For the past six years, Artist Beverly Cameron has been a student in the art program (Art Escape) for artists with disabilities at the Moshier Community Art Center in Burien. She will be missed by all who knew her, and her artwork will be treasured.

Instructor Shariana Mundi wrote:

Beverly Cameron, our dear friend and art cohort, left this world on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. She lived in the South Seattle area all of her life with an incredibly loving and supportive family. Her developmental disabilities seemed just a silent aspect of her generous and gentle personality. She flourished most happily in her quiet world of giant flowers, colors and family. Beverly worked with textile paints for years painting dishtowels for friends and family and in the past few years discovered many more media possibilities to explore and dabble in. She excelled at collage and bright florals, adding texture and pattern to her bold, simple designs. Through art, Beverly added friendships and artist celebrations to her life.

From her ever generous nature, Beverly’s most common statement about her art was:“I made it for you!”

Beverly’s work will be on display at the Burien Community Center until January 30th, 2012. The City of Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department would also like to thank Beverly’s family for its very generous donation to help develop and implement more art programs for adults with disabilities.

Julie (678) and Chris Stiles (578) during a recent 'Cove to Clover' run.

by Guy Harper 

Ever driven down 21st Avenue SW near Seahurst and have seen a slender nice looking lady wearing a head scarf, jogging while maybe pushing a baby carriage with a couple of Greyhound race dogs trailing behind? 

Sounds like she lost a bet…right?

Well, not really – it seems that Julie Stiles and her 43-year old son, Chris, who also may be holding on to a dog or two while jogging are actually seen running through many areas in Burien (I get out of breath just driving by and watching ‘em jog with all those dogs)!

Now I should also state that almost every morning, Julie also works out at the Highline Athletic Club lifting weights, stretching and other body building things.  If you discuss training techniques with Julie, she will readily admit that she has tapered off a bit – you see, she used to run 14 miles a day!  Yes, 14…but has now reduced that mileage to “just seven” as other commitments have entered her life (holy smoke….I don’t even drive my car seven miles a day!).

So, just what is so darn important that she can’t even run a measly 14 miles a day, you might wonder?  Well, you should know that Chris, her son, is autistic and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 1972. Chris had a lot of time to spend studying nature – trees, branches, leaves, rocks, water plus many other interesting subjects and has developed into a very fine artist – and he now communicates through his many drawings and paintings made over these last few years.

Chris actually began drawing picture maps while attending a special program at the University of Washington for children with developmental delays. Then in 2008, Julie decided to enter one of Chris’s colorful drawings in the local Normandy Park Art Show. The subject was a picture of the Matterhorn with a Village Castle that Chris noticed on the cover of a magazine. Well, his very first entry into art competition was a tremendous success – a Blue Ribbon for Best of Show – now it just doesn’t get much better than that!  The award winning picture is shown below:

That triggered a thought in Julie’s mind….how about a website that may be a potential outlet for these paintings?  And so it came to be – here’s their web site: http://www.artautistic.com. Visiting this website will take you through Chris’s bio, autism facts and his Art Gallery that shows over 60 of his drawings and associated gift cards that are available for purchase. After visiting the Art Gallery on the website and viewing these many colorful drawings, you will suddenly realize that each painting seems to have a message of its’ own, that being the release of a picture in the mind of one held captive by autism…

Also, on the site is their very active 2011 Calendar of Events, including the various shows that Chris and Julie attended this year. Chris may be seen at a desk drawing while the show is in process, and it is inspiring to look over his shoulder and see a painting he is developing. The 2012 schedule will be updated as the events are announced and will be posted on the website.

Each painting is mounted and framed and is ready for sale. Purchases may be made by calling Julie at (206) 242-8915 or by emailing her at juliehighline@aol.com.

So, now you know about these two joggers and a little bit of their background – give ‘em a toot on the horn as you drive by to get your morning latte and coffee cake! Mush you Greyhounds!

