Happy New Year! January Sale Time

ANNUAL SALE!

It's January of another year - 2015, no less (how did that happen) - which means it's time for the Gallery's annual sale.  Everything is on sale (with just a few exceptions in Furniture), at 10% off, and our expanded sale rack items are marked down even more.  We'll continue to add to the rack as the month goes on.

Beyond that, our focus this month is on coats, specifically comfy ones, and most specifically one that looks like this:

Maggy Pavlou's beautiful felted wool and silk "Pebbles" coat is just stunning,

with its color combos of purply-pinks, charcoal, grey, red and brown.

And check out those buttons!  Fab.

Here's a peek at a few more:

Carol Lee Shanks:

A red cashmere Nomad Coat, dramatic but soft

to the touch and with the artist's trademark use of selvage detailing.

Coziness - and style - personified.

 

Roselle:

Hand-painted and truly art-to-wear, one might call this

a "walking" coat - bold and so-so-sophisticated.

Katrin Noon for Spirithouse: 

This lightweight short coat is swingy and festive, with its

ruby tones and splashes of burgundy and coral.

Throw it on over black palazzo pants or skinny leggings, add that

amazing AR64 necklace, and you're off for a night at the opera!

These will all be up in the online shop shortly, so gallop on over to Textile & Fiber Art for more details.

Roselle Abramowitz: An Artist's Path

Four years ago we here at The Island Gallery moved into our new space on Winslow Way on beautiful Bainbridge Island, Washington.  We had spent eight lively years at our old location down the street a way and around the corner, but were more than ready for the change.  Our newest artist would be featured in our Grand Opening exhibit that September of 2010 - Roselle Abramowitz, a textile artist and designer of sumptuous contemporary kimonos and other wearables from Stowe, Vermont.  In her first shipment she sent us a series of glorious hand-painted, hand-dyed kimonos:  elaborate silk full-length ones, mid-length organzas, beautiful little waist-length floaty ones, all of which could be worn with great pleasure and pomp or hung on the wall as an artwork.  (Or both!  Why waste a good piece of wearable art by permanently sticking it to a wall when, with a little ingenuity and a good hanging system, you can take it down and wear it once in a while, we always say.)

In any event, that first experience with Roselle's exquisite work was a singular WOW moment, and we were hooked.

As the months went on she continued to brighten the Gallery with casual shirts, softly swinging jackets, comfy silk pant sets, fascinating capes and scarves, cuddly warm blankets, all executed in her trademark and seemingly never-ending artistry.

We are, therefore, more than sad to report that this last June 4th, Roselle died after suffering a brain aneurism.

Canadian songwriter Joni Mitchell famously wrote, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," and true to that sentiment, we never knew the fascinating details of Roselle's life until recently.  They revealed her not only as a wonderful artist but as a woman of passion, strength and resilience.  She created art of great beauty and made a beautiful life for herself in Stowe, Vermont, but from her very beginnings had known great personal tragedy. We invite you to read on and join us in a celebration of this artist's path.

Roselle Abramowitz has been described as part fine artist, part textile designer and part seamstress.  Born in Germany in 1937, Roselle lost both of her parents during the Holocaust - her father in Auschwitz and her mother to a fatal illness.  She and her two sisters were supposed to be sent to a concentration camp, but thanks to a paperwork glitch were miraculously saved and hidden in a convent for the duration of the war. The nuns were cruel to the girls, Roselle has said. But they taught her how to sew, a skill that would play a vital role in her future life as an artist. After the war, the three sisters were sent to a camp for displaced Jews. Ruthie, the eldest, had to decide where they would go next. No one would take all three children, so in 1948 they were adopted by separate households in Canada, but managed to stay in touch with one another. Roselle’s adoptive parents were prominent members of Jewish society; her adoptive mother was the sister of Samuel Bronfman, the founder of the Distillers Corporation in Montreal.

As a young woman in Montreal, Roselle studied pattern-making and draping at Cotnoir and Caponi, worked with her husband designing men’s shirts and ties, and then opened her own studio in Old Montreal making original hand-painted quilts.  Roselle and her husband, Lorne, began going to Stowe, Vermont, to ski in the 1960s and owned a second home there, but tragedy struck again when Lorne suffered a heart attack after a day on the mountain. Up until that time, she never talked about her experience during the Holocaust. But after Lorne’s death, possessing no papers nor even a picture of her mother, she traveled back to Europe to try and find out more about her birth parents and, thus, herself; this she managed to do, locating her birth certificate and other family records.

