“Internal Dialogue” with Connie Pierson

If you’ve taken a class with us recently, you’ve probably exchanged emails with Connie Pierson, a 7-year League member, and our magical admin helper. Known affectionately as the “Brushstroke Queen”, we’re thrilled to display some of Pierson’s still lifes and interiors.

“Internal Dialogue” is a selection of artworks that were mostly made during the pandemic, when the Seattle Artist League closed our little art studio in North Seattle, and moved to online classes. Many of my favorite paintings during that time were made by Connie Pierson. I’m proud to have a selection of her paintings and drawings on display. Given the private nature of her show title, I had to ask why.

Interview with Connie Pierson

Ruthie: What inspired your show title “Internal Dialogue”?

Connie: As a child, growing up in a troubled household where I couldn’t ask anyone why things were the way they were, I began to ask myself why this and why that as a way to try to figure it out on my own. The internal dialogue became an extra voice that is always with me, shaping how I see and interact with the world. These paintings and drawings are a way of speaking with that voice so I named the show after that experience “Internal Dialogue”.

R: What was happening in the world when most of these paintings were made?

C: Most of these paintings were created during the pandemic, when everyone was just trying to stay connected in any way they could. For me, that connection came through the online courses with SAL, providing a path for my art.

R: Your paint application seems more rich in this series. Can you talk about the thickest painting – the little square with a green thing?

C: It’s one of my favorite paintings in the show: “a little murder in winter”, where I used more paint than I typically would, past my usual limits. Sometimes wonderful things happen if boundaries are explored. 

R: Are there any other pieces in this show that hold particular personal significance to you?

C: The one with spinning tops, titled “out of balance.” These tops communicate how you can go on for so long thinking ‘it’s alright, it’s alright, we’re just spinning along fine in this world.’ Then for some reason, it all falls away and that balance is lost. 

R: Why is the round tondo drawing of the glass bell so precious to you?

C: The drawing of the glass bell cloche was drawn quickly, without overanalyzing, and yet it feels complete. I love how these shapes fit in this circle. I love circles. Circles hold things in ways rectangles can’t.

R: Is there anything in this series of artworks that surprised you?

C: Reflecting on the paintings as a group, it surprised me to see each piece capture a certain sense of my state of mind, a common thread running through all the work, relating each piece to the whole. 

R: What was a lesson or idea you got from your teachers that improved your work?

C: I’ve always felt that I was “being” what I was experiencing. Being the sunshine, or the breeze, or the snow, or the tears, all of that. They reminded me that I can also “be” the brush, or the charcoal, or the color too. 

“Internal Dialogue”

A solo show by Connie Pierson

Join us at the Seattle Artist League Gallery (SALGAL) for a peek into “Internal Dialogue”, showcasing an inspiring collection of paintings and drawings by League artist Connie Pierson.

Exhibition Dates: On display through March
Reception: This Saturday, March 9th, 1:00 – 3:00pm

Location:
Seattle Artist League Gallery (SALGAL)
5516 4th Ave South, Seattle, WA 98119
SALGAL is open 7 days a week. Contact us for hours.

Seattle Artist League is proud to be a part of Equinox Artist Studios.
This opening is also a featured part of the Georgetown Art Attack!