Tag Archives: Little Relics Boutique & Galleria

Kim Scott

Kim Scott explores humanity’s foibles in her artwork

Vanity and Impermanence

My first memory of Kim Scott’s work is also one of my first memories of Sacramento.

Scott was showing with several other artists at the Toyroom Gallery back in 2002. I was wandering down K Street with a companion, and we had just started hanging out; you know, when you’re bored out of your mind and you know that the first date was a fluke because now you have nothing to talk about.

The small gallery space tucked into the back of a clothing boutique offered welcome respite from the rain that night. I also hoped it would provide something to talk about. It didn’t. But the art was amazing!

I didn’t know how to form an opinion on Scott’s work other than it appealed to me visually—bold color and subtle gradients, thick, ruby-red slabs of raw steak imposed over heads, all casually occupying comfortable, serene rooms or natural settings. The collision of gems, polished jewels and various cuts of bright red, raw meat create a textural feast, a visual orgasm. Very satisfying.

Scott has been showing and working as an artist in Sacramento, specifically the Del Paso Boulevard area for decades, as well as abroad. She saw the art boom of the ‘80s come to Sacramento, in galleries such as the Acme and Michael Himovitz. She even recently had a retrospective show of her work at the 1616 Gallery.

I turned onto the street to Scott’s home studio, deciding to park behind the vehicle I thought, on first sight, looked the most like it belonged to an artist. Looking at my phone for the address, I found I was right out front.

Scott and her husband, owner of the Toyroom Gallery, live and work within a small artist community called Surreal Estates. Building a vacant lot from the ground up with a group of like-minded artists, Surreal Estates is a functional artist community with 11 single-family units. The live/work space garnered interest nationally from other artists looking to own and work on a property while investing some serious sweat equity.

Scott has a show this month at Little Relics. The new body of work is recognizable as her work, and should not be missed. Decadent colors tell the story of a near future where bird watchers no longer have birds to watch.

Kim Scott

{Imitation of Life, Oil on panel, What Do the Bird Watchers Watch When There Are No More Birds?}

So what was your sort of pathway to art or illustration?
My mother was an artist when I was growing up, so I did get a lot of encouragement from her. She would take me to art openings around town and with her to art classes at American River College. Perhaps that wouldn’t be enough in itself, but I already enjoyed drawing and fanciful stuff, sci-fi, comics. I liked dressing up and fantasy life role playing when I was a kid.

I liked to doodle, so I wouldn’t say those drawings were completed thoughts. I did a lot of drawing as a child, but many of them just weren’t finished pieces.

When I was in high school I had a teacher who was a serious artist, and he really put me through the ringer in terms of the creative process. I suppose he introduced me to the formality more, and then in community college for sure I had teachers like that. I’d really made art my whole life, I was considered the class artist in grade school, but when I got into college, I still didn’t realize that you could be an artist as a career, it was just like, something I did. When I was there I was taking like marine biology classes, and at some point there I thought, man I could be a half-assed marine biologist, or be a pretty good artist, because my interests were really in art. So that sort of cemented my direction a little bit, in finding out about becoming the person I wanted to become from that point.

Kim Scott

{Buffoon (The Masquarade), Oil on canvas, From the Crocker Art Museum Collection}

Who kinda made you want to start doing the style or mode of art you do now?
Something I use to this day, I use myself as a gauge, so like when I see someone’s work, or eat something, or I hear music, or I see colors, or architecture. I just get some kind of feeling, and I think “Oh, I’d like give someone that kind of feeling from my work.”

When I was in college, one of my first exercises from my oil painting instructor was a self-portrait. I mean everyone does that, but I just kept doing it and doing it. After that assignment I just kept going into it and into it. They look somewhat like me, but they don’t have to look like me to tell that story.

I had one art history teacher who told me a story about a guy who goes to this cocktail party, and he stands in the corner for five minutes and nobody notices him, and then he’s there for an hour and people start saying “What’s that guy standing in the corner for?” and then a day goes by and the neighbors know about it, and then he’s there for a month, and he gets in the newspapers. The story there is … if you stick at something long enough, it creates its own momentum, and I knew I had more than just standing in the corner at my disposal, but I took that on, so I think the self portrait thing, pragmatically, the only thing I know about is where I’m coming from … anyway, so is it narcissistic? Maybe, but I feel like, with full impunity, I can talk about all the shit that goes on in my own mind, the crazy stuff, or the beautiful stuff, and maybe get that right, and not impose on anybody else. So I’ve done that a long time, standing in the corner working on that, and I’ve sort of gone all over the place.

Also, I took up bird watching a few years ago so I’m out in nature a lot, taking photographs of birds, and I was already doing paintings of birds, but I had to rely on someone else’s imagery, so they were always more made up than photographic.

The two things I focus on the most are vanity and impermanence. What is the vanity of what you are doing? What is the impermanence? So with that in mind, maybe it opens things up in the work.

What I’m expressing in my work about vanity is more about the human condition, about how it’s a crutch, and there’s a lot of suffering that comes from that. And it’s also funny too, it’s like clownish or foolish to hold on to things like that, but it’s human, a foible, or weakness, or a misunderstanding of how things are.

