I’m still relatively new to keeping a sketchbook, but I’m starting to see the appeal. Small book, cheap materials and low stakes opens the door to playing and experimenting with reckless abandon…and that creative energy is starting to spill over into my larger paintings.
Origin Story – The Offering
Art For Sale, creativity, Exhibition, Gallery, Narrative, Origin story, process, Story, Works In Progress
The Offering (48″x48″): I love pieces that develop in their own time. As these paintings grow with me over months, my challenges, wishes, joys and sorrows get embedded in the layers. The painting becomes a time capsule that captures who I am and how I’m feeling as the piece evolves.
I love some of the color and energy in the earlier versions, but these passages, while pretty, were meaningless. I relish paintings where the struggle leads me to unknown places and pushes me beyond my capabilities. At their best, my paintings feel like an archeological discovery, as if I’m unearthing something that’s always been there. The finished piece is something I never could (or would) set out to paint. So these origin stories remind me of how a painting came to be…
June 15, 2023: I am both here and not here…a meditation on impermanence that is resonating with me today. And so I embedded it in the first layer of this 48″x48″ piece.
June 18: Starting to build up surface history that I can later work back into. Happy to be working large once again…
June 22: Working on large pieces in a small studio makes it hard to stand back and view the painting from a distance. So posting progress pics on Instagram scales down the image, allowing me to troubleshoot compositional problems and figure out where the piece wants to go next…🤓
June 25: Very early stages yet, but after a brief TimeOut, we’re starting to listen to each other…
Upcoming Feature Show
Art For Sale, Exhibition, GallerySANCTUARY
Columbia City Gallery
Exhibit runs Nov 15 – Jan 7
Featured Artists: Tina Albro, Patrick Connelly, Carol Berger Hershman,
Eliaichi Kimaro, Leslie Nan Moon, Rupa Palasmudram
Opening Reception
Sat., November 18
5 – 7pm
Columbia City Gallery
4864 Rainier Ave S., Seattle 98118
Light refreshments will be served.
Artist Statement
Since the pandemic, I’ve come to a deeper understanding and appreciation about the role of art in my life. Making art is no longer an ‘if I have time’ matter. It has become as integral to my well-being as my daily writing practice. Art helps me repair and restore the parts of my soul that are beyond the reach of words.
This collection of new works includes examples of loosening up, digging deep, trying new things, and letting go ~ all creative risks I’ve taken this past year in the comfort and safety of my studio.
Transforming Trauma Into Art
Activism, creativity, family, Film, inspiration, Narrative, Origin story, podcast, press, process, Speaking, Story
I was recently a guest on the Future Tripping Podcast, a project of the Trauma Stewardship Institute. The host, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, is an author/activist, an internationally recognized leader in the field of trauma exposure ~ and one of my dearest friends for the past 30+ years! As such, she holds all the pieces of my personal, family, work and creative life. At its core, our conversation reveals the depth and breadth of “making art to better understand my cultural inheritance and legacy,” and shows why art – the creation and maintenance of it – can be an essential act of liberation.💗
Artwork Archive Spotlight Interview
article, creativity, inspiration, Narrative, press, process
What an honor to be selected as Artwork Archive‘s Featured Artist of the week!!
Artwork Archive has streamlined all my business needs ~ tracking inventory and sales, invoicing, managing my art portfolio and client list, etc. Less time doing admin work means more time creating in the studio.
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In this conversation with Paige Simianer, I had the opportunity to reflect on exploring identity and legacy through my art practice…
Art Magazine Article
Activism, article, creativity, Exhibition, inspiration, Narrative, Origin story, press, Print, process, StoryI am delighted to be featured in the Summer issue of PublicDisplay.ART ~ Seattle’s only community-supported, arts-focused publication. What an honor to be in the company of so many artists I admire. And it’s the first time my art & story has been featured in print media!
If you’re in Seattle, you can find the magazine at 600+ local retailers, restaurants, cafes, galleries, bars and libraries around town. Or if you prefer, you can view the issue online here (I’m on pg 26-27).
PublicDisplay.ART is published by OneReel, the same organization that produces NW Folklife and Bumbershoot (among many other cultural events/projects year round).
Scanning the Room
Activism, Art For Sale, collaboration, creativity, Exhibition, GalleryI’m honored to be a participating artist in “Scanning the Room” at Vashon Center for the Arts (May 5-28). This invitational exhibit, co-curated by June Sekiguchi and Lynann Politte, presents works from 20 Asian American Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists that speak to identity, politics, or experience of how AANHPI artists view their place in predominantly white spaces.
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You can take a 3D tour of the exhibit HERE.
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And here’s a short reel of our opening night. Thanks to all who came out!! It feels wonderful to be back in spaces where we can gather, discuss, and celebrate the arts!
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View this post on Instagram
Art Pages
Art Journal, creativity, Crush/Repeat, Gallery, inspiration, process
In March, I participated in Crush/Repeat, a 31-day challenge to create something every day. I decided to focus on creating a small painting in my sketchbook daily. And now I can’t stop!
I could line a shelf with all the sketchbooks I’ve abandoned after a couple pages of tentative marks. So I pulled out my smallest (5.5″x8.5″), cheapest sketchbook and let go of any expectation to produce anything finished. My only goal was to show up & play ~ experimenting with colors, materials and techniques. The lessons learned from these bold little explorations are starting to show up in my larger paintings.
Starting my days by writing in my journal, followed by a 20 minute art page, loosens me up and gets me in the zone. I am no longer tethered to needing a full day in the studio to feel like I got my creativity fix. If 20 minutes is all I have, I know it will be enough. 
(I’m grateful to my friend, Helen Kim, for showing me the way of her morning pages.)
McMILLEN FELLOWS EXHIBIT
Art For Sale, collaboration, creativity, Exhibition, GalleryREMIX
Gallery One, in partnership with The Robert B. McMillen Foundation, celebrates the McMillen Fellows: Katie Miller, Eliaichi Kimaro, Chandler O’Leary, Frank Casey & Emily Somoskey for an exhibition of their work.
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Thank you to Renee Adams and Cassandra Lynne for making this show possible! So lovely to see my paintings playing so nicely alongside the works of my fellow MAC Fellows.
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Gallery One Visual Arts Center
Main Gallery & Mezzanine
408 North Pearl Street, Ellensburg WA 98926
First Friday Opening Reception March 3, 5-7pm
Making Peace with Uncertainty
creativity, process, SpeakingI had the joy of talking with a dear friend the other day on her podcast (more info soon!) And as it often does, our conversation sparked further thoughts and ideas. So I’m trying something new. I will be posting short videos ~ a parking lot of thoughts/ideas about art and life, and why creativity (in its myriad of forms) matters…