Personal piece - Mixed media - ‘The Halloween Banquet’ / “The Fortune Cookie Hunter”, Mixed media on wooden panel in vintage tin can

Here are a some example pieces by Dutch artist/illustrator Femke Hiemstra, who’s work is currently on display (Through May 3) at the Roq La Rue gallery, seattle (with Travis Louie). Am sure you will agree Hiemstras paintings have an incredibly unique and quirky Lowbrow style that evokes the work of Mark Ryden and Robert Williams. Here is an excerpt from her show:

(Amsterdam) meticulously tight, jewel like mixed media paintings are homes to a dark, lush fairytale land where inanimate objects come to life and frolic with animal neighbors. Gingerbread men hunt for elusive confections, persian cats attended by moths smoke opium pipes, and flowers extract their revenge on insect tormenters. Femke uses typography in her work, using words and phrases from various languages and letters in her paintings to further enhance the narrative while still retaining a playful sense of mystery, or as a visual device to frame in the scenery, as if you were looking at her world through a secret window. Drawing from a range of influences, from firework wrappers to Japanese woodblock prints, Femke’s use of both pop culture detritus and child-like fantasy create a vibrant playground for the imagination, with each piece looking like a cover for a fantastical adventure book, which is left up to the viewer to imagine the story inside. She will be exhibiting 12 original paintings and several drawings.

On her website Femtasia, Hiemstra sells prints, shirts and buttons, and while it all looks to be of excellent quality, I’m most impressed with the button designs. You can see more of Hiemstra’s charming paintings from the show after the jump.

“Booze Bosses” (detail) acrylic on “holy water” vessel plaque
5″ x 10″ approx

“Nicotiana” Mixed media

“Le Passeur” Mixed media 14″ x 16.3″

“Bo Peep” Graphite on paper 13.5″ x 14.5″

“La Cérémonie” Mixed media on wooden panel in vintage tin can Frame size: 10.7″ x 10.7″

“Le Dernier Poursuivant Du Dragon”Mixed media painting in vintage frame with round glass 11.6″ x 13.7″

“Sneak 1 - The Revenge”Mixed media 5.3″ x 7.8″

“Sweet Tooth” Mixed media

“Supper” Graphite on paper 14.1″ x 20.2″

“The Music Box Song Club” Mixed media 14.5″ x 17.7″

“Ursus Astronomia” acrylic on vintage book 13″ x 16″ framed