Showing posts with label kimono. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kimono. Show all posts

Thursday, August 4, 2016

QUICK PICKS: Summer Delights - Textiles, Wearable Art

Summer!  And what to wear?

No problem; scroll down and we're sure you'll see something cool and stylish, something impossible to live without!

We're calling this post a Quick Picks because, unlike the in-depth commentary in our monthly Gallery Picks Newsletters, these will be primarily visual festivals, photo-heavy and text-light, intended to offer a tantalizing glimpse of the Gallery's latest arrivals.

Wearable Art is today's feature, specifically the designs of three textile artists, all of whom work in three great Asian textile traditions:  Batik, Shibori and Vintage Kimono textiles (which include embroidery and shibori).  All three artists utilize these traditions tested over the ages, but they are also influenced by contemporary designs and the artists' connections to the United States.  For example, the artist behind David.Bali was the Head of Artists Trust in Seattle, working with Balinese textile artisans; Mary Jaeger studied shibori for years in Japan, and is now creating her beautiful textiles in New York City; and Chiho Kuwayama (of Chiho Couture) creates modern couture inspired by her cultural traditions for the Japanese and international fashion market.

We've included the work of several jewelry artists as well, so don't wait a second longer - scroll on down!

(And as always, click on the links to go to the Gallery's online Shop for further details.)


WEARABLE ART - TEXTILES

DAVID.BALI

David's Serape
(A best seller, and we only have one!)
And ... oops... it is already

Hippari (Kimono Jackets)

T Canda, Baju Canda, Kurta

Caftan


Selandang (shawls, wall art)
Hand-drawn Batik
Above:
Shown in a long drape, Left to Right:
Indigo and White Stripes design
Black and White Geometric design
Selendang Bangladesh: Indigo and Gold Tumpal design

Below:
Shown flung across the shoulders, with flair!
(Center:  With Cihak terracotta ceramic necklace)

They can also be used decoratively; as a wall hanging, for example.

T Canda, Selendang
Another way to wear the selendang, at the hips like a sarong,
paired with a lovely top that is color-coordinating.

A quick peek at a recent trunk show:


The textiles are fabulous, as always, and we also
are very fond of the big wooden Buddha head!


MARY JAEGER

Florence Shirtdress Jacket
Three views of Mary's fabulous Florence Shirtdress jacket,
indigo/white shibori, entirely hand-done.
The detail work is stunning.  In a nutshell, though, Mary's
textiles are so wonderful, they need to be touched
to be well and truly appreciated.

Tiger Scarf
A gorgeous  scarf named Tiger and some of the many ways to wear it.
(Can also be used as wall art.)

More of Mary's items will be coming to the shop soon.


CHIHO COUTURE

Skinny and Infinity Scarves
From Chiho Couture's collection of Vintage Kimono fabric
come these gorgeous long scarves, Left to Right:
In the same order as above:  a close-up look at the
kimono fabric and motifs (so beautiful!):




WEARABLE ART - JEWELRY


JOAN CIHAK

A Seattle ceramic artist's lovely handmade jewelry items,
brand new to the Gallery:  Welcome, Joan!

Porcelain Necklaces
Stunning Mali beads from Africa, threaded on
leather, sold individually in two colors, Cobalt and Aqua.
These are just gorgeous, great accent pieces that transcend
summer jewelry and can be worn singly or as a group,
in one color or mix them up.


Thanks again for stopping by; if you're in the area, please come in and meet these wonderful pieces in person.  In the meantime, we hope you enjoyed this Quick Picks post, and we'll be back soon with another!  (And of course, the next Gallery Picks Newsletter is on its way...so come back soon!)

~S. Roth

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Gallery Picks Newsletter On Its Way!


Hi again!

We've been busy here at The Island Gallery and not posting to our blog as often as we should, so we're happy to announce that in January, 2013, we plan to publish our Gallery Picks Newsletter right here on the blog.  We instituted an e-mail-only Picks publication last September, and in upcoming days we're going to play catch-up and repost the older publications here (September, October, November and December, 2012).  As other events come up, like First Friday Artwalks, musical presentations, and special sales, we'll be blogging with greater frequency.  So please stay tuned!

Here's a quick Holiday Sampler of items currently available in the gallery, as presented in The December, 2012 Newsletter.  To go to the actual webshop listing, click on the item's name beneath its photo.


Gallery Picks: December 2012, #1   
Everyone’s favorite holiday ornaments, Ted’s pomegranate is a relative
of his famous golden pear, chosen as one of “O” Magazine’s
must-have Christmas items in 2002.  Here’s the amazing story:
Busy creating beautiful art glass pieces in his one-man studio on Vancouver Island,
Ted had an agent who would take his work to the big U.S. gift trade shows.  In
New York some of Oprah's personal shoppers happened upon the golden pear
ornaments.  They bought some and took them to show Oprah, who fell in love with
 them and decided to put them on the “O” List in the next Christmas issue of her
magazine.  They neglected to mention this to the artist until a week before the
magazine came out, and warned that the exposure might bring in extra sales.
Ted spent the entire following year filling 10,000-plus back orders. 
Ahh, the power of media!  Once he recovered, Ted went on to produce a full
line of ornaments, including various fruits and vegetables, pine cones, snowmen,
and even lumps of coal for the naughtiest amongst us.  We have a fine selection in
the gallery, ready to hang on the tree, use as party favors and gifts, or to layer
in a big glass vase for a dramatic holiday display.
$20.00/30.00 each


 
Ballet Swing Handpainted Dupioni Silk Art Piece with tapered sleeves and piping collar

Red with Black/White. Part of the Jewel Collection
Luscious reds and bold strokes of contrasting color energize the
remarkable cut of this kimono-style art-to-wear piece.  A stunning
garment for the holidays, for formal wear, or even with jeans, any time.
And if you’re not  in the mood to wear it, hang it on the wall as your
favorite new piece of art!   One size.
$890.00




Wood Fired Ceramic
Dimensions:  Varied
A collection of 36 little vessels, each with its own
unique personality, inherited from the kiln.
To yours, add a blossom; meditate.
Or simply contemplate each one’s
perfect imperfections.
$75.00  -  $225.00



Dimensions:  approximately 18” high x 21“ wide x 55” long
A beautiful piece of cedar receives a dramatic treatment.
Black steel I-beams sunken into either end of the live-edge
slab give this bench a modern vibe in - shall we say -
a neo-industrial way, a style as comfortable in a
mansion as in a refurbished warehouse, or whichever
particular castle you call home.
$2,450.00

Visit our webshop for many more beautiful works of art at
http://www.theislandgallery.net/shop/