Winter Holiday on the Olympic Peninsula

Third Beach at La Push, Washington

Last week, Matt and I took a few days to visit the Olympic Peninsula’s rainforests and beaches. We stayed about 20 minutes north of Forks, Washington (yes, of Twilight notoriety!) at the Cabins at Beaver Creek, on the banks of the Sol Duc River.

 

 The boardwalk trail (about 3 miles) through the rainforest to 

Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the lower 48 states.

We were pleased that it didn't rain the entire time we were there, although we did come prepared with all our rain gear and provisions! I was really inspired by the new and different color palettes in this environment. All the different greys, greens, and red-browns are simply stunning.

 Some of the ferns in the rainforest were as tall as me!

On Christmas Day, it was snowing 

at the “higher” elevations (800 feet!).

The sun peeked out for about an hour or so one afternoon. This old moss-covered bridge was near our cabin over Beaver Creek, near its confluence with the Sol Duc River. There was so much moss everywhere, it gave me some new ideas on things to make with my twine obsession!

Now, back to the studio at Anchor Art Space to keep making more art work!

Anchor Art Space: My Residency / Part 2

Here I am working in the window, above. This is nearly two days’ work. 

I somehow have a knack for taking on the most time-consuming projects!

I’ve been getting down to business on my first two projects at Anchor Art Space. The first one is a knot curtain that I’m making in the front window. Knots are really important to me right now; it seems like all my ideas somehow incorporate knots. I’m not interested really in complex or decorative knots, only simple ones.

In another departure for me, I’m working in (mostly) monochromatic palettes — natural cotton twine and wood. Despite the simplicity of the materials and the knots themselves, tying all of them becomes an almost obsessive meditation — almost like a mantra; a physical chant, in a way. The act of making them — and the result — being highly repetitive and textural.

Almost all of the projects I’m planning will feature knots, and several will be curtain-like in nature. These two symbols and the act of making them will hopefully bring a sense of peace and a kind-of stillness into the gallery environment.

Kala, my awesome studio dog, keeps me company. 

Her name means “fine art” in Sanskrit, and “sunshine” in Hawaiian.

Anchor Art Space: My Residency / Part 1

Yesterday was the start of my 5-week residency at Anchor Art Space in Anacortes, Washington. Anacortes is a small fishing town located at the north end of Fidalgo Island in the northern end of the Puget Sound. The gallery is a beautiful space, in an historic building erected in 1891, the same year the town was incorporated.

The space is welcoming and ripe for my creativity! I'm planning to explore the symbolic metaphor of the “curtain” during my time here. I’m interested in that knife-edge of time between innocence and knowing. There is also an element of healing that will take place here, I hope.

Yesterday, some friends and I held a Shamanic ritual ceremony here to cleanse, protect, seal, and bless the space in preparation for my work here. We all set intentions for what we hope will take place during my time in the gallery. I was overcome with emotion upon receiving the love and support of my friends.

This symbol on the floor is designed to attract and catch what I will need during the next few weeks: peace, time, healing, inspiration, motivation, and love.

I will keep this small altar in the space as a reminder of all the positive energy we created and the love that surrounds me!

Awesome Snow Hike in the Rogue River National Forest

On our way back to Seattle from Reno, Matt and I decided to spend a few days exploring the forests of southern Oregon. We hiked out from Fish Lake and up the Pacific Crest Trail for a bit in a beautiful winter wonderland.

Mojo likes to bring up the rear!

Click on this image for a better view of Mt. McLoughlin.

The sun started to come out just as we rounded the bend to see this spectacular view of Mount McLoughlin in the distance. You can see the mountain creating its own weather at the peak. This is a volcanic area, so there are lava fields everywhere. Some of the mountains have giant craters where the tops blew off thousands of years ago.

McKinley Arts Center: My Solo Show in Reno, Nevada

Matt and I drove from Seattle to Reno yesterday (13 hours!) so we could be on site at McKinley Arts Center for the installation of my solo show there. I have twelve of my favorite pieces in the show.

The show looks great and Kyle and Toni (my contact folks in the Public Arts Program for the City of Reno) have been so awesome to work with. Reno is a beautiful city, too, with the Truckee River flowing right through town and snow-topped mountains to the west.

Matt did the best he could to photograph the paintings in the space. The gallery is long and narrow and in a historic building, so there were some challenges. After trying to shoot photos in this space, I think I might have to break down and buy a lighting kit so we can get better images of my work in spaces like this.

