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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, a series which the Celebration Foundation supported with a generous project grant.

In the summer of 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 recovery process.

“No lover of art, surely, could begrudge [City Commissioner Randy] Leonard’s boost to rising star Gwenn Seemel’s career.”

“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.”

“Few artists are as gifted at self-promotion as Gwenn Seemel.”

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 edition of the catalog pictured here is sold out, but a version with a plain white cover is available for $14. This price includes shipping within the United States, but, if you would like the catalog to be sent elsewhere, please email me for details.

$14

The downloadable digital version of the Apple Pie book, which features all the text and images in this gallery along with Inara Verzemnieks’ moving essay “Do you consider yourself an American?” is available for $3.

$3