Join us for Ballard ArtWalk the second Saturday of every month!

We’re excited to share work for our December artist, Jeffrey Starkes:

”The basis of my work is an examination of the relationship between the planned and random elements of life. Whether looking outward at our society and environment, or inward at the forces that inform our actions, I see a continuous and dynamic interaction between purposeful constructs and uncontrolled influences. Life is an undulating and shifting balancing act between the deliberate and unintended. Emotions can temporarily overpower reason. Too much control can stifle spontaneity. The symmetry of a single leaf is lost in the random profusion of branches. Intentions and accidents are interwoven into the fabric of life. They clash and overlap, and provide the unpredictability that makes life interesting. 

As an abstract painter, I attempt to capture and present this interaction of opposing forces. In many ways, my subject and the act of painting are intertwined. Finding the perfect balance between control and accident that satisfies my vision of life, also satisfies the requirements of the painting. My paintings are often a representation of the visible and invisible interacting.”

You can read more about Jeffrey’s work here: https://jeffreystarkes.artspan.com/