Favorite Friend Friday: Fine Artist, Joey Bates

We've known Joey Bates forever--and he is one of the most talented artists in the Pacific Northwest. His portraiture style combined with mediums like paper-cutting, gouache, (and even painting on windows!) is by far some of the most lovely and inspired work we have seen. Recently, Joey announced his plans to venture out to Iceland, and study land formations and glaciers in connection with his work. We first--donated quickly to his fundraiser, and second--asked him a few questions about his intriguing process. We think you'll be interested too:


Left, Joey. Right, "Natasha" (graphite and gouache on toned paper)
Tell us a little bit about your process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
I work pretty intuitively. There are times I feel like painting, times I feel like drawing and times I feel like cutting paper. It's hard for me to land on just one thing. I usually just jump into pieces; I don't do any preliminary sketches, but I gather reference material and go for it. I do end up scrapping a lot of work, I learn a lot from the pieces that don't work out.
As for reference material I look all over. For my portraits I work from people I know and usually take 100-200 images of them. Each piece can take anywhere from 8 to 30 hours for completion. The paper cuts usually take more time. I just finished the largest cut paper portrait I have ever done. It can be see in this video, by Christian Powers:

Joey Bates Profile from christian powers on Vimeo.

Do you have endless ideas or do you get "artist's block?"
I do get "artist's block." When I get blocked in regards to new work or new ideas I start doing nudes. It's really good to work through the "blocks." When I am having a hard time sitting down to work I go for a bike ride. I've always found that getting out there and riding around the city helps me greatly in re-centering and being productive in the studio when I get back to the studio.


Untitled Variant Limited Edition Print available through Joey's Indiegogo fundraiser
We hear you are trying to get to Iceland to study land formations! What turned you on to that specifically?
I am fascinated by Iceland. The land more than anything else there. The way the country was formed, how it is still forming and how it is continually changing (most of the time in small ways, but sometimes in explosive ways). I'm also intrigued by the way in which the ice interacts with and changes the land. The glaciers are moving at pretty rapid rates right now. It's insane to think of the way in which water erodes surfaces, what the land looks like now compared to what it looked like just five years ago. Land is amazing and this trip is just the start of a new body of work. The Indiegogo fundraiser is well under way!

What is your favorite piece that you have created?
Oh boy. I don't know. There are certain pieces I feel more affection for. I usually work on a piece and feel really good about it in process, then feel done and over it upon its completion. I think the piece I just completed is my favorite at the moment (the cut paper portrait mentioned earlier). It's currently untitled and not related to the new direction I'm headed with the landscape work.


"Hemlock" by Joey Bates
Which artists do you most admire?
• Lucian Freud
• Andrew Wyeth
• Keith Haring
• Egon Schielle
• Gala Bent
• Robert Hardgrave

If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be?
Oi. I don't know. A large part of me doesn't care for celebrity. I don't really gawk over anyone other than my girlfriend and the amazing people I know. I would love for celebrities to start buying my work, dig out of debt a bit. Ha.

If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There's a Thai place up north in Edmonds, Washington called Thai Cottage. The food is great and the staff is so amazingly nice. I could see myself stepping in every day feeling welcomed and good about where I'm at. I go every year for my birthday.

If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
Melbourne, Australia or Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I'd always come back to Seattle for visits. This is one of the most beautiful places on this planet and it's hard to think about leaving.

What do you do for fun?
Ride my bicycle, play MLB on the Wii (well actually I play the Wii to take a breather from long days at work), take walks with my girlfriend. I sound like such an old man, but we both live in great neighborhoods in Seattle: Ballard and Queen Anne.

You're stuck on a desert island which book do you want to have?
There is a book that has followed me most of my life in one way or another--Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

Thanks, Joey! View Joey Bates' website here and donate to his fundraiser for awesome treats and cool prints here.

Before & After: Super Sweet Vintage Milking Stool

I got this great vintage milking stool from the Scout Pop-Up shop a few weekends ago, and fell in love. I am 5'4 and can barely reach any of my high cabinets, and was tired of dragging dining chairs over to the kitchen, crawling onto the counter or asking for my husband's assistance--so I was in the market for a step stool. I know this one doesn't look that sturdy, but it definitely holds me very well (and that's all that matters, right?)


It was in need of a good coat of paint, so I grabbed some Krylon Dual Paint + Primer spray paint in Mandarin and went to town. The full "how-to" will be on Apartment Therapy on Thursday, but I wanted you guys to get a sneak peek beforehand. I love it!

