Mind Puzzles: Irene Yesley. Special Online Only Exhibition

Opening on Friday, September 14, 2018:

Mind Puzzles:
Experimenting with Colors, Shapes & Patterns

New Work by
Irene Yesley

Irene Yesley, Let's Celebrate.  Monotype

About the Artist:  This exhibition is comprised of ten specifically selected pieces.  Here are a few words from the artist about her work:

I work abstractly because this allows me to focus on what I most enjoy - the shapes and the spaces between them.  I am concerned with the size and shape of the objects, the repetition and variation of patterns, the tension created by the nearness or distance among objects, the emotional impact of the colors I use, and the sense of freedom in a piece.  I aim to make pieces that are interesting from a distance and also up close.

Printmaking is my current obsession.  I also like drawing with graphite and markers, and painting on pieces of plexi that I combine into one piece by stacking three layers of plexi together.



There is a large education industry aimed at early childhood that uses colors, shapes, and patterns to exercise the young brain, and in doing so, helps create pathways that promote learning other skills such as mathematics and science. These tools are too important to be left simply in childhood. Visual art has always been a teacher. We learn history from paintings and statues from the past: the benevolence of the saint’s smile, the sneer of an angry warrior tell us something important about humankind. We are enriched both emotionally and intellectually by such art. But art’s impact is greater than that. Whether representational or abstract, good art makes a point.

In her work, Irene Yesley has created both intriguing works, and an outline for learning. As the viewer moves from Medieval Times to Lenny, we first sense control through evenly spaced rectangles cautiously moving in patterns and some introduction of color but almost yearning to escape.  Color Grid challenges the viewer with the precision of its lines and furrows, blocked with strong discontinuities.   High Falutin' tells a host of stories: those piano keys give us the tune, but are we seeing fish or fowl; gill lines or cone? It’s that little place in New Orleans that doesn’t stop ‘til the sun comes up. These are great works for looking and thinking, and rethinking:  No, it’s a crappie on the Mississippi.  No matter.   Either story takes us away. In the later pieces we sense freedom and joy within an expanding universe. Isn’t this the arc of human history?



Please contact the Gallery to request prices.  The artist, however, advises that the individual items in this exhibition fall into the range of $700.00 - $1,900.00.

Click here to visit the Exhibition.

Click here to visit the artist's regular Artist Pages.

Irene Yesley, Lenny.  Monotype

You're Invited: First Friday Artwalk, June 2, 2017

Our interesting exhibition featuring drawings and exploration of line continues through June.  This month we also introduce the sculptural work of Bainbridge Island artist Bill Galvani.

IMAGES SHOWN ABOVE:
Knot II. Irene Yesley
Balancing Act.  Joseph Pentheroudakis

About the Show:

A joint exhibition with long-time Gallery artist Yesley, Bainbridge Island-based abstract geometric minimalist working in acrylics and monotype; and Pentheroudakis, whose pen-and-ink drawings reflect his interest in abstraction and formalism expressed through repetition and seriality.  Both of these artists have had their work exhibited at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, among other venues. 

Introducing BainbridgeIsland Sculptor, Bill Galvani:

Artist Bill Galvani, whose professional background is as a museum director, carves using the traditional tools of drawknife, spokeshave, wood rasp, and knife.  He prefers basswood, a hardwood that holds detail and takes a blade well.  Carving shorebirds and ducks has encouraged him to study them, which has led him to participate in conservation activities that preserve birds and their habitats.

In Bill’s words:

Carving gives me pleasure and relaxation: the smell of freshly-cut chips, the finish of the wood, and the feel of the form as it takes shape.  I enjoy learning about birds, watching them, and trying to understand them. 

I have carved shorebirds, ducks, and whales for some forty years. I appreciate the work of the old masters of this craft, carvers such as the Ward Brothers of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Elmer Crowell of Massachusetts.  The wildlife creations of contemporary carvers including Larry Barth and Rich Smoker also inspire me.  In my shorebird carvings I attempt to present a stripped-down form that projects the independence, spirit, and rugged nature of these remarkable feathered creatures.

I served as Director of the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, for nineteen years.  I also conducted museum accreditation visits for the American Alliance of Museums. Interestingly, those visits often gave me a chance to see the work of other carvers which I always enjoyed

Long-Billed Curlew.  Bill Galvani

Featured Musicians:

The Jenny Davis Jazz Quartet

About The Island Gallery

Established in 2002, The Island Gallery features internationally recognized artists whose work takes traditional art  forms in exciting new directions:  studio furniture and sculpture;  museum quality textile art  and wearables; wood fired ceramics from the finest potters in America; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Monthly exhibitions include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk, chamber music and performance art.  This, along with its reputation for excellence,  makes The Island Gallery a destination spot on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle, and steps from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Contact Us/Visit:

Web site:  www.theislandgallery.net

Shop: www.theislandgallery.net/shop

Blog:  www.theislandgallery-artblog.blogspot.com

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Event Location:

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

Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen Avenue.

