June ArtWalk Highlights

The Scoop at Walters 

After four years living on the other coast and working in the other Washington, I recently returned to my hometown of Seattle and looked forward to such activities as neighborhood festivals and art walks where you can actually meet the artists and absorb the vibrant, creative and neighborly energy.  The June 9 Ballard Art Walk certainly did not disappoint, especially given the almost-summer weather and new businesses everywhere to explore. 

 

BallardWorks, just a hop skip and a jump from the Locks, proved an appropriate starting spot where I met some artists and watched them working in their studios.  Textiles, painting, vibrant colors (and characters) – oh what good nourishment for my creative soul after four years in DC!

After strolling the streets of Ballard on an warm almost-summer evening, peering into cafes and restaurants at the diverse art work, I stopped into Venue and met the featured artist, Ryan Christensen.  As we chatted about this being his first time showing his artwork (other than to his mom), I watched kids and adults alike enjoying his colorful industrial and street inspired artwork.  What a great first experience for a talented artist like Ryan. 

I’m looking forward to the 2^nd Saturday in July and exploring some venues I missed on my first time out!

Katie

Fresh New Artist at Venue in June

Ryan Christensen's life is filled with objects and projects - many bright and colorful. 

This ArtWalk features his steel desktop dumpsters. They are like little swatches of street art you can take home with you; perfect for all your desktop "garbage," whether it's magazines, papers, mail, toiletries or your own stash of spray paint cans. With a bent toward modern environments, wabi sabi aesthetic and skateboarding, Christensen is a fresh new artist to Venue. 

Venue
5408 22nd Ave NW

 

Artful Movement on Ballard Avenue

Strolling Ballard Avenue on a Saturday evening always takes a bit of choreography.  The swarms of people – musicians rolling their instruments along the sidewalk and into bars to set up for their gigs; foodies shifting from foot to foot while they wait for tables outside of popular restaurants; families shuffling little kids towards the gelato shop – all have their own sense of movement, pace and rhythm.  And on the second Saturday of the month, the Ballard ArtWalk brings another element into this lively sidewalk dance. 

It was during the last ArtWalk that I stumbled upon another amazing demonstration of maneuvering at Kula Movement. This yoga and health studio on Ballard Avenue features classes in acro-yoga – a practice that “blends the wisdom of yoga, the dynamic power of acrobatics, and the loving kindness of healing arts,” according to the organization AcroYoga. For ArtWalk, Kula welcomes visitors into their sunny shoe-free studio for a show of agility, strength and cooperation by some of their acro-yoga practitioners. Intrigued, I removed my shoes and took a seat inside to watch the performance.

For fifteen minutes without pausing, the acro-yoga duo began their spontaneous and fluid sequence of handstands, twists, and arches, one balanced on the other. Later, the female acrobat launched from the floor onto the shoulders of the tall male acrobat, and was suddenly inverted with her toes nearly touching the ceiling. Soon a crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside, watching through the window with open mouths and wide eyes.  Agro-yoga is part yoga, part circus – all mesmerizing.  

I tied my shoes to leave and tip-toed through the crowd outside to wind my way through the rest of the shops and galleries of the ArtWalk. As I made my return loop about an hour later, a new crowd stood outside of Kula, amazed by the artful movement in the window. 

You can try your hand at acro-yoga at Kula Movement, 5340 Ballard Avenue, http://kulamovement.com    

Diedre

LEAH ADAMS ~ HANDS ON

I love art.  And I love talking to artists about their art.  My tendency to be distracted by colors, textures, and designs makes it challenging to focus on one art-form for me to CREATE something.  Maybe this is why I love clay sculpting - which I rarely do because I don’t have a decent space (excuses, but REALLY!!) for this somewhat “messy” activity.  I love how meditative and soothing it is, and I love the feel of clay...which brings me back to why I started this entry: Leah Adams of SpiderFelt and the June featured artist of the Ballard ArtWalk.

Color, color, color.  Texture, texture, texture.  When I first went to Leah’s studio at BallardWorks, I was overwhelmed.  No, not drop on the floor and having convulsions type of overwhelmed...visually stimulated and excited about getting going on some project using the beautiful wool colors that I could feel with my hands-type of overwhelmed.  This was a place where I could hang out and play for hours! 

Leah is not formally trained, which is actually something I love about her and her art.  She got going with wool and felting while her children were young and hasn’t stopped since.  While I was hanging out with her in her studio she said something that so many people long for in their lives it seems: “...now I can’t imagine doing anything else; I would do this on weekends!”  How many of us have jobs or occupations that we can say THAT about?  Her enthusiasm is addictive and it shows in her beautiful, functional, and whimsical pieces.   Leah makes everything from little wool soaps, wool covered stones, hats, place mats (“play mats”) to larger pieces like scarves, different types of clothing, wool throws and rugs (she says she actually prefers making these larger pieces but they take a lot of time and sometimes planning).  She also teaches classes, so check out her website: www.spiderfelt.com for a list.

