August 2013 Gallery Picks Newsletter

Summer's on the wane, but here at the Gallery we're revving up for the fall and holiday seasons with more lovely work from our artists.  And let us just say:  Kudos to them.  These remarkable people never fail to disappoint with their art, attention to detail, and constant striving to create ever more beautiful things.  Stop in for a visit in person, or click on the links beneath each photo (and sometimes other links tucked here and there) to go to the Gallery's web shop for more information on the individual items.

Enjoy!

Sentinels.  Kathleen Faulkner

A well-known and long established jeweler, Kathleen Faulkner has

recently turned to oil pastels as a new medium.  Her delightful

work perfectly conveys the misty quality of our Pacific Northwest,

but on close examination the calm, soft look is somewhat deceptive: 

one is impressed by the firmness of her lines and strokes, her command of the

medium, and her obvious respect for her subject matter.

Examples of Kathleen's jewelry can be seen in the permanent collection of the
newly-opened Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Silk Satin Dress.  Roselle Abramowitz

Oooh, glam!

A silky and slinky bias-cut dress shows off Roselle's usual flair for color.

This luxurious piece is available in other sumptuous colors - like

glowing emerald green, for example - as well as a really wonderful knitted jersey

cotton that we have here in the Gallery in black.  Gorgeous!

(And by the way, many thanks to our wonderful model, Kathy!)

Jenny's Slip.  Hall Table/Desk.  Robert Spangler

This elegant piece of furniture is created from cherrywood with

 a perky, offside drawer of spalted alder and gently curving legs.

Rather narrow, it is ideal when used as a hall table, but we can certainly

imagine it being pressed into service as a narrow desk (especially if

you're in space-saving mode).  It can easily accommodate, say, a laptop

computer, and your other office-oriented needs.

Pendant Necklaces.  Lou Zeldis

As you may know, our wonderful artist Lou Zeldis passed away suddenly

last year, much to the shock of us all.  He has left behind a large collection of

his textile, clothing and jewelry and we are grateful to be able to show

a recently-arrived collection of his here at the Gallery, including ikats,

cotton batiks, shirts, jackets, and woven attar vine jewelry.  We're calling

this selection Lou Zeldis:  The Last Collection, and it is a good

cross-section of his artisty.  We'll carry it until it's gone,

and hope to be able to get more over the years, but now his work is finite;

one never knows what will be available.

But speaking of jewelry...

We are delighted with a selection of pendant necklaces in unmistakable

Lou style.  His tribal-like stone-over-stones criss-crossed with leather or

oxidized sterling, dangling bits and pieces, and adjustable neckpieces are

simply fabulous.  The four shown above include rustic-cut crystals, agate

and a gorgeous double malachite pendant.  The malachite is viewable

in the web shop here; the others - including a number that are not shown 

above - will be posted soon.  Watch this space for more information.

Wall Sconce.  L. Wendy Dunder

Yes, we know, this looks just like a big old harvest moon

peeking through newly-bare branches.  And yes, we understand:  this

glowing tableau makes one want to bay at the moon!  But please

keep your howling to a minimum (save it for October 31st when such

behavior is not necessarily frowned upon), especially if you

trot into the Gallery to meet this fabulous illuminated paper

sculpture in person!

(We have very sensitive ears...)

Dinnerware Sets.  Aaron Filson

It's still a way off, but make no mistake:  Thanksgiving and

the busiest entertaining season of the year is just around the corner.

(Did I actually just say that??  Oh dear... must make lists...)

For a beautiful dining table or a casual gathering, think about

adding Aaron Filson's wonderful ceramic pieces to your

collection.  He has given us a selection of single pieces that can be

mixed and matched, but he will also do custom-order sets.  Just

let us know what you'd like, but don't forget:  Order early

to assure delivery in time for the holidays!

(View his small plate in the online shop here; other items will

be posted soon.)

"Sunset" Necklace.  2 by Lyn&Tony

Brand new to the Gallery:  Bright and bold jewelry from Down Under!

Lyn and Tony of Sydney, Australia employ highest-quality stones, gems, glass

and leather to create dramatic and eye-popping necklaces and earrings.

Big chunks of agate drusy, long amethyst chunky dangle earrings, long

multi-strand waxed cotton necklaces with woven leather accents and tassels...

these are all pretty amazing.

This one, "Sunset", is orange coral and blue Czech glass beads on woven

leather, and is around 34 inches long.  It's currently viewable in the web shop;

we'll have others up shortly, so check back often.  We'll have shorter ones - 

mid-length and "choker" styles - available in a month or so, which

will make great gifts, or brighten up that holiday outfit!

As always, come into the Gallery or head over to our web shop at www.theislandgallery.net/shop/ to see much, much more.  And if you'd like to subscribe to this newsletter please send your e-mail address to sr@theislandgallery.net; we'll sign you right up!  You can also access the RSS feed (go to the bottom of this page) or sign up as a member or to follow us.

See you in September!

August 2013 First Friday Artwalk - You're Invited!

What a glorious summer we're having in the usually-drippy Pacific Northwest!  And the weather looks good for Bainbridge Island's upcoming First Friday Artwalk on August 2nd. 

