Statement
As a fine artist, themes and interests that recur in my work include longing, the sacred feminine, and the dialogue and tension between opposites such as beauty and power, light and darkness, or passion and discipline. Influences include Chinese brush painting, alchemy, art and motifs of Old Europe and the Renaissance, Northwest Coast Indian art and other indigenous folk arts and rituals, sacred geometry, and happenings. I have been inspired by the work of American contemporary artists Marilyn Zarwell Stewart, Morris Graves, and Sigrid Burton, and masters such as Odilion Redon, Ivan Bilibin, Ch'en Rong, Fra Phillipo Lippi, and Piero della Francesca.
As an illustrator and designer, I have created artwork for websites and books, wall paintings, technical and scientific illustrations, trademarks, prints for dishware and textiles, hand-painted furniture, and have designed educational toys, games, and curricula. I have worked for corporate, non-profit, and individual clients to design original products and creative environments using traditional and digital media. I have an aptitude with diverse styles and media, and enjoy the close collaboration with clients needed to do original, custom tailored designs and illustrations. In this way, my work aspires to evoke the spirit of the client—or the job—not the artist.
Solo and Group Exhibitions
2009 Goddesses to Contemplate & Color, Tiburon Heritage & Arts Commission, Tiburon, CA, Aug–Sept
2009 Intersections: Puzzles as Art, Sonoma Valley Musuem of Art, Sonoma, CA, June 20–Aug 16
2009 Marin Arts Council Open Studios Gallery, San Rafael, CA
2009 Dreams: A Work in Progress ICB Studio 347 and Gallery 111, Sausalito, CA, May
2009 Myth, Magic & Mystery: The Art of Inner Worlds, Jurored Exhibition, Red Door Gallery,
Oakland, CA, April
2009 Archaic Now, Counterpulse Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Feb
2009 Does Size Matter? Gallery 111, Sausalito, CA, Jan–Feb
2008 Flower Paintings in Casein, ICB Winter Open Studios, Sausalito, CA, Dec
2008 Invoking Spirit, Jurored Exhibition, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, Dec
2008 Burning of the Ancient Library of Alexandria, Artship, Commonweal Gallery, Bolinas, CA, Oct
2008 Pins of Marin, BBBS, San Rafael, CA, March
2007 Tarantella, Tarantula, Artship, ODC, San Francisco, CA, Sept–Oct
1998 Four Years of Art at AEII, Solo Exhibition, AEII Library, Seattle, WA, Sept
1994 Gargoyles, The Gargoyle, Chicago, IL, Autumn
1993 Cabin Shadows, Solo Exhibition, The Rosebud, Seattle, WA, Oct
1992 Alchemical Visions, Solo Exhibition, Howling Frog Gallery, Portland, Oregon, July
1991 Mapping the Human Condition, Jurored Exhibition, Peebles Gallery, Lewis & Clark College
Public Art
2004 Coast Salish Lanterns for the Illahee Mobile, with artist Terry Furchgott, Clark County, WA
2003 Roots on the Rise, art director, installation for the Queen Anne Treewalk, Seattle, WA
2003 The Salmon Staircase, art director, Salmon Bay School, Seattle, WA
2001 Dragon Mural, art director, Salmon Bay School, Seattle, WA
1996 Burke-Gilman Bicycle Mural, art director, Fremont Neighborhood, Seattle, WA
1995 Sacred Geometries, art director, Sand Point Bus Shelter Mural, Seattle, WA
1995 The Chameleon Color Wheel, art director, AEII School (Thornton Creek School), Seattle, WA
1994 The Dragon’s Pearl, a mural, art director, AEII School (Thornton Creek School), Seattle, WA
Happenings & Quests
2009 Six Decades: Each an Egg of Gold, a quest, Sonoma Valley, CA, April
2007 The Box of the Ancient Bay, an award-winning art letterbox near Tiburon, CA, still active
2006 The Finders of Founder’s Treasure, a quest, Berkeley, CA, Dec
2002 Three Lanterns, a happening, Trolloween, Seattle, WA, Oct
2001 Fire at the Freemont Troll, a happening, with the Cirque de Flambé, Trolloween, Seattle, WA, Oct
1995 The Missing Golden Moose, a quest, Seattle, WA, Sep
Bibliography
2009 Miller, George & Mintz, Nancy, Eilertsen, Kate, Intersections: Puzzles as Art.
Catalogue for the exhibition at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
2009 Booth, Jais, Bronton, Cheja & Rasmussen, Lisa Myth, Magic, Mystery: The Liminal in Art.
2009 Schmitt, Diane, "Pen & ink drawings at Town Hall" The Ark Newspaper, July 28
2009 Villano, Matt, “The art of the puzzle” San Francisco Chronicle, July 12, p. Q39
2009 Nataraj, Nirmala, “Wisdom in Ashes: Artship Ensemble centers its work in shared ritual and
collective experience” American Theater, April
2003 Sorensen, Eric, “A User's Guide to the Burke-Gilman Trail” The Seattle Times, Sept 18
1998 Reese, Tom, Photographer, “Spring Fling” The Seattle Times, June 5
1996 Crosbie, Laurie “Artist wakes up kids' imaginations” The Davis Enterprise, Jan 19
1994 Gilbert, Greg, Photographer, “A Fort of Sorts” The Seattle Times, Nov 15
Publications
2009 Coss, Craig, “From an Earlier Uncertain Future: A Renaissance” Not For Construction, Winter
1985 Parks, Ted, Coss Richard G, Coss Craig, “Thatcher and the Cheshire cat: context and the
processing of facial features” Perception 14(6), March
Honors & Grants
2001 Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Scholarship, University of Washington, Bothell, WA
1998 Master of the Bardic Arts, honorary degree, AE II (Thornton Creek School), Seattle, WA
1995 Seattle Solid Waste Utility Grant for The Salmon People Project, Kids for Recycling, Seattle, WA
Arts Teaching
2005-2007 Art Teacher, Willow Creek Academy, Sausalito, CA
2005 ARTS (Art Rewards The Student) Mentor, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA
2002-2004 Art Teacher, Salmon Bay School, Seattle, WA
1994-1998 Full-time Artist-in-residence, AEII (Thornton Creek School), Seattle, WA
Education
2004 Studied Northwest Coast Indian Art under Nan McNutt and Bill Holm, Seattle, WA
2003 Arts Education Endorsement, Seattle University
2002 Teacher Certification, University of Washington, Bothell, WA
1992 Bachelor of Science, Majors: Art & Philosophy, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
1991 Apprenticeship with Sigrid Burton, New York, NY
Affiliations
Member, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts
Member, ICB Artists Association
Member, Marin Arts Council