 The piece she will be showcasing at BallardWorks is a spotted felt ottoman made from romney and rambouillet (types of lambs) locks on a romney batt base.  

I have also included a picture of some of her felted soaps which she sells as kits (and because I bought one and made a soap - TONS of fun!), and a picture of one of her scarves (I admit, I love the colors purple and green together) which you can find at www.etsy.com.

~ Tracy E

Iznik Ceramics Showcased at La Tienda during June ArtWalk

Summer's coming and it's time to brighten up your table. 

La Tienda has a new collection of colorful bowls and plates from Turkey. These brightly painted pieces are handcrafted using traditional techniques that date back to the 15th Century. Though traditional in design, all the bowls and plates are food and dishwasher safe.

La Tienda Folk Art Gallery
2050 NW Market Street

 

Sissie Boatman-Guillan's Photography Featured in June at La Isla

Catch island fever! It's a perfect pairing of the views and flavors of Puerto Rico - photography of island beaches to architecture and authentic cuisine. Photographer Sissie Boatman-Guillán, a native of Puerto Rico, shares her love of the island with work that captures scenery and pets.
 

La Isla

5330 Ballard Avenue NW

Rick Garcia Back at Camelion Design in June

After a one year hiatus, Rick Garcia, whose work as a painter relates to music and sound, is back in Ballard with an amazing show. He began his work exploring sound in the early 1980’s, coming to Seattle in 1988 as a composer,  working and studying with the sound sculptor Trimpin for over twelve years. During that time, his work became more and more visual.

In 1995, Garcia began to paint with oils on wood. Largely self-taught, his process is not bound by learned techniques. "To me, painting, much like
music, is a self-generative process that pulls me along."  Garcia takes cues from his materials. "I look at my work as growing organically and directly from the materials and my own intuitive process."
  
Garcia explores polyphony and texture that are the result of many different layers of color, symbols and textured brush strokes in different tempo relationships. Shapes and symbols create a musical language within the painting. Totemic signs emerge in the work resulting from his systematic approach to color and layering. Garcia uses this process to create paintings with an abstract and primitive edge. 

Camelion Design 

5330 Ballard Avenue NW

Mao Zedong Oil Series by Sun Zhe Zheng

Mao #3

Self Portrait #4

For the month of June, Miro Tea will be hosting the post Chinese revolutionary paintings of Sun Zhe Zheng. As an artist from Nanjing China, Sun Zhe Zheng, who is now in his forties, has been impacted by Mao Zedong his entire life. Sun's contemporary oil paintings demonstrates the conflict and contrast of change in a fast evolving culture who is caught between a Communist past and a modern yet ambiguous future.

"In contemporary Chinese culture everything is in flux and changing. The lines are blurring: the lines between shadow and light; male and female. Everything is tepid and unclear.” 

Miro Tea
5405 Ballard Ave NW

Fused Glass by Dorothy Wayne at The Scoop in June

Artist Dorothy Wayne works mostly with kiln form glass, also known as fused glass. 

For fifteen years. she's refined her work to include "painting with glass," representative pieces of a landscape nature. Her current show, titled Reflections, also includes a number of Wayne's oil paintings.

 

The Scoop at Walters 

6408 NW 32nd NW 

Samaj Fine Arts Joins June ArtWalk

Internationally known painter Samaj is proud to present his first event since returning from New York City. 

 Come meet the artist and enjoy a showing of his paintings.

Samaj Fine Arts
5227 Leary Avenue NW

Art for Wine Lovers at The Amber Den's June Show

Art and Wine just go together. How many times have you purchased wine solely because of the artwork on the label? Wine and art are both about the finer things in life and when you put the two together, it's no wonder that wine tastings paired with artistic exhibitions are all over the place.

Joy Bezanis has created a series of paintings designed especially for wine lovers. Her Art for Wine Lovers paintings combine her love of old masters' paintings with all things wine. Some of these expressive paintings even have wine bottles in them with details of old master paintings on the labels. Bezanis' fun, approachable style, simple subject matter, and bold colors suggest that these paintings don't take themselves too seriously and can be enjoyed by anyone.

Whether Bezanis takes a classical approach, a whimsical approach, or combines the two, these paintings succeed in evoking a sense of "joie de vivre" that we can all raise our glasses to.

The Amber Den
1556 NW 56th Street

Many Ways to Enjoy Art at BallardWorks in June

Bringing work out from their studios to hang in the gallery space, fourteen tenants of BallardWorks showcase their recent work. This diverse collection spans various media, providing a view into the eclectic mix of artists working in this building focused on making art.

