You're Invited: First Friday Artwalk, July 6, 2018

(This post is currently in progress.  Please enjoy it as we construct it in advance of the show's opening, and feel free to contact the gallery in the meantime with any questions.)

Summer is here, and another Artwalk awaits you on beautiful Bainbridge Island!  Do come downtown to visit us and the other terrific galleries, shops, and restaurants.  We'll be offering snacks, a sip of wine, chats with friends old and new and, as always, fabulous art.

Here's what is not to be missed in July:

New Work from Gallery Artists

July 6 - 31, 2018

Paintings & Prints:

Jan Branham, Karen Chaussabel, Pam Galvani, Sandy Haight

Meg Hartwell, Renee Jameson, Kathryn Lesh

Studio Furniture & Sculpture:

Sean Carleton, Marceil DeLacy, L. Wendy Dunder, Bill Galvani

Jeff Harmes, Peter Nawrot

Wearable Art:

David, NEO, Begona Rentero

Introducing

Jewelry Artist

Beverly Sokol

First Friday Artwalk, July 6th, 6-8 pm

In Concert on the Plaza:

The Tracie Marsh Band

IMAGES SHOWN IN MONTAGE ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: 
Jan Branham, Tulips, Monoprint/Collage

Marceil DeLacy, En Pointe, Maple

Beverly Sokol, Wood and Silver Earrings

 

About the Show: 

Symbolically, July is the month of change and transformation, inevitably bringing with it a certain whimsy that naturally overtakes creative minds during the warmer months.  This can lead us down many interesting pathways, as will be on display in this Gallery artists’ show of work inspired by the ease and light of summer, in the genres of Paintings and Prints, Studio Furniture and Sculpture,  and Wearable Art.

Introducing jewelry artist Beverly Sokol, who works with simple tools and raw materials such as gold, silver and wood to create unique contemporary jewelry designs.

Visit the Gallery in person, as well as our brand new Artists' Page on the Website and extensive Online Shop.

About the Artists:

(Please click on the images to view more of their work.)

Paintings & Prints:

Jan Branham, Tulips

Jan Branham:  After retiring from a 35-year career as a public school art teacher, Jan has become a full time printmaker and is now an active member of the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN), Southern Graphics Print Council, American Craft Council and Seattle Print Arts. She is currently involved in creating a body of work that she calls “ansisters,” using small snapshots of interesting individuals taken in the 1920s-‘50s as inspiration to create her own printed and collaged images that have developed a new life of their own on paper.

Karen Chaussabel describes herself as "a mixed media artist in the making."  Currently living on Bainbridge Island, Karen originally hails from France. She infuses her work with the nature and countryside of her youth, allowing her life experiences to impact her work. Karen works primarily in encaustic, pen and pencil, with mixed media. Along with her abstract and landscape work Karen presents a series of fruit- and vegetable-like forms, that give suggestions of the harvest, the heart's attachment to it, light, and summer.  (No show image available at this time; please click to visit her Artist Pages.)

Pam Galvani, Paros

Pam Galvani :  For many years, Pam taught history, calligraphy and English. Primarily a printmaker today, Pam has also been a  calligrapher for 40 years, incorporating gestural marks in her work. She is inspired by reading or hearing words, phrases or stories that resonate with her and by abstracting the original text, she hopes to discover and reveal ideas that go beyond what legible words may communicate. She travels widely and her art has been shown nationally and locally, including Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Sandy Haight, Inner Sanctum

Sandy Haight:   
Watercolor was first introduced to Sandy in a life drawing class. She loved the luminosity of the medium and continued to grow more familiar with the planning, strategy and execution of a painting. Thus watercolor and ink brush line became the basis for her illustration career for nearly twenty years.  She has always loved the sensuality of the medium, the glow of the colors and the fact that the paint moves and flows on its own, intermingling with other colors.  Her artwork appears on book jackets, ads, posters, logos and packaging all over the United States, in Canada, and Europe.

Meg Hartwell, Space and Time

Meg Hartwell: I was an operating room scrub nurse for fifteen years, passing scissor, clamp, even saws to help fix the human body. I was privileged to see and hold body organs, and x-ray images. Music was always playing in the background. The atmosphere in the room had a calm control in the midst of chaos. Tools or surgical instruments had a specific purpose and fascinated me. This experience influenced my art and shaped my life. The monoprinting process allows me to embrace happy accidents and mark making with an array of tools. I am creating a visual language inspired by vibrant colors, pop art, and abstract expressionism to evoke a sense of controlled calmness. I tear and cut, and approximate the printed tissue paper pieces into a final composition.

