If you happen to visit the Seattle area this summer, be sure and check out the 4X4: Art by Design show in Port Townsend, Washington. Port Townsend (PT in local speak) is a ferry ride plus an hours drive from Seattle. This historic town with a long history of boat building and woodworking is a wonderful place to visit.
The show runs through August 7, 2022. There’s an artist talk and walk through Saturday, July 9th. The show featuring the works of four artists, including yours truly, who started out as graphic designers. The four of us have been friends for more than 35 years and now focus on fine art using different mediums. My focus, of course, is on wood sculpture. Most of the work I’ve prepared for the show is created using digital woodworking tools like CNCs.
I created a lot of new work for the show including several pieces designed to look at the world differently. My series called B Flat challenges the expected perspectives of the viewer. One of the goals of the work is was to create 3D wall sculpture that plays well with modern framed wall art.
Another series called 3D Sketching is the result of a personal challenge to create three dimensional wood sculpture based on quick sketches.
A third series in the 4X4 show is a series of abstract sculpture based on Northwest coastal indigenous tribe design elements.
I’m happy to say that the show turned out very well. All the art in the show looks great together. Some examples are shown below. Come see for yourself!
4X4: Art by Design
Northwind Art Jeanette Best Gallery
701 Water Street, Port Townsend
Gallery hours: Thurs. – Mon. noon-5 pm.
Artist Talk Saturday, July 9th, 2022 at 1 pm
4×4: Art by Design is an exhibit featuring four Northwest artists.
“All of these artists share a common career path,” says Kathleen Garrett, Exhibits Director at Northwind Art. “They all started out as graphic designers and continue to use those skills as they have migrated to the world of fine art.”
The exhibit features works by Tim Celeski (Indianola, WA), David Owen Hastings (Sequim, WA), Leslie Newman (Indianola, WA), and Brian O’Neill (Bellingham, WA) and focuses on abstract art in mediums including prints, quilts, ceramic vessels, digital painting, and abstract wood sculpture.
4×4: Art by Design presents complementary forms, shapes, colors, depths, and intensities that radiate throughout each artist’s work. The exhibit demonstrates the shared history, experience, visual skills, and unique perspectives that each of these artists brings to their work.
