Hi! I’ve got a few things to tell you about.

If you’re a Bellingham local you may have heard the sad news that longtime downtown coffee shop Avellino abruptly closed this past month. That was one of the first local spots I felt connected to when I originally moved to this quirky town back in 2010.

I personally am really bummed out about it, because Avellino was one of the spots in downtown Bellingham that really held the line of actually having a personality and staying unpretentious and welcoming to oddballs.

BUT: there are other places that also hold that line, and I’m letting this motivate me to stay human and stay present in the spaces that continue on.

Change is inevitable and it doesn’t have to be bad. And we have the ability to shape our local environment with the simple tools of presence and appreciation. People power and stuff.

Which makes it feel extra good that I got to install a collection of 10 pieces at the Bagelry this morning, which will be up through August and September.

I chose an eclectic selection of work spanning 12 years, and it’s neat to show it at a place with such longstanding community history.

The Bagelry is high on my list of favorite places to get breakfast in Bellingham. So take this as an excuse to treat yourself and take a peek at my little show there.

Blind Bird reception is tonight!

I’m getting this out to you right before hitting the road up to Blaine to meet fellow artists and attendees of the opening of a collection of art works by artists who are participating in this fall’s Whatcom Artist Studio Tour.

Artists selected for the tour had to go through a juried application process so there are some highly skilled artisans in the lineup. As well as whatever it is that I am. 😉

This show has a fairly short run—just up until August 9.

You can catch me there tonight, or instead stop by on Saturday during the Blaine 2nd Saturday Art Walk. It’s a nice community project—artists from the tour are volunteering to run the gallery so that work can be experienced by the community.

Show local artists some love and come say hi.

Live art all afternoon tomorrow

By tomorrow, downtown Ferndale will be on day two of a three-day block party. From about noon to 6pm, me and four other artists will each be painting 4′ x 4′ canvases based on the theme “seasons of change.”

I’m looking forward to a 6-hour art workout. Do come by and say hello, and know that if you offer me a snack as a tip I will most likely enthusiastically accept it.

My art for this project will likely end up having some strong plant vibes.

Speaking of plants …

I continue to learn more about different local groups that participate in stewarding the land and beautiful nature of this area. Did you know there is a Washington Native Plant Society, and they have a Whatcom County chapter that meets up and does all kinds of plant-related activities?

They put out a call regularly for locals to send native plant related news and art. You can get this call sent to you if you join their newsletter.

In response to this unexpected call, I serendipitously sent a photo of a painting I made for some dear friends inspired by one of my favorite native plants, oregon grape (specifically, Mahonia Aquifolium showing off some spring blooms). They shared it with fellow plant nerds to their newsletter.

Doing this kind of thing doesn’t necessarily make me any income … but that’s not why I do it.

I think a lot of times we artists are pressured from many sides to be focusing on income when what’s really worth doing and what really builds the foundation of a sustainable art career is connecting with community over shared values.

It’s a long and unpredictable journey, but one I am grateful every day to be on.

Thanks for being part of it with me, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

—Adrien