#9 - falling wall stuido

For my birthday last year I made a plan to do one “thing” that took me out of my comfort zone every month. I am now into month nine of this project and while some months have been less of a risk then others, every month has pushed me beyond the status quo and challenged how I view myself and the world. I may or may not share the previous month’s adventures (I guess maybe that could be my adventure for month 10) but, here is July.

Thing #9 – Rent art studio space in Pioneer Square and show paintings.

Last week I rented studio space in Pioneer Square and opened the Falling Wall Studio with my friend Sid. The time from signing the lease, to creating a name and logo, to holding our first show as about 72 hours!!! – No one ever accused me of moving slow once I made a decision. The experience of having my paintings on a wall and watching and listening as people came by was in a word – weird.

Aside from maybe entering things in the county fair, this was the first time in which my work was out in public for people to comment on without my direct participation in the conversation. One lady in particular stood in front of one of my pieces and ran her hands across the surface as if she was trying to receive something deeper from it then what could be seen by her eyes. I wanted to move her away and place her hands in the pockets of her coat where they would not be able to continue to explore. At the same time, I knew why she was searching the surface. This piece, along with the others in the series call to me in the same way. Even though I know that behind the colors and the crack lies a blank white canvas, I can’t help by try to pick away at the surface to see if I can discover what is hidden.

The next step on this adventure will be to create enough pieces to hold a more formal showing in September. Mark your calendars – September 1st 6pm. Hope to see you there.