November brought us rain but West Seattle brought the Art and Music to fend off the pre-winter grays! It was a fantastic evening for the Arts community and West Seattle at large with lots of joy and expression to go around.
Bringing light and color to the early hours of November’s Art Walk, Sindi Somers’ Fiesta Squares bring a vibrant energy to Zelda Zonk both inside and out. Nearby at West Seattle Grounds, artist Pam Hemmerling’s striking portraits added to a lively audience for musician Michael Pearsall. The textured brush strokes of her pieces provided a sense of animation and spark in the welcoming interior of West Seattle Grounds. Down the street, artist Brittney High made her Art Walk debut with a stunning collection of fluid art. The freedom of movement in her works provides a calming moment of focus perfect for a little self-care at Hawthorne Massage.
West Seattle Realty brought both the sound and the visuals tonight, hosting Caitlin Patterson, accompanied by Marshell Lombard for Art of Music, and painter Brandi Quinn. The gathered crowd sang along with Caitlin, practicing our “ooohs” and harmonizing while admiring Brandi’s bold and evocative work across West Seattle Realty’s expansive space. At Wend, macraweave artist Kristi Nakata’s captivating PNW landscapes in fiber drew an excited crowd of admirers. The Skagit tulip fields and sunny ferry passages promised warmer (and longer) days ahead. In addition to her larger wall hangings, patrons could also bring home smaller versions of her work at her pop-up shop. At new business Soiree, artist Maggie Sharar provided a live demo of her gorgeous fem-focused paintings. She explained her technique to us, and was able to paint and talk simultaneously (an amazing skill) with plenty of high-quality prints to sell. Next door at Molly’s Bottle Shop artist Jessica Tulloch’s dynamic fluid acrylic paintings lined the walls. She told us about her process, combining chemistry and physics to create one-of-a-kind pieces that once completed cannot be edited or changed, a lesson in letting go!
Further down towards the Alaska Junction exuberant, colorful travel and Seattle scenes depicted by an equally exuberant and colorful Leslie Jenkins at Discovery Shop. The artist’s beautiful kimono reflected a similar style to her detailed, intricate, joyful paintings. Inspiration to find richness and warmth all around us. Even at night, though open only during the day, Flying Apron looks inviting. Check back morning and afternoon for great art and yummy and savory treats.
John L. Scott Real Estate West Seattle drew a great crowd for artist Desmond Hanson and musical duo Olizar, Christine Salazar on guitar and vocals and Caitlin Olive on violin and vocals. Desmond Hanson spoke with our volunteer about his work, including the very-recognizable portrait paintings on electrical boxes around WS. He grew up tagging and eventually moved on to fine art, enjoying large-scale photo realism. Next in the pipeline are some commissioned projects (he is available for large and small projects in all budgets), more electrical boxes, and creating some larger-scale murals, which we can’t wait to see.
Self-taught T. Frick’s art is almost all mixed media, even when it says “oil” it is mixed with lots of stuff which she believes helps build up a story. Frick is a landscape architect by training and “dreams in trees”. To Frick, art is such an individual thing. Art needs joy, and to her, when you’re comparing, you’re not experiencing the journey of what art should be. Lars Gesing shared some of his process with us as well. Most landscape artists use wide lenses to get more into their images, but Lars loves using a zoom lens to capture meditative moments, and he believes that less is more. To Lars, beauty is in the simplicity, and it really becomes meditative when you don’t have as much to focus on.
ArtsWest was in the process of decking the halls for the artist’s reception December 10. This show will be worth an extended visit as the paintings of figures are stunning and inviting, scenes familiar to the viewer yet seen through an illuminated lens of action and emotion. Nicole Little’s artful designs and sparkly hits of color matched Doll Parts vibes perfectly. At Junction 47 Apartments Kimberely Turnbull’s designs, with cards, magnets, and jewelry offered a fun start to holiday shopping. A great crowd gathered at Windermere to meet Tom Costantini and check out his vibrant and playful art. As always, Jet City Labs was buzzing with music, arts, and energy to spare!
Quail Park was cozy and welcoming on this rainy Artwalk evening. Swan Dive was filled with excitement as the crowd reviewed fresh vintage gift-giving options and enjoyed Andy Officer’s artwork. Capers brought light and joy to the November night, with Leon Lowman and Melissa Misoda offering a complement of glass sculpture and acrylic paintings for art walkers to enjoy.
At Morgan Junction, Inner Space Designs was a stylish oasis on a rainy evening. Michael Lentz’s elegant carved wooden birds were meant to be handled and moved around by visitors – and they were! West Seattle Cellars was cozy with Debbie Murray’s colorful paintings above racks of wine from all over the world. Seattle’s friendliest cannabis shop felt even friendlier with Joe Click’s painterly, textured oils and acrylics above the display cases.
Our team of volunteer Art Walk photographers did a wonderful job of capturing the ambiance of the evening as well as the art and artists. Thank you, Mia, Meagan, Michelle, Molly, John, Jill, and Helen. We couldn’t do this without you! If you weren’t able to come out, we hope you take a moment to check out photos of the receptions below or on social media. Or, better yet, come see the shows yourself. Most of the artwork featured will be up all month long, so do find time to visit these venues.
We want to thank all our generous partners for the support they bring to the West Seattle Art Walk – Northwest Art and Frame, Verity Credit Union, Canna West Seattle, Quail Park, Easy Street Records, West Seattle Realty, Southpaw Barbershop, our media partner West Seattle Blog and our printing partner Sky Printing.
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[Featured photo: Desmond Hanson at John L. Scott Real Estate]
West Seattle Art Walk 