The Gitana Collection: A Sneak Peek

We are delighted to host a trunk show on April 19th and 20th showcasing the Gitana Collection of silver jewelry, including a large selection of new pieces by incomparable silversmith and designer Agnes Seebass.  For complete details on this event, please scroll back a post of two, and voila.

In the meantime, we'd love to tempt you with a quick preview. 


Necklace:  Three silver squares, recessed gold leaf



Necklace:  A length of solid and open silver links



Necklace:  Silver Circles

 

Bracelet:  Recessed silver cubes



Necklace:  Recessed silver cubes

 

Necklace:  Recessed silver round, gold leaf




Earrings:  Silver rounds, recessed gold leaf, posts



Necklace:  Silver cones, frosted aqua glass beads



Necklace:  Square silver pendant, gold leaf accenting

All of the above pieces come from the studio of Agnes Seebass.  Here's a little about the artist:

Agnes Seebass was born in 1966 in Berlin, West Germany. She says that from the time she was a young child she loved working with her hands, and had a natural inclination for the arts. In 1985, she studied architecture in the HHS-Architecture Bureau in Bremen, and in 1986 went to Toulouse, France, where she studied Architecture and French at the Université du Mirail. Between 1987 and1991 Agnes studied Jewelry Design and Techniques of Production at the Staatliche Zeichenakademie in Hanau, Germany.

Around this time, while in Frankfurt, Agnes was exposed to Mexican modern and folk art and desired to learn more about Mexican culture, especially the fabrication of metal in Taxco. In 1992 she had the good fortune to be awarded a scholarship from the institution Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft to study silversmithing at the Los Castillo workshop in Taxco.

Later, she began creating her own pieces and opened her own workshop, first in Taxco and then in Cuernavaca where she presently works.

Agnes points out that while her jewelry designs were significantly enriched by the hollowware techniques she learned at Los Castillo, and by the styles and techniques of earlier Mexican silversmiths whose interpretations of pre-Columbian motifs define much of their work, she is a modernist whose designs only subtly reflect this influence.  In Agnes' words:

I think that my designs are a mixture of German and Mexican culture. In part the forms of Mexican nature and contrasts inspire me and on the other hand I like simple geometric forms and of course I have a (German) passion for precise handcraftsmanship.

Normally I do not draw a design. I work directly with the metal, experimenting, hammering, et cetera.  All of my pieces are 100% handmade. I do not use any industrial process. For me, pieces made by hand and with patience (time is no argument in my workshop) have a very different feeling than any mass-produced piece.

There is something very special for me about working with silver; it is like an adventure and I keep discovering new ways to achieve the results I have in mind. Sometimes the process is very intuitive, like the pendants with texture and gold leaf painting. I manipulate the surface in a spontaneous way until they look like canvas and can provoke curiosity to get closer, to touch…

- Special thanks to Marbeth Schon, “Modern Maestro”, modernsilver.com

To "touch", as one must do to truly appreciate this fine jewelry, come visit the Gallery during the trunk show, and have a sip of champagne as you enjoy.

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April's First Friday Surprise

We already suspected that with Peter Spencer at the helm we'd have a wonderful musical presentation on April 5th's First Friday Artwalk.  But when Peter called to report that he was bringing a surprise, our collective spines tingled.

At Showtime minus 30 minutes he strolled in with an imposing gentleman and introduced us to Orville Johnson.  And we're here to tell you, Orville is a Really Big Deal:  Known for his dobro and slide guitar stylings and soulful vocal acrobatics, he is a singer, instrumentalist, record producer, songwriter, session player, teacher, and the top dobro player on the West Coast of America (a dobro, incidentally, is a resonator guitar). 



Orville Johnson
(photo credit Tito Fuentes)

Born and raised in a small farming town in Illinois not far from the banks of the Mississippi river, Orville's early playing career was focused around the St Louis, Missouri music scene where he was exposed to and participated in a variety of blues, bluegrass, and American Roots music. He began singing in his Pentecostal church as a young boy, in rock bands during middle school, and then took up guitar and dobro at age 17 with early influences from Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, Mike Auldridge, and Chuck Berry. His travels took him west to Colorado and California, south to New Orleans and Memphis, and in the mid 1970s Orville spent several seasons playing on the SS Julia Belle Swain, a period piece Mississippi river paddlewheel steamboat plying the inland waterways.

