Grey Gallery and Lounge

Grey Will Close at 1512 11th Avenue on January 19th

2010-06-01T23:50:00.004-07:00

Dear Friends and Patrons,

I regret to announce that Grey will be closing its doors at its current location on Saturday night, June 19th due to complications with our landlord. I am currently looking at other spaces in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. With a little bit of luck, Grey will re-open in a new location later this year.

I am proud of what Grey has accomplished in its first two and a half years while maneuvering through a contentious relationship between a landlord and a building owner. Although moving comes at a significant cost to my staff, exhibiting artists, investors and myself, I am excited about the possibility of Grey operating in a much more positive and professional environment where we can provide an even greater experience to our patrons.

I am so grateful for your two and a half years of patronage and support and hope you will join us over the next few weeks in celebrating the community of artists, DJs and staff members that have made this all possible and look forward with us to continuing in a new space. Below is a list of events between now and June 19th we would be thrilled to see you at. We will be open during regular business hours and by appointment as well.

Again, thank you for your continued patronage and support. We hope to see you here soon and again, not too far down the road, in a new location!

Warmest regards,

Erik Guttridge

Final Weeks of Events at 1512 11th Ave:

Hellogoodbye
June 3 – 19, 2010
Preview: June 3, 7 -10p
Reception: June 10, 5p - 8:30p
New work by Robert Hardgrave and Greg Boudreau (who were scheduled to have full solo exhibitions) and a 2-year retrospective including works by other artists from past exhibitions at Grey
Free

Best of Artwalk Awards- Special Capitol Hill BLITZ Edition
Presented by Blue Moon, 4Culture and City Arts
June 10, 8:30pm (following Hellogoodbye reception)
Hosted by Joey Veltkamp
Free

International Lounge
June 13, 7pm - 2am
Trent Moorman of Head Like a Kite vs. Scratchmaster Joe, live performance
Adam Svenson & Garek Druss dj set
No Cover
21+

Drum of the Draw
Saturday, June 19, 5p-9p
A bi-monthly live, invitational drawing event that brings artists and their creative process to the public for one night every other month. The artists create original drawings while the public is invited to enjoy refreshments, observe the artists at work and purchase art as it is completed. None of the work is over $200, making it an affordable way to purchase works from some of your favorite Seattle artists.
Free

Last Hurrah Weekend!
June 18 - 19
Special editions of Grey Area and SOLID Saturdays
Late Night Happy Hour from 12am – last call Friday and Saturday night. 1/2 price Champagne bottles all weekend (while available).

Our New Happy Hour:
4p -7p daily and midnight to last call June 18 and 19
½ Price Cocktail Menu!
$2 High Life!
$1 off Local Draughts!
$2 off House Wines!
$3 Hors D’oeuvres!

Grey Gallery and Lounge to host Amy-Ellen Flatchestedmama Trefsger "Color Court" April 28, 2010 at 7pm

2010-04-27T13:51:00.008-07:00

In preparation for her exhibition at Gallery4Culture, Amy-Ellen Flatchestedmama Trefsger is holding "Color Court" at Grey Gallery and Lounge on April 28th at 7pm.

What is "Color Court"? Only your fabulous chance to have your say on those pesky differences between shades of grey and black. Of all things, Seattleites should know about, it's whether something is truly grey!!!

------------------------------
Amy-Ellen Flatchestedmama Trefsger: Monochromatic May: 31 days in grey
Exhibition Running at Gallery4Culture: : May 6 – May 27, 2010
Opening: First Thursday, May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.
"Color Court": Wednesday, April 28th at 7pm, hosted by Grey Gallery and Lounge
------------------------------

(Seattle, WA) - Painters in the Northwest have traditionally embraced a subdued palette, a logical extension of the climate we live in. Performance artist, Amy-Ellen Trefsger, takes it one step further: for the past 3 years, each May, Trefsger has donned an entirely grey wardrobe. Gallery4Culture is delighted to participate in and foster Trefsger’s idiosyncratic vision by presenting, Monochromatic May: 31 days in grey, a solo exhibition of performance art, historical MM documentation, and a suite of Trefsger paintings (in grey).

How grey is grey? Every year, before she can wear them, all new greys acquired by Trefsger must be deemed true grey by a jury of color aficionados. Silver is allowed in the way of zippers, jewelry, and a few accent items; black and white may make appearances as thread or buttons, but basically, everything (head to toe, accessories to underwear) that Amy-Ellen Trefsger wears night and day throughout the month of May is some variation of ‘uncontested’ grey. Color Court, the pre-event to May’s Gallery4Culture exhibition, all grey wardrobe items belonging to the artist are subject to public scrutiny in a performance. The audience acts as jury, voting ‘grey’ or ‘nay’ on items. Majority vote rules and that which passes will be worn during Monochromatic May. Color Court is being held at Grey Gallery and Lounge on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 7pm.

Artist Biography: Amy-Ellen Trefsger is a Seattle based artist who performs time-based and conceptual works. She is best known by her artist moniker, Flatchestedmama.

In 2004 Trefsger gained notoriety by making a Public Declaration of Commitment to Her Creative Self in a performance art piece titled, Commitment Ceremony. She legally took flatchestedmama as her middle name. We are happy to report, that Trefsger’s marriage to her creative self remains strong and is, in fact, thriving.

Flatchestedmama is a founding member of the double-dutching performance group, OntheDouble (dutch). She is also an avid mail artist. Learn more at about her ongoing projects at: www.flatchestedmama.com

Attached credit for photo “proper grey.jpg”: Proper Grey, photo by Sears (copyright released)

About Gallery4Culture
Gallery4Culture is located within 4Culture offices at 101 Prefontaine PL S, Seattle WA 98104 at the corner of Third and Prefontaine, in the Tashiro/Kaplan Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, closed government holidays; the gallery is open and free to the public. For more information about this program call 206 296.8674. The public website is http://www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery/index.htm

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4Culture is a unique integration of the arts, heritage, preservation and public art; committed to advancing community through culture. Public exhibitions and performances, public art, preservation of significant sites and interpretation of local history deepen our connections to the places in which we live and work. 4Culture stimulates cultural activity and enhances the assets that distinguish a community as vibrant, unique and authentic.

Artist Roster for April 17th Drum of the Draw!

2010-03-26T19:39:00.010-07:00

Drum of the Draw is a live drawing event held bi-monthly at Grey Gallery and Lounge. The events are a lot of fun and a great way to connect with local artists and collect their work. Original artwork can be purchased directly from the artists for $20 to $200! Artists participating in the April Drum of the Draw are:

Joey Bates - www.joeybates.com
Tim Marsden - www.etmarsden.com
Jeff Mihalyo - www.mihalyo.com
Erin Shafkind - www.erinshafkind.com
Carol d'Inverno - www.caroledinverno.net
Amy Harris - www.amyharris.org
David Kane - www.fryemuseum.org/exhibition/62/
Robert Hardgrave - www.roberthardgrave.com

Parallel Universe in the news - again!

2010-03-19T15:56:00.001-07:00

Check out this fabulous article by Rachel Shimp in the Seattle Times!

Grey Gallery show is a journey to new territory with familiar artists

Manifold Motion - Art You: Celebrating 5 Years

2010-03-18T14:42:00.006-07:00

We are happy to support local artist group Manifold Motion by hosting their benefit show Art You: Celebrating 5 Years.

When: April 3, 2010, 6-9pm

Where: Grey Gallery and Lounge, 1512 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122, www.greygalleryandlounge.com

Price: $10 Suggested Donation

Seattle performance group Manifold Motion celebrates five years of bringing collaborators together to create innovative productions with Art You, an evening overflowing with performance, visual art, and revelry. Hosted by Grey Gallery and Lounge, the event kicks off at 6pm on Saturday April 3. The evening features themed drink specials, music by DJ Randy Jones, an affordable art sale with works from local artists ranging from $30-$200, and guest performances by ticktock, The Asterisk Project and Titanium Sporkestra. A $10 suggested donation and all other proceeds from the event will benefit Manifold Motion’s future projects.

Manifold Motion is an interdisciplinary performance company whose mission is to cross barriers between artistic disciplines, encourage collaboration between artists, and provide opportunities for the public to experience new modes of expression. Based in Seattle, WA the company has been producing its experimental blend of multidisciplinary performance since 2005. To date, Manifold Motion has collaborated with over 30 dancers, musicians, writers, technologists and visual artists.

Manifold Motion is an associated program of Shunpike. Shunpike is a 501(c)(3) non-proﬁt art service organization whose mission is to strengthen the Seattle arts community by partnering with small and mid-size arts groups to develop the business tools they need to succeed. Working in close partnership with these groups, Shunpike helps solve problems quickly and impart vital skills in ﬁnance, organizational management and arts administration.

Grey Gallery and Lounge is dedicated to supporting the innovation and experimentation of local and emerging artists and arts organizations. It is open everyday from 4pm to 2am, by appointment or by chance. For appointments call 206.325.5209 or email erik@greygalleryandlounge.com

For more information about Manifold Motion and Art You, please visit www.ManifoldMotion.com.

5 x 5 Decisions

2010-03-18T01:44:00.003-07:00

As of today, all of the artists have been selected for 5 x 5!

Congratulations to:
Sean Alexander
Julie Alpert
Anna Garner
Claire Jauregui
and
Sara Owens

Grey Gallery and Lounge would like to thank all of the participating artists who submitted to this show. We were thrilled with the caliber of work you all shared with us and are eternally grateful for your patience in this process. We hope this experience has been fruitful for you and that our connection continues. It has been an honor to make your acquaintance and we wish you all the best in your art careers.

Please join us at the opening for 5 x 5 on Thursday, April 8 between 5pm and 9pm. It would be great to put faces to names.

All the best,
Erik Guttridge and Luara Moore
Grey Gallery and Lounge

5 x 5 Decision 5

2010-03-18T01:39:00.003-07:00

The artist selected by curator Sheila Elias is:
#29 - ANNA GARNER

There is a subtlety to Anna Garner's work that has an emotional pull of beauty until you realize what the subject matter is. The tragic content in this body of work transforms the mind to be aware of all of the holocausts in the world. There is a stillness to the photographic imagery, and the subjects themselves. If feels as though it is an isolated moment in time. The railroad tracks

piece that shows the tracks disappearing into the horizon line has a tremendous mysterious quality about it. Her use of light and texture is quite arresting. I share Garner's religious views, and have studied the Holocaust in depth, so her series is quite meaningful to me.

Congratulations Anna!

5 x 5 Decision 4

2010-03-17T14:53:00.002-07:00

The artist choice by curator Ford Crull is:
#12 JULIE ALPERT

I found Julie’s work to be utterly delightful in that her use of space, light, and materials is both whimsical yet very thoughtful. There is obviously a very serious process that appears both complicated and yet very poetic. There are no easy answers here, yet a series of perceptions and possibilities as to the meaning ascribed to the environments. The symbolists of the late 19th century espoused the notion of ambiguity in their images so as to amplify the varied interpretations and meaning of their work. I think in Alperts work the same is true: that their are multiple ideas and truths in the environments, and it is up to us to decipher what those meanings are based on our own sensibilities and culture. The end result is a fascinating world of discovery and illusion.

