3 posts tagged “seattle”
We did it! Karen and I braved the snow and wind and ice and stayed open all through last week. Being a born-n-bred Seattlite, I felt as if I were as brave as Sir Hillary on Mt. Everest. Of course, he didn't have the bar at St. Cloud's to cozy up to after a long day. Now that the crowds have thinned, the ice has melted, and I've had a few ten hour sleeps, it's back to the business of blogging and such.
The week before Hannukkah began and Christmas arrived (the retail world belongs to most faiths) I had a delivery of jewelry from the one and only Micki Lippe. Micki is a successful production jeweler who in recent years has turned to making more one of a kind art pieces. Her involvement in the Seattle Metals Guild (she is the founder of the Seattle chapter), the Pratt Fine Arts Center, and The Women's Shelter Jewelry Project has has made Micki a sought after mentor of many an up and coming jeweler. For the month of February she will be in a group show with three of her proteges at Pacini Lubel Gallery in Pioneer Square. Welcome to JayWalk, Micki!
So what if it's still too chilly to jump in the water here in Seattle! JayWalk has new necklaces from Tanya Monique that allow you to take the beach wherever you go. Tanya's pendants are entirely hand crafted- from her enameling to the unique setting, Tanya fabricates the entire piece for a TRULY one of a kind necklace. When some jewelry is assembled, often the various components are mass made, like the chain Tanya's pendant hangs from. There isn't anything less valuable about assembled jewelry whatsoever- JayWalk carries some really cool lines. It's just a treat for me to see what skilled hands can fabricate. Come on in and see for yourself!
The artwork at JayWalk is by talented, trained local artists. If you haven't had the opportunity to think about an original piece of art rather than a framed print in your home, please come into JayWalk to see what it feels like to be surrounded with marks made by hand. We have a new layaway plan to make it very easy to responsibly afford a large purchase.
A customer recently came in to tell me how her guests always compliment the two paintings she purchased here, and that the paintings make a person happy. My background is in art and art history, and I can tell you that much of what I studied in school did not make me "happy". Now that I am older and wiser I know that artwork does not have to confuse you to be good. It doesn't have to encourage long conversations to be worthy of being called "fine art".
A fine artwork can be something you want to live with because it simply delights you. That's why I danced in circles when Denise Takahashi said I could hang her Varied Thrush series here. Artwork can also take you on a journey each time you view it, such as Graham Fracha's paintings do for me. The landscapes truly pull me in as my favorite children's books did when I was a child. Christopher Ernst's paintings challenge me just enough- not too much- so they never become dull to look at nor do they put me off if I'm grouchy. For pure prettiness I enjoy having by my desk several crackled surface photographs by Drew Forsell and Rick Duque.
My store feels the way it does because I choose to fill it with things that I love, many created by people whom I love. I do not buy things that I think are hip or in style. It turns out that what I love seems to resonate with creative people and I am fortunate that my customers do buy the treasures at JayWalk.
Amy, Owner