Work by Martha Douglas

Lisa Snow Lady is having a studio sale in Studio 3K. Lots of original prints and paintings on canvas, glass and paper at greatly discounted prices, plus pick out a free posters of the artist’s work with any purchase.

Paintings by Lisa Snow Lady

BallardWorks is liquidating its reference library during the ArtWalk: $3/book or 5 books for $10. Whether you’re interested in Rembrandt, the finer points of the Roman alphabet or Indian miniatures, this is an incredible collection.

BallardWorks
2856 Northwest Market Street 

 

Ballard Artwalk Calling for Volunteers!

Do you love art and want to help grow one of the oldest artwalks in the city?  The Ballard Artwalk is currently looking for volunteers who are interested in:

. Writing for the Ballard Artwalk blog
. Photographers to take pictures of art and/or performances
. Event and marketing support

The Artwalk currently has a small volunteer based committee of committed Ballard artists, community members, and business owners.  We are very interested in bringing on more volunteers who are not only passionate about art and the local Ballard community, but are also interested in applying their special skills and talents to help see that our local art scene flourishes.  Come join us as we grow the Ballard Artwalk into an ever more spirited local event for our community members and artists.

If you would like to be a part of the Ballard Artwalk, please contact us at: 2ndsaturdayballardartwalk@gmail.com

Poverty Bay Artists Show in June at Blowing Sands

The Poverty Bay Artists are a group of talented local painters founded by artist Jim Matthew. 

This group show has a breadth of invention—with abstracts and realistic pieces—many reflecting the influence of the Pacific Northwest.


Blowing Sands Gallery
5805 14th Ave NW

Demos at Ballard Metal Arts Studios/X-Ray Auto in June

Head over to East Ballard and tour their artist's studios, see artwork on display,  and enjoy refreshments. 

This month you'll be treated to blacksmithing and enamel demonstrations throughout the evening.

Ballard Metal Arts Studios & X-Ray Auto
1122 NW 46th Street

Lesley Broadgate Show at Savour in June

Lesley Broadgate currently lives in Ballard with her husband, father, two kids and the family dog. When she was young she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up, but she knew she would be a “maker of things.”

 

Art training in college paved the way and Broadgate's work today addresses the family unit and her fascination with the family dynamics in America. It has a mysteriously familiar feel to it that leaves you stained with a new memory, almost as if it was an old memory or dream.



Her work is straightforward and easy to identify with, as if your grandparents were telling you a story from their past. Broadgate has a clear obsession with old photographs and wallpaper like textures, which have this nostalgic quality that make you want to call your mom.

Savour
2242 NW Market Street

June ArtWalk at Horseshoe Features Anna Daeuble

Enjoy a number of encausic works by Anna Daeuble.

 

Horseshoe
5344 Ballard Avenue NW

Work by Angee Linsey in the June ArtWalk at Kiss Cafe

Originally from the heart of the Midwest, Angee Linsey’s wanderlust began at an early age. At 18, she joined the Army as a journalist and started taking photos for the base newspaper in Germany.  Living abroad allowed her to travel and experience different cultures in every corner or the globe.  

Linsey has always been a story teller – whether in writing or in the animated way she regales her adventures to family and friends.  Always traveling with a small camera, her images were most often of the people she met along the way. 

After military service, Linsey did not continue photojournalism, but four years ago, she picked up a more professional camera. She wanted those images to be more than just snapshots – she wanted to capture the heart of the countries and cultures she experienced through their people. Today, Linsey seeks out people who are simply going about their lives.  It may be someone selling fruit on the side of the road with a child patiently waiting for a treat. Or an old women sitting outside of a church, a place she has sat for hours every day over the years. Her goal is to capture a moment in time that in some small way tells us a story about the people of that place.
 

Annie's Art and Frame Features Corey Skillman in June

Leftovers is a show completely dedicated to garbage. In it, Skillman explores these thoughts. "We go through life using and discarding. We obtain something and get rid of it when we're through. But what really happens to the remains? Where do they go? The landfill? A passing dumpster diver?" Warhol once stated that the leftovers were the really interesting things in life.

 

Shifting the lens from things that are "consumable" to things that are "consumed" is a notion Skillman has always found intriguing. So here it is. Everything in this show is made from 100% recycled trash. Salvaged from the bowels of humanity, and reconstructed with a new purpose and life.

Annie's Art and Frame
2212 Northwest Market Street

Louise Durocher Shows at Art & Soul in June

Titled Femmes du Maroc, Louise Durocher has taken the subject of the place women hold in Moroccan culture and interpreted it in delicate, yet strong monotype prints.

A beautiful reflection of these women and a mirror, perhaps, for all women.

Art & Soul

2860 Market Street NW