the sealth life

Seattle. Culture. Time.

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Field image: Surprise guest. Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island.

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Field Image: Remnants from a tropical-themed office gathering. Bellevue looks kinda nice with palm trees. What do you think?

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Field image: Parallel stripes spotted at Green Lake

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Field Image: Burke Gilman Trail, near the Adobe campus in Fremont. This corner of Seattle--framed by Lake Union and the towering spine of the Aurora Bridge--is a picturesque stage for people watching. Snapped this phone pic on Monday morning during an unusual warm spell.

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Field Notes: Sketching at The Henry and Lunch at The Fat Hen

Katie Miller and I swung by The Henry this afternoon to check out Sopheap Pich's new exhibit and to brush up on our freehand sketch skills.

We also popped into The Fat Hen, a new French-inspired cafe designed by Graham Baba. I especially loved the open shelving, which exposed the everyday flour, oatmeal and grains that might typically be tucked away in a pantry.

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Smoke Damage Uncovers New Lining

The folks at PB Elemental were recently the victims of a small electrical fire. While tearing out smoke damaged drywall, the team's luck took a turn for the better. Check out these 2- by 4-foot beauties discovered beneath the firm's formerly plain walls.

(Photo by Chris Pardo)

Though I'm sure it was no fun dealing with the aftermath of a fire, this is a pretty awesome silver lining.

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"Luminous" Puts Spotlight on SAM's Asian Collection

SAM didn't have to look far to find inspiration for its latest exhibit. Channeling 13 countries, "Luminous" highlights 160 pieces culled almost entirely from the museum's Asian art collection. Catherine Roche, Seattle Art Museum's interim assistant curator of Asian art, curated the exhibit along with the guidance of Korean artist Do Ho Suh (the man behind the much-loved dog tag sculpture on SAM's second floor) whose multimedia installation adds a welcome modern twist to the show.

A few snapshots from Tuesday's press preview:

Do Ho Suh's cloth multimedia gate

The wall is made of fabric and based on a gate from his parent's home in Korea

Moon Jar by Park Young-sook, 2007

17th Century Japanese wall painting

Japanese screen

Child's kimono

20th Century Japanese screen

Korean ceramics, 12th to 15th century

One of my favorite pieces, "Dragonflies and Butterflies," a collaborative piece done by a group of Japanese artists from the Edo period (if I remember correctly)

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Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

This weekend I zipped down to the Oregon Coast to catch some misty ocean vibes and to explore Haystack Rock. Children of the 80's may recognize this massive formation from the opening scenes of The Goonies. It's the world's fourth largest seastack and accessible by foot at low tide. If you have a free weekend this fall, take a trip to Canon Beach to see this awesome sight for yourself. (Photo by Karen Gaudette)

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Sweetest car on the block. Spotted in Wallingford.

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Prototype chairs spotted in John Kirschenbaum's studio. Georgetown, Seattle.

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Bocce! Labor Day weekend at the Poshusta’s. Cascade Foothills, Ellensberg.

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Technological Sublime: Highway 99's Spine

Aurora's spine. Highway 99 above the Burke Gilman Trail, Fremont. 

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Dreamliner: On the Tarmac at Paine Field

On Saturday I swung by Paine Field in Everett to check out the Boeing Dreamliner. The mostly-composite plane includes 264 seats -- 12 business and 252 economy -- with personal television sets, roomier seats, an automatic toilet with a wash function, more storage, an arched entry way with a beverage bar, dimmable windows and larger lavatories. I was covering the event as a stringer for Reuters. A few pics from the Tarmac:

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From the West Facing window at Art Stable's fourth floor, the site of PechaKucha Seattle 32. Tonight's agenda: Six minute explorations in "accidental discoveries" from architect Tom Kundig, Point 32's Chris Rogers and visual artists John Grade, Lucia Neare and others.

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Summer Walk

A few little snap shots from tonight's Green Lake stroll. Lots of people watching and a pretty amazing sunset.

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Analog Coffee's Got It Goin' On

In college, there was this neat little coffee shop tucked away in the basement of the Art School Building. After Korean class, I'd meet my arty friends for coffee and we'd talk about boys, attempt to study and sip the only decent cup of coffee on campus. Danny Hanlon, a former barista at my old on-campus coffee haunt has teamed up with friend Tim Hayden to open an awesome new Capitol Hill spot. It's got a bit of a Mid-Century nautical vibe--complete with old school benches, thrift store oil paintings and trinkets straight from Kevin's bedroom in the Wonder Years. Danny and Tim built out this sweet corner lot over the course of eight months, serving cups of pour over and french press to the neighborhood in a closet-sized pop-up cafe while the space was under-construction. If you're into new wave coffee (pour over, french press, cold brew, you know the drill), you'd be wise to swing by Analog Coffee. Get there before the crowds to sample a more than decent cup in a space that'll make you feel like you're living in a different era.

Analog Coffee, Summit & Thomas. Check it out.

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Restaurant Revival: Adaptive Reuse and Dining Out in Seattle

From neighborhood coffee shops to farm-to-table restaurants, local and sustainable ingredients have long been the epicenter of Seattle's dining scene. It's no surprise that  designers and architects with an eye for adaptive reuse and historic preservation are finding inspiration in our city's booming dining scene. Capitol Hill's open air Melrose Market, The Walrus and the Carpenter's Kolstrand Building and Tom Douglas' trio of restaurants in the Terry Avenue Building have each managed to successfully merge adaptive design and food. Last month, former Seattle Times food critic, Nancy Leson, gave some much-deserved love to Brett Baba and Jim Graham, the two architects behind some of the higher profile restaurant projects in town. Just for fun, a closer look at a few my favorite food-meets-reuse projects in town. This is not an exhaustive list, (there are plenty of other small-scale adaptive reuse projects out there that are super cool) but here's some fodder to get you exploring.

Melrose Market Tucked into the triangular block of an old automotive shop between Pike and Pine along Melrose Avenue, this open air market--home to Sitka and Spruce, Marigold and Mint, Homegrown, Bar Ferd'nand and Rain Shadow Meats--is a locavore's paradise. Old growth beams, exposed brick and steel braces gives visitors the sense that this new market has been around for generations.

(Melrose Market photo from grahambaba.com)

The Kolstrand Building The developers behind the transformation of this former metal machinery shop like to call Kolstrand Ballard's "newest old landmark.

(Kolstrand photo from grahambaba.com)

The Corson Building You can't tell from the picture below but Chef Matt Dillon's farm-to-table restaurant feels and looks like a French farmhouse, complete with a lush garden and chickens. The fact that this farm retreat is located in the heart of industrial Georgetown makes visiting this space that much more interesting. Dinners at Corson are served family-style, making the vibe here convivial and casual. Dillon rahabbed this 1910 Italiante Building himself, recruiting family and friends to restore the original brick (apparently, the building had a '70s ski lodge vibe when Dillon bought the space).

(Corson Building photo from remodelista.com)

And a few others: Terry Avenue Building (home to Brave Horse Tavern, Cuoco and Ting Momo. Oddfellows Volunteer Park Cafe