Bellevue Arts Fairs 2017 & 2018

My purchases in the past two years.  Above, a card "The Sincerest Form of Flattery" by Eileen Sorg.

Below, coasters "Cozy Afternoon," and "Miss Tater" by Mary Gibbs.

So, almost every year I go to a couple of art festival fairs/festivals that happen in Bellevue at this time of year.  I started going a long time ago, when my family and I were just heading out for a trip to the mall, and came across this festival, that was set up on the bottom of the parking garage at Bellevue Square Mall.  It was much smaller then, but it was something neat, and memorable.

It, as well as Bellevue, has grown so much.  Now, two festivals happen at the same time (the BAM ARTSfair and the Bellevue Festival of the Arts), so there is plenty to look at.  It normally takes me about 4-5 hours to see everything, if I am up to it.  I almost did not go this year, because I wasn't sure I was up to it this year, but I am really glad I went.  I just love seeing all the amazing talent people have and the variety of styles.  They also have good food out there, in case you are hungry.  I decided to eat at home this year, before I went.

One of the most impressive pieces of work, was a sculpted dragon that really breathes fire!  The artist, Gunter Reimnitz, is happy to show a demonstration of his work.  I did not get a photo of the fire breathing, but there is a great one shown here.  It was at the festival this year as well as last year.

Inside the Bellevue Arts Museum last year they had some intricate paper sculptures.  This one was my favorite.  I am not sure who the artist was, but they did a really great job.

This year, there were some interesting silkscreen and screen prints by Alex Katz.  The one shown below is called, "Nichole," and in it's reflection is "White Roses."

Also, this year, was a colorful display of fashion by FEMAIL:AMPM.  I really like how it seems to combine different cultures into one.  It is a really beautiful display.  You can read more about it here.

Outside the mall they had a sidewalk chalk artist.  I missed the sidewalk chalk artist last year, so it was good to see it again.  This one is done by Gabrielle Abbott.

The festival outside had so many other great things, that it would be impossible to cover them all.

Factory43 had some great whimsical pins and prints.  It was one of the few booths that encouraged photos.  I especially like the cat with the eye-patch, but I also like the crying ice cream cone.  Their website is also pretty cool.

Last year there was an artist who used gold foil in his photo/paintings.  I did not see him this year, but his name is Michael Bryant.  It is hard to tell by looking at them online, but there is a wonderful looking glistening and texture when you see his works in person.

This year some artists I liked were:

Coffee on Canvas:  Artwork created by using coffee as a medium.  Creates a fascinating visual in great earth tones.  I love the Seattle Skyline one.

Michael Rohner:  Does a great job with pen and ink.  Draws many animals.  My favorite one is the one titled "Aeon."

Steven Vigil:  Interesting style.  Some look halfway finished, with paint drips.  I really like "Whatever you do, Don't Run."

Some favorites were back again:

Justin Hillgrove:  Always has new and great stuff.  I just love his work.  His work includes parody and tributes, that he makes into his own, but he has original stuff as well.

Amy Flynn:  Creative and fun Fobots, made with found objects.

Diane Culhane:  Colorful, story-telling art.

Last year, I added two new coasters to another coaster I bought previously by Mary Gibbs, as shown at the top of this blog.  She has beautiful watercolor artwork.  I especially love her cats that she draws.  I had to resist from buying more coasters this year.

I did purchase some cards from Eileen Sorg.  I really love how in "Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery," that a bird and I think what is a grasshopper(?) try to imitate a rabbit.  It is humorous, yet deep, and brilliant.

The festival is almost over, but you can still check out these artist's work at their websites or at other art festivals.

If It Exists, There Is Probably a Hello Kitty Version of It

At an early age, I started becoming obsessed with cats, or cat-related things.  I was about 5 years old when I acquired my first cat, who was by far - the best cat ever.  I would doodle cats on top of every grade school paper, before turning it in.  My cat was more than just a cat, she was my friend.  I think that is why an article about Hello Kitty not being a cat came out a year or so ago.  She is much more than a cat, and she has been pretty much everywhere.

Over a week ago, my mom and I and saw the Hello Kitty exhibit at the Seattle EMP.  It was really fun.  Happy, upbeat music played in the background, as visitors enjoyed the variety of fun and unusual items.  There was so much see, too!  (I took a ton of photos, but I will only share a portion here).

I was surprised how much merchandise has been developed over the years, relating to the popular icon.  There was the typical stuff, like plushies and bags:

 There was clothing, both in men's and women's style - ranging from normal every day wear, to high fashion:

There were a variety of styles of paintings, as well as large statues:

There was also some unusual items, like Hello Kitty toilet paper, feminine products, braces, and motor oil!

I learned a few things about Hello Kitty that I did not know.  Like, her wild side:

Also, she had a boyfriend named Dear Daniel?  How did I not know this?  Or did I forget?

I knew about her family, of course...

...and even owned some of the same kinds of things shown at the exhibit.