Renee Jameson, Red Mountain

Renee Jameson:  Renee is a monotype artist and currently the printmaker liaison for the BARN   (Bainbridge Artisan ResourceNetwork). Her work is represented in private collections in California and Bainbridge Island. She is inspired by the landscapes of Bainbridge and California, and tries to create a world that viewers can interpret and respond to in their own way. She considers herself an abstract artist and hopes to create a mood and atmosphere that will evoke an emotion or memory in the viewer.

Kathryn Lesh, Urn

Kathryn Lesh is a printmaker who is obsessed with the drama of light and the construction of space, which are starting points from which she explores the line between the abstract and the figurative. Her images capture people and moments that are abbreviated and abstracted enough to invite broad interpretation.

Wood & Steel Sculpture:

Sean Carleton, Shelf no. 23

Sean Carleton is a multi-disciplinary artist creating work in Bothell, Washington. A Washington native who has a lifelong passion for creating with his hands, his work ranges from unobtrusive yet sophisticated metalwork which supports beautiful Northwest hardwoods, to sculpturally artistic, dramatic metalwork as the emphasis of the piece. Carleton has been recognized for furniture design and quality by the Bellevue Art Museum and Northwest Woodworkers Gallery. 

Marceil Delacy, En Pointe

Marceil DeLacy’s love of carving began as a child living on the outskirts of Seattle. With a pocketknife, she created images from Ivory soap, then letter openers from kindling wood and arrows from tree suckers before graduating to the use of chisel and mallet. She learned her craft from the wood itself, letting it guide her eye and hand. In the early 1980s she began serious fine art sculpting, winning awards in juried shows and having her work shown in the Bellevue Art Museum. As human encroachment and climate change displace flora and fauna, her art serves as a way of giving voice to nature. To this end, she strives for simplicity of form and uses only a clear finish or no finish at all in order to let the natural color and beauty of the wood speak for itself. It’s a process she calls “listening to the forest.”

L. Wendy Dunder, Untitled

L. Wendy Dunder is a professional watercolor and acrylic painter, known for depicting landscapes, still life, animals, and people. Recently, however, her focus has shifted to creating sculptural lamps of bent wood and laminated paper.  Created from multiple layers of tissue paper glued in place over frameworks of materials such as thin-cut and bent wood, reed, bamboo, and welding rod, these illuminated sculptures spring to life as glowing wall sconces, table lamps and hanging lamps. Delicate and graceful in appearance, they are amazingly strong and functional.





Bill Galvani, whose professional background is as a museum director, carves using the traditional tools of drawknife, spokeshave, wood rasp, and knife. He prefers basswood, a hardwood that holds detail and takes a blade well. Carving shorebirds and ducks has encouraged him to study them, which has led him to participate in conservation activities that preserve birds and their habitats.  (No show image available at this time; please click to visit his Artist Pages.)

Jeff Harmes  (Biographical information and image available shortly.)

Peter Nawrot, Charcuterie Board

Peter Nawrot:  Originally from eastern Washington, near Spokane, Peter has been working as a high-end cabinet maker in the Seattle area. He is a passionate wood expert and real enthusiast on all wood types and specializes in figured woods from the Northwest.  He is now working on contemporary sculptures as well as functional pieces like food-related cutting boards, charcuterie boards, chopsticks and jewelry boxes.  His style may best be described as minimalism, featuring sleek, uncluttered lines and understated elegance.

Wearable Art:

David.Bali   (Biographical information available shortly.)

NEO, Coll 13

NEO  (Biographical information available shortly.)

Begona Rentero, Beautiful Raquel

Begoña Rentero:  A Spanish designer, originally from Granada, Begoña grew up in a family that had a profound respect for nature and the environment. These early influences developed into a passion for organic forms, color and movement inspired by nature. Begoña later translated this passion into a jewelry collection featuring a series of unique pieces. The colors and organic shapes of winter flowers, flora and sea fauna have inspired her latest collection of hand-made, exquisitely crafted jewelry. The pieces are made of special paper, fibers of silk, cotton, et cetera, that she prepares with a method she has developed to toughen them up for daily use, without compromising their delicate, organic aesthetic. Using only natural dyes her pieces both reflect and respect the environment and, as she says, "are so light you have to touch them to know that you're wearing them."

