Two exciting female artists—Kris Vermeer and Kim Bly-- will be featured in September at the Burien Arts Gallery.

Meet Kris and Kim at the grand opening reception, Thursday, Sept. 4, 4-9 p.m.

Kris Vermeer is an internationally known artist whose work has been collected by famed British natural-history filmmaker David Attenborough and several Nobel Prize winners. Her work can be found at AT&T’s main office in Phoenix and in permanent display at the Las Vegas airport.
A self-taught artist, who has been selling professionally since 1985, Kris works in a variety of mediums, including fused glass, steel and stainless sculptures and acrylic painting.

Jean Ray Laury and Jackie Vermeer have also featured her work in books.
Kris is an artist in residence for Tacoma schools. She teaches classes for both children and adults.

Kim Bly was born and raised in Washington state. She studied at the University of Washington, took independent studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and received a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University, majoring in both photography and painting. Following graduation, she was an active participant in Seattle’s independent art culture.

Kim relocated to San Diego in 2002 where she started her own business as a wedding, portrait and event photographer.

She is back in Seattle to pursue her art and raise her family.

Her oil on canvas paintings are expressive, bold and most often layered, conveying a sense of growth within each painting. Much of the lines and shapes within her paintings flow together and grow out of one another, simultaneously showing unity and evolution, which bring to mind cause-and-effect relationships.

Kim is passionate about nature and believes that all of life is connected no matter how big or insignificant things may seem.

Kris Vermeer comments, “My work reflects my love of primitive cultures. Whether I am working in glass or metal or painting, I am drawn to the imagery and stories and feelings of cultures long ago.

“My work isn’t copies of past creations but my interpretation. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed creating them.”

Kim Bly notes, “Art has always been a passion for me because it takes so many different forms. Through creative experimentation, I have found oil painting to be what I gravitate to most.

“When I start a piece, I do not know what it will look like in the end. I just start with an idea or thought and go with it. The painting continually redefines itself, due in part because I flip my canvases quite often while I work them.

“So many of my paintings have so much connected imagery and lines that the viewer can continue to see new shapes and images every time you look at a piece. The viewer often even sees things in a way that I did not initially intend. I love that about my work—how it continually evolves even after it’s hanging on a wall.”

Works from Artists United will also be on display.