Almost August! We're enjoying beautiful, warm weather and stunning Northwest vistas of sea and sky, mountains and water, both in our great outdoors and in the artwork right here at the Gallery. Not only that, but we also feature wonderful wearables, beautiful ceramics, contemporary and Mid-Century Modern furniture, and our extensive collection of batik and ikat textiles.
Speaking of textiles, we are getting ready to add many of these modern and vintage/antique pieces to their own section of our online shop. It will be accessible
here, and we'll put up more information and photos as we grow this category of the shop.
Don't forget to click on the provided links to be magically transported to each individual item in the
online shop for more details and shipping information.
But right now, let's imagine COOL:
Before the phone starts ringing, or the e-mailbox fills to overflowing,
yes, we know: We featured one of Renee's pieces here last month, in advance
of her inclusion in the July Carter Smith exhibit. Because we admire her
work so much, however, we decided to feature two more (above and below).
Not only that, we humbly offer a mini-tutorial on her artform,
the Monotype Print:
Invented in the 1600s by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, an Italian painter
and etcher, monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or
painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. The surface was historically
a copper etching plate, but in contemporary work it can vary from zinc or
glass to acrylic glass. The image is then transferred onto a sheet of paper
by pressing the two together, usually using a printing press.
Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and
then, using brushes or rags, removing ink to create a subtractive image.
Most of the ink is removed during the initial pressing, producing a
unique, one-of-a-kind print; hence "mono-", or single, type.
Renee
Jameson was born in Western Washington and received her BFA
from Cornish
College of the Arts in Seattle. She is a monotype artist
living and
working on Bainbridge Island. Currently she is the printmaker
liaison for
the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN)
setting up the print studio for
the BARN.
Her work is represented in private collections in Santa
Barbara,
La Jolla and Bainbridge Island.
“I walk
daily along the shoreline on Bainbridge Island and am inspired
by the
constantly changing sky. One of the most exciting things I observe
is how
rapidly the cloud formations change into new and dramatic shapes
within
seconds. I have my camera with me at all times on my walks.
Some
days I see very little that interests me and other days
the sky is
extraordinary.
“I try to create a world viewers can interpret and respond
to in their own way.
In this way I consider myself an abstract artist.
My objective is to create
a mood and atmosphere that will evoke an emotion
in the viewer and
possibly a memory from the past.”
Ah, yes; feels like summer...
We are happy to be able to hold over several of Renee's pieces, so
they are available for viewing throughout August. Do treat yourself and
come in to see them, or find them, with further details, in her
section of the online shop,
here.
Created in the style of Nakashima, this chair has been in
the Gallery only a few weeks and already has a big fan
following. It comes from an estate sale, one of seven similar chairs;
six sold quickly, and we took the last one.
We believe the seat is maple, the spindles cherry and the
legs, top and sides walnut, but we're not positive. What is
obvious is the beautiful aged patina over all its surfaces, and the
silky feel of an old finish on a much-loved and used piece of furniture.
In spite of some narrow cracks in the seat, the ageless charm of
the chair quickly came through when we noticed that everyone
who approached it immediately wanted to sit on, touch,
and/or bounce in it!
... Or perhaps a Clog?
Whatever you conceive this to be, it is a rather heavy piece
of salvaged old-growth redwood that seems to resemble, as
the artist suggests, some form of whimsical forest footwear.
Seated on a black steel base, with its distinctive markings,
it makes a dramatic and eye-catching piece of art.
Yet another magnificent piece of wearable art from Amy Nguyen.
This piece is a limited edition hand-dyed shibori coat in heavy
silk, stitched and quilted.
About the artist:
For over twenty years Amy Nguyen has been stitching, painting,
patterning, dyeing and sculpting, cultivating her love of art and fabric.
During the last decade, her artistic journey has led her in the direction of
wearable art - a place both creative and functional - where she has been
greatly influenced by Japanese textile design. She is inspired by nature, texture
and compelling artists and fashion designers such as Issey Miyake,
Yoshiki Hishinuma, Naum Gabo and Constantin Brancusi.
