One of the highlights of my trip to Seattle was getting to visit Roq la Rue gallery in Belltown. They had a fantastic group show up featuring a couple of my favorite artists plus some new ones I hadn’t seen before – all right up my lowbrow alley. The show, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, runs until the end of the month, so pop down quickly if you’re in the area.
Travis Louie
Sir Walter Bengalfoot
Audrey Kawasaki
Negaigoto
Nouar
Raw
I’m very excited to see the new Banksy film Exit Through the Gift Shop. I’ve heard that it’s getting good reviews, though I’m doing my best to avoid them so they don’t ruin the movie for me (which extended trailers and reviews often do).
If you’ve never heard of Banksy, he’s a mysterious UK graffiti artist that uses stencils to create beautiful, moving works of art in public spaces, both to the delight and the chagrin of the public. I’m so inspired by people who make art just for art’s sake – not for galleries or to hang on the wall in a state of preservation. His work will be (& often is) painted over, torn down or eventually just washed away with the rain. But what a gift to be able to catch a glimpse of one on your way to work every morning or while waiting at the bus stop. Love it.
Yay! I’m nominated for a Poppy award over at Poppytalk.com. It’s a fab site run by a fellow Vancouverite that showcases some of the most interesting and unique designers, artists and crafters. I’ve got a whack of pages bookmarked for their tutorials and images saved in my “dream house” folder.
In the Affordable Art category, I’m thrilled to discover that little ol’ me has been nominated. Head on over to vote for me & I’ll be your BFF! I think you’re allowed to vote more than once too. *hint hint* Voting closes on Wednesday, January 27th.
THANK YOU!!!
I love the charming papercut art of Jayme McGowan so hard. His shop, Roadside Projects, is filled with whimsical 3D creations that make the paper doll loving 9 year old in me squeal with joy. His blog is fab too with behind the scenes peeks at his process of creating.
While I’d really love to buy (OK…receive) one of his originals, the prints are also gorgeous and very affordable.
The big Day of the Dead show kicked off last night at the Jem Gallery and I was amazed at what Carola, the curator, was able to do with such a small space. There were 65 total pieces in the show, hung salon style, right up to the roof.
It was great to see what the other artists came up with and though I’m probably done with painting teeny tiny dots for this year (did I mention how many teeny TINY dots there are in my painting?), I’m definitely feeling inspired to go with some darker themes.
Here’s a shot of my finished painting – Ana and her Cat:
Ana y su Gato
12″ x 16″
$350
Other pieces I really loved:
Taralee Guild – website
Megz Majewski – website
Christina Christie – website
You can see a bunch more photos in the Jem Gallery photo album on Facebook or if you’re a local, go see the show in person!