Beverly Sokol, Wood and Silver Earrings

Beverly Sokol  holds a BS in Textiles and Metals from Portland State University and further study in metals at the Oregon College of Arts and Craft.  An owner of a company which designed and produced fabric props for storytelling at schools and libraries throughout the United States for some 35 years, she now makes jewelry full-time at her studio near Portland. Her work has been exhibited at galleries in Oregon and California and she is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

 

Event Location/Contact Us/Visit/:

The Island Gallery, 400 Winslow Way E, #120, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen Avenue.

Web site:  www.theislandgallery.net

Shop: www.theislandgallery.net/shop

Blog:  www.theislandgallery-artblog.blogspot.com

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GALLERY HOURS

Tuesdays - Saturdays 11:00 – 6:00 pm

Sundays Noon – 5:00 pm

Closed Mondays

 

June 2017 Gallery Picks Newsletter

Well, we're back, and so happy to share with you some early summer delights via our latest Gallery Picks Newsletter.  As always, our artists have brought us more of their wonderful art, including new artists Alexis Abrams (Textile & Wearable Art) Erin Jackson (Ceramics), and Ayan Rivera (Paintings & Prints).  To view more information on the individual pieces and the talented folk who created them, simply click on the individual photographs; you will be magically transported to their online homes in our extensive Gallery Shop.  Or better yet, if you're on the island, pop in for a visit: There's nothing like trying on a perfectly-crafted garment, holding that beautiful ceramic mug in your hands, or beholding an amazing lamp made of paper, grapevines, and love.

Second-best is to receive our Newsletters - perfectly easy with our Signup Form.  You won't miss a thing, in events, sales and concerts, as the Gallery continues to find and display the finest in fine art.

For now, though, please sit back with a mug of fragrant tea, in your favorite chair, on your sunniest deck, indulge in some window shopping, and enjoy!

TEXTILE & WEARABLE ART

New to the Gallery, these lovely hand-painted jackets
from Alexis Abrams:

Hand-painted Jacket, Blues.  Alexis Abrams

New to the Gallery, Alexis Abrams' clothing shows off luscious colors
and geometric designs, hand-painted on luxurious fabrics.  The double
weave crinkle silks, for example, are perfect for travel.

Alexis Abrams, a California based artist, makes contemporary, painted,
one-of-a-kind and limited edition clothing. Each piece is designed,
painted and sewn by her in her Los Angeles studio.  She studied at New York
University, Massachusetts College of Art, The Worcester Craft Center, and
received her B.A, degree in Art History from Clark University.

Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions in California, New York,
Connecticut, Vermont, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Mexico, and Florida, and
was featured in The Fiberarts Book of Wearable Art by Katherine Aimone.

Living in Los Angeles, I have been exposed to a rich design history of

Modernist art and architecture, as well as many exhibitions of Latin

American and Pre-Columbian art and Japanese art and design. All

of these have contributed to my design aesthetic and continue to inspire me.

 The abstracted forms of Pre-Columbian art, the pared down

aesthetic of Modernist art and architecture, the elegant simplicity

of Japanese art and design, are all qualities I try to incorporate in my designs.

 

Alexis Abrams

Hand-painted Jacket, Red.  Alexis Abrams

This lovely lady, Satisfied Customer Ginny from Longview, Washington,

happened in right after these arrived.  She quickly purchased

the gorgeous red jacket.  At this writing, the lime and black, shown

below, and another in lime, are still available.

Pop into the Gallery to view, or simply click here to go to

Alexis Abrams' Artist Page for updated information or to purchase.

Hand-painted Jacket, Lime/Black.  Alexis Abrams

White/Black Reversible Vest.  Agnieszka Kulon for Kreatia

New from Agnieszka Kulon for Kreatia!

Our ever-charming model Kathy, from right here on our little island, enjoys this
comfy and wonderfully conceived Agnieszka Kulon deconstructed linen and cotton vest.
It is intended to fall to knee-length or below (Kathy is tall, willowy and beautiful),
and boasts stunning detail work (see photos in above collage).  And it's reversible!
Great for our climate as it is lightweight yet offers some warmth,
and is easy to toss on for a cool evening stroll after a warm summer day.

See more of this artist's work on her own Artist's Page for a good look at
her innovative shapes and unexpected fabrics (check out the Tyvek jacket).