Nguyen’s degree in studio art and art history, her background in
costume and theatre design, and her studies with master textile artists
have all aligned to enrich her textile work. Her exquisite wearable art
may be found in galleries, specialty boutiques and museum stores, as well as
juried craft and museum shows. She currently lives in Boston with her husband Ky.
“Architectural and organic in structure, my contemporary artwear emphasizes
both surface design and texture. Japanese aesthetic, twentieth-century
modern sculpture and proportion within nature inspire my work. Shibori,
rozome and katazome, all ancient dyeing techniques, allow for my expression
of pattern and color on a single piece of expansive white cloth. I then
deconstruct this art cloth to further explore with layering, stitching, piecing,
quilting and patterning. Each step informs the next. Kinetic in nature,
each piece I make is both sculptural and functional on the body.”
Shown above with Carol Lee Shanks' crushed silk swing dress,
and a coral neckpiece by Australia's 2byLyn&Tony
Imagine this beautiful thing, opening up on your side table or
nightstand like a lotus blossom on the River Nile!
(Actually, we're not exaggerating too much - the petals
do move somewhat, and can be positioned to shed light
on whatever situation you desire.)
We have a pair of these, nearly identical yet definitely
each one-of-a-kind works of art, which would make for lovely
bedside lamps, singly as a spot of light in a dark corner or
end table, or on either ends of a mantelpiece.
Or absolutely anywhere your imagination might take them!
Magnificent smooth nuggets of sunny Baltic amber are just the thing
to raise the spirits and brighten any day! Jewelry designer
extraordinaire Christine L. Sundt keeps providing us with
changing, ever-fascinating designs, and whether using
materials that are tried and true favorites or adding
new textiles, aluminum and woods to her repertoire, she
always manages to create pieces that are distinctly fresh, with
uncluttered lines that engage the eye and enhance any outfit.
About Chris:
Christine L. Sundt, whose designs can be considered wearable sculpture
as much as they are jewelry. Beyond her interest in jewelry creation,
Christine is a visual resources curator and art historian. With degrees from
the University of Illinois, Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
she began her career in visual resources at Madison. Prior to moving to Oregon
in 1983, she was the founding president of the Visual Resources Association
and was named Technology Editor of Visual Resources. As a faculty member
and visual resources curator in the library at the University of Oregon since
1985, she was promoted to full professor in 1999. She has served as a
consultant regarding imaging management and technology for academic
institutions as well as corporations.
Pieces of metal, faceted or natural stones, colors, textures around me
are the forces that help me shape and make my jewelry designs. I draw
inspiration from art and nature, but seldom start with a firm idea of what my
final design will be. My drawings are merely records of thoughts rather
than
plans or patterns. Works come together on my workbench as elements
find each
other through proximity, association, and chance.
I enjoy working in precious metals,
but cannot resist the possibilities
of other metals and even found objects such
as coins, parts from old,
discarded jewelry, and broken or shattered stone (the
slate in some of my
pieces, for example). I am inclined to produce geometric,
highly stylized
and polished pieces, despite the unstructured nature of some of
these elements.
An increasingly common feature in my
work is the ability to transform
the look of the piece in wearing it. My rings
are often asymmetrical and
can be worn on either hand or another finger to produce
a different look
or perspective, and some of my pendants double as brooches.
Other pendants
can be transformed by changing the means of suspension – from
pearls to gold or silver.
What more can we say?
Yet another beautiful oil painting from local artist Jen Till.
We are delighted to offer a number of pieces from Jen in the
online shop, which are not on display in the Gallery at this time.
If you admire her gauzy yet undoubtedly spirited works
as much as we do, a pleasant afternoon spent browsing
through her section, accessible
here, is highly recommended.
And very good for the soul.
The large piece shown above is currently on display in the Gallery
with several other of Jen's truly wonderful works of art.
That's it for July. Do keep an eye on the blog for upcoming events - our next exhibits features the remarkable intaglio prints and paintings of Curt Labitzke - and don't forget, if you'd like advance warning of sales, concerts, exhibits and everything else we get up to delivered directly to your inbox, simply send a note saying so to
sr@theislandgallery.net and we'll sign you up.
See you in August!