Special Guest Post: Recommended Reads You May Have Missed in High School

It's summer time! And you know what that means--summer reading! Rather than take a copy of the most recent bestseller to the shore or on the plane or to your grandma's house, take Christian's recommendations below. Christian Powers is the English Department Head at Federal Way High School in Washington, and is an avid reader, writer and lover of literature. (And he also happens to be Andie's husband). We asked him what he thought we should be reading, and he gave us an earful. Thanks, Christian! 

---   If you were one of those kids who read every page of every book assigned in school, we all owe you a long, solemn standing ovation. That sort of thing isn’t easy—I’ll admit that I couldn’t pull it off, myself. But even if you take pride in your teen reading habits, I wouldn’t check those books off your list just yet: they might be worth another read.

Now that I have the privilege of teaching high school English, I get the opportunity to reread some of the perennial classroom classics (including a few I never got around to as a kid) and I’ve been thrilled to find some powerful and thoroughly engaging stories. I’m finding that perspective affects your reading of a book as much as the ink on the page, so if you’ve read these before, consider taking a look from your current vantage point. Furthermore, if you haven’t read these, keep in mind that none of them were written for a teen audience. These are all serious books, written by serious adults. Seriously. So, here are my thoughts on a few “high school books” that are probably more enjoyable now that you don’t have homework.

The Catcher In The Rye
When I tried to read Catcher In The Rye as a teenager, I couldn’t stand the entitled, whiny, and relatively clueless voice of narrator, Holden Caulfield. But when I tried again in my mid-twenties, it was a completely different experience. Holden is lost and pathetic, yes, but Salinger manipulates Caulfield’s voice so deftly, I couldn’t help but feel for the little guy. Holden’s innocence and ignorance create a space that allows the reader to see plainly what our sad narrator can’t. It’s a poignant rumination on the loss of innocence, and the awkwardness of being stuck between youth and adulthood without the guidance of understanding or hindsight.

Frankenstein
If you’re unfamiliar with Mary Shelley’s novel, it’s time to remedy that situation. It's much different from what you might expect if all you know of this story is the flat-topped, bolt-necked green guy from cartoons. You get the French Alps, you get unattainable love, you get complete and utter despair, you get a complex novel of multiple perspectives and formats (including the monster’s perspective, after it learns to read and write from a blind man). Plus, you can feel terrible about yourself, knowing that Shelley was eighteen when she wrote a book that pioneered countless conventions and tropes of the sci-fi and horror genres.

As I Lay Dying
The only Faulkner I read in high school was the haunting story, “A Rose For Emily” (although the breathtaking “Barn Burning” should be his most anthologized). I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I didn’t fall in love with his work until well into my college years. As I Lay Dying is his only novel taught in schools, and I suppose that makes sense—in spite of its fifteen separate narrators(!), it’s one of Faulkner’s most accessible books. In the book, the Bundren family sets off to transport the body of their deceased matriarch to be buried in her hometown. The real draw is the subtlety in Faulkner’s portrayal of each character, which creates an emotionally intricate mess of a family—through a complexity that deepens and expands with each new perspective. Also, Renaissance man James Franco recently wrapped a big screen adaptation (his directorial debut), that is, by early accounts, not so bad. No matter what, I’m going to guess that reading the book first might come in handy this time around.

Of Mice And Men
Steinbeck’s simplest and shortest novel could be read in a single sitting, if you’ve got an open Saturday. It’s a riff on the author’s favorite subject: loneliness (hint—it takes place in near a town called Soledad). It’s a striking portrait of the lives of migrant workers in depression-era California that hinges on themes of friendship and mercy. The language is gorgeous and Steinbeck’s ear for dialogue is as sharp as it is in any of his books. It’s a bit of a heartbreaker, sure, but it’s also overflowing with wit and humanity.

To Kill A Mockingbird
This is such a formative book for many young people that it almost doesn’t need anyone’s recommendation. Don’t worry—it’s still amazing and will break your heart, every time. I’m actually disappointed if kids don’t cry in class when Tom Robinson’s verdict is read—I wonder if I should read it again, slower. I realized that there was so much I’d missed as a kid, including quite a bit of humor and charm. It’s about injustice and growth. It’s about choosing courage and kindness, even (or especially) in the face of helplessness. If, in terms of age, you were closer to Scout than Atticus when you last read it, read it again, soon.

The Great Gatsby
Now that Baz Luhrman’s adaptation has hit movie theaters, this book is suddenly a hot topic. But if you haven’t read it since high school (if at all), grab a copy. Narrated by the awkward outsider Nick Carraway after a whirlwind stint in New York, we get a fleeting glimpse of unbridled pre-crash American decadence. But in spite of the wild living, everything is always just out of reach for every character concerned. They try to lie, cheat, and spend their way to happiness, but it eludes each of them. There’s a pervading sadness pulsing through this book, threatening the hopes of everyone concerned. And it’s got some of the best sentences you’ll ever read.

