The Colorful, Sweet Art of Traci Bixby

Kenmore's Traci Bixby can barely remember a time without crayons or some other drawing instrument in her hand.  Some of her earliest memories are coloring at her little bedroom table with her mom and dad.


Drawing and coloring continued through her school years, and took her to Seattle's School of Visual Concepts.  SVC began in 1971, at which experts in the field do the teaching.  These experts had a huge positive effect on Traci, who studied there for four years.  She says " I took everything from figure drawing to pastel, oil painting to color theory. But when I took the watercolor class, my heart just soared. I had found my medium."

Moonlight Picnic

Traci's paintings have an illustrative approach, and seem to lend themselves to telling a story.  She tries to capture the images and feelings she sees in her head and her heart.  According to Traci, "sometimes I'm overwhelmed with those images and feelings and the best way to express them is through my paintings."  Her most successful works lead viewers to dive in and participate in the story, adding their own imagination to it.  

Studio Set-up: easel, light, laptop, straight edge,
and color options

Sweet 16

Traci finds herself surrounded by inspiration on a daily basis.  She's always got her sketchpad at the ready, waiting for that vision to appear so she can capture it.  But rather than simply drawing a scene, Traci draws how the scene feels, taking it into a whole new realm of emotional value.  When asked about her sources of inspiration, Traci said "Inspiration can be as simple as sitting in my car on the darkest of gray Seattle days and a woman will walk across my path with a bright red coat and yellow umbrella. All I see are shapes and colors. It's the contrast of that one moment in time that inspires me."

Traci at the drawing board, at the table seen
in the image above in her studio

Magnolia

One of my personal favorite pieces of Traci's was, she says, inspired by a visit to Seattle's Discovery Park - a favorite place of mine to visit.  The many magnolia trees there inspired Traci to paint this work, with the view of the water in the background.  This card has words on it, with the front saying "Wish Upon A Star and..." inside it says "Dream Big Dreams."  If you've ever visited Discovery Park, and been awed by the trees, the water and the mountains beyond, it truly lends itself to dreaming big dreams!


Meet Traci in person on Thursday, June 21, from 5 - 8 pm!  She'll bring along her paint and paper and do a demonstration for us, too.  You can purchase prints and greeting cards, and perhaps some other little lovelies, too.  And if you can't make it, find her cards on hand at the gallery any time!


Hope to see you,
Manya Vee


ManyaVeeSelects.com

 

Exceptional American Artisans

Each year since 1989, a contest is held to determine the very best works in a variety of categories for Fine American Craft.  An industry magazine, Niche, hosts the awards each year, selecting a panel of judges from within the field to work through the many applications they receive to choose the very top in each category.  The goal is to celebrate excellence and innovation in American and Canadian Fine Craft.

Over 1000 applications are received each year, with only 38 winners chosen - one for each of 38 categories.  Truly, this is the best of the best our country has to offer.

Since this only happens within the retail industry, most of you don't even know such a thing exists, or get a chance to see the amazing work being created by artists right here in our own backyard.  I am blown away every year by the beautiful pieces selected by artists who have mastered their medium so much that they are expanding our idea of what can be done within it.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you this year, as well as the link to see all the winners.  Be sure to let me know which one(s) are YOUR favorites!

by Peter Muller and Joe Peters

This piece amazingly combines blown glass with flame-work glass.  First the vessel is handblown and then, following the cooling cycle, cut, polished and acid etched to create a weathered, sea glass finish.  At that point the flameworked sculpture is created to fit within the lines of each piece.  Look closely to see bees hard at work in their beehive.  Created by the artistic team of Peter Muller and Joe Peters and their Furnace & Flame company.

"Brindille" by Felix LaPierre

In the wood furniture category, Canadian artist Felix LaPierre won for this amazing table/bench that uses branches to hold up one end.  The beauty of the wood comes through in spectacular style, yet the group of branches cut flush with the surface, and cascading gradually down to finally touch the ground is beautifully done and very innovative.

Necklace by Lisa Hawthorne

Metalsmith and enamelist Lisa Hawthorne won two awards this year: one for this necklace, and another for a brooch.  I loved the detail and intricacy of this necklace.  She told me it is made of enamel on fine silver with 24k cloisonné.  The enamel is given a matte finish.  It's set in a 22k gold bezel, and the rest of the piece is combo of oxidized sterling and 22k gold, along w/gemstones.  What a show-stopper it is!

Be sure to check out all the other award-winners, and then let us know what stood out for you.  We are excited to hear!

Jeff and Manya

ManyaVeeSelects.com