Over the past year and a half while living in Seattle's Ballard District, I have become obsessed with all things nautical. For those not in the know, Ballard was formerly an old Norwegian fishing village that was annexed into Seattle only around 100 years ago; part of its charm lies in the fact that it doesn't really feel apart of the city at all. A mere decade or so ago, Ballard was little more than fishing warehouses and Viking-themed dive bars. Now it's trending like crazy, with specialty shops and kitschy restaurants aplenty popping up everywhere you look, most with some kind of catchy maritime theme. When a swanky new bar called "Anchor's Down" opened up a few months ago, Nick and I rolled our eyes... and then excitedly walked in to scope it out. The nautical motif has us hooked (no pun intended).
It's certainly captivated my artwork, anyway.
The Giant Pacific Octopus is native to Seattle's Puget Sound, a gorgeous and fascinating animal that never ceases to awaken the "God is so creative!" thoughts every time I sit down to paint another tentacle. I'm not sure why the octopus has grabbed my attention so fervently. There's something so mysterious, so beautiful and yet eerie about this animal... I can't put my finger on it. Until then, I will continue to paint it.
Today I am very proud to announce that I am adding three pieces of octopus artwork from my Vintage Nautical collection now available for purchase. They're gorgeous, gallery-quality giclée prints inspired by life in Ballard. I hope you enjoy.