I wasn't expecting to see that much, I guess.  I knew Hello Kitty was popular, but this exhibit brought a whole new perspective.

My mom and I really had a great time.  There was so much stuff to look at!  It was amazing!  If you get a chance to see this Hello Kitty exhibit somewhere, I highly recommend it.  It has already left Seattle, but perhaps you can catch her in another city.  It is well worth it.

After looking at the exhibit, we waited in a long line to purchase some treats from the Hello Kitty Cafe, that was in town for the weekend.

I bought macaroons.  They were cute, and pretty tasty, but I think Trader Joe's macaroons might taste just a little better.  These however, are special and more fun.

After all that standing, we had real food, inside the EMP.  They had some special foods for the Hello Kitty exhibit, as well as some other foods that were not related.  I had the Red Bow-tie Pasta (red, like the bow Hello Kitty wears), and an Apple Turnover (which is supposed to be Hello Kitty's favorite food).  They were both really good, and hit the spot.

Halloween & November

This month, one of my Polyvore groups came up with an interesting contest, with some set rules - to create a series of sets in a journal-like form.  Only 3 sets can be entered in the contest, but you can make more sets on your own.  It was kind of a fun thing to do.  Here are my entries:

November 4, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring wooden window treatments

Distressed t shirt / Dana Buchman black trousers / Qupid mid calf flat boots / Red ruffle scarf, $13 / Old Navy stretch glove / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook / Wooden window treatment / Wall art / Black home decor / ferm LIVING home decor, $115 / Autumn photo - Scattered by the wind digital file - Autumn leaves -... / Percy & Reed Dry Shampoo 150ml, $19 / Infinity - Birds - Temporary Tattoo (Set of 2)

November 3, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring a fig tree

Long sleeve t shirt / A.N.A peplum top / Topshop skirt / Mama.licious black tight, $37 / Vintage style brooch / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook / Gold home decor / Alessi home decor, $37 / Doodle Kittens With Pen, $4.67 / Fig tree / Apple iPod Touch 32GB MP3 Player (5th Generation)- Black (MD723LL/A) / Realistic Stuffed Tuxedo Cat 11 Inch Plush Animal by Aurora at Stuffed... / Celestial the Stuffed Unicorn by Aurora At Stuffed Safari / Playforever Mini Speedy Le Mans by Julian Meagher, $35 / TY Toys 'Rainbow Dash' Beanie Baby Blue One Size / Green Toys Recycling Truck

November 2, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring a black scoop neck tee

Black scoop neck tee / Plus size tee / Boot cut jeans / Striped socks / Paul Smith umbrella, $160 / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook

As mentioned above, I got a Sailor Moon action figure in the mail that I am really excited about!  I had been looking at it for awhile, and showed a link of it to my sister over the Internet.  My sister bought hers first, and I was feeling a little envious about it, so I wound up getting one too!  It is actually really cool, even though I haven't taken it out of the box yet.

Also, just before November started, my office decided have a costume contest for Halloween, I decided to dress up as Wonder Woman.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to dress up at all - but it turned out to be fun.

DC Comics Wonder Woman Glitter Juniors Red V-neck Cape Tee (found at Amazon.com), Headpiece and Gauntlets (found at a Spirit Halloween store), "The Golden Lasso of Truth" (not called that in the store, was found at Home Depot), round red earrings (by Avon, years ago).

There were many great costumes, at my office that day.  There was a Whoopee Cushion, a Bad Tooth Fairy, a couple of hippies, a pirate, a witch, Minnie Mouse, Avril Lavine, The 13th Fan/Man (who was a cross between the "Ghost Face" from "Scream" and a Seahawks fan, with skeleton hands), a Reindeer, and Superman too!

I did not win, someone who dressed up as a convict stole the prize!  (Pun intended - yeah... I know, boooooo).

My Birthday and the EMP Experience

Jason's mask and machete from "Friday the 13th"

Last Friday, October 11th, was my birthday.  I usually know exactly what I want to do every year, but this year, I was a bit stumped.  One friend took me to lunch.  I had dinner later with another friend, who asked me if I wanted to go see a horror movie thing at the EMP.  "A horror movie thing?"  I said, "I don't really like horror movies."  Then, I realized, it would not be watching horror movies, but looking at the props.  That sounded kind of cool, so I told her I would let her know.

Entrance to the horror exhibit at the EMP, I think it is a really cool design.

While I was looking online, I noticed that the EMP also had Science Fiction and Fantasy movie props!  There would be a Dalek from Doctor Who there, a cool dragon, costumes from "The Princess Bride," and many other interesting and awesome things!  We bought our tickets that night, and went on Saturday.

Above:  Costumes worn by the cast of "The Princess Bride"

Below:  The sword of Indigo Montoya, and the sword of the Six-Fingered Man 

and his glove (The Princess Bride).  I am not certain what movie the bottom sword is from.

