Calling on Influences

I recently came across the work of Josie Morway and felt an immediate spark. She has the same love of found materials and the same ability to get lost in layers of feathers. She also complements her portraits with graphically influenced backgrounds. Only where I use Arabic calligraphy inspired lines she draws upon Typeface and lettering. I just love the softness she has achieved in this piece.

"The Beneficiaries of my Doubt"
Josie Morway - Oil on Wood

"Overlap"
Audrey Kawasaki - Oil & Graphite on Wood

Then of course there is the work by one of my original influences, Audrey Kawasaki. It was through a love of her work that I came across the oil on wood technique that I use in my own work. Audrey's work introduced me to the magic of sealing the wood with a clear acrylic polymer before painting in thin oil glazes. This allows the wood grain of the support to fully show through and in my case, be left exposed all together.

Tonight I'm excited to get to go see the work of one of my new favorite influences, Kelly Vivanco. Her solo show, featuring mainly new works on round panels, opens tonight at Halogen Gallery here in Belltown.

Having been someone who used to work in the round I'm excited to get to see what Kelly has done with her compositions. Her style of wide-eyed girls isn't necessarily an influence for me but her prolificy IS. (At least I WANT to be influenced by such!) Maybe it is just because she works in acrylic rather than oils but my oh my does Kelly put a lot of work out there. And her style is consistently hers every time with a sense of whimsy, fairytale and dream. Can't wait to see the show tonight!

"Pears"
Kelly Vivanco - Acrylic on Panel

Friday Night Out

On Friday night a friend took me out for an unexpected treat - a trip to the Seattle Art Museum to see their current show on Salish Art as well as a collection of 10 paintings by American master, Edward Hopper.

The Edward Hopper exhibit was interesting - he is definitely one of those artists worth seeing works in person because of the contrast of reality just not found in prints. This piece to the left, "Automat" was my favorite from the show. It brought you right under the florescent lights, out of the night.

As much as I have a long standing love for the darkness & solitude of Edward Hopper, the exhibit on Salish art by far took the show. The breadth of work the SAM had collected was incredible and truly eye-opening. Eye-opening to just how much I don't know about Salish art that is! I highly recommend it if you are anywhere near the SAM.

And the exhibit reminds me to tell you a little story of the roots of my own drawing style. When I was a Sophomore in high school, my choir took a little trip up to Victoria for a competition. During the long bus ride somewhere along the way we stopped at a light next to a plain wooden fence that was painted with this massive Orca all in a black line drawing. My sketchbook was fervently filled thereafter. The style has shifted into more of my own, but tell me - can't you tell the influence?



The icing on the cake for this lovely art filled evening was a stop off at the Triple Door, which I had never been to before, to show support for the Downtown Emergency Shelter at a benefit concert played by local artists Tiny Vipers and the Dusty 45s. Amazing good fun all the way around! Sincere thanks to Neil for getting me out of the studio for an evening. Sometimes, it's just what a girl needs.