Congratulations Julie!

5 x 5 Decision 3

2010-03-08T14:04:00.004-08:00

The artist choice from curator Steve Kursh is:
#56 CLAIRE JAUREGUI
She seems to be extremely thoughtful and focused about her style and intent.
The printmaking medium is so deftly handled here it almost feels like she's cheating. Unencumbered alacrity in form and function, thoughtful balance in use of painterliness and repetitive shapes, and color that makes you go mmmmmmm. What's wrong with having a little freewheelin' fun?

Congratulations Claire!

5 x 5 Decision 2

2010-03-08T13:56:00.002-08:00

The artist chosen by curator Bob Nugent is
#38 SARA OWENS
I found the sculpture and installation work to be the most interesting. I look for work that grabs me first and then pulls me in for closer inspection. Once there I want to be rewarded with additional information. Strong work should require repeated viewing. With three dimensional work this is a harder thing to do on line. But for me these pieces show the most promise for the exhibit.

Sara's work asks questions of me and the answers are not a for-gone conclusion. It asks me to participate in a conversation, to think about what I see, not simply read its visual image. The use of contrasting materials heightens this experience and I am forced to come back and ask questions myself.

There were many good individual pieces among the submissions; but her body of work stood out from the rest as thoughtful, beautifully crafted and engaging.

Congratulations Sara!

5 x 5 Decision 1

2010-03-08T13:23:00.004-08:00

The artist choice for curator Edward Goldman is
#88 - SEAN ALEXANDER
What made me select the works by Sean Alexander is the undeniable sense of confidence with which he handles the medium. His highly stylized drawings both inform us about the world he inhabits and entertain with a lovely sense of humor.

Congratulations Sean!

5 x 5 - Have Your Say!

2010-02-25T17:28:00.005-08:00

5 x 5, five local artists, five national curators

Hello!

As you may have seen, we have been working on an exciting exhibition for the months of April and May. After much hard work, we have acquired 88 fabulous artist submissions and have
posted them here on our blog.

Now is the chance for you to have your say!
If you could pick 5 of them, who would you pick to be in the show? Why?

What defines “emerging art” and what is the importance of it in a healthy arts community? In 5 x 5 we seek to open a dialogue about the significance of emerging arts and the people involved in supporting it. Our national curators offer a fresh eye to Seattle arts – giving us an outside perspective and definition of what quality emerging art is. This exterior influence provides a foundation for further development of the Seattle aesthetic and a sounding board for Seattle artists to investigate their role within a national spectrum.

The premise of 5 x 5 is to offer five local emerging artists an opportunity to exhibit their work within a professional gallery setting while gaining exposure in their community as well as with nationally recognized artists and curators.

We encourage the public to open a conversation about emerging arts in the Northwest and how it is viewed through the eyes of those from other corners of the country. The exhibition will inspire critical investigation into questions such as – What is the significance of having national curators select the artists for this show? How do galleries support diversity in the arts and provide opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their work? How does the Northwest emerging art scene in this region differ from other areas? And what is currently considered “emerging art”?

The development of this exhibition has been intentionally open for public view and comments to encourage dialogue and provide a window into the process. 5 x 5 was instigated by a few people discussing “emerging art” and wanting to take that conversation to a broader place.

Participating national curators include:
Edward Goldman, National Public Radio affiliated station, KCRW 89.9 fm - Los Angeles
Steve Kursh, Artist – Woodstock, NY
Bob Nugent Artist and Curator – San Francisco, CA
Ford Crull Artist – New York, NY
and Sheila Elias Artist – Miami, FL.

5 x 5 will open Thursday April 8th, 2010 and run through June 5th, 2010. An opening reception is schedule for April 8th, 2010 from 5pm until 9pm.

Grey Gallery and Lounge is dedicated to supporting the innovation and experimentation of artists. It is open everyday from 4pm to 2am, by appointment or by chance.
Email luara@greygalleryandlounge.com with questions about 5 x 5 .

Parallel Universe gets a stellar review!

2010-02-25T16:23:00.002-08:00

Our current show Parallel Universe has received a glowing review from the esteemed Regina Hackett. The review can be read here: Parallel Universe

Another Bouncing Ball is an excellent source for that arts and in our opinion should be read diligently!

Enjoy.
Grey Gallery and Lounge

5 x 5 Submission 89 - Lauren Wallace

2010-02-23T13:31:00.008-08:00

Lauren Wallace
Lauren Wallace's website
BIO:

Born in South Carolina, I've lived in Washington for almost 20 years, a Pacific Northwesterner at heart. I am a graduate of the Graphic Design Production program at Western Washington University, class of 2009, where I had the opportunity to study abroad in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at the University of Alberta under the renowned First Nations artist Jane Ash Poitras. This experience greatly shaped my artistic vision and elements of the experience can be seen in almost all the art I create. I work as a designer by trade and freelance (www.laurenwallacedesign.com), and a painter by love. My work is part of private collections in cities across the United States, including Boulder, CO; Pittsburgh, PA; Asheville, NC; and of course Seattle, WA.

5 x 5 Submission 88 - Sean Alexander

2010-02-22T15:48:00.007-08:00

Sean Alexander
statement:

I like drawing animals, sick people, cube stuff, the working class, drunks, cowboys, ice cubes, children etc... the list is always growing and being revisited again and again. I don't know why I draw this stuff, but it is what I want to draw apparently. When working with an idea I almost never refer to any source material for posturing or correctness.As a result, things end up being a little off most of the time. Sometimes styles will mesh oddly as well. Part of a drawing will look mid-cartoony while other parts are kind more refined. I want everything to look tight in my drawings but also want them to have the heart of a doodle.

Regarding art and society, there is no great purpose for my work. I merely hope that the drawings function well as drawings, meaning they are interesting to look at, descriptive, moody, and look nice hanging in interiors. I think that a good picture is a great thing.

bio:

Sean Alexander lives on his mom’s rental farm in Longbranch, Washington. From 2006 to 2008 he co-owned a small, progressive art space in Tacoma called ‘The Helm.’ His hobbies and creative ventures include making pictures, writing songs, watching football, playing scrabble, making coffee, drinking juice and spending time with his girlfriend. His most recent exhibition took place at Public Space One in Iowa City. He is currently brainstorming for future projects and enjoying spending time with good people again.

We love the Bus

2010-02-22T13:12:00.004-08:00

We hope you can make it to the third Olympia in a Can event at Grey this Wednesday at 6pm! There will be music, awards and talk about legislators! For more information go to the Washington Bus' blog by clicking here.

5 x 5 Submission 87 - Anne Cho

2010-02-19T02:13:00.005-08:00

Anne Cho
Anne Cho's website

5 x 5 Submission 86 - Marie Gagnon

2010-02-19T01:59:00.008-08:00

Marie Gagnon
Marie Gagnon's website
Bio
Marie is a painter, culture warrior and an avid observer. She was born to a painter and a physician and grew up in Western MA. Her first painting lessons came from her mother. There were many stops and starts in Marie's journey as a painter as she struggled with the practicality of pursuing such a life. But the pull of her passion was strong and at 36 she completed her BFA in painting at the University of New Hampshire. Marie currently has a studio in the 619 Western building here in Seattle.

5 x 5 Submission 85 - Jim Cleary

2010-02-19T01:54:00.006-08:00

Jim Cleary

Biography

Jim Cleary is an amateur photographer whose interest was sparked by an unexpected Nikon D40 camera from Santa in 2008. After graduating from college at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC in 2008, Jim moved to Seattle to pursue a career in marketing and explore the west coast. He was born in Detroit, MI but grew up in Charlotte, NC. Jim enjoys exploring new places - especially by road trip - photographing his travels along the way.

Jim began shooting photographs at college in the mountains of North Carolina. He photographed his travels throughout the South, followed by trips to the Midwest, Hawaii, British Columbia, Scandinavia and Tokyo. Jim enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest because of its seemingly endless supply of photo opportunities.

Jim enjoys the minimalist aspects of landscape as well as the simple thrill of capturing a spectacular moment in time. He is excited to continue learning about photography techniques while exploring additional parts of the world and taking photos along the way.

5 x 5 Submission 84 - Elise Richman

2010-02-19T01:49:00.007-08:00

Elise Richman
Elise Richman's website
BIOGRAPHY
Elise Richman received a BFA from the University of Washington and an MFA from American University. She has shown extensively in the Mid-Atlantic and Northwest regions in commercial galleries, university galleries, and alternative art spaces. Her work is part of private collections in a number of cities including Washington, DC, Baltimore MD, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Seattle, WA. Elise is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Puget Sound. She lives and works in Tacoma, WA

5 x 5 Submission 83 - Tamara Stephas

2010-02-19T01:44:00.007-08:00

Tamara Stephas
Tamara Stephas' website
About My Work

We have been shaped by our environment for millennia. Likewise we shape our environment in return. Since the first pit was dug to trap a mastodon, we have been clearing fields, erecting walls, building dams, adopting or exterminating entire species.

In the context of this era of breathtaking change, I am compelled to examine the relationship between humans and our environment in my artwork.

Sometimes that relationship is benign and sheltering, sometimes it is one-sided or antagonistic. Often it is ambiguous. I am interested in how our architectural spaces reflect us. I am likewise interested in the tension between the built and the grown, the manmade and the natural. That is why my landscapes display confusion between a bucolic natural scene and the other side of the gallery wall; and why my sculptural houses grow legs.

Artist Bio

Like many in the Northwest, I am influenced by a mixture of urban and rural culture: mountains and freeway interchanges; hiking and bicycling and digital algorithms. My art and the themes that concern me reflect these influences.

Originally from Vancouver BC, I grew up in Oregon and studied art and computer science in Oregon and Toronto. After realizing that traditional artistic mediums were even more intriguing to me than computer graphics, I studied for several years at Gage Academy of Art, and now live in Seattle. I work in a variety of media, primarily oil painting and wood sculpture.

5 x 5 Submission 82 - Loewyn Young

2010-02-19T01:39:00.005-08:00

Loewyn Young
I am engulfed by the idea of suffering and where the motivation in causing it comes from. Fruit is my victim, because it is miraculous and beautiful and patient. It’s important to me that this work is open to interpretation, but for me this series evokes feelings of empathy and also satisfaction.

Loewyn was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on January 7^th, 1983. After 13 years in Massachusetts her mother relocated her and her sister to Washington, far far away from their father. Eventually settled in Shoreline Loewyn struggled to meet people she could relate to and make new friends. She first entered her school’s darkroom at age fourteen and has since dedicated herself to voraciously studying the art of photography. For her, photography has become a tool not only for capturing the unfolding story of her own life, but also a voice for the often macabre meditations that would otherwise remain dormant in her mind. She is a Master silver gelatin printer and is equally proficient with color and digital.

5 x 5 Submission 81 - Anouk Rawkson

2010-02-19T01:32:00.006-08:00

Anouk Rawkson
Anouk Rawkson's website
The artist featured here, Anouk Rawkson has been well-received within Seattle’s artistic community. Over the past couple of years, his work has been shown with great success in various area galleries and stores.

