Woodinville City Hall Art Exhibit

Woodinville City Hall

I am very honored to have an exhibit of my artwork at the Woodinville City Hall in December and January. This show, titled "Seasons in the Wild Garden", includes 20 of my original paintings. Each of the four seasons is featured in watercolors displayed in different areas of the City Hall.

All paintings are available for purchase and can be released from the exhibit for holiday gift giving. Please contact me at catherinemjamesart@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a painting. 10% of all sales will be donated to the Rotary Club of Woodinville.

The exhibit runs through January 31st.

Woodinville City Hall is open to the public on weekdays:
17301 133rd Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:00pm and Fridays 7:30am-4:00pm.

Winter Watercolors in the Council Chambers

 

Summer and Fall

Spring Paintings

Snowy River

"Snowfall, Sammamish River" 18" x 24"  $850 Framed  

This is the Sammamish River, just down the hill from where I live. I wanted to show the quiet stillness that happens when it snows. Snow is not common here in western Washington, and everyone stays home when it snows. I love the silent hush that covers the busy city whenever the snow falls.

It was quite a challenge for me to paint softly and without many edges, but wonderful to have the chance to paint with so many beautiful grays!

 

I've been going the extra mile with the framing on my latest larger pieces and I'm particularly pleased with this one. I've framed "Snowfall" with a "float frame" instead of my usual double mat. (You can see the soft edges of the painting.) Thank you to Ben Franklin Frame Shop in Redmond for creating this gray weathered frame that compliments the painting so perfectly!

"Snowfall, Sammamish River" will be one of more than 20 of my watercolors hanging in the Woodinville City Hall in an exhibit titled "Seasons in the Wild Garden" during December and January.  The art exhibit is open to the public weekdays during City Hall hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:00pm and Fridays 7:30am-4:00pm. I hope you'll have a chance to stop in and see this significant show of so many of my watercolors!

Woodinville City Hall
17301-133rd Avenue NE
Woodinville, WA 98072

Wishing the Fall Leaves Farewell

"Autumn Light"   18" x 24"   $750 Framed 

We've just had a week of frosty weather and autumn has changed into winter. The dying of the leaves is always tough for me. Our winters in Seattle are short compared to many places, but 4 or 5 months without leaves is never something I look forward to. But I am grateful for the beautiful show the leaves put on as the season closes.

I've been watching this week how the light and colors are changing with the cold. The sky has become more of a blue-green than the rich blue of summer. The greens are tired and faded. The shadows are long. The frost lingers in the cold shadows and there's always a faint low fog in the trees. The light is low and it catches the colorful leaves from the side and sets them ablaze.

This scene is from near the entrance to Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Autumn Vines

"String of Hearts"  11" x 14"  Framed $475 

These vines are planted everywhere in the Seattle area to cover and soften concrete walls. Intertwining vines make such beautiful pictures. I've probably taken hundreds of photos of the ones near Marymoor Park in Redmond, not far from where I live.

One of the reasons I enjoy painting with watercolor is because I am so fond of lines. Watercolor makes it so easy to paint such clean, lovely lines! And of course vine-covered walls are just filled with elegant lines.

I love how these vines change so unevenly in the fall, showing a whole spectrum of color at once. I especially love how the younger leaves in these vines look like necklaces of colorful hearts.

Collecting Chestnuts

"Autumn Treasures, Chestnuts"  18" x 18"  SOLD

When I was little, I always looked forward to collecting chestnuts behind my grandmother's house. Inside the spiky hard covers I would discover these jewels of smooth beautiful redness that were more magnificent treasures to me than gold coins.

Ice Wine Label Art

 

I just finished this commissioned painting for Finn Hill Winery. This artwork will be featured on the label of Finn Hill's upcoming semillon ice wine from Rosebud Vineyards. An ice wine is interesting as it requires very unique conditions. It's made from grapes that are frozen on the vine and results in a sweet dessert wine. 

I've been lucky enough to contribute artwork to a number of Finn Hill Winery's labels. To see some of the other wine label artwork I've done for them click here. 