Here’s what Maureen said on her blog about them:

The alarm went off at 4:15 a.m. so I could get up on a cold night and watch the moon and its light on the water change with the lunar eclipse. The sky started out pretty crystal clear, but advanced into thin clouds.

I was just shooting with my little Canon G10, so I have to accept the equipment limitations, but the image sequence is still dramatic and beautiful.

This image was shot at 5:24 while sitting at my desk, looking out through the window to Puget Sound. Note that the eclipse was well underway. The three red light towers are on Vashon Island. (A street light illuminated the cherry tree down in my yard, and cast just enough light into my office to cause a slight reflection on the window.)

Click image to see larger version.

Here’s a series taken during the two hours that I watched out my window, shot at these times:

• 4:44
• 5:05
• 5:15
• 5:18
• 5:48
• 5:59
• 6:01

No, the moon did not “flare” and cause a brighter image in the third shot. At times I changed the camera settings to pick up details either in the moon’s shadow or highlight.

They had predicted a very orange moon, which my eye did not see at all. The camera did, however, in the 5th and 6th shots, when I adjusted to capture the shadowed part of the moon.

A couple of notes jotted:

• 5:58 Just a shimmer of light.
• 6:00 A wisp at the bottom edge.
• 6:04 Not enough left in the sky to shoot.
• 6:15 NO moon. NO light! Time to go back to bed.

Scroll down to view each phase, or CLICK HERE to see a separate, horizontal version.

Click image to see larger version.

Be sure to follow Maureen’s most excellent blog here.

Innovative local pop culture Artist Eric Edwards will be holding not one, but TWO Art Shows starting this Saturday, May 21st in White Center – the first one at Dubsea Coffee, and the second at Company.

We had a chance to meet Eric at a recent networking meeting, and he showed us some of his art, which blew us away.

Eric uses found objects, mostly pop culture in nature, some kitschy, some bizarre, but all found, then when it’s all put together by him it’s suddenly incredible art – the kind you have to look at closeup to fully appreciate or understand.

Eric’s work will also be visible on the 3rd Saturday Art Walk; here are the details:

WHAT: Artwork of Eric Edwards

WHEN: Saturday, May 21 · 5:00pm – 8:00pm

WHERE: Two shows in White Center:

1. Dubsea Coffee, located at 9910 8th Ave SW (Greenbridge).
2. Company Bar, located at 9608 16th Ave SW.

“They are about 8 blocks apart and both on the White Center Gallery walk,” Eric said. “I will be at DubSea til about 7 and then up to Company.
Looking forward to seeing you.”

Here’s Eric’s bio from his Facebook Group Page:

Eric S. Edwards
b.1961, United States
Self taught

I work primarily in mixed media collage and found object assemblage.

I use pop culture advertising posters torn from buildings so far in Seattle, London, San Francisco, Miami and New York city. I like to use the garish colorful adverts and paper fragments in a painterly way and often the image themselves pull me off in unexpected ways. I really enjoy the spontaneity and sometime frustration of the collage process the losing of some image to some other other image, the juxtaposition of objects, the colors and textures.

I am very influenced by street art, graffiti murals, wheat pastes, tags and stickers. Influences also include Robert Rauschenberg, Max Ernst and Romere Bearden and lately Judith Supine and Michael Anderson.

Here are some more images of Eric’s art from his Flickr page:

Our friends at the Moshier Community Art Center in Burien want our Readers to know that they have a rental space available for a ceramic artist.

The rental studio, located just 10 minutes south of downtown Seattle, includes 24-hour access and use of equipment (pottery wheels, kilns, slab roller, and extruder).

Moshier Art Center is located at 430 S 156th Street; Ph: (206) 242-7752; more info on its website here.

Here are the details on this rental:

• Artists have an individual 10’x 10’ work space in shared room.
• Rental fee is $136.00 per month and 5 hours per month of volunteer service.
• Artists must have experience loading and firing kilns and high levels of production not possible.