His art is best associated with the Lowbrow visual art movement, with various influences ranging from punk music and underground comics to B-movies and other subcultures. As a kind of rebellion against the classics, such art is also recognized as having a distinct sense of humor. In fact, Rawkson’s goal with his art is to express his sense of irony, the darker subtext underneath an initially perceived innocent image.

“First and foremost, when people first look at my art, I want them to feel happy,” Rawkson says. “But then when they get closer and really look at the details of it, the darker side of the cuteness, I want it to make them think.”
Unable to confine his creativity to just one medium, Rawkson has also devoted much time to the creation of a line of plushies/voodoo dolls. He is also planning sometime in the near future to design and attach his name to a line of apparel, handbags and other accessories.

5 x 5 Submission 80 - Evren Artiran

2010-02-19T01:23:00.006-08:00

Evren Artiran
BIO

Evren Artiran was born in Adana, Turkey. She received her B.A. in Painting and Drawing from Hacettepe University in Ankara in 2005 where she studied with Professors Zafer Gencaydin and Ferhat Ozgur. After graduation Evren moved to the United States. She is currently enrolled in the M.F.A. Painting and Drawing program at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I care about the innocence of nature. Thinking is an ongoing activity for me; it is constant. I think of how human beings have begun to abuse nature and how this abuse has become collaged over the innocence.

Collecting; I like to collect stuff— cardboard, clothes, wood, pillows— just stuff. I have always liked the idea of collecting and the fact that they have a history, or a trace of humanity. These collections build my collage paintings.

I like to describe my studio as a dumpster where the stuff is un-owned and together it becomes a composition

My paintings have more of a constructive nature like building a building, and they organically deal with layers, one on top of another. They build their own environment.

My Paintings derive from the alleys that I walk through.
And, my paintings derive from the light in fall, which shocks the eye to see the reflection of human traces in nature.
My paintings derive from the sky and its infinity.
Basically, they are all about the facts that are from the external world.

5 x 5 Submission 79 - Natalia Czajkiewicz

2010-02-19T01:17:00.012-08:00

Natalia Czajkiewicz
Natalia Czajkiewicz's website
Natalia Czajkiewicz is an artist living and working in Seattle, Washington. Raised in California, her work is heavily influenced by living in the rainy gray city. Primarily drawing and painting females, she is inspired by women, human interaction, and hand-drawn type.

5 x 5 Submission 78 - Jessica Edwards

2010-02-19T01:09:00.008-08:00

Jessica Edwards
Jessica Edwards' website
I’m currently working on a new series of assemblages similar to the attached image “a little thing”. “Chrysalis” was made from 7 years worth of journals, cut up, rearranged and coated with mold making rubber. Only a small portion of that piece is seen in the attached image, I have ~100’ altogether.

Bio
Jessica Edwards is an assemblage/book artist whose works incorporate printmaking, surface design and mixed media. Her artwork has been exhibited in the San Francisco Bay Area, New Orleans, Vancouver, Washington, Makawao, Hawaii and Columbus, Ohio , Rochester, NY and Norfolk, England. Her work is held in permanent collection at the Columbus Center for Paper and Book Arts. Jessica Edwards received her BFA in Textile Design from Academy of Art University. She studied bookbinding at Capricornus School of Bookbinding and apprenticed with Peter Koch Printers. In 2008 she launched Odd Duck Press, a letterpress studio and book bindery. Jessica ,her husband Geoff and their dog Annabelle live in Port Townsend, WA .

5 x 5 Submission 77 - Susan Melrath

2010-02-19T01:01:00.008-08:00

Susan Melrath
Susan Melrath's website
Statement
My work has evolved over an art career spanning thirty years, with it’s roots in
illustration. Figurative work is my passion. While family, friends and intimate
settings populate my canvas, my true focus is on the shapes created by the
human form. I simplify, ﬂatten and distort these shapes. This allows me to
explore color and edge and how their relationships reﬂect a mood or express an idea. Using the human form, feelings are communicated through a pictorial language of color, shape, form and composition.

Biography

Susan’s formal study of art began in 1978 at the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia. Her dream was to be a freelance illustrator. For a short time she worked as a technical illustrator for an aerospace company. Here she honed her drawing skills, but rockets were not her favorite subject matter. In 1986 she set out on her own and after waiting a few tables, established herself as a freelance illustrator. By 1990 her clients included IBM, Miami Herald, Time Life Books and Reader’s Digest.

In 1997 Susan took a sabbatical from commercial work to raise her son. She continued to paint. The luxury of this time at home proved to be rich with discoveries (and a few dirty diapers). The freedom to play and explore allowed her work to continue to develop in unique ways. With no client or deadline her focus shifted from content to shape, form and color. This shift remains the focus of her current work and is reﬂected in her new paintings. Susan works in watercolor, acrylic and oil. Her works have been exhibited in numerous shows and are included in several private collections. Susan enjoys living and working in Redmond, WA with her husband, Brian Landgren and her son, Nick, who is no longer in diapers!

5 x 5 Submission 76 - Kevin Gosselin

2010-02-19T00:55:00.007-08:00

Kevin Gosselin
Kevin Gosselin's website
Bio:

Kevin Gosselin is a sculptor/illustrator living in Seattle Washington making custom toys and sculptures for commission and sale to private toy collectors. A graphic and web designer for nearly ten years Kevin recently discovered for himself the low brow, urban vinyl art scene and quickly embraced it for its pop culture influences and playful character design. Through this medium and genre Kevin creates new and familiar characters based in the world heavily influenced by sci-fi and fantasy art. With each sculpture Kevin narrates to the viewer a world defined by the personalities of the characters we see.

In the Fall of 2009 and with no prior experience in toy making, Kevin jumped head first into custom toy design when he entered and won world premier toy designer KidRobot's custom toy contest. Along with four other winning artists and over fifty world renowned toy designers Kevin was commissioned to design a custom toy for their Munnyworld Toy Exhibition. Kevin was one out of only eleven artists that would sell his work during the three day event and it would mark his first successfully commissioned piece sold in a gallery. In his first six months as a custom toymaker Kevin has been dividing his time between commissions and work for gallery shows. He has shown in the Fall Gallery in Vancouver, BC and in The Gallery Underground, in Fort Collins, CO.

Kevin is currently working on a limited production of a custom toy design while continuing to accept and complete commissions. Kevin has plans to develop and mass produce his own Do-It-Yourself platform toy. As always his focus is to continue to develop his sculpting skills and techniques while pushing his creative concepts and developing a world of his own.

Kevin Gosselin grew up in the tiny New England town of Northwood, New Hampshire. Although heavily influenced by many genres and artists, Kevin owes his career in the arts to his twin brother. It was only by following the career choices of his brother that Kevin decided to go to art school to develop his skills. Both brothers attended the Honors Art Program at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston their senior year of high school and then moved to Sarasota, Florida to attend Ringling School of Art & Design.

After earning his Bachelors in Fine Art and Illustration Kevin got what he considers his real art education while working a local art supplies store in Sarasota. At the store Kevin received hands-on knowledge of the tools and techniques of all the different mediums. He also garnered the advice from local artists and after picking up the framing trade Kevin was hired as a painter by Hagen-Wallace, a props shop for Feld Entertainment. Here Kevin learned how to paint faux finishes and would eventually find himself in the sculpting department where he would discover his true passion. Kevin would leave sculpting behind for nearly ten years working as a graphic and web designer before he would gather the courage necessary to pursue his dreams.

After just six short months Kevin continues to build his portfolio and reputation enjoying what he considers his dream come true. Mark Mohr of Hello Vinyl, a popular toy critic site, says of Kevin, "Kevin is without doubt one of the rising stars in the custom scene, just have a look at the amount of work that goes into his customs."

5 x 5 Submission 75 - Tenaya Sims

2010-02-18T13:23:00.007-08:00

Tenaya Sims
Tenaya Sims' website

Tenaya Sims currently runs the Georgetown Atelier, which is an apprenticeship style school that offers both part-time and full-time programs. The school is located in the heart of Gerorgetown the on the second floor of the bottling plant of the old raineer
brewery.

After earning a B.F.A in painting and drawing at Carnegie Mellon University (2001), Tenaya worked several years as a commercial artist for Activision. He began his classical studies at the Jeff Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA, and then moved to Seattle where he completed four years of full-time study at the Juliette Aristides Classical Atelier within Gage Academy of Art.

For the past few years Tenaya has been teaching regularly at Fall City Fine Arts Studio, and opened the Georgetown Atelier in Sept. 2009. He has also taught several classes at Gage Academy of Art, Pratt Fine Arts Center, and workshops in Montreal. Tenaya was in a two-person show at Elka Rouskov Gallery, a his work has been featured in International Artist and Southwest Art Magazine in the 21 under 31 issue.

5 x 5 Submission 74 - Luke Pulliam

2010-02-18T13:19:00.008-08:00

Luke Pulliam's website

5 x 5 Submission 73 - Anna Wetzel

2010-02-18T13:13:00.007-08:00

Anna Wetzel
Anna Wetzel's website
ARTIST BIO/STATEMENT:

Anna Wetzel is a Seattle based artist, born in Kansas City, MO. She
received a BFA in Painting from Kansas State University in 2006, and
participated in California College of the Arts' Oax-i-fornia project
in 2008. Her work has been shown in Seattle, as well as in Glasgow,
Scotland and Oaxaca, Mexico.

Influenced by living in different cities positioned amidst the great
wide open, Anna's work often explores the figurative symbolic ways in
which societies build identity in relation to surrounding landscape
and wildlife. Through her signature attention to textures, subtle
value shifts, and a limited palette, Anna's recent self portraits
evoke a delicate power struggle between herself and animal alter egos.

Anna's current work is headed in a more collaborative, three
dimensional direction, wherein nostalgic land- and soundscapes beckon
and the figural role is assumed by the viewer.

5 x 5 Submission 72 - Knena Williams

2010-02-18T13:11:00.005-08:00

Knena Williams
Artist Biography and Statement

Knena Williams is a talented artist from Tacoma, Washington. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design from Washington State University, Pullman. As a recent graduate she is currently creating a new body of work that explores the relation between art and interior spaces. Her work consists of conceptual sculptures with an emphasis on plaster and clay. Knena’s work can be found in private collections. She works in various mediums including photography, collage, print, painting, and sculpture.

I like creating stories to stir up images and concepts that I later take to construct several visual compositions. Unlike a story board, the viewing experience does not tell a story of sequenced events, but of environments. Light and shadow is the driving inspiration behind my work which sheds an ethereal view on everyday materials. Creating sculptures and exposing the interior surfaces with light or darkness is captured with digital photography. The common connection among all humans is the concept of shelter. Space. Interior design is so basic in relating to our human needs and social environments. The idea of wrapping space around or opening it up closely examines how we cultivate the very skin and bones of our society. This fascinates me.

5 x 5 Submission 71 - Rosie Sabaric

2010-02-18T13:08:00.005-08:00

Rosie Sabaric
Biography /artist statement

Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Rosie has long had an interest in exploring the world through a camera lens. She can recall this process beginning at the age of 5 where her camera collection doubled that of her age and she had a growing collection of images of her stuffed animals. Although the images of stuffed animals were long left behind, the passion of image capturing remained with Rosie through high school. Eventually, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography from Western Washington University.