Around this time Roselle decided to make a permanent move to Stowe and became a full-time resident in 2002.  In her new home she blossomed artistically, creating her Roselle Artwear designs in a studio attached to her home where the ever-changing view of woods, pond and mountains offered endless inspiration for gorgeous color palettes and painted designs, ranging from flowers to abstract patterns.  She chose the kimono as the foundation for her art because she liked the sensuality of the T shape, viewing it as an ideal canvas on which to paint.

As to her process, Roselle created her freehand fabric designs in her studio; according to her long-time assistant Ruth Brown, one of the most important aspects of this work was deciding the nature of each fabric, and what it "wanted to be," to complement it and bring out its character.  An artist in Montreal would then hand-paint or dye them onto bolts of luxurious fabric.  Each six-yard bolt of fabric was an original, as Roselle never re-created the same design twice.  She produced a custom kimono pattern from each bolt, based on the weight and color of the fabric and the placement and scale of the hand-painted design. Sometimes she would add beadwork or quilting to highlight a design. The entire process could take up to six months. In a typical year, she might create 10 large pieces and 40 smaller ones.

Her clothing was unique, in that it reflected a blend of influences, from African to French to Japanese, and it could be worn by anyone.  A recent new line, Roselle in the Home, offered decorative throws and quilts that are equally luscious, each a one-of-a-kind design.

Roselle called her artwork “an eclectic mix of past and present, influenced by travel, life, art and the beauty and joy of living in Stowe, Vermont.”

Roselle was an active member of the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, where she was known for her generous spirit.

Contributions in Roselle’s memory may be made to the Roselle Abramowitz Memorial Fund, in care of JCOGS, 1189 Cape Cod Road, P.O. Box 253, Stowe, VT 05672.

- Our thanks to Ruth Brown for helping us know Roselle better.

August 2014 Gallery Picks Newsletter

Autumn is in the air, but there's still a little summer left!   Here are a few of our current favorites to help transition into fall - excellent art from favorite artists, introducing exciting new friends, and a peek at our collection of ikats and batiks.  Don't forget to click on the links to view individual items in our extensive online shop, and enjoy!

Short Jacket with Horse Motif.  Roselle

Without further ado, we showcase a beautiful piece of

art from a most wonderful artist, Roselle Abramowitz from

Stowe, Vermont.   It is a short jacket in silk, hand-painted in soft

tones of tan, heather/purple and white/cream with a horse motif

on the back.

We are sad to report that Roselle passed away

in June but has left us with memories of many outstanding

works of art and our sincere gratitude for her talent.

In the next few days we will be adding a blog post dedicated

entirely to Roselle.  Please visit us again soon

and get to know the artist a little better through the story of her

art and her fascinating life.

We should note that the Gallery has received several special pieces
from her studio.  Roselle's family will donate the proceeds for
these sales to the art foundation set up in her name

Topology II, 4 Panels.  Irene Yesley

Bainbridge Island artist Irene Yesley 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. 

We've featured her here several times, but this is something a bit different: 

These pieces are 12" x 12" acrylic on wood panels and are four of 

twelve available pieces in what was originally a 16-piece work titled Topology II. 

Shown above,clockwise from top left: 

Topology II C-2; Topology II B-4; Topology II D-4; Topology II B-1

 They can be viewed singly in the online shop with Irene's other work here.

About the artist:

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.

A-Tank Tunic &   New Basic Pant.   Spirithouse

We're excited!

A new line of basics just arrived in the Gallery, and has

so much going for it:  comfort, styling, great price point.

What more can we say?

Well, that these pieces make great travel clothes, come in a range of

interesting colors and patterns, are proudly made in the USA

(Los Angeles, to be exact) from a high-tech fabric that is supple,

wrinkle-free, soft and yet defined, machine washable, and in

sizes from XS to XL.  On top of that, we're expecting

more in this week, including tops, jackets and pants.

Here's something about the artist:

Katrin Noon, the creative force behind Spirithouse, offers collections that

explore proportions and combine modern edginess with romantic detailing,

combining an unconventional twist on traditional design with a dedication to comfort.

Noon studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, and pattern drafting

and draping under Simone Sethna. After graduation, the artist traveled

throughout the British Isles, Europe and Western Asia, an experience that

would solidify her love and interest in textiles.

What sets Spirithouse designs apart are the details. Once Noon has a color

palette or texture in her mind, she will go to great lengths to find the perfect

fabric to represent her vision.

