Hot off the Presses: First Friday, December 2, 2016

Thanks to our wonderful artists, steadfast customers, and jazzy musicians, as well as the hard work of The Island Gallery's indefatigable crew, another terrific First Friday Artwalk was had by all here on Bainbridge Island.  The weather agreed, attendance was a steady stream, attendees including staff from the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, who especially enjoyed talking with featured ceramic and bronze sculptor Eva Funderburgh.

Why, you ask?

Here's why:

Drink Deep.  Bronze.  Eva Funderburgh

Or maybe because of this:

Bellows Beast.  Wood Fired Ceramic.  Eva Funderburgh

Or possibly these:

Soldiers.  From installation Triumph.   Wood Fired Ceramic.  Eva Funderburgh

Whatever it was - whichever, whomever? - we'll have more about these charmers
in our Gift Giving Guide (coming early next week).

After all, who on earth wouldn't love to be gifted with one of these amazing

Beastly creatures?  We'll take a whole menagerie!

Here is the creator of this charming menagerie, Eva Funderburgh,

who graciously attended the Artwalk with her husband, Ben.

Eva is seen above beside her splendid bronze piece, The Peril of Beauty,

shown below, which can also be viewed on Eva's artist page in

the Gallery's online shop, here.

The Peril of Beauty.  Bronze, patina.  Eva Funderburgh

The crowd was definitely in tune with the holiday season, enjoying
a taste of wine, a discussion with the artists in attendance,
and time spent with lovely art and good friends.

Among the many conversations had throughout the evening, when

the subject is wood fired ceramics fascinating issues inevitably

crop up.  For example, Eva spoke of some of the technical aspects of wood

firing, touching on such aspects as type of wood used by the potters.

She explained that three types of wood were used in this firing: initially

fir to get the temperature up, then alder, then maple for coloring.

And apparently fruit trees can contribute really nice colors whereas

using only fir would tend to give all black results.  Interesting!

 

One can tell from her accumulated knowledge how much she

enjoys the process, is intimate with the many details that factor

into her craft, and that she embraces the myriad unpredictable aspects

of wood firing (which we assure you is not for the faint of heart).

Also impressive to note in the actual formation of her beasts is the

way she employs contrast – for example, blending soft, rounded shapes

with not-so-soft shapes, like the critters' sharp little teeth or claws with their

often curvy, Rubenesque bodies, with the result of turning those

sharp-looking little teeth from menacing to charming, and even whimsical!

It was also remarked by another artist that her skill and passion are both

wonderful to observe and should be deeply inspiring to any artist.

Triumph.  Detail.  Wood fired ceramic.  Eva Funderburgh

We concur wholeheartedly with the above comments.  We must add that one
very important part of Eva's magic is the way she is able to capture, unfailingly,
exactly how each Beast seems to be feeling in their stance and facial expressions.
This in spite of the fact that her creatures have no eyes, thus belying the famous
quote derived from an old English proverb, "The eyes are the windows to the soul."
As an example, the very cheerful Dictator, a focal point of Eva's wood
fired ceramic installation Triumph, grins for the crowd, and there is absolutely
no question about his feelings at this seminal moment of his life!
(See more about Dictator and his minions here.)

Here Eva speaks with her fans beside her oh-so-lovable Swimming Beast.

That would be this guy:

Swimming Beast.  Wood Fired Ceramic.  Eva Funderburgh

Note sharp, white teeth and claws...

Also making big news in the Gallery - and an important bit of

information for all of you who are either already in love

with the Beasts or feel yourselves just about to go head over heels off
the edge - we understand the feeling!
But be aware:  only a few days prior to the opening of the

show we listed most of Eva's creatures on her artist's pages in our online

shop (here) for pre-sale.  By showtime on Friday, December 2nd, nearly

half of them were sold, and will shortly take up residence in new homes

all over the country, and around the world - in Europe, Alaska, Georgia,

New York, and Pennsylvania so far, not including here in the
Pacific Northwest.  In the intervening days we have

posted more; and even more are sold.

I guess what we're saying is if you plan on buying one of these, whether

for yourself or for a special someone, time is of the essence.  Each piece is
one-of-a-kind; there are no more; and Eva has a huge following.
Don't wait, or the Beast your heart beats for may be

heading off to another home.

In this photo, Eva's husband, Ben, appears behind her on the
left of the photograph.

