LOCATION
Windermere Real Estate Mount Baker
4919 South Genesee Street
Seattle, WA 98118
About Molly Chapin:
As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be an artist. The days we had art class in elementary school were the highlight of my week, and as soon as I stepped foot in that room the rest of the world would fall away as I focused on perfecting the details of each project. I then started taking art classes outside of school, needing to find further outlets to satiate the itch to create. Ever since, art has existed as an avenue for expression and escape for me. It allows me to process the world through a lens that is just my own, without outside influence or agenda.
I paint with acrylic paint, and I prefer to mix all of my own colors. Each time I load up my pallet, I start with only red, blue, yellow, and white. I think this strategy brings more dimension to each piece I create. It forces me to spend quality time with every square inch of the canvas, color matching and truly examining the values of each shadow, the tones and hues of every fold of fabric or glint of light. I begin each painting with a rough underpainting sketch, blocking in large shapes and placement without executing any fine detail or being too exacting with form and proportion. This means that as I work, I constantly readjust and realign my subject matter. Each thing I paint lives, grows, and morphs before it reaches its final form. I think in a way, this makes the paintings feel more real. It imbues each of them with a small portion of the human experience we all grapple with daily; the discomfort and necessity of constant growth and change.
As a whole, I think that’s what my art is really about. Trying to navigate and survive the complexities of human existence both through the creative process and in the feeling of each finished product. I hope that anyone who spends time with my art can take some small piece of that catharsis with them.
You can find more of my work on Instagram, @mollychapinart.
About Nancy Chapin:
I took my first picture when I was 10 years old at Girl Scout camp. All the images were blurred. Funny to me that 50 years later I sometimes strive to intentionally capture that look! It’s been a long time since I have called myself a “photographer.” I’m enjoying coming back to this old friend that gives me such delight and allows me to share how I experience the world.
In the past few years, I started paying more attention to the obvious beauty around me- snapping more pictures. It was like a visual diary – what I did, what I saw. More recently, it grew to include how I saw things. I noticed things about the City – light, shapes, reflections, juxtapositions – seeing beauty where I hadn’t seen it before. And yet, it’s one thing to snap a picture of something beautiful, and a whole other journey to create your own unique interpretation or expression of what you see. This is where I dove head-first into trying new things, increasing my technical knowledge to expand my creative expression. This included deepening my understanding of composition and exploring new editing techniques.
Digital photography is perfect for trial and error, experimenting, trying new things. My recent explorations with long exposure and night photography have upped the play and fun factor! It gets me outside at night, which, can be pretty magical, accessing a spiritual energy in the quiet of the Night that opens my creative juices.
I’m ever so grateful to my family and friends who tolerate going on a walk with me when I’m constantly stopping to take pictures, or when out driving and I need to circle back around the block because I’ve seen something I want to photograph. And huge thanks to my dear photographer friends who patiently teach me and lead by example.
Follow me on Instagram @ nancy.chapin.seattle to see more!