One Summit: New Work & New Outlook

One Summit. Ink, nails, and twine on paper mounted on board. 

24"x36". 2012.

I finished this new painting a few weeks ago. It is special to me because it documents an important evolution in my overall philosophy on life. When my dad died in 2001, I made a promise that I would take any opportunity that presented itself, and I did just that. I was in my mid-20’s at the time, and I did not want to miss out on anything that life might generously offer.

And after eleven years of saying “yes” to everything that came my way, I ran myself ragged. I realized that I was running on an ever-faster treadmill, trying to experience everything but never fully experiencing anything deeply. I have been climbing a whole range of mountains leading to a bunch of different summits, but never actually getting anywhere.

I know this promise has served me well over the years. I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences like rock climbing, traveling, and meeting tons of amazing and different people. I've lived in four states since 2001, and worked full time while taking on every freelance opportunity, too. I took up yoga, and dove full-force into yoga trainings and teaching.

And then last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Another brush with death gave me an opportunity to re-examine my choices and promises to myself. I am cancer-free and healthy now, and I realize that after eleven years of running full speed ahead, it is time to slow down, pause, and say “yes” more fully to the things that really matter: my art, my community, my family. 

This painting, One Summit, is a reminder for me that I no longer have to do everything to be fulfilled in life, but that I can do fewer things and do them well, with more personal investment, and more mindfulness.

Urban Posters for 8 Limbs Yoga

 The poster, on a light pole in the 

Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.

Lately, I’ve been doing some work for 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, with four yoga studios in Seattle. The 8 Limbs, 8 Reasons campaign has been a lot of fun to work on; it’s unique and eye-catching!

 

 The poster, as designed.

I wanted to create something simple, with giant, bold typography that will grab attention in every format.

An advertisement for The Stranger, 

an alternative newspaper in Seattle.

Here, I mixed up the color palette a bit for different media, while keeping the same basic composition and style for brand recognition.

CoCA Art Marathon

 

Last weekend, I participated with 19 other artists, in an Art Marathon hosted by Center on Contemporary Art Seattle (CoCA). We worked around the clock for 24 full hours, and immediately after we finished there was an auction to raise money for CoCA. All four pieces I created during the marathon were sold!

The energy in the gallery was inspiring! Tons of visitors came through to talk to us while we worked. It was both energizing and unsettling having strangers standing around watching me.

I was so delirious from not sleeping that I completely forgot to photograph a couple of the pieces I made!

“Harvest Moon!” at CoCA Ballard

 Flynn Bickley. Home, the Right to Oblivion.

Last night, I went to CoCA Ballard (Center on Contemporary Art) for a reception for a new show called “Harvest Moon!” My friend Flynn Bickley, who I met through Artist Trust’s EDGE Program, had several pieces in the exhibition.

 Flynn Bickley. Home, the Great Provider.

Flynn’s work is an intricate meditation on the idea of Home (or house): it's joys and it’s frustrations. Each painting is done on tar paper, left over from construction — a remnant of what one person might consider a joyful project, but what someone else might associate with annoyance.

 Jody Joldersma. Battle at Deer Creek.

Another artist represented in this show was Jody Joldersma. Her work is unsettling — a collection of nightmarish scenes.

 Jody Joldersma. Battle at Deer Creek.

She also creates a variety of creepy sculptures like this rat popping out of a mailbox like a jack-in-the-box. I’ve always had a fear of opening a mailbox and finding something like this inside! No matter how humanity tries to separate itself from Nature, we are always eventually reminded of its power over us. 

Retreat Posters for 8 Limbs Yoga

I’m working on a new poster design for 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle, to promote their retreats in 2013. These are two visuals I’m working with at the moment.

Since the posters will be seen inside their yoga studios, I think students don’t need to see images of people doing yoga poses. Instead, I'm focusing on a relaxation & rejuvenation in nature theme, since all the retreats are held in beautiful natural settings.

First Descents: Adventure Camp in Moab, Utah for Young Adult Cancer Survivors

 Looking over the Colorado River from a cliff above the Potash Road.

I spent last week near Moab, Utah with First Descents, a non-profit group that works to give support to young adult cancer survivors. They offer adventure camps in rock climbing, white-water kayaking, or surfing for cancer survivors age 18-40. If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised that I chose to go rock climbing in southern Utah!