Here's what we're up to:

The View from Above.  Kathleen Faulkner.
24" x 18".  Oil Pastel

North by Northwest

Kathleen Faulkner

Oil Pastels

August 2 – 31, 2013

Artist’s Reception, First Friday, August 2, 6-8 pm

Featuring Gypsy Jazz from Bainbridge Island’s

Ranger and the Re-Arrangers

in concert on the Plaza

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

Anacortes artist Kathleen Faulkner portrays her environment in landscapes

and their creatures that are undeniably personal and familiar to her as a

lifelong resident of the Northwest. Her work displays a firm yet gauzy

technique that evokes our area’s own misty backdrop.

About the Artist:  Born and raised in Seattle, Kathleen has lived her adult life in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Her formal art training was at Cornish School in Seattle.

She became interested in scrimshaw when she moved to Alaska in the mid 1970s, and has continued to work in that medium throughout her adult life. In the mid 1980s she began a jewelry apprenticeship with Lois Bertolino, working with her for several years before venturing out on her own as a jewelry artist.

Kathleen has recently discovered oil pastel and finds that it is now her medium of choice, noting that the creative process is meditative.

"I am interested in telling stories, giving form to memories of times and places. It is an attempt to convey a glimpse of the essence of this place, our little corner of the world. Many years have been, and continue to be, spent moving about my world, experiencing and documenting. I conceive and create with the idea of a ‘visual’ journal that keeps track of those times and places. Each piece has significant personal history and tends to become part of a series allowing me to re-visit for extended periods."

Kathleen continues her jewelry work and is represented in the current exhibition at the newly-opened Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.


Ranger and the Re-Arrangers

We know things will start to jump once Ranger and the Re-Arrangers are all set up on the outdoor Plaza here at the Winslow, right in front of the gallery.  Their specialty is Gypsy Jazz in the vein of Django Reinhardt, and after the first few notes from Ranger's sweet violin and the Re-Arrangers' excellent combo of guitar, mandolin and drums, every foot will be tapping!  Here's why:

Seattle Gypsy Jazz band Ranger and the “Re-Arrangers” evoke the spirit of a Paris cafe and the raucous energy of a Gypsy campsite with their unique twist on gypsy jazz. “At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's sweet violin playing… his sense of melody and daring improvisations.” (World Rhythm Webzine) Their tight rhythm section features a hand drummer, giving the music a bouncy swing and accentuating the joyful interplay between the two soloists. The band’s repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django & Grappelli, Brazilian choros, and Ranger's unique originals.

The band was formed in 2006 after Ranger and Michael returned from the Django Reinhardt festival in Samois, France. In the years since, the band has released three CDs and have played at about 400 shows, including summer concerts, festivals, dances, art openings, and weddings.

About the Artists:

Violinist RANGER SCIACCA began playing violin at the age of six. Through most of his teens, he divided his studies between fiddle tunes with renowned Seattle fiddler Stuart Williams and classical improvisation with Alice Kanack, an internationally-known violinist and author on the subject. A chance encounter with a CD of violin jazz ignited Ranger’s interest in the playing of Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. Gradually Ranger, with his dad Michael Sciacca on rhythm guitar, built a repertoire of rags, blues, and swing jazz classics. A few of Ranger’s originals were always part of the playlist. Ranger’s playing draws from all the genres he has studied, and, according to one reviewer, “features frantic staccato runs, pizzicato plucking that keeps one on the edge and an overall sense of tone that reveals many shades and moods.”

Bassist TODD HOUGHTON began performing, teaching, and producing music in the early 1960s in Colorado. He has played guitar, bass and keyboards in jazz, folk, rock and C&W groups since then. He has composed for commercials, films and live theater. In addition to his private students and independent studio work, Todd has hosted an “open mic” on Bainbridge Island, Washington since 1993. Blind since the age of seven, Todd is currently an advisor to Jack Straw Production’s Blind Youth Audio Project.

Percussionist JEFFREY MOOSE has a 30-year career in both music and fine art. His collaborations and band projects include work with Joined at the Head, Heliotroupe, Dog Superior, Stiff Kitty, The Todd Houghton Band, Atoke, Zayah=2 0Emmanuel, and Sam Andrews, founder of Big Brother and the Holding Company. Born in Mexico and raised in West Africa and Arlington, Virginia, he is currently director of Jeffrey Moose Gallery in Seattle.

Mandolinist DAVE STEWART began his musical studies in Tacoma, Washington playing classical piano. Since discovering the mandolin four years ago, Dave has played ceaselessly, and he now performs with a 5-string electric mandolin and a tenor guitar as well as a traditional mandolin. Dave is an accomplished digital animation artist.

Rhythm Guitarist MICHAEL SCIACCA is Ranger's father, and has been backing up Ranger on guitar for over 10 years. Ranger and Michael are descended from Sicilian immigrants, who played jazz in New York at the start of the 20th century.

Guitarist DARIN LOCKE studied at the prestigious Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California. He has split the last decade between Bremerton, Washington and Austin, Texas, teaching, recording, and performing. Darin is an accomplished musician in many different genres; while based in Austin, he toured the United States with alternative-country band Micky and the Motorcars, and played rhythm guitar for gypsy jazz group Django's Moustache.

AWARDS & HONORS: The band has won several accolades and awards: FINALIST Independent Music Award (2007 and 2009), Best Song, World Traditional Category WINNER, Global Rhythm Magazine Song Contest, Gypsy Moon (April 2007).

Visit the band's web site for more info at http://www.rangerswings.com/calendar.html.

We hope to see you for a wonderful First Friday event!

For further information, contact the Gallery by phone or at ssn@theislandgallery.net.  To subscribe to our newsletter, please e-mail sr@theislandgallery.net with your e-mail address and we'll add you to the list right away.