My current body of work entitled, Construct of Space, deals with the fascination of architectural spaces and what sorts of questions arise when contemplating these spaces. For me, looking up at buildings or within particular spaces presents a brief period of contemplation. I find that by intentionally blurring these images using a camera that offers lo-fi image quality enhances these momentary impressions.

Buildings and spaces can have a profound effect on the psyche. Sometimes there is no effect. What I try to capture is my own experience in often overlooked or forgotten buildings.

5 x 5 Submission 70 - Hart Boyd

2010-02-17T23:19:00.011-08:00

Hart Boyd
Bio:

Being raised by parents with architecture and design backgrounds in a rural neighborhood which had nearly no other children exposed him to a lot of artistic styles and mediums at a very young age. As a result he has found an interest in combining mediums and misusing techniques in pursuit of certain unique aesthetics. This current project is based on manipulating the analog color darkroom printing process with custom built equipment to make unique light exposures on the photo sensitive paper, with the result of recording textures and tones that can only be created by light.

5 x 5 Submission 69 - Cameron Quinn

2010-02-17T23:10:00.008-08:00

Cameron Quinn
Cameron Quinn's website
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am as emerging as they come in the professional field of visual arts, reviving the award-winning hobby of my childhood as a voice for my adult goals. People care for what they care about, and my intent is to promote an appreciation for the planet and the people who live here. For this collection of paintings, I juxtaposed the smooth forms of wildlife with the rigid, geometric encroachment of human civilization.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Cameron Quinn was born and raised in Western Washington and loves the Pacific Northwest for its diversity in culture and natural environments. Her poetry – which often tackles women’s issues - has been published in multiple languages in several literary journals. Since graduating from Western Washington University in 2008 she has dedicated her time to world travel, tall-ship sailing, and volunteering. She is an avid volunteer for environmental causes – primarily through educating and exciting the public at the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, and aboard the schooner Adventuress - and is now expanding her audience through artistic venues. Through her art, Cameron hopes to beautify the lives of others, to nourish an appreciation for the planet and the people who live here, and to invoke change through positive activism.

5 x 5 Submission 67 - Harry Longstreet

2010-02-17T22:50:00.012-08:00

Harry Longstreet

While some may move easy into retirement, Harry Longstreet has forged ahead into new territory. After twenty-five years of working in television & film, he has turned his attention to his longtime passion for fine art photography. Since August 2005, his work has been accepted into more than ninety national juried exhibitions and his first one-man-show was held at the Roby–King Gallery in February 2006.

Throughout the ‘80s and into the early ‘90s, Longstreet logged countless hours as a writer/producer/director on network and cable television. Among the many episodic series he has worked on, most notably were cult favorites “VOYAGERS”, “ALIEN NATION”, and “The X-FILES”. Additionally, he served as executive producer on the final season of the long-running series “FAME”.

The ‘90s found him directing original made-for-television projects such as “SEX, LOVE, & COLD HARD CASH”, starring Jobeth Williams, “A VOW TO KILL”, starring Richard Greico, “THE PERFECT DAUGHTER”, starring Tracy Gold and Bess Armstrong, and the award winning “FROG GIRL: THE JENNIFER GRAHAM STORY”, which earned him a Humanitas Nomination and a Genesis Award.

Over the years, he has received two Writer’s Guild of America Nominations for Writing Achievement and even made the leap to feature film by having his original script “Wounded” produced. His photograph “Art Critic” has just received a Merit Award in Black & White Magazine’s 2010 annual single image competition and was published in issue #72.

5 x 5 Submission 66 - Sue Danielson

2010-02-17T22:41:00.006-08:00

Sue Danielson
Sue Danielson's website
BIOGRAPHY
I am a primarily self-taught acrylic painter who explores the psychology of home in two-dimensional space. Prior to becoming an artist I worked for numerous years as a litigation paralegal and approximately five years as a personal chef .

You might call me a born again painter. As a working class kid, I didn’t grow up taking art classes or consider myself particularly artistic. I born and raised in the Snohomish County and grew up in a large family of mostly women (four sisters). I have also lived in both Alaska and California before returning home. I currently reside in Seattle with my husband, Dave, and one cat.

Approximately eight years ago after leaving the paralegal profession as a result of burn-out, I registered for a collage class, which led me to where I am today, a full-time painter who still gets jazzed about the artistic process. Since taking the collage class I have also had the great fortune of private mentorship from two talented painters, Paul McCall and Julia Hensley. While their styles are dramatically different, both of these artists emphasize craftmanship while encouraging development of an individual voice. Between the strong influence of these two dynamic artists, I have forged a style of my own.

5 x 5 Submission 65 - Kristie Severn

2010-02-17T22:34:00.008-08:00

Kristie Severn
Kristie Severn's website
I am a Seattle artist who was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. My BFA in painting has grown to incorporate printmaking, sewing, collage and encaustic sculpture. 2006 brought me to a residency in New York at Cooper Union. There was great discussion among the critiques at this residency regarding the element of “beauty” in my work. I have spent much time contemplating this force in my life— its roots, influence and ability to heal. In losing my mother at an early age, I experienced the depths of human emotion on multiple levels and without much understanding. My grandmother became a dominant figure in my life and I carry many of her passions into my work.

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a stitch.
I run.
I obsess.
I wobble.
I pierce.
I function.
I heal.

Beauty is not merely a characteristic of my work, but its force and voice. Intimated by pain. Spoken with vulnerability. Propelled by compassion. A trail which acknowledges our complexities and finds a way to release them. An invisible embrace which awakens the heart and silences the mind.

I play out this infinite dialogue with fabric and thread, paint and pencils –materials that have been my solace since the beginning of my own physical and emotional pain. They seem to speak a hypnotic language which provides some sort of escape. And they cover me like a giant hand-made “Helen” quilt full of strength and safety.

My process is one of intuition. This is not to say it is exclusively an impulsive act. But one in which I must trust the tools I have acquired for making art and rely on my gut reactions to guide the process. Lines dance. Scratches reveal. Thick layers hide. Passages of thread, repetitive marks and color interweave like the strips of a quilt.

5 x 5 Submission 64 - Susanna Bluhm

2010-02-17T22:22:00.005-08:00

Susanna Bluhm
Susanna Bluhm's website
Bio
I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, got my BA in Studio Art at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, and my MFA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004. In 2005 I was an Artist-in-Residence at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, and then at the Karl Hofer Gesellschaft in Berlin. My wife, artist Anna Callahan, and I moved to Seattle in 2006. I gave birth to our son Asher in 2008, and the three of us live with our dog in Cooper Artist Housing in West Seattle. I write Getting to Know You Better, a blog about my process of getting to know Seattle’s art scene. While my studio practice is primarily based in Painting, I am also invested in organizing and strengthening Seattle’s art community through writing, reading, and various creative projects. The ink is still wet on my acceptance letter to local artist-run gallery SOIL.

Statement
These paintings are the first six paintings in what will be a series of forty paintings. Titled The Song of Songs, this body of work is based on the Bible's Song of Songs (also called The Song of Solomon). The most erotic and beautiful part of the Bible, The Song of Solomon is a controversial love poem that has been interpreted in a variety of ways. These paintings are my queer, feminist, personal interpretation; the series will be a love song to my wife and son.

As abstract, landscape-based paintings, this series will communicate differently to different people (as is the case with most of my work). I’ve used text from The Song of Solomon for the titles (after changing the gender of the pronouns) as a way of sharing some of the more personal meaning behind the work. By not providing a literal translation of the visual elements, I have relinquished some control over what is read into the paintings. The person viewing a painting deciphers it within his/her own frame of reference, and is invited to enable the very act of looking to generate the meaning.

5 x 5 Submission 63 - Michael Lorefice

2010-02-17T22:10:00.006-08:00

Michael Lorefice
Micahel Lorefice's website
My work offers something familiar and tangible, the prosaic and everyday, but in a distorted manner. I’m interested in my immediate environment: the people, objects and space I come into contact with everyday and the interactions that occur. By removing objects from an ordinary context and placing them into an isolated space I reinterpret these objects and forge new relationships between them. On the surface my work appears minimal: most pieces are reduced to a few basic components, which places a strong emphasis on the tension and interaction created between an often-disparate assembly of elements. I look to break down traditional notions of space and time, concentrating on the juxtaposition between objects and their relationship to space and each other over a period of duration.

I don’t see my art as a static event; I view it as an experience and it serves as a reminder that life is a temporal activity shaped by the fluid environment that I’m surrounded by. Although often abstract, I invoke the personal, political and social in an effort to understand my world. I’ve become enamored with the everyday, peering intently upon minute details, from words to objects to people. In doing so, I engage with a system that is in a constant state of flux, where past, present and future are changed to stop, fast-forward, skip-back and pause, sometimes all at once.

5 x 5 Submission 62 - Maegan Joy Bell

2010-02-17T22:05:00.006-08:00

Maegan Joy Bell

BFA 2007 Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

In this life, I try my hand at painting. Lately I am guided by found objects, decorative arrangements, as well as my critical foundation. I am interested in positive vibrations, inner peace, hidden knowledge, color theory, and randomness. The paintings exist as living questions bound to the material world. For me the paintings serve as amulets or artefactual bread crumbs that lead me to greater conclusions.

5 x 5 Submission 61 - Kristin Leff

2010-02-17T21:52:00.005-08:00

Kristin Leff
Kristin Leff's website
Kristin received a Bachelor of Arts in Art Studio from California State University in Sacramento,
California, with an emphasis on painting, drawing, sculpture and art history—receiving academic
honors upon graduation in 1996. In 1997 she studied Italian art history and renaissance art at ITI Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence, Italy. In 1999, she moved from California to Seattle to study at the Art Institute with a focus on animation art, as well as graphic design—receiving an Applied Arts degree upon graduation in 2001. Aside from her studio practice, she has taught art to children with learning disabilities, has been a private art teacher for elementary-aged children, and has been the organizer and leader of crafting sessions for a mom’s group. When not working on studio pieces, Leff spends some of her free time as a freelance graphic designer. She resides in Bothell with her husband and three children.

5 x 5 Submission 60 - John Osgood

2010-02-17T21:47:00.009-08:00

John Osgood
John Osgood's website
Artist Bio
John Osgood is an urban contemporary artist and muralist who grew up in Edmonds, Washington. He graduated with a BA from WSU with a minor in Fine Arts. He is a 2008 Artist Trust Edge Graduate; was selected in 2009 by the Arts Council of Snohomish County as their poster artist for their annual “Fresh Paint” art festival and also a selected artist in 2009 for the Bremerton Arts Commission for their public art banner project. Osgood paints idiosyncratic characters with a bold palette in a graffiti art style. His collection of colorful & odd characters are inspired by life and the uncomfortable, forlorn and many times humorous circumstances that happen within it. Osgood was recently recognized in a feature story in the Seattle Times for his mural work (along with 2 other artists) on a transformational memorial mural in Greenwood after the neighborhood was targeted by an arsonist. The arson mural is a good example of how he uses heartbreaking situations and turns them into a work of art. He currently has a studio and gallery in Seattle in the Greenwood neighborhood where he curates shows monthly for other up and coming PNW contemporary artists.