With help from my belayer, “Little Bit,” I was able to make it to the top of this crazy crack, about 50-75 feet up a sheer cliff wall near Moab.

Fifteen cancer survivors from as far away as London attended this First Descents retreat, and we each received nicknames upon our arrival at the lodge. My nickname was “Eagle Eye” which I shortened to “Eagle” to make it easier. We laughed at the end when we realized we didn't know each others’ real names!

 Here I am, further up the crack.

The love, strength, and support — in such an awe-inspiring environment — that everyone shared throughout the week was so transformative. After a week of pushing my limits, both physically and emotionally, I felt like I could accomplish anything! And I left with 26 new friends who I can totally count on.
 

 I finally made it to the top — time for a break!

 Canyoneering the Medieval Chamber.

On our last day of camp, we pushed our limits even more, with a hike through the desert, and two big rappels into deep canyons. We were all beginners, so it was pretty overwhelming at first. Everyone came away intact, and we left some nice gifts for geocachers at the bottom of Morning Glory Arch.

 The view from the top of Morning Glory Arch, at the end of Negro Bill Canyon near Moab, Utah.

Watching my fellow campers rappelling down from the top of Morning Glory Arch, after coming down myself. I’m not gonna lie, dangling 100 feet in the air was a little bit freaky!

Karin Davie at Seattle Art Museum

I visited the Seattle Art Museum yesterday. It was a gorgeous day to hang around in downtown to see some art. One of my favorite pieces from this visit is the one above by Karin Davie. I wish I had remembered to jot down the title... One of my friends commented that it reminds him of the swirly lollipops he used to love as a kid.

 Karin Davie. Lover.

I can totally imagine the artist using her entire body to create these gestural beauties. The swooping colors look like they’re in three-dimensional motion.

Karin Davie. Symptomania 7

Some of her work begins to relate, in my mind, to something akin to Cy Twombly’s work. Swirling reds, maroons, and pinks glow against a green background in this one. When I see the title, Symptomania, I wonder if it’s about the feeling of being lovesick, or maybe just diseased.

Karin Davie. Liquid Life No. 2.

I missed seeing this newer piece at the James Harris Gallery in Seattle earlier this year. These are works on paper, and seem a little more controlled than the earlier works I’ve seen. The monochromatic themes are more subdued as well.

EDGE Professional Development Program for Visual Artists

 Point Wilson Light at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Washington

Last week, I attended the EDGE Professional Development Program for Visual Artists in Port Townsend, Washington. Getting an invitation to participate was competitive, and there were sixteen of us chosen to come together for a week of intensive learning at Fort Worden State Park.

What a gorgeous place to stay for a week. I practiced sun salutations on this bluff above the Puget Sound before class started each day.

We had class outside one day to make the legaleze a bit more bearable! I don’t think there’s much a person can do to make contracts interesting, other than sitting outside in the sunshine to talk about it.

We learned a lot about how to run a business as artists... apparently this is something many artists tend to avoid or procrastinate about. We learned about marketing plans, business plans, and legal issues, as well as how to best get the attention of gallery directors, write grant proposals, prepare portfolio packets, develop artist statements, and a lot more... in just eight days. One person compared the experience to sipping water from a fire hose. Hilarious, and true!

The Port Townsend Leader featured our group in the Arts & Entertainment section.

On our last day together, we gave a public presentation of our artwork at the Cotton Building in downtown Port Townsend. Everyone’s presentations improved so much from our rough go-round earlier in the week. It was so inspiring to see all the work together, and to support each other in public.

I’m so inspired by all the people I met this week, and look forward to supporting their creative endeavors for years to come. Thanks Artist Trust!

Wildflowers of the Kootenai National Forest in Northwest Montana

The wildflowers in northwestern Montana are just starting to bloom. These are some of the first few we’ve seen along the trails.

I’ve never seen these pretty red-orange wildflowers before. I forgot to bring my wildflower identification book w

What a pretty bunch of tiny white flowers along the trail to the site of the Pinto Mountain Fire Lookout in Kootenai National Forest!

This is the first warm/hot week in northern Montana this summer, so I hope to see lots more wildflowers popping up before we go home.

I don’t know what this crazy plant is! Maybe a mushroom or something? I love the texture and shape it has. I’m going to have to do some more research on this little guy to find out more about it.