To make the evening perfect, Ranger and Mike Sciacca of our
old friends, local gypsy jazz band Ranger and the Re-Arrangers,
performed as a duo to get the holiday season off to a roaring, and
very jazzy, start.

Come visit us soon, as next up will be our Gallery Picks Newsletter,
featuring December's Holiday Gift Giving Guide!
Don't miss it.

Stay warm, and just like the Beasts, remember during this holiday season
to show off those pearly whites, and SMILE!

A Fine Platter of Fish.  Wood Fired Ceramic.  Eva Funderburgh

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Hot Off the Presses: First Friday Artwalk, September 2, 2016

Hello, Fall!  In spite of a distinct chill in the air, quick switches between dark, dark clouds, flashes of sun, and several noisy thunderclaps in the afternoon, another wonderful First Friday Artwalk was had by all.  Our exhibition, Dynamic Dozen:  Fall Art Fete, attracted art fans old and new, young and slightly less young, and we have photos to prove it!

A sip of wine, a chat with friends... a hat was a very good idea tonight!

Taking a good look at Renee Jameson's spectacular monotypes.

Artist Gerardo Aguayo discusses his work with fans, including Karen Heath...

... and poses beside one of his fascinating Shamans.

You can view more of Gerardo's wonderful work, including

Celtic White Shaman, the piece shown here and featured in

the current exhibition, by clicking on the photo or

right here to visit his artist pages.

A visitor from Bulgaria seems to be enjoying the wearable art!

We're with her; that's a silver crinkle silk Carol Lee Shanks

dress, sleek and sleeveless and sultry.  See Carol's always fabulous

work right here.  For the evening we've paired it with

one of NEO's terrific neoprene necklaces from Italy.

(And for all you NEO fans, alert:  our new shipment

is quickly disappearing.  We'll have more before the holidays

get much closer - with their great casual/elegant looks and

great price points, they make perfect gifts.)
See our current NEO collection by clicking here.

Then it is revealed that our Bulgarian visitor is a famous singer in her country!

She is here on the island visiting friends, and we so hope

she comes back to see us, bringing along her delightful personality

and obvious good taste (everyone loves the coat she is modeling for us -
from the Australian designer Alquema, this one is shown in bold
autumn color; subtle, feminine ruffle details without in the

slightest lapsing into froufrou; lightweight, therefore a perfect travel piece.

So Islanders and Gallery patrons, early warning:  Keep an eye open;

you will be seeing more of these available in the Gallery soon!)

 

A gorgeous arrangement of local foliage draws plenty of attention.

 

And here's some of the young crowd we were talking about.

Looks like she's really enjoying the band.

A Tiny Dancer, wearing some pretty adorable boots

and the latest in trendy black and white stripes, shows us

how best to enjoy gypsy jazz.

Ranger and the Re-Arrangers always give it all they've

got, rain or shine, true professionals who keep everyone's toes tapping.

Last Friday night was no exception, but the big news is the release of their

third CD, Swing 16.  To purchase, contact us via phone or email -
or swing on in!  We'll keep a supply on hand for their many fans.

Hopefully they'll be up in the online shop soon.

That's it for now, but we have something very, VERY special coming up for the next Artwalk, Friday, October 7th.  Information will be coming soon, right here, but in the meantime, please:  If you're a jazz fan, MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

HOT OFF THE PRESSES: First Friday Artwalk, August 5, 2016

Artwalk?

More like "Art-Dance..."

What a show it was:  The weather was fabulous, the band was rockin', the town turned out, and sales were amazing.

Not only that but everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, including our artists:

 

Andrea Lawson and Renee Jameson, two of our exceptionally talented artists.

Andrea works primarily in acrylics; Renee does amazing monotypes.

(You can click on the links in their names to see their work!)

 

Andrea, with her BrainsBeauty paintings.

(More information on this piece coming to the online Shop.)

 

Lisa Wederquist, just below several pieces of

her stunning new ceramic work.

(By the way, Lisa's latest will be featured in our

upcoming Ceramics Monthly ad.  Exciting!)

Karen Chaussabel, standing with her wonderful encaustic/mixed

media work, a little different from her past work,

as these are landscapes.  Very nice!

Here's a link to one of her latest pieces, Morning Sea Ripple.

(Oh, and we hope to have one of her amazing recipes

in the next Gallery Picks Newsletter - can't get enough of those!)

 

Ranger and the Re-Arrangers bring swing back

to Winslow Way!