Kim Scott

{Red Queen, Oil on Panel}

When did you feel the most a part of an artist community in Sacramento?
Probably the first strong community I felt a part of was the Acme Gallery group, and it was predominately started by David Stone, who now owns a gallery down in L.A. He was a Dadaist, but now he’s more into conceptual art. I used to do performance art as well as painting and sculptures. There were a lot of interesting artists in that group. After that, the Michael Himovitz gallery, which isn’t around anymore, but is now the 1616 Gallery.

During the mid- and late ‘80s there was a lot of money to be made in art; that was like Fast Times in Sacramento.

Was that a time when there was a more active creative class?
There was a very active creative class then. There were a lot of people who collected Sacramento artists during that period. Michael Himovitz helped during that period. He really brought about sort of a renaissance in Sacramento, and people still talk about what he brought to the arts community then. He was a guy that liked art, didn’t know a lot about it, but he was an innovative guy, and he wanted every artist in Sacramento to bring him their work. So he took it from everyone who would bring it, he formed for himself an opinion about what he wanted to show. He believed in it, and he found people that trusted him, and people bought it.

Kim Scott

{New Breeds, Oil on canvas, What Do the Bird Watchers Watch When There Are No More Birds?}

What would you say is motivating your upcoming show? What has changed in your focus?
Well, I think bird watching, but not just seeing birds, but observing nature, and the delicate balance and reading the newspapers about extinction and global warming, that’s a big part of it.

This body of work is really experimental … and it relates to the last work I did. My private working title for this show, which is sort of a reminder, is What Would the Bird Watcher Watch When There are No More Birds. So when I really started seeing that, and started internalizing it all, the beauty of nature and where things are going.

Kim Scott

{Cry Baby, Oil on canvas, What Do the Bird Watchers Watch When There Are No More Birds?}

Check out Kim Scott’s solo show at Little Relics now through Aug. 30, 2015. Little Relics is located at 908 21st Street, Sacramento. Check out Littlerelics.com for more information and gallery hours. You can also sample Scott’s work at Feedyoureye.com.

SEE: It’s A Small World Featuring Dia de los Muertos-Style Art at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria • Through Nov. 3, 2014

PY-Simpson

Now through November 3, be sure to stop into Little Relics Boutique and Galleria in Downtown Sacramento to see It’s A Small Word, an awesome group show with an all-star cast featuring ceramics by Philip York Simpson, sugar skull art by Rob-O, and cultural sculptures from Kanika Marshall! This show is an absolute perfect fit for this time of year, what with Halloween and Dia de los Muertos and all! So grab your friends, parents or your little ones and head to 908 21st Street (between I and J streets). Little Relics’ hours are Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit Littlerelics.com for more information.

The 2013 Submerge Holiday Gift Guide | By Submerge Staff

Stuck on that perfect gift for your Secret Santa? Want to outdo your handmade cookie brigade from last year? Fear not, reader! Submerge has you covered with not one, not two, but nineteen unique, eclectic, (mostly) local gifts for any interest, any budget. Unique handcrafted jewelry? Check. Hottest in baby couture? Double check. Art, sports jerseys and dare we say, fish farms? Check, check, check. Peruse the list, get your shop on, and save a little room in the budget for yourself—we guarantee you’ll find some things you won’t be able to live without!

Custom Lamp featuring Local Photographer Miki Lansdowne’s Work
$23.95 – $63.95 at Lampinabox.com/miki-lansdowne

Submerge-Miki Lansdowne-lamp-sm A stylish table lamp will quickly and easily add some flair to any room in the house. Rather than getting a run-of-the-mill IKEA or HomeGoods lamp that you’ll see in every other home, check out this cool option: a custom lamp featuring Sacramento-based urban exploration photographer Miki Lansdowne’s work (Sparrowandtheowl.com) wrapped around the entire lampshade! Los Angeles-based Lamp-In-A-Box is featuring many of Lansdowne’s epic photos on their lamps. Our favorite is her shot called “Explore the Keys.” Check out what other pieces would look like wrapped around a lampshade, swap out different stands and bases, click order and voila, you’ll get an awesome custom lamp in the mail to spruce up your pad, office, band room, art studio, wherever! You can even design your own lamp from scratch.

Submerge-Tantris Metal Guitar Picks

Tantris Metal Guitar Picks
$7.95 at Tantrispicks.com

This holiday season, give the gift of metal. These hand-finished, hand-polished stainless steel guitar picks from Elk Grove-based Tantris Picks are machined from surgical grade stainless steel and deliver a solid, bright attack that no other pick can. These things are perfect for rock/metal guitar players. They come in multiple badass designs like “Lucky Shot” and “Ace of Spades,” so pick up a couple pairs for the metalheads on your shopping list and maybe they’ll dedicate their next song to you!