For more information please call Art Specialist Alisa Savage at 206-242-7752 or e-mail alisas@burienwa.gov.

The City of Normandy Park Arts Commission is sponsoring an Open House on Thursday, March 10th at City Council Chambers for local Artist Shelli Park.

This event will include refreshments, conversations with the Artist, and viewing of a truly enjoyable display.

Artwork from Shelli Park will be on display in City Council Chambers, 801 SW 174th St, Normandy Park from March 7th through April 15th.

Please RSVP your attendance for the opening to 206-248-8248 or via email to artscomm@ci.normandy- park.wa.us.

Here’s more about Shelli:

Shelli Park is a Burien artist. She works in oil, and also sumi ink/soft pastel on paper. She has explored her artistic vision for 20 years as time has allowed, considering her most important creative project, raising her three children. Shelli serves on the Highline School District Arts Council, and is co?founder and Chair of White Center for the Arts. She is interested in exploring cause and affect relationships between arts/ culture/heritage, strengthening senses of community, and economic vitality/stability in cities, and Burien/White Center specifically. Her story; your story.

WHAT: City of Normandy Park Arts Commission Open House for Artist Shelli Park.

WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

WHERE: City Council Chambers, 801 SW 174th St, Normandy Park.

INFO: The Normandy Park exhibition of Shelli Park is sponsored by the City of Normandy Park Arts Commission with financial contribution from Commission Member Robert Frey.

Click image to see larger version.

This year’s Poverty Bay Wine Festival featured artist is Rita Norcoss, a local artist from Federal Way.

Her artwork, entitled “Boating Party at Des Moines,” is illustrated on this year’s promotional material. The artwork captures the feel of the Des Moines waterfront with views of Maury Island and the lighthouse at Pt. Robinson.

Norcross studied art history and studio painting and has worked in the graphic design field as an art director for various corporations and art design studios. Fine Art is her first love. Norcross primarily works in pastels, charcoals and one-of- a-kind monoprints. Her work has been seen in a variety of art shows, such as The W.O.W. Exhibition and The Fusion Annual Art Show which benefits battered woman.

Examples of her work can be viewed at www.redstepgallery.com.

Rita adds:

“It is a real pleasure to contribute to this year’s wine festival with my artwork. I enjoy borrowing from art history – this favorite illustration approach can be seen in this year’s featured artwork which displays a Des Moines wine party borrowed from the impressionist painter Renoir’s Boating Party.”

The artwork is currently on display at Corky Cellars in Des Moines. The piece will be auctioned off during the event and proceeds will be donated to the many charitable organization that the Rotary Club of Des Moines supports.

You can see Rita’s painting in person at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, which will be held March 4-6th at the historic Landmark on the Sound Event Center right here in Des Moines. Come on down, see the art, have a glass of wine, nosh some great food and meet the staff from our sister site The Waterland Blog (who will be “blogging live” from a booth) – more details here.

For more information about the Poverty Bay Wine Festival or to purchase tickets, please visit www.dmrotary.org.

The most beautiful thing I saw today.

The scene: a building along the west of a busy mall parkway in south Seattle Tukwila with a drive-through and plantings along the roadside. The headlights from westbound traffic in the right-hand turn lane across the street, are intercepted by this low, trimmed tree and then play across this wall as the cars turn to go northward.

The combination of elements is enchanting!

From what we understand, this scene is on the west side of Southcenter Blvd. at the intersection of Strander Blvd., on the side of the AT&T building facing the street, which once housed a See’s Candies:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you want to experience this yourself, you can do so by going to this spot below, just around sunset:

View Larger Map

‘Photo Friday’ is an occasional photographic series we post on The B-Town Blog, and this week’s edition is ‘Film Friday’ by area resident Kirsten Geyer, who says:

“Film Friday” is a photography project I started in order to re-discover my love of film.

The project itself is simple – take and show a full roll of film every week.

As a professional portrait photographer, I was curious to see what kinds of images I could come up with if I spent a few minutes each week taking “portraits” of (mostly) non-human subjects.