If you have the chance to go wine tasting in Woodinville, Washington this month, be sure to stop in at Finn Hill Winery! Owner, Rob Entrekin, makes all of his wines on-site and is happy to share fascinating details about his wine-making process. I have 17 of my original watercolors on exhibit at Finn Hill Winery right now, plus new 2015 Art Calendars available. Thank you again to everyone who joined me for the Artist Reception at Finn Hill Winery on Sunday, August 24!

Finn Hill Winery is open for tasting 12:00-5:00 each Saturday. They are located in the Woodinville Warehouse Winery District at 18800 142nd Ave NE. (Click here for a map.)

Calla Lilies and Trumpets

"Salsa Trumpets"   24" x 18"   $850 Framed

Another calla lily watercolor, but with very different shapes than the last one. In this painting, I've emphasized the more rounded trumpet-like shapes. The lines all radiate out from the center spiral, like a blast of bright sound. I was listening to salsa music for this painting, too - pushing the rhythms into the painting and indulging in the hot, intense tropical colors.

Thank you again to my friend Pam Lough for her wonderful source photos!

Calla Lilies and Flamenco Dancers

"Flamenco Flames"  24" x 18"  SOLD

I just finished a couple new paintings from some beautiful photographs that my friend Pam sent me from California. The colors of these Calla lilies are so gorgeous! ...And I love the shapes - like twisting fabric on dancers or flickering flames.

I really wanted to push the look of movement in this composition. The flowers reminded me of flamenco dancers so I studied the shapes of the dancers' dresses. (See my collage of photos below. Can you see the similarity in the shapes?)

I also emphasized the sharp-tipped flame shapes and repeated them in the leaves as well as the flowers.

I listened to salsa music the whole time I was painting this. The rhythms are so exciting you can't help but dance. There I was in my studio, dancing with my headphones on while I was painting. My teenagers who were home for summer vacation were really horrified. At least it was one way to get a little time all to myself in the studio this summer!

This painting is sold and is on it's way to California to live with Pam. Thank you Pam for the inspiration!

Art Reception Sunday August 24, 1-4pm!

Please join me this coming Sunday, Aug 24 at Finn Hill Winery in Woodinville for a fabulous fun art reception! There will be refreshments and wine tasting, and I'll be giving away one of my new 2015 Art Calendars every hour! I sure hope you'll join us!

Under Construction!

The Studio Under Construction

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We're adding a bedroom and have had to have sprinklers installed in our entire house as part of the City's requirements! Things have been quite distracting! My studio has looked like this for weeks now.

Things are being put back together slowly, and I'm hoping I'll be back in the studio painting in another week or so. Whew!

New Monthly Newsletter!

 In the meantime, I've taken the opportunity to put a proper monthly newsletter together. I'll continue to post my new paintings for you on the blog as I have always done, but my monthly events are probably better communicated through the newsletter.

 If you would like to see my June art newsletter
 CLICK HERE.

If you you would like to receive my monthly art events newsletter, please
CLICK HERE.

Victor's Coffee House in Redmond

I am very honored to be back for my third solo show at Victor's Coffee House in Redmond, WA! The show features twelve of my original watercolors. All are available for purchase.

Victor's is my favorite neighborhood coffee shop. It's at 7993 Gilman Street in Redmond, WA, just down the road from my house. If you stop in, give me a call and I'll meet you for a coffee!

My paintings will be on display until the end of May.

Magnolias

"Magnolia Blossom Opening #1"  8" x 8"  $225

"Magnolia Blossom Opening #1"  8" x 8"  $225

Every spring, I enjoy the magnolia blooms so very much! Each delicate white flower is a work of art!

The blossoms begin closed and upright, like white candle flames. As the warm spring sun touches them, they open so gracefully, like dancers unfolding their arms.

I wish I could capture every blossom in watercolor before they fade away!

To purchase one of these paintings,
CLICK HERE.

Celebrating Tulips

"Neverending Tulips"  18" x 24"  SOLD 

It's tulip time here in the Northwest! The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, just north of Seattle, is really something wonderful! During the month of April, the tulip farms are just breathtaking! Everywhere you look is a painting!