5 x 5 Submission 59 - Kevin McCarthy

2010-02-17T21:41:00.006-08:00

Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy's website

Artist’s Biography: I was born in Chicago and attended the Kansas City Art Institute where I received my BFA. I moved to Seattle in 1995 and maintain a studio in the Ballard neighborhood.

Artist Statement: I have always been visually drawn to objects with external references that imply an internal system or process, such as refineries, generators and the human figure. I have internalized the ideas and symbolism of engineered objects, machines and systems in my artwork.

5 x 5 Submission 58 - Robin Goodwin

2010-02-17T21:36:00.006-08:00

Robin Goodwin
Robin Goodwin's website
Robin Goodwin was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Her interest in the arts began at childhood but did not get serious until she was in high school. At this stage, she began experimenting with different mediums and styles, eventually deciding that paint would be her primary medium. At age 19, Robin moved to Seattle, where she currently lives and works. She has pursued her passion with little formal education, and now, at age 23, is painting mostly figurative, introspective pieces.

5 x 5 Submission 57 - Ryan McGavin

2010-02-17T21:25:00.006-08:00

Ryan McGavin
Ryan McGAvin's website
All paper is cut with various scissors and applied using a UV resistant acrylic polymer.

"I look at some of my work like a giant puzzle that sampled various emotions running through my head, applied in layers. I definitely gravitate to more childlike shapes that were creepy but cute and intriguing; My application of art feels very childlike, perhaps that's part of why my execution looks the way it does".

"Sometimes I stare at a piece for a while and then begin to notice new shapes and colors, like when you look at a mandala, which I don't really compare my work to, although, this sort-of unconscious complexity is what inspires me. As an artist who works through mixed medium, I find that layers are a great tool for depth and cultivating what kind of energy I want to express into the visual wild".

Ryan is currently dedicated to create works from found objects such as old books and scrapping/recycling canvas and papers. He is striving to require most materials to what has been found and modified to accommodate this vision.

The artist has lived in various cities including New York and San Francisco but chose to make Seattle his permanent home.

5 x 5 Submission 56 - Claire Jauregui

2010-02-17T21:17:00.006-08:00

Claire Jauregui
Claire Jauregui's website
Biography
Claire Jauregui is a California native who has called Seattle home since 2004. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and studied in Aix-en-Provence, France where her love of rich, saturated color emerged. In 2007 Claire was named a PONCHO Artist-in-Residence at Pratt Fine Arts Center. During her year residency, she explored print techniques and used these explorations to create loose, spontaneous screen and monoprints. Claire currently uses screenprinting to explore process, composition, color, and the manipulation of handcut stencils.

5 x 5 Submission 55 - Martine Workman

2010-02-17T21:11:00.010-08:00

Martine Workman
Martine Workman's website
Born in Cumberland, MD, I grew up in the Midwest and moved to the west coast nine years ago. I studied at the University of Iowa, and then at the California College of the Arts where I received my BFA in graphic design in 2004. I’ve been making zines and artist books since 1998, selling my books at small press events and comic book fairs. My recent drawings are inspired by Christian and Islamic illuminated manuscripts, the foliage of the Pacific Northwest, and pop music.

5 x 5 Submission 54 - Brian Cypher

2010-02-17T21:04:00.007-08:00

Brian Cypher
Brian Cypher's website
BIOGRAPHY
I spent my adolescence in Anacortes, WA after moving there from San Diego. My inclinations about being an artist had always been present throughout my life but really took hold of me when I was 16 after seeing a girlfriend's mother's art studio. I knew at that point that my immediate step was to have a space of my own to create in. I quickly established a loft studio in downtown Anacortes and it became my own personal school of art. I never did feel the need to acquire a Fine Art degree. For me, art was just who I was and that in itself was all I needed to continue on my creative path. It's been nearly twenty years since I started painting and there's nothing I would rather be doing then searching for that next image. I have exhibited my work off and on during that time and most recently received representation from the Catherine Person Gallery in Seattle.

ARTIST STATEMENT
My recent artwork (and like all work before it) is simply driven by intuitive gestures and mark marking. I'm searching for an exactitude by hand but I don't want perfection in my lines. I like experimenting with a figure / ground relationship that isn't always known or apparent. I'm pushing and pulling lines and shapes from gestures, creating incidental moiré patterns and oscillations.

Ideas are found through the observation of my environment and from the process of drawing and painting. I let experimentation drive me intuitively with the understanding that there is an interaction taking place between what I see and what I want to see. I work from shapes and forms that are both visible and invisible. I rely on an accumulated iconographic lexicon of ideas, shapes, and forms that are personal. There is a certain level of obsession that is required to continually investigate questions for which there are no answers; only visual clues to a landscape of filtered thoughts.

Over the years, I’ve learned to accept what I create for what it is. It’s my language and my relationship. In the end, I’m merely forming a connection between what I’ve thought about and what I’m going to create.

5 x 5 Submission 53 - Seth Damm

2010-02-17T20:51:00.008-08:00

Seth Damm
Seth Damm's website
Artist Biography
Seth Damm is a fourth generation Seattleite. After years spent living in London, New Orleans, Oaxaca, Mexico, and San Francisco he found himself back in West Seattle where he now lives and works in the historic Cooper Artist Housing. He received a B.A. from The Evergreen State College in 1994 with an emphasis on printmaking and has since taken his work in directions he never anticipated, including painting, installation, video, and performance, at times all of them at once. All of his current work --of any media-- invites direct community interaction including his work as founding librarian of the Art Lending Library.

Artist Statement
Within each wood and plexiglass Enclosure lives a painting (Rupture #2 is an example of a painting contained in an Enclosure). I invite the viewer to interact physically with the painting by pulling it out while watching as it moves in the lit window. The tactile engagement is set in contrast to the restrained presentation of each Enclosure; the exposed painting’s back is turned to the viewer and details are reduced to blurred colors in the lit window. By provoking a little frustration and a sense of mystery I intend to draw the viewer past their normal expectations of a painting to a place where their own perception, engagement, and curiosity are the end result.

5 x 5 Submission 52 - David Badders

2010-02-17T20:44:00.007-08:00

David Badders

David was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Yutan, NE, a small town with fewer than 1,000 residents. As an adolescent and later as a college student he held down a variety of odd jobs working on farms, in factories, restaurants, and hotels - to name a few. After receiving a BA in Art from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln he moved around the country working for various newspapers as an illustrator and graphic artist. Fine art has always been his primary interest, however, and he currently works exclusively in his studio, mostly drawing and painting.

David's work is purely visual and any messages one might find would be unintentional. Some of his compositions include text, numbers, corporate logos, and an occasional recognizable character or figure.

His influences include Franz Kline, Basquiat, Diebenkorn, Cy Twombly, and Jenny Saville.

Although every generation declares painting a dead medium for artists David believes there is still work to be done.

5 x 5 Submission 51 - Linda-Jo Duffy

2010-02-17T20:37:00.007-08:00

Linda-Jo Duffy

Biography
Linda-Jo Duffy is a born and bred Northwest emerging artist. As her family has entered the college era, she welcomes more time to embrace her art calling. Born in Seattle in 1958, Linda-Jo graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in both Business and Sociology. She loves persuing her art career and respects Gage Art Academy as a leading art skills “jewel in our own backyard”. Linda-Jo enjoys camping, ocean strolling, hiking, coffee, reading, and raising her family in the most beautiful state in America. Linda-Jo lives in Woodinville with her husband Keith, daughters Lauryn (20) and Jenna-Jo (17), son Brandon (19), 2 cats, and 2 dogs.

Artist Statement
Painting gives me joy, and portrait painting stirs my soul. I strive to capture a unique glimpse into the heart and soul of the person before me. Besides portrait painting I enjoy painting still, land- and dream-scapes.

I work on multiple pieces at a time employing representation, abstraction and invention, while experimenting with a variety of conventional and unconventional mediums. Using many layers of paint and hinted patterns, I try to create a time-worn piece that hints at common experiences of generations past and present. I hope that the viewer will be able to connect the dots with their own personal narrative.

Themes of hope, authenticity and grace infuse my work.

5 x 5 Submission 50 - Dani Davis

2010-02-17T20:21:00.009-08:00

Dani Davis

Biography:
The paintings of Dani Davis are poetic portals for the human psyche. Seas of obsessive markings, tactile textures, and vibrant colors coalesce in wall-sized oil paintings that provoke child-like wonder and imagination. Characteristic of her style is a sense of nostalgia created through blurred effects, faded figures, and repetition. These pieces can all be threaded to Davis's upbringing in the northern wilderness where she spent many days exploring the woods and water.

Aside from experience, Davis references snapshots and uses the concept of the snapshot as a spring board for experimentation--using photographic techniques like triple-negatives, and cropping before picking up the paint brush. Such techniques as these metaphorically parallel her ideas concerning the process of memory-making in which we are constantly overlaying, repeating, cropping, and enhancing the lives we know. Davis's process results in pictorial experiences that provoke the senses, celebrate nature, and leave us to a world of memory and wonder often bewildered amongst contemporary culture.

Dani Davis received a BFA from The University of Michigan, and also studied at The Glasgow School of Art. She currently lives and works in
Seattle.

5 x 5 Submission 49 - Christopher Pfeifle

2010-02-17T20:17:00.003-08:00

Christopher Pfeifle
Christopher Pfeifle's website
Bio:
I was born and raised in New York and have been living and working in Seattle Wa. for the last 13 years. Currently I create my paintings and sculptures from my home studio. I like to capture moments and create certain windows in which I have time to paint or sculpt. Like the time it takes for different painted pigments to be manipulated and dry on glass or the small window. I have to manipulate resin before it heats and turns from a liquid to a solid. In these moments I feel lives the art. To create a chorus of movement and intention means just as much to me as the final outcome of these efforts. And sometimes, these final works have movement unto themselves.

5 x 5 Submission 48 - Amber Ray Anderson

2010-02-17T20:10:00.005-08:00

Amber Ray Anderson
Amber Ray Anderson grew up in Longview, Washington, a small city on the Columbia river & Oregon boarder. The forestry & fishing industry destruction surrounding her would thematically inspire her creative output for years to come. Believing creative education to be a priority, Anderson was accepted and enrolled into undergraduate studies at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington in 1998.
Amber Anderson was bestowed the Nellie Cornish Scholarship as a freshmen student, as well as the President’s Art Scholarship for the following three consecutive years given for academic achievement. Graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in 2002, Anderson currently holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a double major in sculpture and painting. During her undergraduate studies, Anderson apprenticed as a work study student performing fine art restoration at Eastlake Galleries in Seattle, Washington. Anderson was employed by Eastlake Galleries for nine years as head Objects Conservator. The combined background of art & art conservation led Anderson to complete a two year program in General & Organic Chemistry at North Seattle Community College, for which she holds a Certificate of Completion in Chemistry Sequence. Eastlake Galleries closed in February of 2009, & Amber Anderson immediately began her own private art conservation practice -Array Art Conservation, LLC.
During her time in Seattle Amber Anderson has been actively involved with the art community, having had several art exhibitions & commissions for private collectors. Anderson's recent exhibitions include “Fire in the Del” at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, & “P.Y.T.” at the now defunct Observatory Gallery. Anderson continually focuses upon her commitment for creating art, with her recently renewed endeavor in lithography print-making at Print Zero Studios in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.