Maggy Pavlou: New Jackets

We have in several of Maggy Pavlou's always-impeccable new designs,
her popular felted wool and silk jackets and vests, ready to keep you
warm from now through autumn.  The blue beauty below (so gorgeous,
isn't it?) is enhanced by one of Janet Essa Elia's handmade big floral brooches,

one of the HOT trends in fashion accessories these days.

See more about them, and Janet herself, below.

Felted Wool and Silk Jacket, Blues.  Maggy Pavlou

Felted Silk and Wool Vest, Turquoise,  Maggy Pavlou

And a vest, in Maggy's ever-popular soothing turquoise.
Who doesn't need one of these?  Perfect, for that
little extra warmth on a breezy day, any time of the year.

See more about Maggy Pavlou, her process and
currently available pieces, on her Artist's Pages.

FURNITURE:  LIGHTING

Illuminated Sculpture D Vine 3.  L. Wendy Dunder.  Paper, grapevine

Wendy Dunder's illuminated sculptures have graced the Gallery for some years,
and yet she always comes up with something brand new for us.
In this instance, take a good, long look at the base of this lamp.
What on earth do we have here?
Well, here's the story behind it, and the other two lamps in this D Vine
sculpture series, in Wendy's own words:

The wood bases are 30 year old vines from the Aurora, Oregon,

Pheasant Run Vineyard.  Last winter they allowed me to slog through the mud

to collect some of the unproductive cut stumps. After hauling them home

I started the process of cleaning the moss, bark, and dirt, first using a power washer,

then smaller hand tools.  Next was treating them for boring insects, and beginning

the process of designing the reed and paper, installing the sockets and wiring.

Interestingly, Wendy reports that the smallest lamp - this one
above, D Vine 3 - was the most challenging.

Two others in the series:

Illuminated Sculpture D Vine 2.  L. Wendy Dunder.  Paper, grapevine

Besides being stunning works of art and highly functional,
they are also very lightweight and easy to ship.  The Gallery
has in fact sent them to their new homes all over the country.

We have a number of Wendy's pieces available, which can
be viewed on her own Artist Pages; or contact the Gallery
to discuss shipping.  Providing us with estimates in 24-48 hours,
our expert shipper is prompt, courteous and very reasonable, making the
transportation of even the largest item - a fantastic wood slab dining table
and chairs, for example - a breeze to ship.

Please feel free to call us or send a query.

Illuminated Sculpture D Vine 1.  L. Wendy Dunder.  Paper, grapevine

SCULPTURE, WOOD & METAL

Birdhouse.  Chris Thompson

What feathered friend wouldn't enjoy moving into this lovely home?
We can't seem to keep these in stock very long but luckily,
Artist Chris has no shortage of ideas and energy!

A point of interest:  One of Chris's birdhouses (not this one) was recently
included in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art silent auction, where
it was immediately snapped up for well above asking price
(over $500.00, we're told).  Congratulations to Chris, to the
good folks at BIMA, and to the lucky new owner!

More of Chris's work can be seen here.

Hmmm... This fellow looks like an interested buyer:

Long-billed Curlew (Eye).  Bill Galvani

Artist Bill Galvani, whose professional background is as a museum director,

carves using the traditional tools of drawknife, spokeshave, wood rasp, and

knife. He prefers basswood, a hardwood that holds detail and takes a blade well.

Carving shorebirds and ducks has encouraged him to study them, which has led

him to participate in conservation activities that preserve birds and their habitats.

Here is the curlew in full view:

Please visit Bill's Artist Page for more information on the artist,
his thoughts, and other art works.

CERAMICS

Noodle Bowl with Chopsticks.  Erin Jackson

The Gallery is delighted to welcome our newest ceramic

artist, Erin Jackson, whose functional pottery pieces are intended

to be cherished as works of art and, always, useful additions

to our lives and homes.

.

Here are a few words about Erin's background in pottery:

Erin Jackson began working in clay in 1995, enthralled by its physical

properties, the philosophy of wabi-sabi, and working on the potter’s wheel.

After several years as a studio potter in Western New York she began making

sculpture, then began the M.F.A. graduate program at The University of Iowa

(graduating in 2006), where she was one of the few graduate students
not regularly making pots.  During this time she worked with Gerry Eskin
in his studio as well as helping him begin the permanent ceramic collection at

The University of Iowa Museum of Art. 

After moving to Davis, California, Erin felt a need to make useful art,

 returning to functional pottery and her early love of wabi-sabi.