“As I am a practical person by nature, I don't care much for the superfluous... 

I don't like fashion that is too 'high concept' or so overdesigned that you

can't imagine a person wearing it. I like function over form, where the

clothing works in a practical way inside an existing wardrobe, and can

be worn again and again… I try to place emotion at the center of my

work so that the designs connect to how a person might feel

when they wear the clothes."

(Also shown in the above photograph:  Necklace by NEO.

See her shop section here.)

 

Blue Topaz & Sterling Silver Post Earrings.  Robin Hominiuk

We have a confession to make.

We are wearing a pair of Robin's wonderful

semi-precious gemstone post earrings as we write this.

We make no excuses.  We love these earrings.

These lovely stones are faceted 5mm blue topaz set

in bright sterling silver and will not be here long!

(We are trying to control ourselves.)

(Which may or may not be working.)

Robin also sent us more of her fabulous narrow sterling

silver bangles, perfectly priced at $25.00 apiece.  Some are

hammered, some are smooth, all are wonderful.

They aren't up in the online shop yet, so if you're

interested, come into the Gallery to see them or give us

a call and we'll send you photos.

(They'll be available online soon.)

*(Assuming we continue to control ourselves.)

Ikat, Men's Hinggi.  Sumba Island

Sumptuous indigo paired with white makes a magnificent

double ikat weaving from Sumba Island, Indonesia.  A man's

garment, the hinggi is traditionally an important item in the life

of a Sumba Island native, who might own one to be worn only on

ceremonial occasions.  Created on a backstrap loom in two pieces,

the lengths of dyed, then woven cloth are sewn together and can

take up to two years to complete.

This piece has been in the Gallery's collection for some years

and is one of our favorites.  We have a few more hinggis in this

size and quality but unfortunately, as the old artisans

leave us with no one equally skilled to replace them, we worry

that we may never see similar items again.

The same could be said of the following splendid sarong:

Batik, Megamendung Motif.  Shella

Many of the sentiments expressed above apply equally to the

stunning contemporary, vintage and antique batik sarongs

currently available in the Gallery.  Shown here is a most

striking example of the art of Cirebon, Indonesia, from the

artist Shella.  The motif is the megamendung or "cloud"

motif, which draws much from the Chinese influence on

this part of the country.  The fine gradations of color in the piece -

in this case, pink slowly turning to white - are quite fascinating.

The creation of a piece like this can take up to two months;

other very complex motifs might take six months - to

produce one sarong!

The piece shown was acquired by the owner of

The Island Gallery personally from the artist's studio.

Please contact the gallery for further information on

these and other items in our collection, and keep an eye

on this blog for a soon-to-come post with in-depth discussion

of these precious, disappearing art forms.

 

And at the very end of this August-into-September blog post

 here's a little something extra, which although we didn't show it

on the e-card, we include here simply because we can and we must:

"Tideline", Illuminated Sculpture.  L. Wendy Dunder

Oh, my!

Another spectacular wood-and-paper lamp by Portland

artist L. Wendy Dunder.  She has sent us several more of her

popular lamps which are about to go on display in

the Gallery (we should have them up by First Friday,

September 5th), so come in to visit them in person!

This is a table lamp, and it is FABULOUS!

Goodbye, August, and onward into fall!  Come visit us next time for another spectacular line-up of beautiful art.  If you'd like to receive advance notice of our Newsletter posts directly in your inbox send a note to sr@theislandgallery.net and we'll sign you up.

Enjoy!

March 2014 Gallery Picks Newsletter

If you are a regular reader of our monthly Gallery Picks Newsletters, you may have noticed a gap in February.  And indeed, we confess, we skipped a month.  So sorry!  Life intruded upon us, as life is wont to do from time to time.  But we're back on schedule, and are delighted to show off several marvelous pieces recently arrived from our incredibly talented artists.  To highlight our continuing exhibition featuring paintings and fine art photography, we'll bookend this post with two stunning examples of wall art currently on display in the Gallery.

To see further information on any of the items shown, please click on the link to be magically transported to our online shop.  Ah, technology!

Also of note:  We will soon be blogging more extensively about our Annex locations.  Stay tuned...

Enjoy!

Prague.  Esperanza Grundy

We welcome wonderfully talented Seattle artist, Esperanza Grundy.

A member of the Women Painters of Washington, Esperanza has won numerous awards

for her works in collage and watercolor.  With a BFA in Industrial Design from the

University of Washington, she has lived both in the Southwest and Northwest. 

