Art in the Heart

 

Everyone in the arts community in Vancouver, WA has been busy, busy, busy preparing for this annual event - including me! About 8 blocks through downtown will be closed to traffic and filled with artist booths, art demonstrations, live music, poetry & spoken word, a "wearable art" fashion show, and a 1967 Chrysler Imperial Crown entirely covered in yarn. I'll be in and around Gallery 360 for most of the night where my paintings Alone Again, Girl With Yellow Flowers, and Blossoming are on display. And last but not least... giant props to Bryan Helfrich of Open Theory for the fantastic poster design!

Original fine art by Vancouver, Washington based artist Jamie Lutz Carroll. Buy acrylic paintings, ink and gouache illustrations, limited edition archival prints, and custom and commissioned artwork.

The Value of Art in the Community

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About a year ago I felt a burning desire to get back into art. It had been a huge part of my life but over the course of time had been put on the back burner. I decided the best way to get back in the game was by taking a drawing class. I researched various venues and ultimately decided on taking one of the adult classes offered at Sixth Street Gallery. I had been there a handful of times and liked the diversity of the art and the fact that it was operated by a non-profit organization. Drawing quickly got me back into my true love: painting. I started posting photos of my finished paintings on Facebook where a few people I had met at the gallery saw them and asked if I would consider joining SSG. I laughed, I said no way, I said wasn't good enough. But the question persisted. After one of my drawing classes, the instructor approached me and said, "The whole board has seen your work. You've been juried in unanimously!" A few weeks later I made the decision to join MOSAIC Arts Alliance and be a regular contributing member of Sixth Street Gallery.

Since then my life has changed, grown, and blossomed in so many ways. I've gained confidence as an artist and as a human. I've now shown my work in six venues around Vancouver, and several in other parts of the Northwest. I've sold paintings and been commissioned to do others. I'm preparing for a featured show in the fall. I feel like the artist within me has muscled her way out of the box she had been stuffed in for nearly a decade. And she's getting bigger and stronger every day! I attribute a huge part of this to the nurturing, supportive community of artists at Sixth Street Gallery.

In an age where schools are phasing out art and music programs because of budget cuts, and big box stores are crushing locally owned stores, places like Sixth Street Gallery become MORE important and MORE relevant to the community. It provides community events and classes that are unmatched by any other venue. I had the great fortune of teaching one of these classes last week. On the last day, one 10-year-old girl said, "I can't wait to take this again next summer!", whereupon the rest of the class chimed in with, "Me too! Me too!"

Here's an interesting fact to put the finances in perspective: Vancouver has over 150,000 residents. If every one of them donated $1 (yes, one measly little dollar!) to MOSAIC Arts Alliance, the operating expenses of the gallery would be paid for the next five years! So, please, if you have enjoyed the artwork at Sixth Street Gallery, if you've taken a class or attended an event at the gallery, or if you've never been but want to help keep the arts alive in your community, make a donation to MOSAIC Arts Alliance. Every dollar really does count, and you never know whose life you could be changing!

Enchanted Gift Shop Logo

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 So I've blogged a few times about The Enchanted Gift Shop, a new store and tea room in downtown Vancouver. It's time to do it again - this time because they asked me to design their logo! I had approached them to participate in a local business spotlight in a real estate (my day job) newsletter. I asked for their logo artwork and they told me they didn't have one yet. A few days later they told me some design ideas they had and could I paint it for them? I jumped at the opportunity! First, Gail and Jody are two of the sweetest ladies I've met, and second, it would be a challenging project and I love a good challenge! Painting what someone else wants is very different from painting what you see in your own head. It took a few weeks to get the design perfected, then I painted it in a matter of two days on a huge 3'x4' canvas. It had its debut last Saturday night at a private party for the Democratic Convention that was in town. The design will be worked into all of their advertising and marketing materials and on labels within the store. The original painting is prominently displayed inside the store located at 502 Washington St, Vancouver, WA 98660.

Now at The Enchanted Gift Shop!

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One of the things I love about living and working in downtown Vancouver is all the little locally owned shops. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking down here! Just a few weeks ago a new shop was added to the mix. Stepping into The Enchanted Gift Shop and Tea Room is like stepping into an old-fashioned English garden party. But the cool thing about this garden party is that you can buy all the gorgeous stuff! And boy do they have some gorgeous stuff! Whimsical handcrafted vases in the shape of dresses, dozens of teas from all over the world, retro inspired aprons, as well as art by local artists like me!

That's right, Gail and Jody (mother and daughter owner/ operators) asked me to sell some of my paintings in there! I'm delighted, honored, and excited to be a part of this great new shop. They're just a few blocks from the Farmer's Market and Esther Short Park so make a point to stop in, have a cup of tea, and shop for someone special - even if that special someone happens to be yourself! They're located at 502 Washington Street in downtown Vancouver. Call 360-693-0650 for business hours and upcoming High Tea service times. Enjoy!