January has left us behind by a couple of days, so our Newsletter is a little late. We also experienced a glitch that caused the wrong e-card Alert to go out yesterday. What you should have seen is this:
However, one way or another Valentine's Day is coming right up, so you will be able to see here - hot off the presses - some of our newest and loveliest art pieces while they're still in the Gallery! Come visit us or click on the links in each individual piece below to be conveniently swept from your armchair to our online shop. But make sure you have a steaming mug of hot coffee or cocoa sitting close at hand. A cozy way to shop on a cool winter day, don't you think?
Scroll down for a look at some of the finest art around - from wearables to sculpture, from function to whimsy, and no matter what time of the year, always pleasing to the heart and soul.
Without further ado:
WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS
Ah,
so beautiful.
Here
we have two new pieces from Robin Hominiuk,
who
has recently moved from southwestern Washington
state
to the bustle of beautiful Seattle. And her work is as
gorgeous
as ever, as seen in this vase and platter, both
currently
on display at the Gallery.
Entitled
“Planet Nine”, this vase is wood fired with underglaze and
crackle
texture, with natural fly ash crystals, and was fired in the
Soulgama
Anagama Kiln, Brush Prairie, Washington.
And why the name?
Well, it's based on these interesting developments from the Universe:
Researchers
at the California Institute of Technology have found evidence
in the outer
solar system of an object that could be a real ninth planet.
Nicknamed
Planet Nine, it "has a mass about 10 times that of Earth" and
orbits about 20 times farther from the
sun" than Neptune. That means "it would
take this new planet between
10,000 and 20,000 years to make just one full
orbit around the sun,"
according to Caltech. Researchers
Konstantin Batygin
and Mike Brown haven't actually seen the planet, but other
research helped
lead them to conclude that there is one. Basically, they found
that certain
objects in the Kuiper Belt - the field of icy objects and debris
beyond
Neptune - had orbits that peculiarly pointed in the same direction.
This
lovely platter is wood fired stoneware with black underglaze
and
flashing slip. It was fired upside down in the Hikarigama
Anagama
Kiln, Elkton, Oregon.
Below,
Robin shares a few photos that show a little more
about
her process with the vase, in her own words:
 |
| New Planet, before firing |
The
first photo shows it waiting to be loaded into the kiln.
You
can see the red underglaze that I rubbed into the cracks with no idea
if the color would
show up after the firing (it does but it is subtle).
 |
| New Planet, after firing |
The
2nd photo shows it when the kiln is opened - it was on the top shelf
right
at the firebox, in a direct ash zone, which is where all those gorgeous
crystals
came from. It is the most volatile section of the kiln.
To
see more of Robin's work you can visit her
pages
in the Gallery's online shop here.
But
we're not quite done showing off her work yet -
scroll down for an unexpected
treat!
TEXTILE ART
Another
magnificent piece of clothing from Amy Nguyen.
Her
pieces are so wearable and stunning, we seldom keep
them
in for long and even then, when they are sold, we
always
have to suppress a little pang or two of
separation
anxiety when they go out the door.
But
we are assured they go to good homes, so that
makes
us feel better...
Then
she sends along something even more heartbreakingly
lovely.
Like this jacket, in her trademark
relaxed
style with just the right touch of formality,
and
consistently impeccable workmanship.
Perfection.
(Shown
with Nancy Raasch necklace; details below.)
My
goodness ... this artist's creativity never seems to end, or fail to inspire us
...
In
a lively shade of purply-pink, or perhaps we can even
call
it magenta, Maggy shows off her felting prowess
with
this delightful, soft and lightweight wool and
silk
jacket. Note the gentle lines, tall, feminine collar, deep cuffs
and
applique-like surface texture.
Oh,
and as always on Maggy’s pieces: check
out that
specially-made
funky button.
A
perfect garment for our climate, Maggy's pieces are
lightweight
but warm, and easy to layer over shirts
and
sweaters or dresses, or if necessary beneath a
larger
coat or cape.
Splendid!
(Shown with Nancy
Raasch necklace; details below.)
WOOD FURNITURE/SCULPTURE
 |
| Small Antique Cabinet, full view. Carol Fiedler Kawaguchi |
Carol
Fiedler Kawaguchi of Bainbridge Island combines her talents
as
a fine artist with her skills as a fine woodworker specializing in
Antique
Restoration and Repair, unique Fine Wood Furnishings and
Fine
Art Assemblages. Ms. Fiedler Kawaguchi attended Cornish Art
Institute
in 1978 and ‘79 and received a degree in fine art from Western
Washington
University in 1981 with a focus on Japanese Art History and
Printmaking.
She apprenticed to a violinmaker and a ceramicist during the
1980s
while living in New Mexico where she opened her first woodworking
and
interior furnishings business. She has traveled extensively in Europe and
Asia.
She has worked as an artist and woodworker for the past 25 years
and
now makes her home in Washington.
We
are fortunate to have several of her pieces currently
on
display in the Gallery, including this beautifully
restored small
antique cosmetic cabinet from 19th Century Japan.
A
combination of beautiful craftsmanship, whimsy and
functionality
elevates this piece into wondrous realms of
the
imagination - with its mysterious
hidden
compartment and dramatic use of contrasting exotic
woods,
one can picture Mr. Bond keeping a secret MI-5
contraption
or two stashed away in its depths.
Martini,
anyone?
JEWELRY
We
began to show Nancy's work over the holidays, and are delighted to
have
a few more pieces available, including this purple and sterling silver
delight.
These necklaces are created using ancient Korean
paper
techniques and include amazing lightweight earrings in
whimsical
geometric forms, currently on display in the Gallery
and
soon in the online shop.
But
what do we love about this particular showy piece?
How
about that gorgeous purple!
(Or this orange-red stunner:)
 |
| Sterling Silver and Gemstone Rings. Robin Hominiuk |
In
addition to her proven talents as a potter, Robin Hominiuk
is
also an accomplished jewelry artist. These rings are
good
examples of her minimalist style and excellent craftsmanship.
What
a great gift one of these would make for that special someone
-
and guess what, Valentine's Day is upon us!
(Or
just buy one for yourself - the price couldn't be better.)
The
three rings shown are fabricated sterling silver rings with 5mm tube set
We do carry other pieces of Robin's jewelry in the
Gallery and online,
so come on in to see them in person or visit
Robin's
jewelry pages here
in our online shop.
And
for something a little different, here's a special
Valentine's
Day tease:
These
pieces arrived quite recently and aren't posted in the online
shop
yet, but are available in the Gallery, so we thought we'd
tempt
you with a glimpse of her latest designs.
(We'll
be posting the entire Collection very soon;
view them with all of Christine's work on her pages
in the Gallery's online shop here.)
That's a quick look at January's new treats; we hope you enjoyed seeing them, and more will be along in several weeks. In the meantime, if you'd like to have our Newsletter e-mail alert arrive in your inbox once a month, and notices of shows, sales and concerts, please send a note to subscribe to sr [at] theislandgallery [dot] net. We'll put you on our mailing list.
Have a happy Valentine's Day, and please come see us soon!
