Discovering beautiful, interesting art is like unearthing a treasure. Not that the artist was hidden, but sadly, in this lifetime, we'll never be able to see all the beautiful things we would like to see. So I hope that sharing the work of Diane A. Archer will feel like a Jaunty introduction for some to a wonderful new discovery. Diane was another artist I met at this year's Artsfair, the downtown Bellevue celebration of independent artists, which happens every summer for a whole weekend. I've always had a love of mixed media, and Diane's work is really engaging and tactile. I picked up one of her prints, as it felt like art with a message. She uses old maps, layered type and unusual objects to convey messages about inner strength, adversity and the connection between man and nature. The messages are both personal but universal. They certainly came from a private place in the artist's heart, but the language is something we all connect to, in one way or another. 


Jaunty Fine Print:  artwork by Diane A. Archer

This Bird mentioned before that she went to this year's Artsfair and met some of the artists who showed at the annual festival -- Cori Dantini is one of the talented creatives I had the pleasure of chatting with. I also picked up a few prints of her absolutely lovely mixed media illustrations. Her work is a bit like looking at a grown-up nursery rhyme. The illustrations are sweet and feminine, but there's a layered edge, with handwritten notes or printed words ghosted from behind, as well as her own lyrical messages layered into the piece. I had a chance to talk to Cori and she said she has a wide collection of unusual found papers, like grocery lists, professional notes, items that were written for a brief purpose in time, now immortalized in works of art that redefine what that fleeting moment was. 

People were getting pieces for children's rooms or just for themselves; her appeal is universal. The pieces I chose will be for some sweet friends and family who have little girls, because Cori's work is so much about inner beauty, and that's a good lesson for little girls to carry with them. Do take a look at Cori's work -- she's from Eastern Washington, so very much a local artist, if you're in the Pacific Northwest. Even if you're not from this area, her work is fabulous -- it's even been on a Kleenix box!!


Jaunty Fine Print:  artwork by Cori Dantini