Creating Waves

Lady of the Lake (Morning Sunrise) 20" H x 80" W, Oil on Panel, 2012 
(Collection of Farinaz Taghavi,Seattle)

Cole & Son wallpaper geometric collection in the mood of the 60's with "Op Art" geometry and exploration of color.

Cubist and Op Art inspired reliefs and prints on glazed over black terracotta ceramics by Astier de Villamette show unexpected color combinations (courtesy of Vogue archives)

The Interior Design of Gary Henderson

I received an invitation from designer Gary Henderson, and his long term partner in life turned business partner, Tony Fields, to join a small gathering in their Capitol Hill home.  Gary invited a few people from the design industry to welcome the return of his friend Jan Fisher who is visiting from Australia. Gary is a truly gifted designer. Everything he touches becomes elegant, restrained,  paired down, immaculate, tailored and detailed with materials sourced from things natural. He is one of the most generous people I know, whose dry wit will have you rolling with laughter in short order. I'm grateful for my special and longstanding friendship with both Gary and Tony.

From his website: Gary began his career working with internationally recognized trendsetter - interior designer Tonny Foy in his Fort Worth Studio.  He was greatly influenced by the frequent visitors to the Foy Studio including Benjamin Baldwin, Ward Bennett and Joe D'Urso.  This was followed by extensive corporate design work with the national interior design firms of Richmond Marsh Manoff and Griswold Heckell and Kelly.  Later relocating to Seattle, he joined Callison Architects. 

http://hendersonkelly.net/

Facing East Restaurant, Bellevue, WA
 Interior Design - Henderson Kelly
Artwork - Victoria Johnson

Otto Youngers at the Hartforth Gallery

The number of talented artists living and working in Washington State's south sound continue to astonish me. One artist I have a specific affinity now is the sculpture of Otto Youngers, who takes wood medium to a special place in an amazing way. His generative monsters seemingly from another world without a destructive bone in their bodies.

Otto Youngers will open a comprehensive show at the Hartforth Gallery in main Tacoma Public Library this Saturday. I'll be there!

Natural History of the Surreal

Sculpture by Otto Younger

August 10 through October 5, 2013

Artist's Reception: 2-4 p.m., Saturday, August 24, 2013

Otto Youngers is a champion of the "maximal", a force that reclaims storytelling, craftsmanship, and the material presence of art in the world of art where "more" really is "more".

http://www.tpl.lib.wa.us/Page.aspx?nid=64

Otto Youngers, Hartforth Gallery, Tacoma Public Library

Otto Youngers, Hartforth Gallery, Tacoma Public Library

100 Watt Smile - The Series

Moderismism's development in American design in the middle years of the 50's through the early 60's inspired this development in my studio. I'm captivated withfurniture designed for spaces then, intended to function as graphic design elements in the space of modern homes and offices. Creative, open and spatial living was cool, and everyone wanted it. Then ommerical print artists and directors shaped media with Look and LIFE Magazine a standard fixture on occassional tables and stands. I wanted live the sleek fashion and foppy hats worn by cognoscenti in these photographs lounging in perfect homes, drinking perfect ice tea and cocktails, always with party favors. However, it's the music of this period that shaped my childhood. More than anything, the spirit of this American phenomenon for myself and a great many others was music and the the birth of cool. Think spirals with flat lines paired with an cocktail party complete with bacon wrap-arounds, Lobster Newburg spread, deviled ham with cheese dip and Chex Mix.

Sunset in the Jade Sea
36"H x 24"W
Oil on Panel

Joy Delight
36" H X 24" W
Oil on Panel

100 Watt Smile
36" x 24" W
Oil on Panel

Capturing the essence....

Victoria Johnson
Sun Shades
26 1/2 H x 32 1/2 W
2013

In The Loop

A soft rain fell in the Northwest last night and this morning the sunshine is noticably absent. I love the sun this time of year and I often feel like a misfit lamenting the absence of sun in the dark months. Every year about this time, usually the last week of July into August we resign to rain reminicent of chilly winters. A remedy: light and color - blue, seafoarm green and orange, yellow, and white saturated with yellow pigment.

Victoria Johnson
In the Loop
2012

Double Dozen

I have an opportunity to participate in a group show this September. I was invited as one of twelve participating artists in the Lisa Harris Gallery to select another WA state artist, who they want to "double up" with in this exhibition. I respond to the undulating imagery of Tacoma printmaking artist and UPS instructor Janet Marcavage, and I asked her to show one her prints. She willingly accepted. I decided to offer a few paintings sidelined in my storage racks to submit to the gallery. The show opens Thursday, September 5th. http://www.lisaharrisgallery.com/exhibitions.php.

Victoria Johnson
Butterfly Wings

Victoria Johnson
Cool in Motion

Victoria Johnson
Echo

Janet Marcavage
Warp and Weft Series

Janet Marcavage
Warp and Weft Series

Janet Marcavage
Warp and Weft Series

Tacoma Museum of Glass

After days of hot weather here in the Northwest we're convinced the endless summer is finally upon us. Living now in the "city of museums", I've seen momentous changes indicating this city with its spectactular view of Mount Rainer is moving in the right direction. I love Foss Waterway, with moorage leading into the beautiful Commencement Bay. What's not to notice about the Glass Museum, that I appreciate almost as much as I enjoy drinks outdoors with my friend Yvonne Saville on a warm summer night experiencing the activity of the waterway nearby.

Tacoma Museum of Glass

Tacoma Museum of Glass

Foss Waterway in Tacoma

Yvonne Saville 

Nature Works

After several early morning walks to the Tacoma waterfront, I decided I'd take my iphone with me this morning. Since my studio is pending build out in a new location in my building and funding for sheet rock and labor is slow, I decided to capture details of nature during this hiatus.

Seawashed log with sand and stones and weeds

Vertical Cement Pour

Seawashed Log #2

Seawashed Logs #3 with Sand

Cement and Grass

The Source

Look Here

I found myself in the unlikely role of curator this Spring calling, emailing and otherwise contacting   artists living in Tacoma to launch an exhibition titled, "Look Here". It was a pop up event taking place in a temporary commercial space. The show is dedicated to Tacoma's visual artists, rich with painters and artists each with advanced degrees for the most part, who reside in the city and South Sound.  With planning, publicity and installation insync, the event came together on a beautiful spring evening. 

"Look Here", was a one night exhibition of Tacoma visual artists, featured works by Bill Colby, Karen Doten, Kristin Giordono, Victoria Johnson, Lisa Kinoshita, Lynn Di Nino, Janet Marcavage, Yuki Nakamura, Nicholas Nyland, Betty Sapp Ragan, William Turner, John Vlahovich, Emily Wood, Otto Youngers.

(Press Details) Visual artists, who live in Tacoma, demonstrate commitment in an urban environment so ready for commercial art gallery district. The public and collectors are invited to view this exhibition of artists in a temporary space, curated by artist Victoria Johnson, who quotes, "Artists are gentrifiers in Tacoma along with innumerable harbingers in a city poised for cultural tourism to booster private commerce." 

Jan Werner with Bill Turner in the background in the front gallery space

Lisa Kinoshita, artist, and gallerist with collector

Nicholas Nyland's sculpture 

Artist Bll Turner, Rick Semple with Jori Adkins

Sculptor Otto Youngers and friend