Sunday, June 28, 2015

June 2015 Gallery Picks Newsletter

As the Fourth of July approaches it's getting crispy around here, and no matter how we try, we can't stop seeing everything in shades of cool teal blue.  And why not?  Our wonderful artists must be tapping into this watery shade (excuse the pun); it seems to be cropping up everywhere in the Gallery!  Proceed, and you'll see what we mean.

Are you on Twitter?  You can follow us!  We cheerfully Tweet out photos of beautiful artwork, exhibition and concert news, and of course notification that our latest Newsletter is online and ready to be viewed.  We also retweet news from local, national and international shops, galleries and restaurants that tweak (tweet??) our interest.  On weekends we try to keep an eye on how the ferries are running on and off the island, so if you're planning a visit to Bainbridge Island, follow our Twitter feed, then come in and say Hi!

Don't forget, you can click on any of the photos below to be magically transported to our online shop for further information on each of the individual pieces.

Onwards to teal, and other lovely colors:


VISUAL ARTS

Small Birds at a Pond.  Jen Till
We've been raving about Jen's work for several months now (actually,
much longer than that) and will continue to do so!
We must report, however, that her show is closing soon, but never fear:
we will have a number of her pieces available in the Gallery and more online (here).
Please don't hesitate to contact us regarding the availability of
her various pieces, and in the meantime, lose yourself in the cool depths
of this gem, and its inviting little teal pond.

Thanks, Jen, for the wonderful show!
(We can't wait to see what's next!)

Artist Jen Till with her painting Calm Sea


And now, a little advance warning of what is coming right up:

Untitled.  Karen Chaussabel

One of our newest artists, Karen Chaussabel lives and works on
Bainbridge Island.  This series of encaustic and pen on paper, part of her
collection entitled Harvest of the Heart,
will be included in our upcoming July show, Floralscapes:  Sandy Haight,
opening on the 10th.  (Much more about that soon.)

In the meantime, here is something about Karen's work, in her own words:

I am a mixed media artist in the making.
I work on paper, creating encaustic monotype, using inks, pencil, fiber for
mixed media, and also enjoy the feel of clay. I am an explorer by nature and
will try different techniques and materials, just to see. I am very much driven by
curiosity.  And in the process I find more than one way to express my creative voice.
Just like a tree going through the seasons or standing in the light at different times
of the day, my voice takes on the tone of its place in time and space.

Encaustic paint is made of  beeswax combined with resin and color, in either
paint of pigment forms. It is used heated and applied to a variety of surfaces.
My favorite surface for encaustic is paper. I make monotypes and also brush,
draw directly on the paper.

When making encaustic monotypes, I brush warm encaustic on a hot plate,
or melt encaustic directly on the hot plate, then I lay a piece of paper over
the encaustic and pull it up.  I like the next step, the reveal, where I look at
what happened on the paper. Colors blended, spread, an image was created from
this fluid interaction. The exciting part for me is discovering this newborn image and
looking at it, being with the fullness of possibility.  I can let it be enough, or I can
keep on exploring with it, adding lines with pencils when it is still warm, layering
another color, blending them further by rubbing. It is a medium that allows me
to practice being open to possibility

In our next Newsletter we'll have more of Karen's work on view
and she will tell us a more about her philosophies and process
relating to the new exhibit.


TEXTILES & WEARABLE ART


Teal and Bronze Scarf.  Sandra Holzman
A glorious cloud of silk.

That is about all we need to say to describe the beautiful
quality and coloration of this summery scarf, made from
a soft and luxurious big square of silk chiffon.  The teal and
coppery-bronze make a perfect counterpoint, and the scarf is big
enough to throw over your shoulders.

Wear casually with jeans, or dress up an outfit of ivory or
white - a beautiful and cool look.


Paperbag Pants, Rectangle Tunic.  Carol Lee Shanks
What can we say?  The magnificent Carol Lee Shanks
strikes again!