Fahrenheit 451
Instead of the big scary government controlling of our freedoms (like Big Brother in 1984), Bradbury presents a much more frightening scenario. Society has gradually lost interest in personal relationships and the arts in favor of the fastest, loudest, and most immediate pastimes (like wall-sized TVs with shows that simulate reality, or tiny earphones that people never ever remove, for instance). Walking outside is suspicious activity, as is having an extended conversation. Oh yeah—and books are absolutely, totally forbidden. Ray Bradbury offers us an entirely unsettling dystopic vision that is more plausible than most others.

Beloved
I don’t know if many people have been assigned this novel in schools, but it’s been on the AP list for a while, so I figured it was fair game. It’s the shocking story of a horrific act carried out by a desperate runaway slave, and the irrevocable consequences that follow. Toni Morrison is one of three Nobel Prize winning Americans on this list (along with Faulkner and Steinbeck), and it’s easy to see why she completely deserved it. This book will haunt you. I realize that my last sentence is a bit of a pun, but there’s really no better way to explain the effects of Morrison’s prose.

Star Gazing Party Blog Hop Giveaway!!

Time for our Star Gazing Party Blog Hop giveaway! A special thank you to Sara of Confetti Sunshine for curating and organizing the entire thing. We loved being a part of it! Enter our Raffle Copter below to try your hand at being one of the lucky winners. Yipee!

Visit Lee Laa Loo

Visit Libby Lane Press

Visit Meri Meri

Visit Molasses Candy

Visit Oscar and Ollie

Visit Polka Dot Pinwheels

Visit Royal Spice Clothing

Visit Sweet On Parties

Visit The Papered Nest

Visit Vinyl Wall Art

Visit Confetti Sunshine
11 Prizes = 11 Winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Star Gazing Blog Hop: DIY Constellation Coasters How-To

Join the Star Gazing party and make a set of constellation coasters! Perfect for any summer night soiree.

Here's what you'll need:
• Wool felt
• Jar or 4" circle template
• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Acrylic paint
• Pencil with eraser
• Self-adhesive mounting board (We used this.)


Trace the jar lid onto your felt with a sharpie. Cut out as many rounds as you'd like.


Dip the pencil eraser into acrylic paint and do a few test dabs on scrap felt first.
Following this simple constellation cheat sheet, dot your felt rounds and let dry.

To stabilize your coasters, trace the same jar onto the self-adhesive board and affix to the back of the felt.

Give each guest their own starry pattern or zodiac sign. Make a
set for the hostess or a set as a housewarming gift. Once you start dotting, it's hard to stop!

See the other party crafts and treats for the day!
• Tissue Lanterns - Confetti Sunshine
• Mason Jar Drinks - Kate Landers Events
• Star Food Picks - My Paper Pinwheel
• Star Rice Crispies - Lulu the Baker

And a thank you to our lovely sponsors:
• (Our favorite pals) Trophy Cupcakes
• Splendid Sweet Shoppe
• Vintage Ambiance

Photos via Assemble & Confetti Sunshine

School House Craft Blogger Summer Camp Giveaway Winner!

Hi guys--sorry for the delay. We've drawn a winner!

Congratulations to Melissa aka mellzahbot[at]gmail! You've won our complimentary ticket to the School House Craft Blogger's Summer Camp! We will be in touch for how to sign up.

And don't worry! We drew a second and third place just in case Melissa can't make it. Thanks!

Star Gazing Party Hop!

Emily and I are really excited to be a part of this sweet idea: a Star Gazing Party Blog Hop! Organized by the lovely Sara of Confetti Sunshine, this Blog Hop is centered around a summery, star-gazing party. DIY treats, crafts, recipes, etc. will be provided each day this week by all of the talented bloggers below, so be sure to put them on your reading list--and pay attention, because on Friday, we will be having a giveaway!!



Who else is participating?
Love the Day
Hank & Hunt
See Vanessa Craft
My Paper Pinwheel
Kate Landers Events Blog
Get Creative Juice
The Elephant of Surprise
Frog Prince Paperie
Lulu the Baker
The Salty Pineapple
Paging Super Mom
Shiny Happy Sprinkles
and of course...Confetti Sunshine

Our DIY constellation coasters are up this week on Wednesday so stay tuned. We're so excited to be a part of this adorable party! Hope you guys get some great ideas for summer fun.


And a thank you to our lovely sponsors:
(Our favorite pals) Trophy Cupcakes
Splendid Sweet Shoppe
Vintage Ambiance

Photos by Confetti Sunshine