Happy Birthday Public Artist!

06May11

Last year I applied for a special public art submission through the PCNW – for 2′x8′ photographic panels to go onto King County Bus Shelters. There were 100 spots and I was told that I got between 2, 3, or 4. I got a letter stating that I would have 1 or more…sometime in 2011. Apparently, the panels (through a grant from 4Culture!), were to be printed on 2′x8′ wooden panels and would show up at bus stops as they were being built. The timeline? TBD.

Well, while working at the photo center last night, one of the folks there (thank you Ish!!!) said she’d seen my work! Wow. It was up! And it was actually in a place people would see (ie, not a park and ride in covington or some out of the way place)! It’s on the 26/28 bus route, at Dexter and Denny (on dexter, going north, on the west side) a hundred feet or so from Winston Wachter Gallery. Wow. Not only accessible, but really public, too!

I had to stop by of course, on my way home! Sorry for the dark photos, it was night after all! So! It’s official! I’m naow a public artist and can add that accolade to my CV! Oh, and I’m turning 40 tomorrow, so what a great birthday present, eh?

Filed under: public art   |  1 Comment
Tags: Seattle Metro Bus Stop

Upcoming PCNW juried show

20Apr11

Part of why I haven’t posted much on this blog is the simple fact that I haven’t been shooting much in the last year or so. Haven’t been inspired, much either. Lately, while working at pcnw (I monitor there just to keep my toe in the water), I’ve become more interested in taking photos again. Along with that is the upcoming 16th annual juried show at pcnw (due May 14) focused on land and water. Hmm. I have a whole series of the pacific northwest coast, called “Shoreline.”

I love quite a few of the images I’ve taken for this series, but to be honest, I only have about 7-8 really solid pieces and have always wanted to push and expand the series further. This upcoming show seems like a great opportunity to do just that!

Two weeks ago I took a day off and the whole family, John, both cats, and I, went down to Oregon for 3 days so I could photograph. It was a difficult trip. It was wet. Very wet. My camera got rained on really hard. My lens was fogging up (on the inside!). Then the rain got into the viewfinder (which is at the top on the Hasselblad camera I use), the wet got in between the sandwiched glass plates, and became impossible to see through. And then the landscape itself was not cooperating.

The beach was so flat and straight as if with a level. I rely on natural curves to make the edge of the waves take on interesting undulations. Instead, the waves rolled in in a straight line to infinity, and it was extremely uninteresting looking to say the least.

I didn’t get very many good images except this one. I may have two or three other salvageable images, but nothing with a “wow” factor. Again, not yet color-corrected:

Oregon Dunes, April 2011

I still have 3 weekends before submissions are due. I think I’ll have to do a day trip out to Ocean Shores or Long Beach to take a few more rolls. That’s an easy day trip, 5-6 hours of driving.

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Green Infinity

20Apr11

Wow. Haven’t done much with this blog, but that’s going to change!! Recently did some wet-mount scanning at pcnw. Here’s an additional image from a trip last summer to Eastern Washington – a classic farmland landscape. In my head I’m calling this one “Green Infinity” due to the figure-8 configuration of the tilled rows.

I have a few more I’ll be working on from that time period, too. Not sure I’m totally in love with the wet-mount scanning method (glass plate on a flatbed scanner, squirt an alcohol-based liquid, place your film into it, cover with more liquid, then cover with a sheet of clear virgin plastic to seal, rub out the bubbles, then scan). This is my first expeienced with it. At least it gets rid of the nasty newton rings I grapple with on my scanner at home (Nikon 9000 with a $300 glass plate negative holder, grr). I’m not fully convinced the wet-mounting is getting the grain in the film, have to do a print test too.

Anyway, here’s one of the best landscapes from the shoot (not yet color corrected or cleaned up much at all):

Filed under: Eastern Washington, Farm land   |  Leave a Comment