These playful, crisp Paperbag Pants are a little bit
retro with their big plaid and a whole lot summer in
cool cotton.  Wear them with Carol's breezy mesh-like
cotton and nylon Rectangle Tunic, or a black camisole or tee, grab
a beverage of your choice, and head for the yacht.

Or anywhere, for that matter, as long as it's cool!

Many thanks to our wonderful model, Kathy; she endured
hours of hot lights and hundreds of poses, remaining cool
throughout, for lots of perfect shots.

FURNITURE

Elm Bench.  Donald Smith
Rustic but elegant, this beautiful elm live-edge bench
would be great in an entryway or snuggled up to
a dining table for extra or casual seating.

Crafted from local hardwoods, this bench
is finished with a sturdy conversion varnish. 

CERAMICS

Noodle Bowls.  Jessica Wertz
Ooooh!  Noodles!

Better yet, noodles in teal bowls!

Actually, these sizable porcelain bowls (7-1/2 - 8 inches in diameter)
will hold noodles for two, depending on your appetite; but in their
cool, summery colors we think they would
also hold a large and sumptuous amount of strawberries or
other delicious seasonal fruit.  Or chips waiting to be dipped in
salsa, a mountain of pretzels, steaming vegetables, a glistening
summer salad, or...

Or...

Oh, who are we kidding?  Bring on the mint chocolate chip ice cream...

Jessica is also a talented jewelry artist, whose pieces are available in the Gallery
and in our online shop here.

JEWELRY

Agate Druzy Necklace.  Virginia Paquette
There's a reason why The Island Gallery has been
carrying Virginia Paquette's beautiful jewelry for lo these many years.
Virginia is so much more than just a stringer of beads; she very rarely plays
it safe in her designs; and her eye for unusual and downright
stunning stones is as good as it gets, whether
she spies on her travels semi-precious stones, rich trading beads,
little charm oddities, or a combination of all of the above and more.
Besides being a wonderful painter and having created much successful public
art in the region, Virginia is also an accomplished metalsmith, but doesn't shy from
using leather or cord when it works better than chain or silver links
to lend a rustic or even ancient touch to her designs.
 Combining all these elements, her jewelry never fails to look
modern and sophisticated, and is as fresh today as it was
almost 13 years ago when she became the Gallery's first
local jewelry artist.  More of her work can be seen in the Gallery or
on her page in our online shop, here.

This particular piece of agate has a lovely turquoise glow and a smattering
of druzy crystals winking at its center.  Virginia has chosen to entrap it in cord
with African bone beads in black and creamy-white - perfect foils to
the breathtaking turquoise banding of the stone:


Drool at will.


Now for something quite/very/extremely different:

Collar 50, Neoprene.  NEO
Here we have a fun-loving example of a man-made product
masquerading as something from nature, rather effectively!

This necklace is made from chunky little sticks of crimson
neoprene that apparently got together and decided
they wanted to become a spiky coral necklace.

So they did.

(With a little assistance from the NEO folks in Rome, Italy.)

This necklace is lightweight, delightfully red, has lots of movement,
and you can even wear it scuba diving.  If you must.
(A good thing to know as the temps soar into the 90s.)

See more of NEO's fabulous jewelry in the Gallery, or here in the online shop.

~oOo~

Well, that's it for June.  We'll be back shortly with information on the upcoming July show, Floralscapes, and in the meantime try to stay cool as the Grand Old Fourth approaches.  Just a thought:  if you're thinking about shooting off that glorious fireworks display in this very hot weather, PLEASE be careful, or consider going to watch a community-sponsored display.  We want you all to stay safe!

If you would like quick, up-to-date info on our Newsletter, shows, concerts and sales, send us a note - sr [at] theislandgallery [dot] net - and we'll put you on our mailing list.  Or - it's so easy - follow The Island Gallery on Facebook and Twitter!

Happy July 4th from us all!

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