5 x 5 Submission 47 - Christine Heidel

2010-02-17T20:04:00.005-08:00

Christine Heidel
Christine Heidel's website
Bio:
Christine Heidel is a fine art photographer based in Seattle, Washington.

Christine graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Washington in 1999. Ten years later, she picked up her camera and began a photography project called 365 Days where she took a self-portrait every day for an entire year. While that project started out as fun experiment to document a “day in the life”, it quickly grew into a passion for creating images that were meant to tell a deeper story, elicit emotion and encourage dialogue.

Today, Christine continues to experiment and push her boundaries through the use of Through the Viewfinder techniques and by working to create images that deal with themes such as life/death, loneliness/doubt, fact/fiction and growth/rebirth.

Christine believes that every image should tell a story. She pursues self-portraiture as a means of intimate communication with those who view her art. She wants her art to make viewers think more deeply about their own self and, by extension, the world around them.

Christine was recently selected to participate as a photographer for Living Exposed's Exposure: Hawaii project.

Work Statement:
My series of "through the viewfinder" images entitled "3 cameras" are shot with a Nikon D300 through the viewfinder of an old Kodak Duaflex and include a Polaroid photograph.

Shooting through the viewfinder of the Duaflex allows me to utilize the dirt, grit and distortion of that lens to obscure the subject of the image. The Polaroid image represents yet another layer of deception. The concept behind this series is to expose the layers that we use to hide the reality of ourselves while exploring the concept of identity. Strip away the various lenses and what truth remains?

5 x 5 Submission 46 - Celeste Cooning

2010-02-17T19:26:00.007-08:00

Celeste Cooning

Artist Statement
My interest in pattern and ornamentation led me to explore the medium of cut paper. Working with cut paper in relief facilitates a particular responsiveness to materials, shape, light, and space. These works demand fluidity and attention to detail, which cannot be accomplished in haste. The hand-cut nature is an important aspect of the work, necessitating mindfulness within the process. This way of working allows me to inhabit a sanctuary of stillness within the intensity of existence. Ideally the work exudes this same breath when experienced. My process runs parallel to my philosophical belief in the eternal need for the human spirit to work.

Bio
Celeste Cooning was born in the small town of Seymour, Indiana. She grew up in Warsaw and earned a B.F.A. in painting at Indiana University, Bloomington in 2001. Graduate studies in painting brought her to the University of Washington. Celeste continues to live and work in Seattle. She is influenced by the history of ornamentation and the exploration of symmetry as balance. Currently, her work ranges from intimate cut-paper collage to site-considered installation.

5x5 Submission # 45 - Nicholas Green

2010-02-17T17:39:00.021-08:00

I grew up in Seattle, spending much time in parks and loving the hills. I attended liberal arts college in upstate New York but spent much of my time in Manhattan. It’s nice to be back in Seattle.

I am interested in exploring notions of dreams, the fog of memory and nostalgia of youth and growth through introspection and biography. Taking from my own life-my work ranges from completely abstract color based works to more realistic renderings of color-shrouded faces and figures.

Artist's website

5 x 5 Submission 44 - Christopher Collins

2010-02-17T13:40:00.007-08:00

Christopher Collins
Christopher Collins' website
My latest work is inspired by celebrity, collage, and a recent trip to
Versailles, where I fell in love with some of Marie Antoinette's
personal items, including a porcelain hot chocolate set. Working with a
limited palette and scraps from magazines, I tried to create a baroque
version of tabloid journalism. These paintings are in acrylic and oil,
with touches of gold leaf, and were composed in Photoshop before being
painted by hand. Also included is one of my enormous portrait
commissions, painted with spray paint in 15,000 half-inch squares of
color.

You can watch a video of my painting process at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k9ZvWriyIc.

//

Christopher Collins trained as a commercial artist in New York. He has
also worked as a balloon sculptor, paparazzo, and flight attendant, and
now lives in Seattle, where he is known for his portrait commissions.

5 x 5 Submission 43 - Pedro de Valdivia

2010-02-17T12:59:00.007-08:00

Pedro de Valdivia
Bio
Pedro de Valdivia's paintings absorb the viewer into a world that combines the mystery of a disjointed narrative with the materiality of the picture itself. In Dear Madonna, executed in 2009-2010, De Valdivia presents the viewer with an over powering portrait of Madonna. Madonna is seen in a bath of flowers both painted and intricately woven beads. Closer to the viewer, the sudden intense feeling is ecstasy on what appears to be either pain or pleasure.

De Valdivia's paintings are often infused with a heady atmosphere of
disjointed nostalgia. They appear to be snapshots from his religious
upbringing. In La Negra Madonna, the eponymous figure looks as though it
might have its origins in the artist's own memories. However, as he
explained, "A voice inside of me says-when I reach my last breath of life
I will just be a memory, a dream, and my paintings will live on for me."

When the sculpture Tempted was created, De Valdivia was living in Seattle; however, he had spent some time back in Pasco, WA and it was on his return that religious and abstracted themes became a more potent and frequent presence in his work. However, people mistakenly assumed his pictures were based on traditional model studies. Instead, De Valdivia uses a range of materials, from pictures he has taken to others he has culled from National Geographic, Vogue and other magazines. When painting religious subjects, he found that being an artist compelled him to reject the traditional life and conservative religious beliefs that provided him with security and to seek out new artistic developments he now lives and works in Seattle.

This element of biography or reference was deliberately skewed by Pedro De Valdivia's experiences both in and, crucially, away from Seattle. It was at a distance, while immersed in the life of another culture, that he came to a more profound understanding of the role, or even meaning, of an evolving artist: “A painting lives in two different worlds. On one hand a painting lives in reality and on the other a dream world in which the painting originates."

In this strange duality, this paradoxical role played in Distant Land is both an intimate and a dreamy washed-out environment and one to which
the artist, and by extension the viewer, is emotionally bound, it touches upon Sigmund Freud's notion of The Uncanny. In his essay on the subject, Freud had pointed out that the German word for 'uncanny', Unheimlich, had a strange semantic overlap with its opposite, Heimlich. Secrets, and therefore the unknown, exist within the realm of the home, of the Heimlich, and yet in this way become directly related to the unfamiliar, the strange, the Unheimlich. It is in straddling this peculiar territory, this disjointed, nostalgic, mysterious and evocative zone of ambiguity, that De Valdivia's great paintings such as Distant Land gain their strange and profound power.

"Many of the paintings are of the Virgin Mary or Madonna, but in many ways I want to celebrate the diverse combinations of culture. Often I direct my focus to the woman's eyes, in a sense I'm capturing the feeling of forever conceived in through the eyes." In this sense, in his sculptures and paintings he represents both home and a strange world of frontier mentalities of religion, abstracted peril and at times inclusion. Yet the elaborate bead work in and around the figures, these flickering shades, as well as the Gem-like flowers in background, add an air of the elegant, the voyeurism, the meditative, the personal reality unexplained.

"Seattle is wet and the sky displays dark washed out tones of gray and blue. In a strange way the Seattle weather enlightens a sleepy yet dreamy mentality which allows me to enter a dream state of consciousness. Also, the Seattle weather is expressed in my paintings through the washed-out and dripping pigments of color". When he studied as an artist in Seattle, he found himself deliberately reacting to the sheen and gleam and precision of so much of the art of hiscontemporaries and the luminaries of that period. His own pictures are in part a reaction to the increasing neglect that pure painting was beginning to suffer. He has presented a deliberately dreamy subject in a deliberately hand-made manner, emphasizing the process of the picture's creation, heightening our awareness of the materiality of the paint itself.

This is underscored by the presence of a device which became particularly associated with De Valdivia's paintings, the sense of a veil between the viewer and the main motif. In Dear Madonna, this is accomplished by weaving each individual bead- flowers of multi-colored tones scattered across the canvas to give the sense of psychedelic beauty- and the woman in the foreground. These deliberately heighten some of the view. Seed beads grace the viewing experience while bringing our clear focus to the surface itself. In one way, this can be seen to undermine the entire nature of the illusion of the painting, reemphasizing the simple fact that Dear Madonna comprises an amalgamation on a surface. And yet on the other hand, this compositional device, these obstacles to our view show De Valdivia attempting to capture a more authentic and aesthetic impression of the world as we see it: “First I tend to paint the facial features with light then I begin to bury the face in a dark abyss. Naturally as people look at a portrait they most likely are drawn to the eyes which in my paintings I obscure. Having the talent to tinker with visual ascetics is a pleasurable experience.

5 x 5 Submission 42 - Julia Freeman

2010-02-17T12:51:00.008-08:00

Julia Freeman
Julia Freeman's website
Julia Freeman is a Seattle based artist originally from Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2007 with her MFA in fibers. Her work is a continuous blend of printmaking, collaging, painting and drawing. Her experience with textiles and fibers heavily influences her process and material choices. She has recently been in exhibitions at Foster/White Gallery, SOIL Art Gallery, Clemson University, Kirkland Arts Center, Richard Hugo House Art and at the Art Factory in Seoul, South Korea. She was recently nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Competition Award for the second time in 2010 and was a finalist in the Miami University Young Painters Competitions.

5 x 5 Submission 41 - Alice Case

2010-02-17T12:42:00.007-08:00

Alice Case
Alice Case's website
Alice Case was born in Baton Rouge, LA and moved to Seattle, WA three years ago. She received her MFA in painting and drawing from the University of Washington, Seattle in June of 2009. Since graduation, she has been teaching painting and drawing classes at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.

Her paintings are largely inspired by the relativity and vastness of human perception, a subject she believes was greatly influenced by her experience of moving often, and to vastly different regions of the country as a child.

Most recently this subject has found its way into her work through an exploration of the complexities of figure ground relationships and the ever-changing, ever-expanding languages of paint.

5 x 5 Submission 40 - Nino Yuniardi

2010-02-17T12:33:00.008-08:00

Nino Yuniardi
Nino Yuniardi's website
BIO
A native of Indonesia, moved to the United States in 1991 to study art at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. I received my BFA in 1997. I explore and combined many mediums to re-create experiences in my life resulting in experimentation with materials and techniques that have a sense of playfulness, dreamlike, abstraction with minimalist twists. My work has always been a continuing journey of self-discovery.

--------------------------

ARTIST STATEMENT
Inspired by my 3 year-old daughter, my current work entitled “Sugar Rush” explores life seen from a child’s curious mind. It is a bag full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises, giving me both exciting yet calming, delightful moments.
As a new father, the interaction with my daughter reconnects me to my own fun and loving childhood memories, reminding me of simple, honest curiosities and often funny, quirky behaviors. Recreating them using simple illustration techniques and unique characters helps capture the moments in simple yet vivid imageries. It is, in a sense my personal illustration journal.

