1.

Violet’s Highway

by Alex Achaval

Neon signage, rodeo culture, pop, and fashion merge in the vivid, lurid, and layered portraits by painter Alex Achaval. A female figure rises from a wreck of architecture and cattle skulls. A chieftain stares en face, half-erased by swaths of color. Achaval grants his subjects totemic power, even as they are swallowed by encroaching forces. The work is provocative and visually striking, demanding more than attention—rather a conversation. $975. alexachaval.com.

2.

Linestrider Tarot: Two of Swords

by Siolo Thompson

The tarot has been an inspiration for many artists, but few complete their own deck of 78 symbolically dense cards. Thompson is methodically producing her Linestrider Tarot, whose intricately drawn animals and spirits against white are a beautifully contemporary approach to the centuries-old system. Originals $210, prints $40. siolothompson.com.

3.

Memento Mori Prints

by Joey Bates

Bates’ delicate cut-paper art is really a form of sculpture, though it is almost flat against the wall when hung. Faces and flowers emerge from a white surface, lined only by fine shadows. Skulls gape in a field of soft blue, pressed flat but still full of depth. His flower prints are also quite marvelous. $80. Inquire at Ghost Gallery, 504 E Denny Way, ghostgalleryart.com.

4.

Untitled (Catalogue Number AA_09_03) 


by Arturo Artorez

Artorez’s life has been colorful, to say the least, in no small part due to his own adventurous spirit. Even the mundane remnants of passing days—timecards, ephemera, losing lottery tickets—become small surfaces on which to depict mysterious scenes, spirits, Buddhas, beasts, and beauties. Sifting through them is a journey in its own right. Enjoy it. $250. vermillionseattle.com.

5.

Sketchbook Watercolor: Busy Site

by William G. Hook

Architect and artist William G. Hook’s sketchbook overflows with lush watercolors. His eye for structure is matched by his sense of color and light; using the medium to its fullest he captures scenes of transition around Seattle, beautifying the chaos of construction and the dampness of our climate. $350. Inquire at Alki Arts, 1124 First Ave., 432-9936, alkiarts.com.

6.

Left for Dead

by Robert Hardgrave

Hardgrave’s works are almost always immediately recognizable, though his style continues to vary from series to series. The seemingly shifting geometric patterns, layers, and undulating shapes create a multitude of forms that are universally appealing, and have provided ample opportunity for collaboration. $800. cullomgallery.com. See Beth Cullom and Hardgrave present the new works at a pop-up gallery event, Dec. 6.

7.

March Box Set: Immateria

l from LxWxH

Each limited-edition box set from LxWxH Gallery contains works by two artists and a writer. Immaterial, which addresses philosophical tangibility, is a brilliant blend of conceptual work for the more abstract art lover. The set includes a 20-page art book by Dylan Neuwirth, wrapped prints from Jeff Gerber’s series Potential Dust, and Greg Lundgren’s short story The Dominus Interviews. $225. lengthbywidthbyheight.com.

8.

Wind-Up Bees

by Braden Duncan

These small portraits of birds and bees sell like hotcakes. Each one is irresistibly charming—perfect for a kid’s room or that small patch of wall or empty cubby that needs a little something to cheer it up. They are very affordable, so consider purchasing a set to bring the birds and the bees into a special someone’s home well before spring has them buzzing about outside. $60. Inquire at Ghost Gallery, 504 E. Denny Way, ghostgalleryart.com.

9.

Wolf-Girl

by Don Fritz

The ceramic books of Don Fritz are enigmatic objects—dark, textured, un-open-able, with the heft of a tome or treatise yet decorated with cartoonish figures. This enigma verges on piquant satire with Fritz’s dash of voyeurism: Two figures on opposite sides of the book seem to see each other, but we cannot see between them or within. $900. Inquire through Gallery IMA, 123 S. Jackson St., 625-0055, galleryima.com.

10.

Hide and Go Seek:

Photolith 
by Heidi Kirpatrick

Kirkpatrick makes photography into something more sculptural, warm yet fragile, much like the bodies she photographs. The timeless moment of the photo becomes layered as it is fixed in resin with other objects and within objects, such as worn books and patinated tins. These pensive, sensitive works are sure to touch just the right person. $450. Inquire through G. Gibson Gallery, 300 S. Washington St., 587-4033, ggibsongallery.com.

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