The only humans Susan Rothschild puts in her art are geishas and samurai. Otherwise, she sticks to animals and flowers.
She made that choice after working for 25 years as a headshot photographer in Hollywood. Let’s just say she had her fill of egos.
Still, she got to shoot some celebrities, such as Denzel Washington. And Rothschild still speaks fondly of the one and only Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford.
“I shot him before he became famous. He was my next-door neighbor and he was always cute, let me tell you that,” Rothschild said. “He’s so down-to-earth. I remember he was once asked what school of acting he went to and he answered, ‘I went to the let’s pretend school of acting.’”
Just because she keeps people out of her artwork, don’t stereotype Rothschild as antisocial. She loves to interact with the public. And so she loves the Artists Garage Sale, which she has participated in at least five times.
Rothschild, a mixed-media artist and designer, is among the 80 artists featured at this year’s sale.
The Artists Garage Sale is in its 14th year and opens at 9 a.m. Saturday at Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo. The sale is presented by the Arts Council of Snohomish County, which has queued up photographers, potters, print makers, jewelry makers and glass blowers itching to sell their seconds, their experiments gone awry, their old stock of artwork at bargain prices.
Arts council gallery director Carie Collver called the garage sale the place to go “for those with a tight arts budget.”
Rothschild said she loves the garage sale crowd.
“It’s more playful than a serious art show,” she said. “I work alone and I’m creating so the fun part is when I’m selling. I love to socialize when I’m doing shows.”
Rothschild, 62, originally from England, left her first career as a model to become a photographer. She has since evolved into a versatile artist who dabbles in everything visual — ceramic tiles, photography, even knitting washable hats. Rothschild also has been highly influenced by 18th century Japanese art designs, which she uses on mirrors and ceramic tiles.
For the sale, Rothschild said she’ll bring tiles, cutting boards, mirrors and more.
“You have to be versatile. It’s essential,” she said. “You better have a lot of irons in the fire or God forbid.”
Rothschild is a veteran of the garage sale, while artist Betsy Best-Spadaro will be attending for the first time.
Best-Spadaro is a print maker who works with linoleum and wood and does bold tongue-in-cheek prints based on relationships: mother and child, family, man and woman. Her prints are dramatic and always mix a lot of meaning with wry humor.
“In general, I create work that usually is based on what I’ve observed or what I’ve felt or thought about,” said Best-Spadaro, 50. “I usually tend toward relationships and domestic kinds of things. It’s all pretty much a way of creating order and making sense of my life and life in general.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like this,” Best-Spadaro said of the garage sale. “I’m intrigued to be on the inside of the booth as opposed to the outside.”
Reporter Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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