 As the artist notes, color is the main ingredient in her work, in abstract compositions

which explore the lives of  literary artists (Bedside Table Series), the American Flag,

or the place of women across cultures.

Esperanza explains her Faces series, and comments on her work in general:

Color is the main ingredient in my work.  Faces began as an exercise

to abstract the human face.  It became important to show the similarities

and the differences in the faces of various cultures.  I used color and various

 collage materials in an attempt to show the wounds or

the memories in the human face.

The urge to create is irresistible to me. The symbols, images, textures and colors

in my paintings and collages are my pathway to spirit and truth.

My fundamental source of inspiration is my personal heritage: my family is

hispanic and native american and has lived in the Southwestern US for

many generations. Cultural explorations continue from there by

listening to other people's stories, traveling to exotic places,

reading and dreaming.

I love to gather, arrange and layer materials. Everything is a potential

element: paper and fabric scraps, my own handmade papers, paint,

stencils, transfers and photographs. Using cast off "compost" to give

new life to art is richly symbolic to me. Creating physical depth through

layering allows me to more deeply express ideas and feelings. I hope

the layers act as levels to invite emotions, thoughts, memories

and meaning for viewers of my art.

Currently, Esperanza's work is on display in the Gallery (small Faces series)
and at our Realogics Sotheby's International Annexes:  Here on
Bainbridge Island, 271 Madison Avenue S. (Bedside Table series);
and at our Kirkland Annex, 15 Lake Street, Kirkland, Washington
(her large Faces series).

Lou Zeldis Domino.  Woodleigh Hubbard

The Island Gallery welcomes Bainbridge Island jewelry artist and award-winning

 author and illustrator of picture books for children, Woodleigh Marx Hubbard.

Praised as a talented artist - her paintings have been compared to the works

of modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Joan Miro -

and an inventive creator of concept books, Woodleigh has also been

designing jewelry since the late 1990s, incorporating colored stones

with the unusual antique pieces she discovers at estate sales and other sources.

 

Born in Sharon, Connecticut, Woodleigh grew up in an artistic home; her father

was an artist and her mother a writer. As a young adult, she traveled in

Europe, where she was particularly influenced by French modernists.

Initially working in pen and ink, she moved to color after losing her

entire artistic portfolio while traveling from France to the United States.

Woodleigh comments on her jewelry:

Being surrounded by children as a children's book illustrator

for so many years has shown me the endless possibilities

of an enthusiastic mind, the creativity of chaos, the

unmitigated joy of an imagination gone w i d e.

It has inspired me to embrace new venues for expression,

jewelry being the latest.  John F. Kennedy said,

"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth."

I say, "Amen and Hallelujah!"

It's uptown meets downtown and gets a little bit naughty.

Balinese engraved silver whispers sweet nothings to vintage glass.

Fancy faceted garnet sidles up to a bold ring of African metal.

Citrine flirts shamelessly with pressed glass from China.

Young delica makes come-hither eyes at an elder Italian beach stone

(heart-shaped!) - oooo-la-la!! An old, beat-up, hand-painted

Swedish wooden bead is placed next to smoky topaz - watch

her sparkle in a hot haze of appreciation as he warms to a glow

and becomes ooh, so debonair!

Many of these characters are one-of-a-kind antiques. A necklace

or bracelet might be centered around an Indian silver bridal charm

or handmade blown bead; a pair of earrings might sport a

capricious carnelian coyly whistling Dixie to a Venus on the half shell

metal charm, or a prim pearl basks in the glow of a hunk of

Russian silver. Occasionally there will be a series based on one

design, but most pieces are unique. Each is individually crafted

and speaks with its own personality, as reflected in its title.

You are what you eat.
You are what you think.
You are what you wear,
so Grin And Wear It!!

More of Woodleigh's jewelry will soon be featured in our online shop.

Her pieces are beautiful, thoughtful, wonderfully constructed, and

terribly intriguing compilations of components and findings collected

from around the world.  Don't miss taking a look at them here,

or come into the Gallery to get acquainted in person.

Italian Mid-Century Modern Folding Chair

Just arrived:  Two Italian cane and chrome folding chairs.

These are vintage items, the latest in our mid-century modern

finds, that are lightweight, convenient, beautiful, and altogether

quite splendid pieces of furniture.  Easy to store, they can

pop out to seat extra guests or be left at a desk or easel as

a permanent placement.  If you need more than two, let us know;

we'll see what we can do.