Submerge-Handmade Jewelry  by Local Artist  Susan Rabinovitz

Handmade Jewelry by Artist Susan Rabinovitz
$5 – $100 at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria (908 21st St., Sacramento)

All women love jewelry, that’s a fact. Moms, sisters, girlfriends, wives, grandmas, aunts—chances are, there are more than a few ladies on your holiday shopping list. Artist Susan Rabinovitz hand makes creative and stylish pieces of wearable art right here in Sacramento, and they range in price from very affordable (starting at just $5) to around $100. She makes cool stuff for guys, too, so visit her Midtown boutique and gallery Little Relics to see more handmade jewelry. While there, you can check out work from rotating guest artists.

Submerge-Keytar Key Covers

Keytar Key Covers
$5.99 at Evangeline’s (113 K St., Sacramento)

It’s a common problem: too many keys on your keychain. “Which is the house key? The gold one? The silver one?” Eliminate the chances of getting keys confused with these sweet Keytar Key Covers! It’s not required, but highly suggested, to mouth your favorite guitar solo every time you open a lock with a Keytar.

Submerge-Fruit- and Vegetable-Shaped Percussion Shakers

Fruit- and Vegetable-Shaped Percussion Shakers
$8.25 – $14.99 at Skip’s Music (2740 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento)

They may look like real fruits and veggies, but these babies aren’t edible! They’re actually percussion shakers and they’re ready to add a hefty dose of rhythm to your next jam session. Pick some up today at Skip’s Music, where they range in price from $8.25 for the smaller ones to $14.99 for the larger ones. They sound great and, best of all, make for perfect stocking stuffers.

Submerge-Skater Jenny Baby Socks

Skater Jenny Baby Socks
$27 for six pairs at Trumpette (2020 I St., Sacramento) or at Trumpette.com

Is it just us, or does it seem every other month like someone is announcing, “I’m having a baby!” No matter what season it is, those babies will need socks. What better to gift than these cute and stylish Skater Jenny socks from Sacramento-based luxury children’s apparel company Trumpette. They come in a six-pack of feminine colors for just $27 (for the baby boys out there, look for the Skater Johnnys).

Submerge-Gucci Pinoy Snapback Hat by Official

Gucci Pinoy Snapback Hat by Official
$32 at Theofficialbrand.com

If you gift someone this sick “Gucci Pinoy” snapback hat from Sacramento-based headwear company Official, it’s like giving times two! One hundred percent of the proceeds from this hat go to the Philippine Red Cross. Official first released this design three years ago and it sold out immediately. Since a number of staff are Filipino, they were heavily affected by the recent typhoon that devastated the country, so Official decided to bring the hat back and give all the proceeds to charity. Pre-order the hat now at Theofficialbrand.com. Ships starting Dec. 12, 2013.

Submerge-Black Sophisticated Ring by Compliment

Black Sophisticated Ring by Compliment
$36 at Shopcompliment.com

This bold and sophisticated black ring by local brand Compliment is suited for work or play, featuring black Swarovski crystals on a silver band. Compliment founder and creative director Melissa Camilleri hand crafts jewelry, stationery, and “gifts for the spirit” in her studio space on Alhambra Blvd. Her work can be found at Identity Boutique (2600 J St., Sacramento), at GOOD: Street Food and Design Market, by appointment at her studio and via her website. Being a former high school English and AVID teacher, Camilleri is passionate about equality in educational opportunities for young people. That’s why 5% of Compliment purchases go to the Compliment Scholarship Fund, which supports young Sacramento-area women in their quest for a college education. Giving always feels good, but that makes it even sweeter.

Submerge-Sacramento Kings Jerseys

Sacramento Kings Jerseys
$74.95 – $299.95 at Store.nba.com/Sacramento_Kings_Gear or at Sleep Train Arena

Let’s face it, sports jerseys are expensive. So we suggest putting one on your list and hoping that someone else picks up the bill. If you want to go all authentic, it’s going to cost upwards of $300, but replicas are just as good at around $75 and can even feature your own custom name and/or number. Available for men and women in white, black and our favorite, purple. Listen up Sacramento, the Kings are here to stay, the Magoofs are out and we’re (finally, fingers crossed) getting that downtown arena. The hype is real. It’s time to get that jersey and rep your home team with pride.

Submerge-Gift Cards  to Local  Restaurants!

Gift Cards to Sacramento Restaurants!
Any amount you want, available at most local restaurants

Still can’t decide what to get for that special someone? Save them the hassle of returning whatever it is you’re going to get and opt for gift cards to any of our many amazing local restaurants. If you will allow us to suggest a few: Clark’s Corner for that local East Sacramento cozy bar vibe (they have killer food too!); Tequila Museo Mayahuel for some of the best damn upscale Mexican cuisine you’ll ever taste; Paragary’s Restaurant Group, because, well, one gift card is good at many different tasty restaurants (try Hock Farm!); LowBrau for sausages and craft beer; and Red Rabbit and/or Magpie for farm-to-fork American fare that’ll straight up knock your socks off. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with gift cards, especially ones that fill up bellies with amazing food. Plus chances are good you’ll get taken out to a good dinner! Bon appetit.