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2009 was the year that everyone I know got married—or so it seemed anyway. In reality, it was just four of my dearest friends, but that was enough to have kept me guessing and re-guessing about depicting couplehood. Outside of capturing nuptial bliss, doing commission work, creating a few You Bags, speaking about how to make a living as an artist, and being involved in a minor political scandal, in 2009 I painted most of my half of Subjective. The series was a collaboration with another artist, it was supported by a generous project grant from the Celebration Foundation.
Also in 2009, I ended up in the hospital for an emergency surgery to treat a disease that I didn’t even know I had. Two foundations awarded me emergency relief grants following my operation and a third did so in 2010. I am grateful for the contribution that these organizations have made to my continuing recovery process.
photo by Gwenn Seemel
“No lover of art, surely, could begrudge [City Commissioner Randy] Leonard’s boost to rising star Gwenn Seemel’s career.”
photo by JoAnn Boatwright
“Theirs is a mutual admiration society and both talk about their work in artist terms—color, hue, darkness and light, color value—all appropriate for modern dentistry as well as for artists. [Seemel is] talking paint; [Dr. Roberts is] talking implants and crowns.”
photo by Faith Cathcart
“Few artists are as gifted at self-promotion as Gwenn Seemel.”
Apple Pie the digital book
In 2009, the Oregon Arts Commission awarded me a career opportunity grant in order to publish a second and improved edition of the exhibition catalog for Apple Pie. The book includes images of all the portraits from the series along with statements by each of the subjects. Inara Verzemnieks provided the foreword.
The print version of this catalog is sold out, but the downloadable digital version is still available for $3.
