hello all,

We have some fabulous artists coming in this weekend and I’m going to post some information about them throughout the week.   Then next week I’ll be posting about my new tiny treasures!  I’m going to be making wee paintings for x-mas presents and ornaments.   Can’t wait for the holidays!

Let’s start with fabulous Roxy.  She’s incredibly talented and a wonderful person. This is what she has to say about herself!

Hello, my name is Roxanne Beckman and I am 34 years old. I am originally from Havre,

Montana, but I have been an Everett resident for several years now. Everett has a charming population with a nice community outlook and I am proud to be part of it.

At about the age of 16 or so, I set out in the world to be and artist. I have spent every year since, doing just that. For many of those years I was a bartender to pay for my art habit. Now, I primarily do art work. I am not even a little medium specific. I try to be open to try anything at least once. Nothing is more exciting to me than a new substance, style, or process. Drawing, acrylic painting, sculpture and pastel work are my most commonly known works.  Lately I have been experimenting with, metal work mono-printing, the ancient art of mosaic and jewelry. Jewelry has always been a hobby of mine, but lately I have been focused more on it- and what a blast it is! I hope you will pop by to take a look-see at all the shiny new trinkets.

Thank you for your continued support of the arts in Everett.

Hello all!

I just wanted you to know that the Corner Studio and Gallery is hosting a fabulous jewelry show this weekend!   come see what it’s all about from 11-7 Friday and Saturday at the corner of Wetmore and Hewitt.

The piano I painted with Josie Wise has been on the street and is being enjoyed by many who come by to have a mini jam session. The other day I was treated to a wonderful concert by a young but very talented pianist named Devin. He’s young and is super talented. Apparently when he’s worried about life or otherwise distracted he sits down and plays. If only this worked so well for the rest of us we’d have a symphony on the streets of Downtown Everett.

Check out Devin jamming.

Street Tunes is in Full Effect

Last Wednesday the painted pianos made their debut. They were launched, set out and ready for play time to begin and the community has stepped forward and protected the pianos. I’ve had numerous people come by the studio to express their joy at the pianos or have people smile as they walk down the street. I had one businessman take a break from his day, sit down and give a concert to the neighborhood. He even started singing! What was the most incredible aspect of it all was that the people walking by had huge grins on their face and were so receptive to his spontaneous concert.

I’ve heard rumors that we made the CNBC news and here is a clip from our King5 news 20 seconds. I’m gathering videos of people playing my piano and will be joining them all together over the next week… stay tuned! hah pun totally intended.

Just Click on the below link to see our news clip!
Everett_Street_Piano_Project_News_Clip_8-4-10s

It is simply inspiring to be surrounded by such fun! So I’ve started two paintings, finished one today and am working on a second that I should be able to finish tomorrow. It’s the kind of thing that makes me grateful to be a part of this wonderful corner studio!

Check out ‘here’s lookin’ at you’

The Corner Studio and Gallery is now hosting a finished musical painting by Liz Lund and Josey Wise. We have created “Pacific Sound” and enjoyed every minute of the creation process.

When we were offered the chance to paint the piano I was ecstatic and a little intimidated. I’ve always been confident of my artistic abilities but I’ve never used house paint for anything other than a house. And the piano was huge! That being said I also have never had more fun creating a large piece of artwork.

A painted piano is approachable and somehow calls to the kid inside. I’ve had small children run into the studio with their hands outstretched to plink the keys and adults come in and start playing chopsticks. At the same time I’ve had talented teenagers meekly walk in and just start playing beautiful tunes. All of this has happened while I tried to create a painting that reminded people of the beauty in our region.

My favorite moment is when this enterprising 1 and 1/2 yr old came into the studio at top speed and made a beeline for the piano. He squealed and had to start making noise. Unfortunately the paint was super wet so I had to warn his mom that unless she wanted a blue kid she might want to redirect. I can’t wait to see what he does with the Orcas I painted on the bottom!

The process of creating playable art is definitely hard work. Josey and I elected to create a series of paintings more than a ‘decorated’ piano. We knew that this would be more complicated but it seemed more fun for us. I have found that as long as I’m having fun my artwork is much better.

I also enjoy the fact that this project has opened up new venues for me. I had no idea I would enjoy creating artwork on large pieces of furniture.. and now I can’t wait to do it again. I have been debating taking a trip to ikea for some unfinished furniture and creating fun but approachable artwork to live with. Let me know if you want a kid’s art chair or a unique but fun coffee table.

At the end of the day I’m super grateful to have had so much fun creating something that the community can enjoy.

