Belltown Art Walk Solo Show

What a night!

The January Belltown Art Walk was an incredible success. By "success," I mean that an amazing crowd showed up and man, did we have FUN! Special thanks to everyone who bought original cyanotypes and acrylic monotypes, limited-edition cyanotype prints and cards but mostly, the evening was all about the opportunity to connect and it felt wonderful. A few photos are below but there are more on Instagram (sound off if you don't feel like "Levitating" LOL).

Please join me Friday, February 10th between 6-9 at Vann Studio, 2030 First Avenue (between Lenora and Virginia), Seattle, for another festive night and a completely refreshed show. I'm re-hanging everything and adding a considerable amount of new art. There will be acrylic monotypes mounted on wood panels and mixed media pieces featuring gold leaf that I've never shown before.

There is so much art of all kinds to be seen and appreciated throughout the whole neighborhood during the Belltown Art Walk, February 10, 2023, 6-9pm. I hope to see you there!

Ocean-Inspired Cyanotypes

I recently experimented with making seaweed cyanotypes.

Collecting specimens up on Whidbey Island was half the fun. After some time playing in the tidal quicksand, my kids helped.

Seaweed is quite challenging to work with. Out of the water, some varieties become slippery blobs that are difficult to lay flat on a surface without damaging them or the paper.

I'm certainly not the first person to do this. In fact, I was inspired by Anna Atkins who made the first photographic book, "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions," in 1843. The cyanotype process had only been invented a year earlier, by her neighbor Sir John Herschel, but she was the first to use it for making botanical photograms.

Anna Atkins didn't keep diaries or take notes so her process isn't well documented but around 17 of her original books still exist. In them, there are pin holes where she secured dry algae specimens in place atop her treated paper. She was also very careful to keep her paper dry, indicated by the smooth dark blue background in her work. I love imagining her rushing in and out of the sun in long dresses and petticoats.

Using Atkins as my inspiration but not wanting to even attempt to copy her iconic work, I used a different approach: the wet cyanotype method. Water, vinegar and soap bubbles created a sensation of movement, as if the seaweed was swaying in the waves.

The process was colorful (and only slightly stinky!) after carrying home some seaweed. The results were fascinating with the seaweed filtering the light in interesting ways and also depositing a good bit of their tannins to create detailed shapes on the paper. More abstract than my floral pieces but definitely interesting with an underwater feeling. You can see the all of my seaweed cyanotypes (now available as a set of Salish Sea Intertidal cards) HERE.

I encourage you to take a closer look at the work of the pioneering artist/biologist Anna Atkins. Her entire book can be viewed online at the New York Public Library Digital Collections. More information about her life and process can be found HERE.

New Original Art and where to find it...

I am so excited to announce that I now have gallery representation in Seattle! These new monotypes, plus my cyanotypes, will soon be available at VENUE, located at 5408 22nd AVE NW, just off Market Street in Ballard.

I hope you'll be able to visit Venue at some point. It's a lovely gallery representing a wide range of talented local artists. I'm so grateful to be in such good company!

If you want to purchase one of my new pieces, please let me know immediately and I'll contact the gallery to make sure they set it aside. If you're local (Issaquah and environs), I'll even hand deliver it to you! Just drop me an email at lizstandreart@gmail.com to let me know.

Here's an closer look at these beauties:

From left to right, first photo:

Peace - Blue, 14x18" Acrylic monotype on reclaimed elm veneer $320

Pure Joy, 11x12" Mixed media on reclaimed wood box (acrylic monotype & pencil) $150

Second photo, top row:

Shine On, 14x18" Acrylic monotype $320

Moonlight in the Garden - Pink, 12x12" Acrylic monotype $200

Left to right bottom row:

Moonlight in the Garden - Blue, 12x12" Acrylic monotype $200

Embrace, 8x10" Acrylic monotype $110

Wild & Free - Turquoise, 14x18" Acrylic monotype $320

Mounted on birch panels, this new work is immediately ready to hang. On most of them, the artwork wraps around the edge of the wood panel so they're interesting to view from the sides too. But like I said, just send me an email if you want more images or information.

Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement along the way!