Some people enjoy the open tulip fields and the long beautiful rows of solid colors. My favorite place is the display gardens at Roozengaarde. There are three and a half acres of never-ending tulips in those gardens and supposedly 250,000 bulbs! The tulips drift in and out of the trees and are planted in color combinations that mix and mingle like paint strokes in a painting.

I just had to paint this scene from Roozengaarde. I love the tulips weaving in and out of the light and flowing through the landscape like an endless river. The combination of festive colors reminds me of confetti - like spring throwing its own party to celebrate life renewed!

Enjoy the tulips!

tulips detail

Honey Bees & Mead

Announcing a new show of my watercolors at Sky River Mead! 

  

Sky River Mead is one of the Woodinville Washington Wineries. They're located just south of the round-a-bouts on Redmond-Woodinville Road and are open Fridays and Saturdays 1:00-6:00, Sundays noon-4:00.

Twelve of my original watercolors are on display and available at Sky River Mead from now through mid-May. The winery also has a number of unframed fine art prints of my artwork for sale. When you visit Sky River Mead, be sure and enter to win a free print of my one of my cherry blossom watercolors!

 

In honor of my art exhibit and in celebration of Sky River's delicious honey wines, I've just finished a honey bee painting that is included in the new show!

"How the Honey Bee Sees the World"  10" x 14"  SOLD

There will be an Artist's Reception at Sky River Mead on Thursday, April 3 from 4:00-8:00pm. Please join me for nibbles and mead tasting! I hope to see you there!

For more information about Sky River Mead, please visit: http://www.skyriverbrewing.com/

Farm Fresh Strawberries

"Red & Ripe"  18" x 18" $850 Framed

There is nothing like the taste of real fresh strawberries, picked red and ripe and sweet! They hardly resemble the grocery store variety. And there's that lovely fresh strawberry smell....I just can't wait for things to begin growing again and the fresh berries to arrive at the local farmer's markets! 

This larger-than-life painting was great fun, though it took me wayyyy longer than I expected. Each strawberry is a simple shape but contains so much intricate detail, with the rows of seeds and juicy highlights. I used quite a lot of masking fluid to preserve the seeds and the highlights, but then each tiny shape had to be softened and refined once the masking was removed. I enjoyed mixing all those rich reds and pushing the intensity of the color.

This painting will be on display beginning Friday, March 21 at Sky River Mead in Woodinville, Washington as part of an exhibit of my watercolors. Please join me for the art show reception at Sky River Mead on Thursday, April 3 from 4-8pm! 

"Red and Ripe" detail

Featured Artist, Macrina Bakery

What fun! I am the featured artist at the famous Macrina Bakery! For the month of March, eight of my paintings are on display at the SoDo cafe location, just south of Safeco Field in Seattle. For the month of April, my paintings will be at the Belltown cafe location of Macrina Bakery! Be sure and stop by for lunch or a perfect pastry, and don't forget to tell them you love the artwork! 

SODO Macrina Bakery, 1943 First Ave. South, Seattle

For directions to the SoDo Macrina Bakery CLICK HERE.

Belltown Macrina Bakery, 2408 First Avenue, Seattle

For directions to the Belltown Macrina Bakery CLICK HERE.

Sophia Way Auction to Benefit Homeless Women, March 15, 2014

Cherry Blossoms in Sunlight  13" x 19"

My original framed painting, "Cherry Blossoms in the Sunlight" will be featured as part of the Sophia Way Dinner & Auction on March 15 at the Hilton Hotel in Bellevue, Washington. This is the third year in a row that I've gladly donated my original watercolors to the auction. Sophia Way is an amazing organization that assists women on their path from homelessness to independence. They provide the ONLY shelter for homeless women on the eastside of Seattle. Women who come to Sophia Way have access to financial counseling, life skills training, employment assistance, and many other services that help move them past surviving and into rebuilding their lives. 

Sophia Way is making a huge difference in the lives of local women! Please join their wonderful dinner and auction event on March 15 or consider volunteering, making a meal, bringing supplies, or donating to Sophia Way. To find out more about Sophia Way, please go to www.sophiaway.org

Spring is Coming!

