What a summer! Working daily in Olympia during the week on the 1063 Block Replacement Project as the State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services Project Director since January 2015. The project is just about to complete its concrete slab holding the roof, large skylight and a vast array of photo voltaic panels in September. Only about a year to go for Final Completion for this five story 82 million dollar project for over 700 state office workers.
In June and July I was asked by two different friends on short notices if I would like to have a show first at Captain's Supply in Ballard for July and August and a second show at Johnston Architects for August as a second artist to fill up the gallery. Reluctantly, but with interest I told the galleries I would fill their spaces up with work within the last year or so and have several new pieces for each show. Although a lot of effort especially since I live in Seattle from late Friday night to early Monday morning most weekends.
The shows are different, the "Prints, Paintings and Sculpture" show at Captain's is appropriately themed as marine and navigation-centric with smaller newer sculptures using 3D printing and pigmented epoxy as well as more analog materials of wood and steel depicting boats in locks. There are many riffs on a linoleum print called Speed Sail showing different inking techniques and there are a couple of new paintings about sailboats and a variety of mixed media sculptural pieces.
I will be at Captain's Supply for the final Ballard Art Walk for the show from 6-9pm Saturday August 13, 2016 at 1120 Ballard Way NW Seattle 98107. If you can't make it Saturday to talk about the work I would encourage you to visit during Captain's business hours through August.
The Johnston show is more of a collection of industrial pieces, titled "Industry Simplified" and has a variety of small sculpture on steel bases for a glazed clay or wood pieces and four hanging sculptures of wood and turned wood truncated cones that house turned stainless steel lozenges. There are three very recent Sumi paintings on very rough watercolor made in India that are made with an economy of brush strokes and powerfully depict their simple almost iconic forms. The composition of the work in this gallery space is balanced and adds strength to the pieces. The opening is over, but you are encouraged to visit Johnston Architects during business hours to see the art.