5 x 5 Submission 39 - Adam Forslund

2010-02-17T12:29:00.006-08:00

Adam Forslund

Adam Forslund's website
Adam Forslund grew up on the mean and dirty streets of Detroit where he ate from gutters and ran with packs of dogs.

Actually he is just a guy that has a passion for capturing light and moments. When he is not loathing the onslaught of digital photography he is seen wandering Seattle with a Mamiya. Outside of photography he enjoys Cinematography, Fly Fishing, Skiing and Stroh’s.

Where he will turn up next no one knows. Either way he will be armed with rolls and rolls of B&W film.

5 x 5 Submission 38 - Sara Owens

2010-02-17T12:23:00.007-08:00

Sara Owens
Sara Owens' website
Biography
Sara Owens is an artist living and working in Seattle, Washington. She has most recently been exploring used coffee filters, bone and metal. Sara graduated from the University of Washington with her BFA in Metal Design. She was selected to receive the 2008 Rabinovitch Purchase Award for her pieces, Effloresco tumeo and Orbis oscle, which will be added to the permanent collection of the University of Washington. As a new graduate, Sara will continue her material exploration in jewelry making, sculpture and fiber arts. She is currently attending the New York Fashion Academy in Seattle, Washington as an advance toward utilizing the entire body as a site for her ideas.

5 x 5 Submission 37 - Terence Huang

2010-02-17T12:17:00.007-08:00

Terence Huang
Biography
Maybe it was growing up in the woods of the Pacific Northwest or maybe it was my uncle who always took me out mushroom hunting and huckleberry picking, but I’ve always loved nature. Nature was my escape from reality, a good friend to hang out with after school. I enjoyed collecting insect and plant specimens whenever I had the chance. Once I got home I would set them up and draw them from life. I wanted to capture the essence of nature on paper. I felt that I was channeling nature through my eyes and into my fingertips. From that passion came curiosity. I wanted to understand nature; I wanted to learn what made it tick, how it works. I needed a tool to decipher its clues and patterns and that tool turned out to be science. Nature has facilitated my passion for science and art and now I need to find a way to combine art and science. I am an artist studying botany at the University of Washington.

Artist Statement
My most recent work is exploring the meeting point where a plant envisions being a human and a human envisions being a plant. I wanted to find similarities between humans and plants and portray them in a stained-glass-saintly way. These drawings were drawn with ballpoint pen and color pencil on tracing paper.

5 x 5 Submission 36 - Tom Hall

2010-02-17T01:22:00.008-08:00

Tom Hall
Tom Hall's website

BIO
Tom E Hall spent his formative years near Binghamton, NY, and his interest in structure originated with the bridges and industrial architecture of that region.
In 1997 he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the State University of New York at New Paltz; and moved to Seattle in 1998.

STATEMENT
I’m invested in process and fascinated by structure and space.
The subjects of my work are chosen on an intuitive basis. I feel compelled to interact with them and the act of making the work is a means of inquiry for me, a probing into the identity of these structures.
These works are created primarily on location from direct observation. I use an ink dropper for making the marks and there is no preliminary layout. Extra sheets of paper are added if the piece expands beyond a single page. Subtle distortions result from the limitations of perception. This allows for an organic aspect to the image, which can impart an animated or anthropomorphic quality to the structure, thereby allowing it to have a pulse or personality.
Buildings frame our physical space and project our cultural ambitions. As well, they have the capacity to outlast the human lifespan. With this in mind, it is intriguing how frequently the American built environment is reshaped, reformatting our physical space and modifying our sense of place and history.
My demolition series is an account of some of these structures, now missing, from Seattle, WA. I’m searching for the temporary identity of these spaces, as they are in flux between the state of being and not being. There is a penetrating beauty and curiosity within them coupled by a sense of mortality, exposed by their accelerated decay.

5 x 5 Submission 35 - Gail Howard

2010-02-17T00:32:00.006-08:00

Gail Howard
Gail Howard's Website
Method: Tracing the wood grain directly onto the wood, or through the gesso. Very difficult through the gesso!

Artist Bio

I settled in Seattle about 10 years ago. I have an undergraduate degree in art history/fine arts from UC Boulder and a master’s degree in painting from San Francisco Art Institute. After graduate school I had a solo show at Southern Exposure Gallery, an alternative artist space in San Francisco. It gave me the opportunity to do installation work for the first time and to explore my ideas on a massive scale (one piece was 55 feet long) and I hope to be able to do something like that again. In the meantime I’ve been working quite a bit smaller. After many years of working on my own (and also a long hiatus where I wasn’t producing any work at all) I got studio space in this amazing building on the edge of Georgetown called Equinox Studios. It was a brand new space at the time and is now a thriving community of 40 artists: blacksmiths, sculptors, graphic design, video, music, painting, woodworking. Being in Georgetown and in Equinox have given me access to such a vast array of creativity and brought my work up to a new level of productivity and commitment to making art.

Artist Statement

We live in a culture that defines a person’s value by how hard you work. Leisure time is for slackers. Nowadays people "complain" (brag) about being overworked, overextended, sleep-deprived.

So what does this brave new world find valuable: entertainment, immediate gratification, status items? How is value assessed, and how does art fit in? The art world is somewhat unique in that the work produced is priced without any consideration for the hours it takes, cost of materials, or quality of workmanship. Instead it is priced by what the market will bear and by reputation built by art world “experts.” Just try to slog through all serious, wordy discourse about artwork: those are our experts hard at work proving that art is important, useful, and worth it’s price tag.

So I like to poke sticks at all this: I get perverse pleasure out of doing hours and hours of repetitive work to make something that looks insubstantial or mind-numbingly tedious. If I (or most artists) charged by the hour, I’d never be able to sell my work. Because as most artists know, you didn’t become an artist to get rich; you were just born this way and find a way to make enough money to keep at it.

People often ask me how long it took to make a particular piece and then wonder why I bothered. In the end I do it because I find this style of working very meditative, because it sets my mind free both while I’m making it and when I’m viewing it. And often it makes me laugh.

5 x 5 Submission 34 - David McCrae

2010-02-17T00:28:00.007-08:00

David McCrae
I started learning the process of photography from my grandparents in Colorado, dedicated amateur photographers and naturalists. Process was left behind for theory while studying art history at the University of California, San Diego, although the beach kept interfering.

With the arrival of the digital darkroom in 2000, I began working under the tutelage of Jules Spilman, a Chicago Art Institute trained painter and sculptor living in Berkeley. He offered me my first show in 2004 at his Gallery and Salon, and so it goes.

The history of photography is replete with examples of image capture without a camera. My current work, the series ‘From a Scanner, Darkly,’ began when I had no time to work with film. Instead, a scanner and a computer became my substitute for photosensitive materials and a darkroom. I now use both analog and digital image capture, with, and without camera and lens. Images are printed digitally with pigment inks on archival paper.

5 x 5 Submission 33 - Larine Chung

2010-02-17T00:20:00.006-08:00

Larine Chung
Larine Chung's website
Artist bio:
Larine Chung was born in Shanghai, China and raised in Hong Kong. She was trained as a classical pianist since her childhood, but decided to pursue art in college. After she completed her BFA in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, she immigrated to United State in 2004 with her family. She is currently living in Washington State and had just graduated from the 4 year Classical Atelier program trained in classical painting tradition under Juliette Aristides. With her traditional art training background, she is interested in creating works that is relevant to now and would evoke an intellectual and emotional response in people.

Artist Statement:
In this trompel'oeil series, I want to explore the notion between reality and illusion. Everything we see and preserved as reality is a function of our vision combined with our mind’s active construction. Everybody see things a little differently and understands their surrounding in a personal way. In my oil painting, I want to explore the degree of reality and illusion by painting objects in daily life and juxtapose it on old panels with years of paint accumulated on it. My painting of real life objects emerged from background and an illusion is formed among the real paint blotches. Base on the color originally occurred in the panels, I choose my images so it accentuates the color of the panels and then I fine tuned the signal to noise ratio of the pieces.

I believe there is beauty in everywhere, even the most humble places like unwanted old wood panels found near dumpsters. My aim in art is to raise awareness and appreciation for the beauty around us. It’s a beautiful world, you just have to believe in it.

5 x 5 Submission 32 - James C Bassett

2010-02-17T00:11:00.006-08:00

James Bassett
James Bassett's website
Biography
James C. Bassett is a sculptor, writer, and editor. He was born on the U.S. Naval Submarine Base at Groton, CT and currently lives at his 35th address from 19 cities in 10 states and 2 countries. This constant dislocation has fostered a sense of outsiderness that informs his art. His sculpture typically explores the “autoalienation” of the postmodern world: the loss of connectedness and belonging of the individual to society, and the effects of this state of being -- this “twilife” -- on both the individual and on society. The Games of Pain and Sorrow are a new series growing out the turmoil of my recent move to Seattle.

Statement
Games of Pain and Sorrow: diabolical devices, pointlessly painful. Inscrutable relics from faraway, forgotten cultures. Pieces may be missing or damaged, the games incomplete. The rules are lost and unknown. But it hurts, however you play.

It’s a metaphor for something. . . . . . . . .

5 x 5 Submission 31 - Aaron Murray

2010-02-17T00:03:00.006-08:00

Aaron Murray
Aaron Murray is a Seattle artist, art educator, and shop owner. He runs Nancy (nancynancynancy.com) with his wife Kate. He also teaches art at various community centers around Seattle. He is known for his ceramic pottery and sculpture, hand-painted trading cards and woodcut prints. He is mostly self taught though had some formal training in clay at Brookhaven College and the University of North Texas. He enjoys making art to educate the masses and entertain himself.

5 x 5 Submission 30 - Kelda Martensen

2010-02-16T23:54:00.006-08:00

Kelda Martensen
Kelda Martensen is an artist and educator born in Tacoma and recently relocated to Burien, Washington. Kelda currently teaches art at Central Washington University, Pratt Fine Art Center, Sev Shoon Art Center, Moshier Art Center and South Seattle Community College. Kelda specializes in the print and book arts and has painted community murals in Moseushi, Japan and Berlin, Germany. Kelda’s work has been exhibited across the United States and Europe and can be found in the Special Collections of Washington University in St. Louis and Vilnius Art Centre of Vilnius, Lithuania. Kelda received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis and her BA from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Kelda’s awards include the Association of Women Faculty Award, the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Illustrated Book Award, the Bell Cramer Award in Printmaking, the CBAA Graduate Finalist Award for Outstanding Graduate work in the Book Arts and an international artist residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. Kelda’s work is to be featured in the book Adventures in Letterpress by Brandon Mise.

Drum of the Draw at Grey again. And again!

2010-02-13T01:06:00.003-08:00

Drum of the Draw
Saturday, 2/27/10, 5-9pm
at Grey Gallery and Lounge

We are happy to announce that Grey is the new home for Drum of the Draw!
Curated by Seattle artist and Grey friend Robert Hardgrave, Drum of the Draw is a bi-monthly live, invitational drawing event at Grey that brings artists and their creative process to the public for one night every other month. The artists create original drawings while the public is invited to enjoy food and beverage, observe the artists at work and purchase art as it is completed. The artwork ranges from $20 to $200, making it an affordable way to purchase works from some of your favorite Seattle artists.

