaning behind these pieces but the mystery is half the fun, yes? 😉
The forecast for last Saturday in Eureka was cloudy and rainy, so Mr. F and I planned to spend a leisurely day drinking coffee and catching up on work in a downtown coffee shop. And we did, for a few hours.. until we noticed that the rain didn’t seem to be coming and the sun was shining! So we decided ditched work to spend the afternoon doing a little more exploring around Old Town Eureka. We tasted grains at the local brew shop, browsed a dusty antique shop and a fun little vintage clothing boutique. As we were about to grab a burger & hit up Mr. F’s favorite Eureka watering hole, I spotted an open sign at Sewell Gallery and was so pleased at what we found inside.
Sewell Gallery exclusively features the work of Humboldt County artists and showcases some of the best the region has to offer in a large and inviting space. The current show, up for just a few more days, features the work of textile artist April Sproule . She creates these amazingly intricate contemporary quilt designs– I was especially drawn to the graphic quality found in her monochromatic work.
In addition to the featured exhibition, Mr. F and I found a wide range of mediums and styles to peruse. We both loved these ceramic pieces by Shannon Sullivan— gorgeously crafted and temptingly priced!
ceramics by Shannon Sullivan
Of course, you know I can’t resist abstract paintings and these two were calling to me across the sunlit gallery..
It was just the perfect day to wander through a gallery! We’ll definitely be putting Sewell on our list of places to stop in occasionally.
It’s looking pretty likely that Mr. F and I could be in Eureka at least through the summer and I’m more excited about that prospect than ever. With the largest concentration of artists per capita in all of California, Humboldt County has so much to offer and discover!
If you ever happen to be in Eureka, make sure to put in a stop at Sewell Gallery! Coming up Saturday is my first Eureka Arts Alive event. Stay tuned for more on that next week!
Hmm.. It would seem I’m having a thing for books and cowboys this week. Let’s just go with it, ‘kay? I had a different artist planned for today, but sometimes, I’m just not feeling it, so I go into my Pinterest archives to see what might strike my fancy a little, um, fancier. And these sewn sculptures by Lisa Kokin got me excited.
The artist has taken old pulp cowboy novels and transformed them into organic branches and beings. Cowboy culture has been such a prominent and accepted part of American history, pop culture elevating the cowboy as hero throughout the mid-twentieth century, it isn’t any wonder the gun totin’ good-guy mentality has permeated the minds of so many. Kokin is taking a stereotypically male culture and fusing it with a stereotypical female craft by taking apart these books and sewing them together. It is interesting to think of the young boys who once held these books and played the cowboy role. Have their lives transformed? Or are they still playing cowboy?
To see more of the work of Lisa Kokin, please visit her website. Lisa’s work can currently be seen in Women’s Work at Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA through March 30th.
I’m a big fan of modern quilts. I love that artists and artisans are continuing a longstanding tradition yet giving it a modern spin. The ladies of Hopewell Workshop, Eliza Kenan and Claire Oswalt came together to continue the tradition of their respective families of creating artisan wares such as these quilts with a modish edge.
Just as our ancestors created quilts based on their traditions and folklore, so are the Hopewell makers creating new traditions on a contemporary foundation. Each piece a work of art. I would love to curl up under one of these or just hang it on my wall and gaze at it!
There’s a school of thought that white walls = boring. But white walls + wooden textures + pops of colorful artwork? Anything but!! And this Artsy is here to prove it to ya. Let’s take a beautiful, airy space like the one below. The white surfaces have already been warmed a bit by pops of cozy wood textures. The way the light bounces off those walls make this the perfect place for some color. And that beautifully curved staircase wall? It’s just crying out for a fabulous wall sculpture or installation. Don’t believe me? Let us count the ways..
There are lots of different ways you could take the artwork in this space– those white walls are the perfect blank canvas!
1 | happy texture Smooth surfaces abound in this space, which leaves ample room for adding pattern and texture. A Liz Tran sculptural installation is like a party on a wall, providing an instant shot of joyful movement. Or how about gettin’ a little groovy with a retro-ish weaving? Tanya Aguiniga‘s Multi Knot Wall Hanging is a bit more minimalistic, but still adds just the right amount of texture and color. Making a simple, bold statement is hardly ever the wrong choice and one of Jen Pack‘s fabric & wood wall sculptures packs just the right amount of punch.
2 | organic elegance Not only can a space like this handle something dynamic and full of color but a single elegant representational sculpture can add just the right amount of elegance to bring the slightly casual atmosphere up a notch.
3 | slick pop Interesting juxtapositions your game? Graphic, pop inspired pieces provide an intriguing touch of je ne sai quois when paired with these white walls and warm textures. Think of the neon signs, sand and palm trees of Miami– opposites never looked so good together.
Have I convinced you yet? Are you running out to buy gallons and gallons of white paint? 😉 See more of my favorite artsy interiors on my Artsy DwellingPinterest board. Oh and like what I put together here? I can do it for you, too!
Mr. F and I often talk about what has drawn us to the Northwest. The mild summers have a lot to do with it, but even more, is the feeling that, in comparison to so much of the US, there is a wildness here. Big cities are few and far between, the landscape filled more with small towns, rural communities and much still wild and untamed wilderness. The thought that we can go out on a hike and see deer, elk, bears, and even moose in some areas, is thrilling. We are living on the edge, ya’ll. But that also means that we, as humans and society are ever encroaching on the wilderness and the animals found therein are paying the price. These themes of nature and our relationship with it and effects upon it are the catalyst for the work of Portland sculptor, Rachel Denny.
In her work, Denny has created a visual language for exploring the charm and delicacy to be found in the natural world. Whimsy belies a deeper meaning, if we take the time to look beyond what we see.
Rachel Denny’s latest work can currently be seen in her solo exhibition, Outside In at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle through October 26th. You can also see more of Denny’s work on her website.
Mr. F and I can definitely relate to snails, turtles, basically any of those I-carry-my-home-on-my-back types. Although technically, we carry home in our Hyundai Santa Fe.. still, we feel a kinship. 😉 But what if you really could carry your home on your back? These utilitarian sculptures by Julia Gabriel are hand-dyed canvas backpacks inspired by architecture and well, they are the most inspired backpacks I’ve ever seen!
I mean, how fun would it be to carry your books & laptop to your favorite coffee shop in one of these? This series is available through Buy Some Damn Art until November 5th. Check out the show online at BSDA and see more of Julia Gabriel‘s work on her website.
As a dutiful child of the 70s, I love crochet, macrame, all those disco-era handicrafts. Though I don’t always love that era’s color palette as much as my sister-in-law– you guys should see the 1970s era RV she is redoing, appropriately named Gertrude. Anywhoo.. I recently stumbled upon the work of All Roads Design, I knew I wanted to share it with you! It’s like art you can pet. And I so would, every day!
I think one of these would add beautiful texture to our one day Northwest dream home. He ( gotta be a he with all that hair ) would mix so well with all the other artwork I’m coveting. Hey, an Artsy can dream, right? Have a great weekend, Artsies! We’re hoping to take a little road trip this weekend, will fill you in on Monday!