Susan's bow and arrow's from "The Chronicles of Narnia"

We started off looking at the Nirvana exhibit.  It has been there for awhile, in fact I went with my sister and her husband before they left for Japan.  I saw a few things I don't remember seeing before.  One of the things I did not remember seeing was a MTV moon-man award given to Nirvana at one time.  That was pretty cool.  There were some also funny little hand-written letters with drawings that may have been there, but it was so crowded the time we went that I did not bother to read them.

Part of the Nirvana exhibit at EMP.

We looked at another area of the EMP and saw Eddie Van Helen's guitar!  I have always thought his guitar was really cool looking, so it was fun to see in real life.

Eddie Van Halen's electric guitar.

Next we went to the Jimmy Hendrix exhibit.  I am almost certain they changed that a little since I have been there.  I was looking at some of his clothes they had on display, and was amazed at the quality of fabric they were made out of.  I would not have guessed from photos I have seen of him how nice the fabric was, but it was quite luxurious looking.  I really like the outfit currently on display with the vertical striped jacket.  It is very nice.

Jimmy Hendrix's cool style.

The Sci-Fi exhibit was our next stop.  We walked through some fluorescent lights that looked as if we were traveling through space!  The first things we saw there were from the classic T.V. version of "Star Trek."  There was red dress uniform, as well as a yellow pants uniform, Captain Kirk's chair, with a bunch of furry little round things (called "Tribbles") surrounded below it.  I had no idea what they were supposed to be, but after some research it sounds like they are some sort of furry and purry alien thing, so I would probably like them.

Ex-ter-min-nate!!!  Beware - it's a Dalek from "Doctor Who!"

Yoda's cane and necklace, it is!

So many other things were on display, Neo's coat, from The Matrix (which had a really cool texture to it), the cane that Yoda hobbled with (which was maybe a foot-and-a-half tall?), and the necklace he wore in "Star Wars," Superman's outfit that was worn by Christopher Reeve in the first movie, and my personal favorite thing - a Dalek from a classic "Doctor Who" show!  There were many other items there from various movies and T.V. shows, it was all very spectacular.

Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  No... it's Superman's outfit!

Exiting the Sci-Fi exhibit, a little down the hallway, was a very large, wooden door to open into the Fantasy Exhibit.  Inside was dimly lit, had what appeared to be some sort of straw on the ground, there was an odor of a fairy-woodsy-smell, and music to set the mood.

The first room had a "Xena, Warrior Princess" costume, also a costume from "Snow White and the Huntsman," (that Kristin Stewart wore in the prison scenes), looking around the room there were several illustrations of from various movies, shows and books.  The second room had the most amazing dragon.  It appeared to be sleeping, but when you moved it's tail a little, he sort of opened his eyes wider, to wake up a little.  He was one of my favorite things.  There were also some costumes and props from the Princess Bride, Narnia, Labyrinth, as well as many other exciting items.

The prison dress from "Snow White and the Huntsman."

David Bowie wore this in "Labyrinth."

This is a very cool dragon (though the photo is lousy, sorry), while it tries to "sleep," it's eyes are more 

shut and red,then you go pet his tail, and he starts to wake up!

The last exhibit we walked into was the section that my friend wanted to see most.  The Horror Exhibit.  When we first walked in we saw a white shirt with blood stains on it with a red tie.  We were both kind of hoping for some reason it was a shirt from the popular TV series, "Dexter," but it was not.  We saw the ax from "The Shining," Jason's mask and machete from "Friday the 13th," one of the actual masks from "Scream," and a bunch of other things that I did not exactly know the movies, but I think some I recognized from previews from TV.  My favorite thing at that exhibit was a costume worn by a dancing zombie in Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" music video!  Since it was not the costume that Micheal wore himself, I had to re-watch the video to see which zombie it was from the video.  I forgot how awesome that music video was!

Worn by a dancing zombie in Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" music video.

After seeing the amazing exhibits at the EMP, we went to this place called "Pie" in the Seattle Center Food Court and had, well, pie.  I first had the Chicken Pot Pie, which was delicious.  I had trouble deciding on a dessert pie.  I originally was going to order the Strawberry-Rhubarb pie, but I had a strawberry-rhubarb thing recently, so I ordered the Almond Cream pie.  I was expecting the filling to be fluffy and light from the looks of it, but it was thick and rich.  It was not exactly what I was expecting in taste or texture.  My friend let me try some of hers (she did order the Strawberry-Rhubarb pie), it was very tasty.  I kind of wish I had that, instead.

(Pie was eaten too fast for photo to be taken.  Photo person was very hungry.)

We left Seattle, then I hung out with my friend at her apartment and played video games and watched "Frankenweenie" which I saw last year, and really enjoyed.  It was a perfect ending to our awesome day.

A cool poster to a movie I have never heard of.

For more information about the exhibits and the EMP, visit http://www.empmuseum.org.  

"Can't Look Away, the Lure of Horror Film" only runs till the end of the month, October 31st, so if you want to go, go now!