Artists this month:
Julie Alpert
Joel Aaron Astley
Diane Culhane
Brian Cypher
Patricia Hagen
Robert Hardgrave
Joseph Keppler
Rachel Maxi
Michael McGovern
Daniel Mitchell

We hope to see you there!

Grey Gallery and Lounge Turns 2 - Tonight!

2010-02-05T15:15:00.005-08:00

Don't miss the party! We celebrate tonight!

Grey Gallery and Lounge is Turning 2!

Second Anniversary Party: Friday, February 5th starting at 6pm

The Sew People Experiment will be on hand from 6-9pm. Make your own arm bands, beanies or tank tops! Supplies and instruction will be provided for only $5!

The Soft Hills will play a live set at 8pm!

At 9pm, a special edition of Grey Area with WD4D, Vital, J-Justice of SunTzu Sound and Schratchmaster Joe!

We hope to see you there. We can't thank you enough for being a part of our first 2 years! Help us kick off our 3rd by celebrating with the wonderful community that is the heart of Grey.

To view available artwork by local and emerging artists exhibiting at Grey click here.

5 x 5 Submission 29 - Anna Garner

2010-02-04T18:41:00.007-08:00

Anna Garner

BIOGRAPHY
A San Diego native Anna has made her home in Olympia, WA for the past seven years. Exposed to photography at a young age by her father, an amateur wildlife photographer, Anna’s personal journey with photography started at 16 when she got her first camera. In 2005 Anna graduated from The Evergreen State College with an emphasis in Fine Arts Photography. While at Evergreen Anna discovered a passion for working with studio lighting, and as a result has completed several successful bodies of work within a studio setting. Her current work reflects her natural instinct with this type of lighting, by using flashlights as her exclusive source of light. While Anna is well versed in digital photography her specialty lies in color film and darkroom processing. Anna has exhibited her work in many galleries and public spaces in the Olympia area, and executed her first solo show last spring.

ARTIST STATEMENT
Last April I visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. I went with several family members and was taken aback by my aunts’ fear that when they passed out cards of victims’ names and photos at the entrance we would get one with their grandmother’s surname on it. Before this I had been questioning what my Jewish ancestry meant to me and why I was searching out a faith that my distant relatives had abandoned. I had also for a long time been wrestling with personal belief and with how to find and see God. These questions struck me again as I walked through the museum. I was frightened by the things I saw, and no matter how I tried to forget them I couldn’t. My head was filled with piles of shoes and replicas of incinerators. I was weighed down by a question I had asked many times before. How is there a God when so many horrible things have and do happen? These images and ideas filled my consciousness as I began this current body of work.
The series starts with images of peace and comfort then continues on a journey of falling away from this truth and shelter. As this Force is pulled farther and farther from our reality, it becomes just a shadow. This is also a mirror to how we are often just a shadow of what we could be. God becomes shrouded in mystery, and we try to make sense of it through all the mystical, spiritual, and religious traditions. All of which imply that deep within every person there is some fundamental idea of a Force that underlies the totality of all. Even in our reality where life is fragmented and often painful; where it’s difficult to see the face of a God we are supposed to have faith in, it is yet still there and is only hiding. The series is a representation of how God is cloaked and hidden in our world.

5 x 5 Submission 28 - Michael Azzano

2010-02-04T17:07:00.005-08:00

Michael Azzano
Michael Azzano's Website

My work exists as a visual diary. My motivation to create art, in itself serves as an outlet to comment and document issues I see as important. Drawing from both my own personal life and the world around me, my goal is to accurately capture and translate my creativity onto paper.

My current body of work began to develop after witnessing the aftermath of a car accident. I saw beauty produced from chaos and was simultaneously excited and terrified. Frailty is confronted in my work by focusing on implements created to simplify and ease life. The focal point in these works magnifies the moment these implements no longer serve their purpose. Automobiles are specifically targeted in this series. Fundamentally, they are hunks of metal built to encase us for travel between two points. While advancements in safety and technology have effectively lowered the chances for personal damage and death, these objects still succumb to the actions of their operators.

Recently my attention has begun to shift direction and my work represent more the fragility and wastefulness of our society at large. I am interested in our increasing need for more, bigger, and better. While one could argue this attitude is the product of our search for the “American Dream”, I cannot help but think of the discarded objects we no longer want. We push our planet to keep up with our ever-increasing desire for more and as a result, items destitute and forgotten are banished to the Junkyard.

5 x 5 Submission 27 - Jean Bradbury

2010-02-02T14:22:00.008-08:00

Jean Bradbury
Jean Bradbury's Website
Jean was born in the Shetland Islands, U.K. in 1963 and grew up in New Brunswick,
Canada. After completing her BFA in painting at Queen’s University she spent time
travelling through Europe and the Near East developing an interest in art history and
archeology. She has also studied illustration in Seattle with Joseph Park and Claire Cowie.
Jean’s paintings of fantastic plants and animals emerge from both her vivid imagination
and careful botanical observation. The themes of her work which frequently include
emotional aspects of life such as vulnerability, anxiety and heartache are set amid whimsi-
cal landscapes of seductive beauty.

5 x 5 Submission 26 - Serrah Russell

2010-02-02T14:07:00.007-08:00

Serrah Russell
Serrah Russell's Website
For as long as she can remember, Serrah Russell has lived in the outskirts of Seattle. For as long as she can remember, Serrah has also had a horrific time writing bio’s about herself. Graduated from the University of Washington BFA Photograph program, she has acquired a affinity to discussing time travel and art while drinking whiskey gingers out of mason jars. Believing that all things can be salvaged, she frequents Goodwill for new material for art and although no longer living at home, her old bedroom closet continues to increase in density.

TIMEPROOF
and here we are, now and eternally

No matter how banal or insignificant an action may seem, it is confined for eternity by the nature of time. “And here we are, now and eternally” is a recent photographic project consisting of small scale photographs; some taken by me, others discovered in thrift store photo albums or in dusty shoeboxes, which are then drawn and marked upon. These printed photographs are tangible remnants of a permanent occurrence and the layer of marks upon them depict a change in nature, architecture of space and movement of light that may be possible as we proceed through time. The marks intercept the original birth of the image and then by their action, both visualize and embody another event in the continuum.

The images become landscapes for the exploration of the permanence of actions and the trace of moments through time. These image-objects carry the viewer from the past to the present simultaneously, revealing potential for the future.

And here we are, now and eternally, in this present time. We have not travelled away from the original moment, for we could not even if we tried. Each moment is here with us, being altered, touched, and acted upon. Choices have been made and our only option in each present moment is to react to past reactions, to alter alterations and to continue in the path of time with these objects keeping us as living time machines.

5 x 5 Submission 25 - Phil Scroggs

2010-02-02T13:46:00.012-08:00

Phil Scroggs
Phil Scroggs' Website
Phil Scroggs grew up in Augusta, Georgia, where he fed his right-brain tendencies with heaping portions of Saturday morning cartoons and Atari video games.

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from the University of Georgia, Phil started his career in Atlanta as a graphic designer. After a few years in the printing business, he transitioned into a software instructor for various Atlanta training centers, including New Horizons, Portfolio Center and Emory University.

In June of 2000, Phil drove across the country to set up shop in Seattle. Fueled by caffeine and pop culture, he currently spends his time as a painter, illustrator and web designer.

His digital work is created in Adobe Illustrator. But, he sometimes also incorporates elements from Photoshop. In his non-digital art, Phil uses acrylic paint on canvas and found objects. Here again, he sometimes features his photographs in mixed media pieces. Phil's work is influenced by such pop art icons as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. It often features recycled materials and symbols seen in southern folk art.

Phil's work can be found on the web, in books, newspapers and magazines,.. and on public and private gallery walls around the country.

5 x 5 Submission 24 - Jesse Brown

2010-02-01T16:03:00.012-08:00

Jesse Brown
Jesse Brown's Website

ARTIST BIO
Jesse Brown is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Seattle, Wa.
His work has been exhibited at galleries in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, New York, Tokyo, Berlin, London and Paris.

Jesse's work is often an exploration in geometric forms, pattern, shape and repetition which display a very clean, graphic quality. He is know for working in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture, murals, artist books, installation, video and textile works.

Jesse has been active in public art in Seattle for the past 10 years, his most recently completed project is a large-scale mural and neon sign installation for the Sound Transit Light Rail at Sodo Station.

5 x 5 Submission 23 - Tatjana Pavicevic

2010-02-01T15:29:00.011-08:00

Tatjana Pavicevic
Tatjana Pavicevic was born and raised in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and emigrated to the United States in 1999. For the last eight years she has lived and worked in Seattle. She received a B.F.A. degree in painting and printmaking from Cornish College of The Arts in 2005.
The tumultuous past of her war torn mother country, the experience of displacement and move into an unknown and hopeful life, and the acclimation to different cultural surroundings have gratefully prompted her to always seek a deeper meaning and beauty in all that life is.
Tatjana’s work is of representational character with a choice of oil painting, printmaking, and drawing media. Her current pieces have a substantial focus on portraiture. Inspired by her subject, she renders the energy which ties her to it.

For me art is a process of self-analysis and analysis of human condition. By choosing art as a profession, I have given myself a responsibility to communicate things or phenomena that don’t have a simple definition, and yet are often present in the ordinary world.
Artist has an ability to feel the essence of things, reach beyond their surface, pull the content out, and make it visible for anyone. This ability makes art a necessity for me, the ultimate way of life.
I strive to visually define elements of pure existence and human connection to the world. Inspiration is endlessly driven from my surroundings, and it gives me no other choice but to react to it and create from it.

5 x 5 Submission 22 - Olivia Britt

2010-02-01T15:19:00.011-08:00

Olivia Britt

BIO

Britt was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She received her BA in painting from Dartmouth College in 2000 and her MFA in painting from the University of Washington in 2004. She was the recipient of a 2005 PONCHO Artist-in-Residence grant to learn bronze casting at Pratt Fine Arts Center. Her work has been published twice in New American Paintings, Open Studios Press, Boston. She has exhibited her work at the Jaffe-Friede and Strauss Galleries of Dartmouth College, the Alliance for Visual Arts and McGowan Fine Art in New Hampshire, the Henry Art Gallery, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Soil Art Gallery, and Francine Seders Gallery. She was a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago in 2005, and currently teaches at Gage Academy of Art. She lives and works in Seattle.

STATEMENT

I like materials and the process of making. Materials are the physical embodiment of intent and expression, establishing a history of process unique to each painting or collage. I seek to solidify experience, not to identify something known. I build my paintings and collages using color, mass, line, and shape to structure and divide the rectangle. I observe the landscape around me, oftentimes things most people don’t take note of – a group of holes and cracks in a sidewalk, a piece of piping running up the side of an old building, the concrete medians in roadways. I am sensitive to color and the light of the northwest. Painting is natural for me, and a process I have engaged in and enjoyed since childhood.

To submit work for 5 x 5 , email luara@greygalleryandlounge.com

Check out our blog for more information: 5 x 5 Information

Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2010