December 2013 Gallery Picks Newsletter and Gift Picks

Don't look now, but...

The Holiday Season is here! 

Our first gift of the season for you, dear customers, is a Gallery Picks Newsletter with a little bit of extra oomph for your gift browsing convenience and pleasure.  Scroll down to view a list of 80-plus art pieces created by our talented regional, national and international artists, ranging in price from under $10.00 to over $5,000.00.  This selection includes fabulous wearables, gifts for men, and functional or decorative ceramics; also gorgeous locally-crafted wood furniture, boxes, boards, and bowls, sculpture, and amazing wall art in the form of paintings and intaglio prints to enhance your home.  In other words, something for everyone!

For a close-up view of any individual item, simply click on the link beneath each to visit our online shop for further information.

Jackets

From left:

Felted Wool Jacket, Pavlou; Nomad Jacket, Shanks; Felted Wool Jacket, Pavlou

Fleece Kimono Jacket, Roselle; Shibori Crinkle Silk Jacket, Nguyen
Felted Wool Vest, Pavlou

Necklaces:

From left:

Labradorite & Turquoise, Paquette; Red Crystals, Paquette

Wood & Quartz Pendant, Zeldis; Necklace Moher, Rentero

Silk Shibori & Carnelian, Isnia (Red Lotus)

Leather & Waxed Cotton, 2 by Lyn&Tony

Cotton Tees:

From left:  

From Mary Jaeger: Shibori-dyed, Tiger;  Shibori-dyed Brown/black;  Shibori-dyed Wave

Asteroids, Black/red; Asteroids, black/tan

Scarves/Shawls

From left:

Shibori Silk Scarf, Carter Smith; Wool Shawl, Holzman; Silk Batik Scarf, Isnia

"Diamond 5" Loop Shawl, Jaeger; Optic Ovals Scarf, Jaeger; Shibori Scarf, Nguyen

Earrings

From left:

"Passion", Whitmore; "Flame Dance", Sundt;  "Jalisco", Rentero
Silver & Hematite, Gitana Collection; Fused Sterling & Brass, Bara
Blue Vein Agate, 2 by Lyn&Tony; "Truth by Nature", Sundt

For Men

From left:

Bamboo Scarves, Whitlock; "Andes Sun" Scarves, Young
Handwoven Shirt, Johnson; Robe, David; Fringed Vest, Zeldis

Fabulously Fun & Funky

From left:

Camel Basket, NEO;  Rectangular Red Basket, NEO; Party Cups, Jolda 
Brooch, NEO; Red Necklace, NEO; Medium Red Round Basket, NEO
Purses, NEO

Fine Wood Furniture

From left:

Cedar Coffee Table; Black Locust Seat;  Curved Arm Desk chair; Isho 2 Cabinet
Cherry Craftsman Settle; Cantilevered Walnut Desk; Maple Corner Shelf

Ceramics

From left:

Wood-fired Cup, Watson; Large Bowl,  Wood-fired, Schoonover; Dinner Plate & Salad Plate, Strayer
Ceramic-Based Pine Needle Basket, Knudsen; Tapered Vase, Loase
Wood-fired Tea Bowl, Sauer; Wood-fired Butter Dish, Hominiuk

Sculpture

From left:

E-Buck, Illuminated Sculpture, Dunder; Driftwood Lamp, Benson; Cherry Sconce, Christopher
Tulip Tree, Illuminated Sculpture, Dunder; "Needs A Name", Christopher

Wooden Boxes

From left:

All by John Luke:  Walnut Jewelry/Document Box; Small Lidded Legged Box; Zen Jewelry Box
"Alien" Jewelry Box; Asian-Inspired Jewelry Box; Swivel-Lid Box

Cutting Boards & Bowls

From left:

All by Dave Thompson:  Maple Cutting Board; Small Maple cutting Board;
Walnut Cutting Board [sold]; Walnut Cutting Board

Lower right:

Both by Dave Thompson:  Walnut Salad Servers; Walnut Salad Bowl

Paintings & Prints

From left:

Polar Noon, Yesley; I'll put some tea on to boil, Till; "Flying Circles" Handpainted Kimono, Roselle;
A Particular Green Hillside, Bowles; Tropfenol 110, Reisdorf; Lady, After Picasso, Labitzke

Cards

From Left:

Frosted Leaves, Gill; Star, Petersen; Red Ginko, Petersen

Little Tree, Petersen; Snow on Leaves, Gill 

Cozy Throws

From left:

 Black and Silver Mohair, Frantastic; Curly Fleece, Roselle; Autumn Colors, Frantastic

We hope you've enjoyed viewing these amazing pieces by our amazing artists.  There's even more to see at the Gallery and on our online shop and, of course, watch this blog for updates on artists, shows, sales and events.  Our next event?  The upcoming 8th Annual Wearable Art Show, opening on December 6th. We'll be back in a few days with all the info on that.

But in the meantime, we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for helping the Gallery have a wonderful 2013; we can't wait to see what 2014 will bring!  To all of you from all of us, Happy Holidays!

November 2013 Gallery Picks Newsletter

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and our focus in the Gallery this month is on Holiday Tables, with wonderful things to put on, over and around them.  Naturally, we have a few other amazing items to share with you that might not work very well to dress up a table, but they will certainly dress up an outfit!  And a wall!  So please scroll through and enjoy the view.  Oh, and don't forget to click on the links to visit each individual piece in our online shop, and for more information.

*** Advance warning:  We already have a very special December Newsletter in the works, which will do double duty as our usual Gallery Picks and a mini-Holiday Gift Guide, so be sure to check your inbox over Thanksgiving weekend for a relaxing-by-the-fireplace glimpse of items to give or, if you prefer, to receive!

Now, without further ado, on to Many Beautiful Things.

Walnut Farm Table

This is so gorgeous!  A splendid farm-style table using stunning

walnut boards that show off deep, dark walnut alongside its own
light-colored sapwood for a most appealing visual contrast.
And the price might just surprise you...

Chairs sold separately; please contact the Gallery for further

information.

Large Footed Bowl.  Robin Hominiuk

A little something to put on top of any table, and perhaps to put a little
something in, this glorious wood-fired bowl will hold an abundance of
fruits, nuts, bread, muffins, foliage - whatever you love to present to guests
and family during the holidays.

But its not-so-secret little secret:  the interior of the bowl shows off

its own fascinating embellishments, so it is perfectly happy to

sit empty and alone, basking in its own beauty.

(It isn't at all vain, however; merely self-confident!)

Walnut Table Slab

WOW!!

Yes, WOW!

This table slab is beyond beautiful.
Crafted from walnut grown in Chico, California and dried slowly in the
gallery over many years, this fabulous piece is expertly bookmatched,
finished, and ready for custom legs.
Whoooooo wouldn't love this?

(That was a little joke....)

(If you didn't get it, take a closer look at the table.)
(If you're still puzzled, contact us at ssn@theislandgallery.net.)

Desert Sunset.  Mark Bowles

We are delighted to introduce Mark Bowles, a most talented artist
whose dynamic, colorful landscapes are quick to grab the eye.

A little about the artist:

Mark Bowles was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has painted
all his life.  His passion for interpreting what he sees brought him to study
at the California College of Arts and Crafts and then at the Institudio Allende
in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  His work is shown extensively
throughout the West, with two US Embassy Exhibitions in Kathmandu, 2010
and Mexico City, 2009.  His work is represented in numerous private
collections and publicly in the Denver Art Museum, Tucson Museum
of Art, and Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California.

Comments from Scott Shields, Ph.D., Chief Curator, Crocker Art Museum:

Bowles' paintings are subjective, reductively simple, and filled with blazing
light and color - a harmonious balance between the landscape he knows well
and his passion for abstraction and the physical act of painting ... [His] landscapes
are individual statements that have emerged with individuality from a rich tradition
of California landscape painting... Whereas many practicing Northern California
landscape painters find richness with riparian settings or city-scapes, Bowles
primarily features the broad plains of the Central Valley as his favored
subject matter.  Often, distinctive landmarks are visible in a setting that
is on the verge of abstraction.

