Invest in Our Planet
April 20, 2022
Happy Earth Day, supporters! For the occasion we wanted to feature a few of our Collective artists and the work they’ve been doing lately.
Artist Andrea Paz (she/her/elle) created the collage piece below during March’s Crush/Repeat challenge to honor a woman known as Brownie Mary, who split time between volunteering at an AIDS ward in a San Francisco Hospital and baking special brownies (there was not yet any medical weed). We asked to share since it also fits pretty well with Earth Day, the theme this year being "invest in our planet". We celebrate those throughout history who have invested in queer communities and artists, those who contribute to making our planet such a vital and interesting place.
“Brownie Mary” by Andrea Paz, collage mixed media.
The artist likes this connection we saw in her work, since at the heart of creating collages and zines is using "found art", or repurposing something to make new. Andrea has been very active in the Collective's online Discord server since she joined; she regularly posts her pieces in progress, and engages in discussions about the artist's experience. A Salvadoran stranded in Seattle, Andrea is a mixed-media artist who collects poetic language, expressive drawings, speculative stories, and dreamy photographs. Mirroring the behaviors of her ADHD, she cannot resist new mediums and experimenting, resulting in hypermedia with a divergent spirit.
Andrea Paz, collage mixed media.
We love the atmosphere Alex Sylvester (he/him) creates and the feelings evoked from his strong, acidic colors juxtaposed against dark backgrounds. Alex shared this recently-completed piece with his fellow Collective members, and we asked to feature it for Earth Day.
Alex Sylvester, ink and colored pencil, 14”x17”.
Alex’s approach to art draws from his own personal emotional, introspective journey, poking and prodding at his thoughts to create stream-of-consciousness drawings with a dash of psychedelia. He enjoys the slow, controlled pace he is forced into by working in such a time-intensive media as colored pencil. Through his art he hopes to connect with other humans in healing ways.
“Soul Searcher” by Alex Sylvester, ink and colored pencil.
Painter Tori LaZelle (she/her) won our Holiday Art Challenge in December. We’ve been thrilled to have her as a part of the Collective since July 2021. She met with volunteer artist liaison Alex recently to talk about her experiences with LAC and what she hopes to get from it moving forward. Then, when we put out a call to start using the hashtag #LACartist on Instagram-shared recent work, she was the first to participate.
Tori creates acrylic paintings infused with the tension between public and private. She explores identity through depictions of the body (specifically female and non-conforming), florals, and other things that evoke “home”.
Rory McHales (she/they) is a Seattle-based visual artist and full spectrum birthworker who explores themes of reproductive justice, the natural world, and family relationships. She has been experimenting with embroidery lately, with gorgeous results that we are excited to feature.
Rory McHales, embroidered fiber art.
This piece’s connection to Earth Day is clear, with its beautiful three-dimensional flowers and luscious spring/summer colors. Fiber art is such a tactile medium, and its slow processes an invitation for the artist to contemplate themselves and their world carefully and thoroughly.
"Butterfly” by Rory McHales, thread on corduroy.
We sincerely appreciate each of you, our artists, donors, and supporters who make our vision possible. Seattle’s creative essence depends on artists living within the city. Follow us in Instagram and Facebook, and make a donation toward grants for low-income artists here. Thanks for celebrating Earth Day with us in 2022!