EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL 2024
REMEMBERING THE EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL
An estimated 34,000 attendees came to The 28th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl over the span of four days! Over 520 wonderful artists including 90 new artists participated.
A big THANK YOU to the amazing Culture Crawl Team for their dedication and hard work:
Artistic & Executive Director: Esther Rausenberg
The Culture Crawl Team - Erin Frizzell, Sierra MacTavish, Kris Voveris, Steph Touhey and Jodie Ponto.
To the sponsors, partners, the board and committees, volunteers and everyone involved in making our 2024 Culture Crawl a success, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU to everyone who ventured up the stairs to the fourth floor. To finally open the studio after eight years was a decision that brought many emotions. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the genuine connections old and new. Also, to my husband Stephen, my children - Hanna, Jacob and Sienna, my loving girlfriends and my studio mates - Michal, Susan and Megan for their constant support and creative encouragement. I wouldn't be able to keep creating without their consistent positive energy and constant support. THANK YOU.
Image: WORK IN PROGRESS
"Sea of Life, Sea of Humanity". Mixed media.
48" x 109". 2024
"Blue is the closest colour to truth".
-Steven Tyler-
Currently this piece has 12 – 15 washes of
Ultramarine Blue.
My plan: 80 - 100 washes of saturated blue. I will then take the piece and fill some of the cracks with an iridescent gold - a reminder of our scars and past experiences that make us who we are. This is based on "Kintsugi", the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with gold and a reminder of the beauty of human fragility, adversity and fortitude. This piece was sitting on my wall for four years - as a wood panel. Only recently, I finally found the courage to deal with uncomfortable emotions from my past in finally painting this piece.
Image: WORK IN PROGRESS
"Finding Solace". Mixed media. 48" x 48". 2024
I decided to open my studio with WORKS IN PROGRESS - all my large pieces displayed for the Crawl were unfinished. I paint directly on the wall - not on an easel and I use garden trays to catch the washes of acrylic paint. I wanted Crawl attendees to see works in process and also see the number of acrylic washes I utilize to create a piece. These days I have been utilizing between 65 -100 washes of acrylic paint to achieve the vibrancy and saturation. This also enabled me to work in the studio up until the Crawl opened!
Image: Why the Dripping Paint?
Image: WORK IN PROGRESS
Commission for a Whistler Home. Mixed media.
67" x 67". 2024
This piece displayed for the Crawl was a work in progress for a Whistler home. Here the piece utilizes 2-3 washes of acrylic paint. When the piece is complete it will consist of close to 75 - 80 washes of paint. I worked on samples for the home and took them to Whistler to see how the pieces lived in the space and how they reacted to light . The plan: to create more transitions of colour within the piece. Crawl attendees saw photos of previous commissions in homes and were very curious of the Commission process.
Image: Small Pieces
Various Sizes
I had small pieces displayed for the Crawl in various sizes. Many of these pieces were samples from previous commissions. Here, samples were displayed available for purchase from past commissions completed for homes in Vancouver, Colorado, Bermuda and Washington.
Everyone who knows me, knows I have a sweet tooth and I love everything from ice cream, to chocolate cake to shortbread cookies and candy. I gave out Smarties as a reminder of the essence of childhood.
"When you feel a child inside of you springing to life, that's how you know you're where you should be."
- C. Joybell C. -
Image: DOOR PRIZE RAFFLE
This was an opportunity for attendees to win the Door Prize. This was simply an "old school" raffle - no exchange for your information to be placed on any list of any kind. Just pure FUN. The lucky winner won a basket of art supplies, my favorite childhood candy and an original piece, "Into the Blue". Mixed media. 9" x 12". 2024
Image: DOOR PRIZE RAFFLE
A Big CONGRATULATIONS to Ren for winning this years Door Prize!