Some words from Mark:

Whether I am working with a still life, the human figure, or landscape,
I am always fascinated by texture, form and color which I use in expressing
how I feel about what I am seeing.  I do not limit myself in what I paint or how
I might interpret what I see.  This freedom allows my work to move from
representational to minimalist to abstraction.  My work is ever changing,
ever challenging and always a passionate delight.  It is always my
intention to address the canvas directly, honestly and boldly.  My heart is
always pushing my work to find new language in expressing what I see
and how I feel about it.  The result therefore is not just an intellectual
exercise for me, it is being involved in the "Now" ... ... ... always open
for change and challenge ... ... ... always evolving.

We will have two of Mark's stunning landscapes in the Gallery shortly; in the meantime,
you can enjoy them here.

Moth Lamp.  Berwyn Benoit

Yes, we know, we're featuring a lot of wood products

this month, but what can we do?  There is so very much

to choose from at the moment!

For example, this spectacular lamp by our newest wood artist is

blowing our minds right now.  The base is crafted from oak burl;

the shade is custom-made linen.  The result is absolutely stunning!

Both the wood, bathed in soft light, and the comforting texture

of the linen shade just glow.

Felted Wool Jacket.  Maggy Pavlou

Lightweight, soft, warm, colorful, and some of the planet's

best buttons (where does she find them??) - these are Maggy's

trademarks.  This jacket is one of several new offerings

that are scheduled to arrive in the Gallery any day now.  We're

expecting both jackets and vests, and having carried Maggy's

remarkable work for many years we know that each

and every piece will be wonderful.  We'll be putting the

entire collection up in the web shop as soon as we can, but

in the meantime you can view this piece and several of her past

works right here.

Now, despite mentioning that we're showing off way too much wood....

Walnut Cutting Board.  Dave Thompson

Hold onto your heart!

This cutting board is one of several currently available, and they are probably

the most beautiful hardwood cutting boards we've ever presented in the Gallery.
(The design is an exclusive to The Island Gallery, by the way.)

These pieces have so much going for them we thought we'd create a little list of

their considerable virtues, hopefully without stating too much of the obvious.

Here's what you can expect from one of these lovelies:

A work of art that is fully functional.

Rich walnut, some with irregular edges and some straight-edged.

Simple yet beautiful construction.

 Sturdy feet with non-slip padding for ease of use and table-top protection.

Use for cutting, chopping, or as a singularly brilliant presentation piece. 

A selection of sizes.

An amazing price so it makes a perfect gift.

(But get one for yourself first!)

(And yes, that's Robin's lovely large bowl sitting beside it

in the above photograph.  They look quite contented together, don't they?)

(And by the way, is there such a thing as way too much wood??)
(Shame on us.)

Flame Dance Neckpiece.  Christine L. Sundt

This piece is so new to us that we don't even have it in the

Gallery yet!  But we're expecting it any day now, so if you're into

getting glam for the holidays (or whenever, of course), take a

peek at this colorful - dare we say jolly - neckpiece from the studios of

the inimitable, multi-talented Christine.

(There are matching earrings on the way, too, as well as several
other new pieces, which we will post online somewhere in here.)

Shibori Dyed Scarf.  Amy Nguyen

A splash of color to drape around your neck, hang on your wall,

or run across a table, this magnificent shibori-dyed linen scarf is
quilted and stitched in the artist's usual intricate fashion.  To say that this

piece is a fine example of the phenomenon known as "paying
attention to detail" is an understatement!

So many lovely things, so little time!  We're off to put together our aforementioned special Holiday Shopping Picks.  Please stay tuned; we'll have it ready for you in no time.  We're also ramping up our Annual Wearable Art Show, with more info coming soon.

In the meantime, we send our best wishes to you all for a happy and joyful Thanksgiving!