In the same category, we have six similar mid-century modern, stackable

Directors'-style chairs on the way, in black leather with black

steel frames.  Bold!

Silk Shibori Scarves:  Blue/Teal, left; Blue/Purple, Right.  Cyndi Wolfe

Oh boy!  Brand new scarves!

We're certainly enjoying the work of our newest textile artist Cyndi Wolfe,
a weaver, dyer and surface design artist with a love of the interplay between color,
fiber and structure.  In fact, color is her passion, particularly as it is influenced
by the quality and intensity of light.  She has been creating and embellishing
cloth for over 20 years, focusing on producing textiles that communicate
a sense of beauty and order.

Cyndi uses silk almost exclusively in her work because of its luminous
and reflective qualities.  Her woven silk scarves have the feel of watercolors
because she dye-paints the silk yarn before it is woven.  Her choice of colors
and the luxurious feel of the silk are intended to bring the wearer
a sense of harmony and well being.

Currently, Cyndi is exploring texture and color through using
stitched shibori and other surface design techniques in addition to
her weaving.  Silk has a memory - when manipulated and then dyed the
final piece becomes a clear map of the processes used.  Whether stitched
and gathered, folded and clamped or pleated and compressed, the end
result transcends the apparent nature of the original material.  Thus, silk
can be made to look like wood or recall the heat of a fire,
as well as accessorizing a favorite garment.
  
Cyndi's unusual and stunning shibori designs make these

scarves real standouts.  We'll be adding more to our

online shop right here as the days roll on, so stay tuned!

Sea Star, Illuminated Sculpture.  L. Wendy Dunder

Yet another stunning piece from the studio of artist

L. Wendy Dunder, our extraordinarily creative illuminated

sculpture expert.  This is a rather large wall or ceiling sconce

entitled Sea Star, its whimsical swirls suggesting the delicate

inner architecture of shells, its form mimicking our area's

starfish, for a truly Northwest design.  This piece would

be a great addition to a home with beach view, or perhaps even
more appropriately, to provide a bit of a beach vibe for landlubbers!

Created from thin slices of wood painstakingly formed,

clamped and then covered in many layers of paper to

build up a remarkably sturdy and durable skin, Wendy's pieces

are both beautiful and functional - in other words, rather perfect.

Sheer Silk Box Shirt.  Roselle Abramowitz

One of Roselle's terrific hand-painted shirts, this is a flowing

boxy style in silk chiffon that is feather light.  The "plaid" design

may look casual, and could look very relaxed with, say, a plain white silk tee;

but dress this beautiful piece up with a vibrant yellow or

royal blue cami and a great piece of jewelry (a necklace with

a big lapis focal bead, perhaps, or really bold silver earrings -

or, dare we suggest, the little yellow number shown)

and you have a garment that will take you to the opera, or

your favorite snazzy, jazzy night on the town.

We currently have several of these in other colors and slightly different

styling, as well as many of Roselle's other fabulous pieces,

so come on in to the Gallery and take a peek or visit our

online shop at Roselle's page here.

Necklace:  Little Flowers for Antonio Lopez (Yellow).  Begona Rentero

What more is there to say about the extraordinary art of

Beegona Rentero?  Her jewelry only gets better.

This is an older style but we never, ever get tired of

looking at her beautiful, eco-friendly jewelry inspired by flora and
sea fauna.  Begona makes her own papers from silk, cotton and other
fibers, hardening them through a special process so that they can easily
be worn for everyday use. They are ultra-lightweight, and feature all natural dyes.

This bright, happy necklace is simply the epitome of spring, isn't it?
Bring on sunshine! 

Earth Meadow.  Jen Till

 And, as promised, another lovely piece of wall art in the

form of a new oil on canvas work from Bainbridge Island artist, Jen Till.

This zen-like piece with its contemplative view of

an early spring meadow is a great example of Jen's

trademark gauzy style.  One of her smaller pieces at 16" x 20",

it draws us in with tender, almost demure suggestions of the

soft lightness to come, and the unexpected joy to be found

in a field dappled with nature's colors.

That wraps up March!  We'll be back with another Newsletter next month, and in the meantime keep an eye on the blog for informational posts on upcoming events, news, concerts and sales.   We would also like to ask readers, whether nearby or far away, to please take a few moments to recall our area's recent catastrophic landslide that demolished the small community of Oso, Washington, and honor the victims and survivors with your good thoughts and, wherever possible, your generosity.