You're invited: First Friday Artwalk, May 5, 2017

IMAGES SHOWN ABOVE:

Upper:  The Future of Calligraphy I.  Irene Yesley 
Lower:   The Butterfly’s Assumption Gown.  JosephPentheroudakis

About the Show:

Long-time Gallery artist Irene Yesley, a Bainbridge Island-based abstract geometric minimalist, uses a range of media to create her own imagery which evokes a new take on shapes, colors and spaces.  Joseph Pentheroudakis, from Seattle and recently Herron Island, creates pen-and-ink drawings which reflect his interest in abstraction expressed through repetition and seriality.  In new delightful and dynamic drawings created on his iPad as well as on paper, he explores line, color, and imagined narrative.  Both of these artists have had their work exhibited at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, among other venues.

About the Artists:

Irene Yesley (Bainbridge Island, Washington)

I have lived on the east and west coasts of the United States and in Turkey, and now live on Bainbridge Island near Seattle.  I work abstractly, creating my own imagery which is influenced by the outdoors, the people I know, and other artists.  Painting abstractly using a range of media (acrylic paint, graphite, printmaking ink, and Copic markers) and supports (acrylic, plexi and paper) gives me the freedom to focus on the composition of shapes, patterns, values, colors, and positive and negative space without the limitations imposed by the reproduction of specific imagery.

Joseph Pentheroudakis (Herron Island, Washington)

Born in Athens, Greece, Joseph moved to Chicago in 1968, where he studied linguistics at the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1977), and in 1992 made Seattle his home.  In 2005, after a long career in languages and computational linguistics, he enrolled in the drawing program at Seattle’s Gage Academy of Art.

Joseph works on paper, in pencil or pen and ink; his drawings reflect an interest in abstraction and formalism expressed through repetition and seriality. He is also attracted to digital media and has created a series of iPad drawings.  He also works in video, and is cofounder with Barbara Robertson of Take Three, an event presenting short film and video work by local artists.

His drawings have been included in juried exhibitions at the Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, Washington; 10x10x10xTieton, Tieton, Washington;  ArtsWest Gallery, Seattle, Washington; Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, California; Louisiana State Student Union Art Gallery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, New York, among others.  Joseph has also participated in numerous invitational exhibitions, including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Seattle City Hall Gallery, and North Seattle College Art Gallery.  Two of his drawings were included in the book Contemporary Drawing – Key Concepts and Techniques, by Margaret Davidson, Random House 2011.

Joseph shares some thoughts with us:

The work in this exhibition represents a shift in my mark-making, although my interest in repetition and all-over composition is alive and well.  In the pen and pencil drawings, lines are now used to enclose shapes; shapes in turn become the marks that fill the composition.  Connections and balance are still my primary interests.

And – surprise! – color makes a guest appearance here and there, especially in the digital drawings included in the exhibition.  I created the drawings on my iPad, which enticed me into working with color.  Still, color is subordinate to the linear elements in the work.  Can’t really teach an old dog new tricks.

About the Musicians:

The Jenny Davis Duo

A Seattle native, Jenny Davis earned her Bachelor of Music from the prestigious Cornish College of the Arts. She is currently working on her MFA in jazz composition.  A 20-year steward of straight-ahead jazz, she actively performs throughout the U.S. and Canada in clubs, festivals and jazz venues.  A true original with an authentic sound, Jenny has that rare vocal ability to swing hard in the pocket and hold her own with the best musicians in the business.  Jenny’s commitment to the art form is never more evident than in her third and newest CD release “INSIDE YOU”, where legendary jazz composer Rodgers Grant sought her to record his beautiful ballad “Morning Glory”.  A versatile vocalist, she is highly requested and is considered one of the Pacific Northwest’s top big band vocalists.  A passionate steward of jazz, Jenny passes on the tradition as a jazz educator, and vocal coach.  Davis is inspired by such great jazz vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Mel Tormé, Shirley Horn, June Christy and Kurt Elling.

“A pure voice and laser like pitch!” (Jazz Times) 

“Vocalese doesn’t get any better than this!” (All About Jazz)

“A welcome addition to the history of jazz vocalists.” (All About Jazz) 

“Stellar vocal jazz...magnificent...talented!” (Smother) 

Jenny Davis & Chuck Easton

About The Island Gallery

Established in 2002, The Island Gallery features internationally recognized artists whose work takes traditional art  forms in exciting new directions:  studio furniture and sculpture;  museum quality textile art  and wearables; wood fired ceramics from the finest potters in America; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Monthly exhibitions include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk, chamber music and performance art.  This, along with its reputation for excellence,  makes The Island Gallery a destination spot on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, and steps from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Contact Us/Visit:

Web site:  www.theislandgallery.net

Shop: www.theislandgallery.net/shop

Blog:  www.theislandgallery-artblog.blogspot.com

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Event Location: 

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

Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen Avenue.