Here's a close-up of Ranger and Jeffrey, hard at work.

As always, guys, it was a blast!

(If you can't live without a regular dose of their

toe-tapping, made-for-dancing, gypsy jazz tunes, we always

have several of their CDs available for sale.

Simply contact the Gallery for information.)

On to September and the next great First Friday Artwalk.  We will, as always, bring you all the advance details, and hope to see you back here for our upcoming Gallery Picks Newsletter.

(Don't forget:  You can sign up to have advance notice messages delivered to your inbox, for newsletters, show, sales and concert info, by sending a note to *ssn [at] theislandgallery [dot] net.  Just put "Subscribe me" in the title box and we'll sign you up right away.) 

*(Also:  Sorry to write it that way, but we have to in order to foil the many, many spammers.)

~S. Roth

You're Invited: October 2015 Artwalk - Irene Yesley, Patterns on Plexi

Incredible art?  Check.  Music for dancing?  Check.  A sip or two of wine?  Check and check.  Add to that mild autumn weather, snacks for nibbling and the strolling ambience of downtown Winslow and you have First Friday Artwalk.

Come and see us!  Here are the details:

Monotype with Plate - Red.  Monotype, water base ink on 2 layers of plexi.  Irene Yesley

Irene Yesley

Patterns on Plexi

New Work

October 2 –31, 2015

Artist’s Reception

First Friday, October 2nd, 6-8 pm

In concert:

Ranger and the Re-Arrangers

Bainbridge Island’s Own Gypsy Jazz Band

About the Artist:   Irene Yesley of Bainbridge Island describes herself as a geometric abstract minimalist, designing flat, hard-edge patterns against a relatively flat background. Physical textures, such as brush strokes, play a minimal role to the interplay of positive and negative shapes, and the emotional impact of color.

I earned an MFA in printmaking from Arizona State University. After graduation, I bought two floor looms and started making rugs and tapestries. Eventually I grew frustrated with the restraints of weaving, the warp and the weft and sold my looms. Freed from fiber, I have explored pencil, pastel and oil stick on paper, done reverse painting on Plexiglas, acrylics on wooden panels, gesso board and canvas.

The outdoors is the biggest influence on my work. The first landscape I knew was Spokane, Washington, where I grew up. That was followed by the cactus of Arizona for 5 years, the urbanscapes of Boston and Washington, DC, the chaparral of Topanga Canyon, and 22 years in the desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  For six years until 2004, we had a condo in Kas, Turkey, on the Turquoise Coast of the Mediterranean, where I spent six months a year.

Now I live on an island across the sound from Seattle in a temperate rainforest. Without even being aware of what was happening, each new location has changed the shapes and colors in my work.

The Island Gallery is pleased to announce that Irene was awarded 1^st Prize, 2D Artwork, at the Annual Statewide Juried Competition and Show at Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, Washington.  She has also recently won an award for her work at the exhibition The Printmaker's Hand III, Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend, Washington, and at the Women Painters of Washington Fall Members Show, 2010, First Place; Juror Barbara Shaiman, Director of SAM Gallery, Seattle, Washington.  Her work will also appear in a winter 2015-16 show at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

White on Blue.  Acrylic paint on 3 layers of plexi.  Irene Yesley

About the Band:  Bainbridge Island’s Ranger and the Re-Arrangers play gypsy jazz or “hot jazz,” an upbeat jazz style created in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt and other European stringplayers evoking the spirit of a Paris cafe and the raucous energy of a Gypsy campsite.   “At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's sweet violin playing… his sense of melody and daring improvisations” (World Rhythm).  The band’s repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django Reinhardt, and Ranger's unique originals.

Ranger Sciacca’s performances and compositions reflect his extensive studies in classical, jazz, and folk music. Ranger also studied folk and dance music for seven years with renowned Seattle fiddler Stuart Williams. Ranger’s main influences include guitarist Django Reinhardt and jazz violin greats Stuff Smith, Claude Williams and Stephane Grappelli. Ranger studied jazz theory and history at Whitman College.

Michael Sciacca, Ranger’s dad, has been his rhythm guitarist for many years; they have performed as a swing jazz duo since 2001.

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, Atoke, Zayah Emmanuel, and Sam Andrews, founder of Big Brother and the Holding Company. He is currently director of Jeffrey Moose Gallery in Seattle.

Mandolin player Dave Stewart is a classically-trained pianist.

~oOo~