Musical Everett

The City of Everett has had a brilliant idea. Carol Thomas the Cultural Arts Manager in the Economic Development group has purchased seven pianos for painting and subsequent distribution/display throughout Downtown Everett. Each piano will be painted by one or two artists and I was selected to be one of the artists! Josie Wise and I are decorating a gorgeous old upright piano that has beautiful sound but started ugly as sin.

Our blank canvas!

Josie and I decided to go with a pacific northwest theme. We are both imports to the Pacific Northwest and as summer swings into gear we are particularly grateful for the natural beauty that surrounds us. In addition, both Josie and I are primarily landscape painters. We enjoy taking brush to canvas or paper and communicating our feelings and impressions of the world to you the viewer. We have decided to take the impressionistic trend and to translate it into a series of paintings on the huge piano. It has been super fun and I’d love to hear your commentary on it!

It started with a steep learning curve for me. The bottom of the piano here really is blue! Josie figured it out faster and her backgrounds are done.

I’ll be updating it as we go along.

On Friday I was mentioned in the Everett Herald as part of my introduction to the new studio! It’s very exciting and hopefully will help generate continued notice of my work in the community.

This is what they said about me; the full article can be found at ‘http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100716/LIVING/707169981/1025/ENT06#Everett.art.walk.artist.Liz.Lund.heavily.influenced.by.trip.to.Europe’

‘Everett art walk artist Liz Lund heavily influenced by trip to Europe

By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer
Liz Lund’s European travels led her to study the impressionists and now she likes to paint large and paint bold.

Lund’s paintings share the walls with artists Janet Wold and Jane Meagher at the Corner Studio & Gallery, 2831 Wetmore Ave., Everett.

The works of those three women and many other artists are among the offerings visitors can see during Everett’s free monthly event, the Everett Art Walk.

The art walk allows visitors into many local art galleries and businesses where they can meet the artists. Free public receptions generally run from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday.’

Hope you came by the studio last night but if not I’ll be at the Studio this monday and wednesday and thursday.

Liz

I’ve been transitioning into more and more acrylic paintings lately and really love working in this medium. First, it’s super fun to create something that is hardy and light fast. I love the flow and mixture of watercolor but it’s such a fragile medium for display. In the midst of this transition I was working in my old studio and staring at a really fun piece of work created by Marc Lucero. This bright cheery sunflower on a smooth wood panel was hanging over my work table and taunting me with it’s fun vibrant colors on wood paneling. I thought to myself… I can make something fun and vibrant with acrylic… So I did.

I decided to take the inspiration and go with a small sunflower series. Each piece is 5in x 5in square canvas painting. I originally planned for something simple and without much texture but the paintings just didn’t work out as planned. The first piece is a closeup of the center of a sunflower. I did a layered series of dots for the center portion and I love the look of it. I also went with a painterly approach to the petals of the flower, meaning each petal is a layered piece showing depth and movement. It was a ton of fun… a little more work than I’d planned but I like the end result.

The second piece was a piece showing the whole flower. I originally did the background for this piece as white but hated the look so I painted the background black. The black really brought out the fun vibrancy of the sunflower look. This piece isn’t as detailed as the closeup piece but is fun in it’s own way. It’s more impressionistic in style.

The third piece is coming and not finished yet…. I’ll post it when it is.
I’d love to hear what you think!

After a successful year full of adventures, successes, great decisions bad decisions and all levels of fun I am leaving my studio on Colby Ave.  It has been a wonderful experience and a successful one!  I’ve learned so much about owning and operating my own store, how to sell artwork.   What kind of artwork sells and what doesn’t.  As it turns out I have no idea what will sell!  I love all my patrons the friends I’ve made and the good times I’ve had.  I can’t wait to continue them all at the corner studio.  It is on the corner of Wetmore and Hewitt in downtown Hewitt.  Janet Wold and Jane Steele-Meagher have been operating a wonderful studio gallery and asked me to join them.  At the end of June I am moving to join them.  I can’t wait to work with such talented and interesting artists and I can’t wait to see what new work they inspire!

Every now and then you have to change your perspective on life and art.  In the past I’ve spent a lot of time painting large and thoroughly enjoy the loose expressionist style enabled by large format paintings… but then I found these really adorable tiny canvases.  They’re one inch by one inch.  In discussions with my mom, a fellow artist, she how a change in perspective can help one’s work.  I thought why not, they have these mini canvases on sale and they’re super cute… I loved it! They are so much fun to make and I’d encourage anyone to give miniatures a shot. Just get a small brush. I think that with a small brush you can still achieve an impressionistic style and a loose look but just tiny.

here’s a wee photo of my work: