Can you spot Gigi hiding—going “incognito,” trying not to be noticed by Édith?
Animals, are indeed, very peaceful and entertaining creatures to have around, especially now.
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Gigi Gets Away
Gigi has pulled the curtain sheers so hard the entire curtain rod was yanked from the wall. The curtain rod and the sheers are in a heap on the floor. I see from the corner of my eye a whisp of a phantom of Gigi as she runs off to another room.
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Pet children.
Les Adventures of Édith and Gigi
Édith is a tortoise tabby (tortie tabby.) Gigi is a flamepoint Himalayan. Gigi has one yellow eye (her right eye and the other blue.) The two cats, although with a 10 years age difference between them and possess unique personalities, share a sweetness between them. These stories are little snippets of their daily actions. Artistic license applied to the conversations between them.
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Calendar, April 2020. "Vincent," 5x7," Oil on Canvas, 2017.
“If I can succeed in putting some warmth and love into my work, it will find its friends.“
- Vincent
The Days in Which We Find Ourselves
Our world is being profoundly hit all at once with great dramatic force on daily life and health. Like a cataclysmic force of nature, an event of this magnitude will change what it hits.
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“Ferris Wheel.” Oil on Canvas, 4x4.” 2020. Central Washington State Fair, Yakima, Washington.
Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels
Ferris' idea was a wheel, a giant wheel large enough to provide a bird’s eye view the entire Chicago exhibition and surrounding landscape. A wheel made of steel that Ferris said would "out-Eiffel Eiffel." The idea was too ostentatious for even Burnham. "Too fragile," was his reply to the concept of a giant wheel held up by slender rods rivaling the height of the recently opened Statue of Liberty.
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Lily pad pond, Volunteer Park, Seattle. Oil on Canvas, 24x24.” 2017. This is one of two lily pad ponds, original structures of the park design, that grace the park.
Sublime. Landscape Impressions of Capitol Hill.
Capitol Hill has been the backdrop of my life where I have lived since 1984. Often in parts of this old neighborhood of Seattle, I can easily slip into a daydream where I might be seeing the neighborhood through the eyes of its early citizens because of the history and timelessness of the landscape. Other times, I am taken back to solitary, exploratory walks of my youth. In this exercise of daydreaming, I am reminded of Marcel Proust's novel, "À la recherché du temps perdu" ("In Remembrance of Things Past") where the concept of time dissolves, and where the reconstruction of the past is relative to the present "now."
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View of Notre-Dame Cathedral from the front entrance. Oil on Canvas, 5x7.” Work in progress. Image from my visit in June 2019.
Notre-Dame de Paris
It is hard to know where to begin with describing Notre Dame de Paris. For me, she is a monument that sings of Paris. When I first learned of the fire as the news was breaking, I immediately thought of the artwork that filled the church. Paintings, statuary, stained glass. These works, produced from the hands and minds of artisans hundreds of years ago, are simply irreplaceable.
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The Secret Garden, Entrance. Photograph, M. Lamery 2018
The Garden
Gardens are an amazing sanctuary. Cultivated, wild, colorful, magical. Gardens have a way of helping one feel lighter in a world that can be heavy at times. Mostly, I find gardens to be magical because I believe nature is magical.
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A collection of drawings.
Sketchbook
I enjoy the rigor of a daily art practice.
Much of my artistic output is created through the practice of making daily paintings. While I can't always paint on a sustained schedule that a long-term daily painting practice requires, I can easily make a drawing.
So, on January 1, 2018, I began to make a drawing a day. I post them on Instagram.
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Upper Snoqualmie Falls
The Snoqualmie People are made up of two parts of the same family: The Upper Snoqualmie, who lived on the plains above the falls, and the Lower Snoqualmie who lived along the Snoqualmie River below the falls. Ancient stewards of the land, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe continuously strives to preserve sacred ground for all people, including Snoqualmie Falls.
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"Van Gogh," Oil on Canvas, 5x7." 2017.
Inspired by the portrait of Vincent Van Gogh painted by John Peter Russell in 1886.
Loving Vincent
Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters because of his fervent devotion to painting, which he took up professionally when he was 27 years of age, and for his sensitivity to his subjects.
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Field of Red Tulips, Skagit Valley.
Oil on Canvas, :24x24." 2017.
Evolution of a Painting
I spent the past few months trying to complete this painting focusing on the original composition. Something was not working though.
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Columbia River, Mount Hood. Oil on Canvas. 9.75x14." 2016.
Maryhill Museum of Art - New Acquisition
I am honored to announce that my painting, "Columbia River, Mount Hood" painted from the vantage point looking west near Maryhill Stonehenge is now part of the permanent collection of Maryhill Museum of Art!
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"Rainy Lake, North Cascades, Washington State." July 2016. Photographe, M. Lamery.
North Cascades
Arriving at the summit, I found myself in what could be the most beautiful nature hike I have ever been on. The views were beyond stunning. It was exhilarating for me to experience Mother Nature in this alpine setting! It was a truly "Sound of Music" view. The North Cascades are the only mountain range in the United States that most resemble the European Alps, in terms of character, although they are not as high as the Alps.
Mount Rainier. November 2015. Photographe, M. Lamery
Mount Rainier →
Growing up in Washington State, Mount Rainier is omnipresent. Mount Rainier is the boss of mountains out here. Mount Rainier is bred into the culture of the Pacific Northwest -- revered by the Native American tribes that lived in the region for thousands of years. Mount Rainier is symbolic of the Pacific Northwest for its majesty. Mount Rainier is the grand dame of the six major mountains in Washington State. Mount Rainier is also an active volcano (remember Mt. St. Helens, May 1980?)
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The Ballard Locks →
Riding my bike on the Burke-Gilman trail on the way to an art opening in Ballard recently, I stopped at "the Locks." Officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.
I have visited the locks on a few occasions since I was a kid to watch how boats transition from Puget Sound, (salt water) to Lake Union (fresh water.) This particular evening, illuminated by the light of dusk, offered an excellent opportunity to watch the boats arrive after a day at sea.
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Boating, Lake Union. Oil on canvas. 4x4." 2016.
Boating, Lake Union →
Water.
Seattle is surrounded by water. The glorious skyline glistens across Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. Fresh water lakes, flowing streams and rivers abound. Water is life to indigenous peoples that have lived in the region for thousands of years, providing sustenance, such as in the plethora of sacred salmon that comes from waters of the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, the region's rivers and lakes served as transportation routes for the Native Americans.
Seattle Yacht Club, Opening Day, Boating Season. Seattle. May 2016.
Seattle Yacht Club
May is the month when boating season officially begins in Seattle. The celebration is called Opening Day.
This year's festivities were kicked off on a beautiful, sunny Saturday on May 7 with the Windermere Cup Regatta through the Montlake Cut. The spectacular weather was a perfect for opening day.
Opening Day for boating is a Seattle thing.
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Opening Day Flags
Opening Day 2016. The pomp and circumstance begins at 8:35 am sharp as the 1st Corps Army Band Brass Quintet begins to play. Marching to the tune of the band, Past Admirals and Amiralettes form an honor guard. Commodores from all visiting yacht clubs, parade judges, and visiting VIPs fill the neatly coiffed grounds. The flags of the United States and Canada are raised while their respective National Anthems are played. In addition to the country flags, the burgees of the visiting yacht clubs are raised. A colorful array of cloth.
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Opening Day, May 7, 2016. Portage Bay (foreground), leading into the Montlake Cut, connecting to Lake Washington. Cascade Mountains in the distance. The Seattle Yacht Club (not seen here) is to the right.
Maritime
A few Saturdays ago, I decided to go on a 22-mile bike ride on the Burke Gilman trail that runs along a portion of the west side of Lake Washington. I didn't set out to ride 22 miles round trip, that is just what it turned out to be. I ride a vintage 1970s French-made Motobecane. Being an older bike, the ride was not one of speed, but rather of leisure. A great way to enjoy the Burke-Gilman.
My ride took place the same day as Opening Day, the official kick off of boating season in the Pacific Northwest. The weather that Saturday was perfect. The sun was out, the sky was clear blue, the temperature in the 80s. It was a classic Seattle kind of day.
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