h-Art Project 2011 @ Greenlake Park in Seattle

The second installment of the Briar Bates championed guerilla "h-Art Project" happened over the weekend at Greenlake Park in Seattle. There were five h-Arts this year created by five artists, four of which can be seen below. This years artists were Briar, Leo Spizzirri, Jennifer Davis and Matthew Bollen. The 2010 h-Art Project install can be viewed by visiting here. To see additional images taken by the photographer and math wizard Leo, visit here.

Caged red bird in piercing barbed wire heart by Briar Bates.

Math equation that results in "I" and "graph with heart shape" and "U" ... by the wizard Leo Spizzirri. 

 Matthew Bollen's wooden heart covered with phrases and idioms containing the word "heart", attached to which is a mirror... as in order to love at all you must first love yourself.

Steampunk tortured heart by Jennifer Davis.

Seattle Graffiti Mural

A few graffiti shots of a massive Seattle mural in the SODO area.

Eddie Rocks the Flag

If you don't know about Eddie yet, then ready yourself for a treat. For starters, take a look at this awesome piece just completed a couple weeks ago, as found on his blog.

A couple quotes of note from Eddie: "If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission" and "Public spaces were never intended to be coated from top to bottom with photos of consumer products. These spaces should, in some manner, reflect the culture that thrives in that space." I'm looking forward to more from Eddie!

Smooth Jazz Stencil Shirt

Smooth Jazz will rock your world. Especially when you wear it to raves and other parties where people are afraid of anything other than trance music. Cuz really, Smooth Jazz is trance for old people. Don't fear Smooth Jazz, we'll all be there one day soon.

Spraying Custom Shirts

Super easy and rad project. Cheap shirts, spray paint, stencil paper. You can either hand draw a design, or make one using Illustrator or the like and print directly onto your stencil paper. Cut out the design or the negative for a block style effect. Then your stencil is ready to be sprayed...

Make your stencil on sticky paper so it will keep a nice tight seal with the shirt, that way the lines of the design will be nice and crisp. Don't soak the shirt as the cotton will bleed the design.

Lift the stencil and *poof* ... you've got your custom shirt!

80'S PUBLIC ACCESS PROMO

For real, this image is the kind of gem you find on public access. If, that is, you're into cheese quartz and don't mind super bad audio from people that love to hear their own voice.

VAIN SPACEMEN

Nice theme and a couple great sprays found in the changing area at Vain hair salon in downtown Seattle. Not sure who this artist is for the these two designs... but strong work! Lots of layering and stencil use, varying application techniques, and super depth.

What came first, the bike or the wall?

This sweet add to the GAS site comes via Levi Clark, a good friend of mine with an eye for rad. There's a lot to love about this piece... you can check out more images over at Brick Lane Bikes.

Lady T

This is another addition to my People Posters collection that I'm putting together for an eventual showing. Created for Tricia's birthday using Photoshop CS4.

Famous

This was my gift to Amy (aka Famous) for her 30th birthday. Created in Photoshop CS4

Daddyo

This was my gift to my father for his 69th birthday. Created in Photoshop CS4

Secret Seattle Spray Spot

Found off First Avenue in downtown Seattle, a short dead end nook with some sweet spray action...

How Apropos

As seen in window of retail storefront on Pine Street in Capitol Hill, Seattle.

HArt Project ... Valentines Day 2010 ... Green Lake Park Seattle

Screw Hallmark! Another commerce holiday... how lovely. Spend spend give some diamond pink drink. Or not. We made it real by sprinkling some guerilla art action this Valentines 2010 with the Briar Bates championed "HArt" project on the trail around Green Lake Park outside of Seattle. Four hearts were created and left for passerbys to experience a little magic. There was the Thorn Heart (Matthew), the Shrub Heart, the Rotten Heart, and the Bodice Heart (all three by Briar).

Here's the Thorn Heart being installed between two trees that overhang the water. The heart was woven from rose bush branches, and suspended between the trees with fishing wire. Some blood and skin were shed making this one, massive thorns are attracted to DNA.

The Bodice Heart was an interactive piece. A passerby was to step on the board below (later modified with an inflatable beetle replacing the wood) that would pump air through the hose hidden on the ground and up the bodice to the heart. When released, the heart deflated!

This piece is the Shrub Heart. For obvious reasons. Though Leo had no idea it was trimmed into a heart shape until later when we walked back and he captured the correct viewing angle. This piece was awesome in its simplicity, yet had the greatest impact. All you need is a dead bush and some red spray paint and you've got art people! Do it.

Rad paper mache and molding clay Rotten Heart, how apropos to be hung from a crab apple tree. This one was a bit off the path, so finding it would have been a surprise for sure. I wonder how long the city parks crew will let the HArt project bleed on for?

Giving a quick "shout out" to Leo for coming along and taking a bunch of great photos, and for climbing trees and rolling around in the mud. Also, he's really tall like a ladder with a horse for a bike.

Vain Graffiti Wall - Seattle

Grabbed some shots of the Vain Salon graffit wall on 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle. This wall has been happening for decades as various establishments have come and gone but still nurtured more art.

2010 Works in the Works

Active planning makes for active creation... of art. There's a schedule in place. Goals to be reached. Art to be made. So far two series and one piece have been schemed and are in process(ish).
Upcoming Works:

• Shadow Scene Series
• Lumber Yard Series
• Art Rib

Stay tuned for updates and preview peeks.

Tacky Smack Vinyl Wall Art Installation Photos

Some pics of a recent installation for our new company, Tacky Smack, at the Seattle retail store Retrofit Home located in Capitol Hill... In these shots i'm putting up a bunch of our vinyl wall art designs in preparation for our launch party!

Getting the squeegee on "Hanging Gardens"

Removing the transfer tape from Mermaid Spice, which is going up next to the Bombass collection (Fairy, Bleeding Heart, Unicorn)

Tacky Smack Vinyl Wall Art Launch Party Flier

Join us for our Tacky Smack launch party! One year of hard work behind us... let the good times (vinyl)roll. We'll be celebrating October 8th at Retrofit Home!

Tacky Smack Sneak Peak

My team and I are getting ready to finally launch our new company, Tacky Smack, providing vinyl surface art to the masses. After a long year of super fun and creative work, we're only weeks away from going live. Following are a few sneak peaks of our more than 60 products that will be a part of the initial launch...

PLANE AMAZEMENT

LIPS

GOLDFISH LIGHT BULB

From Plastic Bag to Laptop Case

Beautiful!