For the first week I decided to venture out of my own neighborhood of White Center and head South to B-town.

If you would like to learn more about the project or get an urge to pull out your old film camera and play along, visit my blog!

Kirsten lives in the White Center area, and her gear for this shoot included:

• Nikon F100
• Fuji 400h
• 50mm 1.8
• Walgreens 1 hour photo
• Photos are uncut and unedited…welcome to my first roll!

She also said this on her blog about the photos below:

• All of these photos were taken … in the pouring rain I might add…since the lab I sent my other roll too gave me a 2 week (?!) estimate! All I can say is that those photos better be GOOD! So, thanks, Walgreens 1 hour photo, for saving my butt (plus you can’t beat $5 for a 1 hour develop/scan!).
• If you ever need an open pass to photograph anything you want without making people nervous, bring your charming 4-year old with you, they make a pretty fine entrance ticket.
• This was the first roll of film I’ve seen from my f100! I’m in love.
• I over-exposed the film 1 stop or so…ala Jonathon Canlas (see his link below).
• 35 exposures is ALOT…I was stretching it towards the end trying to find things I wanted to photograph, but as always I think my best shots come at the end of a photo-session…once my brain has had a chance to warm up a bit.

To see larger versions of each photo, just click an image:

“To me, the most beautiful moments don’t happen in a perfectly-styled Photography Studio,” she said on her website. “…they happen while you kiss your baby’s feet on the changing table or when you roll around the living room floor with your four year old. These are the moments that, as a Mother, make me want to shut my eyes tight and remember forever. And, as a Photographer, those are the moments that I want to capture for you.”

Kirsten’s work can be found here:

• Project Blog: www.filmfriday2011.wordpress.com
• Personal Blog: www.somethingcheeky.wordpress.com
• Portrait Site: www.kirstengeyer.com

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Are you a local Photographer? Have some pics shot in Burien you think we should showcase? Or just some amazing photos worth sharing with our Readers? Please email us a link and explanation (including technical details) and we'll consider posting yours!]

BTB Advertiser Burien Press will be hosting “Process Paintings,” a new art exhibit featuring oil paintings by local artist Garreth Schuh, which will open with a reception this Saturday, Jan. 8th at 6pm.

Everyone is invited to join Mr. Schuh and members of the community as they raise their coffee cups and toast a new year full of exciting arts events in Burien.

Burien Press is located at 423 SW 152nd Ave in downtown Burien, just across the street from city hall and the main library.

According to the good folks at Burien Press:

Garreth Schuh grew up in a rural area south of Seattle where he spent a lot of time with his grandparents who farmed, made things by hand and lived a rich, but frugal life. Mr. Schuh’s grandmother introduced him to oil painting and the “matter-of-fact” portrayal of her subjects stayed with him as he matured. Garreth Schuh studied art and architecture through college and he obtained a Master’s Degree in the mid-1980s in Philadelphia. He built a career around a parallel focus on creating art and architecture and though he left that rural life behind, he has always felt the pull of the lessons of his childhood and a connection to his grandparents’ generation.

In the early 1990s Garreth Schuh became disabled which dramatically changed every aspect of his life. He has been fortunate to be able to rebuild my life around the limitations of a wheelchair, and now finds that the inspiration for making art, and living life in general, is an effort to stay connected to his grandparents and their generation’s resourceful way of life. Many of the paintings in the Process Paintings exhibit recall his childhood experiences with them, the things they taught, and landscapes, people or creatures from those years. Mr. Schuh’s disability profoundly limits his options to engage the world physically, but painting his memories of that robust rural life keeps him tangibly connected to his grandparents and gives my life balance.

Burien Press is locally-owned and operated and open seven days a week from 6am – 8pm.

In addition to hosting gallery-style art shows, the Burien Press also hosts a monthly Sing & Sketch event on the second Thursday of every month and supports the growing arts community in Burien.

For more information, check out their website here.