To this end, she has spent the last few years perfecting her glaze

technique and creating colors in a satin matte base glaze created by

Val Cushing.  She fires in oxidation in her electric kiln to

cone 5/6 on a white porcelaneous stoneware clay.

Erin currently lives and works in Woodland, California, also
teaching beginning, advanced, and AP ceramics at Dixon High School.
Her goal in creating pottery is to give people something beautiful to use on a
daily basis, for her pottery to have a relationship with the user, for
the user to seek out that special bowl or mug from the cabinet which
then brings a little happiness to the user, like an old friend.

For more information on Erin and her work, please
visit her Artist's Page.

Mugs.  Delores Fortuna

New pieces are in from popular ceramic artist Delores Fortuna.

including these lovely mugs - with plenty of room for your

favorite beverage - and delightful platters, all one-of-a-kind in Delores's

offbeat design style and colors, the fun and wonder
of fully functional art perfectly on display.

Left:  Black/Grey Platter; Right: Grey/Tan Platter.  Delores Fortuna

JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES

Large Floral Brooch Grey/Blue.  Janet Essa Elia

Okay, these may look cool but they are HOT!

One of summer's current trends, these wonderful

big brooches are set to spice up your outfit,

in a bow - perhaps even a curtsy -  to the most
fabulous, fragrant flower garden.

Tea and croquet, anyone?

Large Floral Brooch, Greys/Magenta.  Janet Essa Elia

Colorful yet subtle, Janet has designed them to make a

modern splash without overpowering your outfit.

Large Floral Brooch, Greys/Green.  Janet Essa Elia

The Artist shows us how to pull this look off with flair:

Janet Essa Elia

Lovely, talented Janet is a native of Iraq where for 15 years she owned and operated

a well-known atelier in Baghdad, specializing in custom-made, beaded

clothing and accessories.  She left there in 2009 and has lived in the

U.S. - here on Bainbridge Island - since then. All her designs are

original, and employ traditional Middle Eastern methods.

The decorative work is applied by hand, using needle and thread.

During the rule of Saddam Hussein, when Janet established her business,

it was highly unusual for women to own independent businesses in Iraq.

In fact, it still is. Besides dressmaking generally, her atelier was considered

to be the finest source of custom wedding dresses and bridal accessories in

Baghdad, and attracted a prominent clientele. In Iraq, weddings are

extremely important social occasions and tend to be very large. Wedding

trousseaux, whether traditional or modern, are typically highly decorated.

The jewelry and accessories Janet produces are entirely hand-made by her,

and are inspired by the traditions of decorated clothing with which she grew

up, and by contemporary international design.

See more of Janet's intricate work on her Artist's Pages.

PAINTINGS & PRINTS

LPR024 7" x 17.5" sumi ink on paper.  Ayan Rivera

We welcome to the Gallery Bainbridge Island artist Ayan Rivera,
who works with the traditional Japanese sumi-e painting technique.

In Ayan's words:

For me, Sumi-e is both a creative and mindfulness practice… The

materials are fairly minimal (brush, ink stick, ink stone, paper)…  Once

one masters the skill of the stroke, the hope is for the skill to fall away

along with all thought creating space for both clarity and spontaneity.

The brushstroke cannot be altered or erased so each stroke guides

the next. Rather than bringing an idea into reality, the process is

guided by the present moment…I paint for the brief moments when

the eye, hand, and brush move together without the mind and when

letting go allows something else to move through. 

 

LPR012 17" x 12" sumi ink on paper.  Ayan Rivera

Ayan also teaches sumi painting.

For a more complete bio and to see more of Ayan's exquisite
work please visit his Artist Page.

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INTRODUCING OUR FIRST TEE-SHIRT!

Coming this summer, we present our very first tee-shirt, created with a dash

of whimsy for all our guests and visitors to remember us by, as well as

beautiful Bainbridge Island and its wildlife both above and below the waves.

Please click here to visit our Shop for further information on

sizes, price, and availability

The original artwork may be viewed here.

Image: Courtesy The Island Gallery/Eva Funderburgh, "Swimming Beast".

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UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Print Magic

Jan Branham ~ Pam Galvani ~ Shelley Minor

  

July 7– 31, 2017

Opening Reception:  First Friday, July 7, 6-8 pm

In Concert on the Plaza:  Stringology

More Information Coming Soon

 ______________________________________________________________________ 
 

Bologna Blues 11n.  Virginia Paquette.  Watercolor

Coming To Life II.  Karen Chaussabel.  Encaustic on paper

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