Art Up (Greenwood-Phinney) Friday, Aug. 14

Friday, I headed up to the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood to catch their art walk - ArtUp.

My first stop was at Strut, the shoe store, where I met photographer David Quigg. David had previously worked as the Seattle staff reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune. He grew to appreciate photography from his work, and now has picked up the camera and is using it to produce art photography. His subjects are varied, and as fine art photography tends to be, difficult to explain. It is as much about color, shape, and noticing small things and their relation to the world, as about a particular subject matter. He uses color, light, and perspective to give us interesting views of his subjects. Some nice work. Keep shooting, David.

Next I went to Art On The Ridge. I had just missed the visit by Mayor Nickels, who was touring the neighborhood for Art Up himself. Art On The Ridge hosts several artists each month. In addition, live music is provided. This month the featured band was The B-3tles. The name is of course a play on words - the Beatles, and the B-3 Hammond Organ which they incorporate. It all makes for a great venue for art.(artontheridge.com)

Owner Nicole Stremlow-Monahan was showing some of her own work. Nicole creates large paintings of Koi, and combines them with Roman numerals, in a blending of East-West philosophies. In Japanese tradition, Koi represent perseverence and setting goals. The Roman numerals represent the passage of time. She uses bright, pure colors which gives a feeling of purity and ability to move with full view. The paint is put on the canvas in such a way that they are thick with color, but thin enough to drip, and in long flows. One can almost feel the fish effortlessly glide through the waters. In Teamwork, the fish move in paths that make way for the other while continuing on their path. The paintings give hope that we can also move effortlessly through our lives, while helping others also on their path, with perseverence and purpose.(Nicole bio)

Also, at Art On The Ridge, was artist Julie Costanzo. Julie was showing some of her beautiful Landscapes and Impastos. Origininally from New Jersey, Julie has lived here since 2006. Her landscapes largely reflect open spaces, blue skies, and deciduous trees, so may come from her life on the East Coast, or perhaps Eastern Washington. While the scenery in many of her paintings, such as Glass Pond seemingly go on forever, indicating a love of nature, they never leave you totally stranded or feeling isolated. There is always the heartening path, road, or fence nearby, telling you that the comfort of home is still within reach. The trees are often bare, forboding a coming winter, but the sun now is golden and warm, again adding to the sense that all is well.

Impasto, is a style of painting by adding the paint in thick amounts to the canvas. The term comes from the the same root in Italian as pasta, and in fact means, like dough. We are probably most familiar with the technique, or look, used by the Impressionists. However, it started much earlier with artists such as Titian (1488(?) - 1576). Julie paints Impasto's that look very much like an Impressionist, and is now also creating some abstracts. Her painting Montmarte reflects the French village of that name, which is famous for the paintings done there by Vincent Van Gogh, and others. The village looks warm and inviting, with but a few vague people outside on the streets. The street level lights are on in the buildings, while most of the upper level windows are dark, suggesting that people are gathered in the restaurants and bars below, sharing food and conversation.

Over The Big Top, reflects a circus tent that is shredding and being torn apart. There is drama and motion in the tent and in the clouds above, that perhaps a sudden storm is tearing apart the tent. The effect is convincing and well done. (juliecostanzoart.com)