November 02, 2009

Seattle Studio 532


Seattle Studio 532 in Pioneer Square has extended its inaugural show for the month of November. Paintings by Claudia McKinistry are paired with nature photography by Dave Schiefelbein. Please join Dave and Claudia again for their gallery open house on Thursday, November 5th, part of Seattle's First Thursday Art Walk.
Bring your friends, visit downtown Seattle, stop in this Thursday, November 5th at:
Seattle Studio 532
532 1st Ave. South (on 1st Avenue just south of King Street)
6p.m.-8:30p.m.

Washington's Wild Pickets Range


Deep in the heart of Washington's North Cascades National Park lies a remote and seldom-visited range of mountains know as "The Pickets". This trail-less area of the Park attracts hard core alpinists and wilderness travelers seeking beauty and challenge.
Washington Trails Magazine recently published Dave Schiefelbein's article and accompanying photos recounting a trip he made to this secluded range. Read the article and see the photos by clicking here.

September 29, 2009

Seattle First Thursday Art Walk

Dave Schiefelbein Photography is on the move again! Dave's 4th print exhibit of 2009 begins October 1st at Seattle Studio 532, a new gallery in downtown Seattle. For this showing Dave's nature photography is paired with the lovely painting work of Claudia McKinstry. Please join Dave & Claudia for their gallery open house on October 1st, part of Seattle's First Thursday Art Walk.
Seattle's First Thursday is the city's first and largest Art Walk. It was also the first Art Walk in the U.S. when the practice began in 1981. Today the tradition is a beloved fixture on the local arts calendar.
Tell your friends, come downtown and stop in to say hello this Thursday, October 1st at:
Seattle Studio 532
532 1st Ave. South (on 1st Avenue just south of King Street)
6 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

July 07, 2009

Raised in a barn...


I winced when I heard my rude neighbor yelling at his girlfriend, “Shut the door! What’s the matter, were you raised in a barn or something?” While his very public and uncouth behavior bothered me, I quickly realized that the phrase he meant as an insult wouldn’t cause offense if it were said to me. That’s because I love barns, and always have. And I’m one of many people who would love to live in one of those grand structures.

My love affair with barns began early in life. I was raised in the country in rural southern Minnesota surrounded by corn and soybean fields. Children of farmers were my playmates. Bicycles were our freedom to roam & explore and the surrounding barns were our private playgrounds for climbing or games of hide & seek.




Like many young people, I left the country and moved to the city for college. I grew accustomed to urban life, but my heart retains a passion for those barns I loved as child. I still frequently seek them out as I wander the country roads, but as an adult it is with a camera in hand. My searching has yielded hundreds of pictures of barns.






Throughout the years my pictures of barns have graced the pages of calendars, books and magazines. They hang as prints in private homes and public spaces like the airport in Portland and a ski resort in Pennsylvania.



For many people who love barns the structures symbolize endurance, security and stability. Sadly, many of the barns I photograph are sorely in need of repair. Numerous times I’ve returned to a barn a year or two after first photographing it only to find that it no longer is there. Many succumb to hard winters and old age. Some are lost to fire while others are simply torn down because they represent a danger and liability to their owners. In a very real sense those pictures in books or in a frame on the wall are all that is left to remember them.








As a child I loved the haylofts and hiding places of the barns I played in. Now I relish the details of the structures…the peeling paint, the interesting doors, the distinctive exterior decoration, the exceptional cupolas and weathered weather vanes. And if I’m lucky I see a unique inhabitant from time to time.






Barns continue to fascinate many people, including me. And there is a lot to attract us: their classic design, their solitary existence, the lifestyle they evoke. Most of all, barns are monuments of rural life. They are a connection to the past that we can enjoy in the present.







April 16, 2009

My New Blog


Welcome to the Dave Schiefelbein Photography blog…the place to visit for up-to-date news, announcements and interesting stories behind my pictures.

Three of my photographs are now hanging at one of West Seattle’s newest restaurants: The Bohemian. The trio is part of a larger collection created by five local artists working in a variety of media. In addition to their eclectic cuisine and retro bar menu, The Bohemian’s commitment to the arts includes musical performances by local soloists and groups. I hope you’ll stop in and check out the scene!

The Bohemian
3405 California Ave. SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 938-2646