The opening on February 15th at Aljoya was very well attended and quite lovely. Holly's work paired with the Non-ordinary Reality painting series, the two bodies of artwork play so well together. I very much enjoy Holly's work and am drawn to the chunky r…

This is the start of the final painting for my upcoming show in Seattle. Last night I dreamt again of thrashing and you on the far shore. You can see the painting as it progresses at this link. Here's an excerpt of the poem from which the title was deri…

Nearly complete, this painting: And its charms have a punch. And its hunches have arms. can be viewed as it progresses at this link. Oil on Canvas, 3.5 feet x 9 feet, 2013. The luscious Heather McHugh poem from which the title is derived is below.   …

Please join us for a unique art exhibition and reception: The Human Condition Paintings by Holly Ballard Martz and Kate Vrijmoet friday, february 15, 4:00-6:00 PM Aljoya Thornton Place450 NE 100th Street, Seattle, WA 98125 View distinctively diffe…

In this unfinished painting you're looking at, you see two arms, from two bodies, hair to the right, and abstraction above reflected on the underside of the water surface. I've narrowed down the titles to 6 possible choices. I'll have to sit with them fo…

The start of a new aural painting: I've been here my whole life still I'm somewhere else. To watch the painting progression click here. The title comes from a poem by one of my favorite poets, Dean Young. Thank you Copper Canyon Press.   Where I Left …

Angielina Chamberlain posing near the end of the evening while I pour rice around her. This First Thursday I activated my space with another work of audience participation performance art. This social experiment in my art studio comme lab manifested au…

The Final Version It will come to be, but only when the myth functionally ceases, of course. Dark and light. Clear as black and white, or as day and night. Folk wisdom always rhymes because what we call wisdom is the mediating of opposites. Total …

BLOG COVER: Larry Poons, Open Country, 1968, Acrylic on Canvas. Detail of painting.THROUGHOUT: images from my November trip to the Portland Art Museum. Recently I had a big idea to write a blog on depression and artists. It didn't get far into my res…

Copyright Basics for Artists part 3 Blog cover: Cariou v. Prince (Richard). This case is in appeals after the court ruled against Gagosian and Richard Prince in support of photographer Cariou's copyright protection. The penalties were severe. Below: Tr…