"The Spring Rain Wakes the Plum Blossoms"  14" x 24"  SOLD

I know this winter has been a long one, especially for those of you still buried in deep snow. Growing up in Wisconsin, I remember the months of waiting for the snow and ice to melt and the liquid water to return. When the long awaited spring finally comes, it will be appreciated this year more than ever!

This watercolor captures those hopeful days when the warm rains wake the plum blossoms and the miracle begins of spring begins again. The little raindrops were time consuming but quite fun to paint. Each one is like a whole little world of reflections. 

Spring is coming!

Detail

Now Showing at Gallery North in Edmonds

2014 is starting out with a bang! In addition to my new participation in CMB Fine Art Gallery, this month I became a member of Gallery North in Edmonds, Washington!

Gallery North has been a part of the Northwest art community since 1961! They feature the work of about 25 different artists. The gallery includes painting, photography, encaustic, sculpture, mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, glasswork, and much more. They are open seven days a week at 401 Main Street in beautiful downtown Edmonds, just a few blocks up from the waterfront and the ferry dock.

At the moment, I have five original watercolors in the gallery. My 2014 art calendars are also available at Gallery North.

Gallery North is part of the monthly Edmonds Art Walk on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The February art walk is this Thursday, February 20 from 4-8pm. Please stop in and say hello and check out the amazing work by all the Gallery North artists!

I currently have five original paintings at Gallery North!

Announcing CMB Fine Art Gallery

Bellevue Location of CMB Fine Art Gallery

I am now working with artist Connie Bishop in managing CMB Fine Art Gallery! The gallery operates in the corridors of the Ultimate Salon Studios and has locations in both Bellevue and Lynnwood, Washington.

The Bellevue location (behind the BMW dealer just off Bel-Red Road) currently features a show of original graphite drawings titled "Celebrity Portraits" by Connie M. Bishop and an exhibit of seventeen of my original watercolors titled "Remembering Summer".

The Lynnwood gallery (right next to Alderwood Mall) is now featuring a variety of affordable framed prints of artwork by Connie Bishop and Catherine James (that's me).

Lynnwood Location of CMB Fine Art Gallery

The CMB Fine Art Galleries are in the hallways outside the salons, so visitors can view the artwork without entering or disturbing any of the salons. Both the Lynnwood and Bellevue galleries are open to the public seven days a week during normal business hours.

Our goal at CMB Fine Art Gallery is to provide access to high quality local artwork from a consistent and trustworthy source as part of an informal, everyday experience. Purchase of artwork for your home or business is just a phone call, text, or email away! For more information, please visit our website at www.cmbgallery.com and like us on Facebook, too!

Original Artwork in the Bellevue Corridors

Framed Prints in the Lynnwood Corridors

Trillium Tour Poster Art 2014

Artwork for 2014 Trillium Tours Poster

I am honored to have been asked to create artwork for the Cottage Lake Gardens Trillium Tours poster for the third year in a row! You can see the 2012 and 2013 posters below. Posters and note cards featuring my trillium paintings and other trillium-related gifts can be purchased from the Cottage Lake Gardens website. 

Trilliums are a rare spring wildflower that require 7 years from planted seed to flower. Many species of trilliums are endangered and protected. ALL of the 48 species of trilliums in the world can be seen growing at Cottage Lake Gardens! Many of these are for sale, too! This year's poster artwork features Trillium luteum, a beautiful large yellow trillium that sits upright above silvery mottled leaves. The Trillium luteum is native to the Appalachian mountains of the United States. 

Cottage Lake Gardens in Woodinville, Washington is a remarkable place just a few miles from where I live. This beautiful 2 acre woodland garden on Cottage Lake features an amazing variety of rare and unusual plants. Their spring Trillium Tours are legendary and book up a year in advance. They've recently opened a bed and breakfast as well. 

This year's poster reminds you that you don't need your own woodland to grow trilliums. You can grow trilliums very successfully in containers! For all you plant collectors out there, in addition to the Trillium luteum, this woodland container features Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', Dicentra canadensis, Dicentra eximia, blue Hepatica, Anemone nemorosa "Shoaf's Double, and Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal'. 

For more information about Trilliums or Cottage Lake Gardens, please visit cottagelakegardens.com

2013 Poster

2012 Poster