Orville moved to Seattle in 1978 where he was a founding member of the legendary Northwest folk/rock group The Dynamic Logs.  Over the years he has played with a diverse list of artists including Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, John Hartford, Maria Muldaur, Richie Havens, Laura Love, blues artists John Cephas, Howard Armstrong, Sam Andrew (Big Brother and the Holding Company) and Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones). He has guested on over 400 albums, appeared on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and was featured in the 1997 film Georgia with Mare Winningham and Jennifer Jason-Leigh. He is also in demand as a teacher and author, writing for Acoustic Guitar and Fretboard Journal and teaching at prestigious workshops worldwide, including Euro Blues Week, International Guitar Seminar, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and Guitar Intensives.

Orville also has several solo CDs to his credit:  Blueprint for the Blues (1998), Slide & Joy (1999), an all-instrumental dobro tour de force, Freehand (2003), two discs with Mark Graham as The Kings of Mongrel Folk, four discs with the File Gumbo Zydeco Band, albums with Laura Love, John Cephas and Woody Mann, Grant Dermody and John Miller, and appearances on slide guitar collections Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel and Southern Filibuster: a tribute to Tut Taylor. His music has been featured in soundtracks for PBS' Frontier House, movies The Wooly Boys and Georgia Rule.  He also has several instructional DVDs available.

Wow...

Oh, and did we mention he sounded great in our back room?

Our gallery-strollers were treated to several straight hours of full-bodied soul, blues, and you-name-it from these two awe-inspiring musicians.

Could be, though, that possibly the most amazing feature of the performance is something that few in the audience realized.  Peter spilled the beans to us:

"Orville agreed to fill in at the last minute and NONE of the tunes we played had been rehearsed. In fact, we had never played together at all before sitting down Friday night in your back room. I expected top-flight musicianship and the complete ability to follow and complement anything I chose to play, and that's exactly what I got."


 And that's exactly what we got, too, Peter. 


Peter and Orville Making Magic
(photo credit J. Nunn)

Thank you, thank you both.  Can't wait for next time.

Trunk Show: The Gitana Collection



Silver and Gold Leaf Post Earrings

Phew!  How fabulous are these earrings?

They and more like them will be available at the Gallery during our special April trunk show.  Details are below, and more photos from this extraordinary collection will pop up on the blog over the upcoming week or so.

The Gitana Collection

Spring Trunk Show

April 19 & 20, 2013

 

This Spring’s show is a collection of designs by various silver artists whose works have been chosen by Michelle Tange. Each piece reflects the quality and unique look that is represented by today’s artists working in Taxco, Mexico: jewelry inspired by the Mayans, the Celts, nature, and high fashion, including many one-of-a-kind items and award-winning designs. Featuring an extensive collection of pieces by Agnes Seebass who has gained worldwide recognition with her contemporary designs and unique perspective. Her work makes a statement and is wearable art at its finest.

 

Come view this extraordinary art and sip champagne:

 

Friday, April 19th, 12 noon - 6 pm ~ Saturday, April 20th, 11 am - 5 pm

 

The Island Gallery

400 Winslow Way E., #120

Bainbridge Island, Washington 

April 2013 First Friday Artwalk: You're Invited!



Calm Sea.  Jen Till.  Oil on canvas.  48" x 48"

Awakenings

Oils and Small Works
by Bainbridge Island Artist

Jen Till

April 5 - 21, 2013

Opening Reception First Friday, April 5th, 6-8 pm

Featuring a Musical Performance by

Peter Spencer and Friends

with Caleb Spencer

  Soft mists and hopeful light herald the awakenings all around, as spring steals over the landscape.  Bainbridge Island artist Jen Till shares her subtle envisioning of a world waiting to bloom in a showing of large oil paintings and small works, also in oil.   Come join us as we welcome Jen and her beautiful work to the Gallery, and at the same time enjoy Peter and Caleb performing in our Sweet Little Space!

Sign up as a blog Follower to receive a notice whenever we publish Gallery news, sales, shows and musical events.  If you prefer, send us an e-mail at sr@theislandgallery.net and we'll sign you up to receive e-card reminders.   Happy Spring!

Upcoming Concerts, 2013

Because we just can't get enough of our amazing local musical talent, we've lined up monthly concerts for the rest of the year.  Some of the details are still developing, but in the meantime we can all mark our calendars so we don't miss any of the fun!   Here's the schedule as of right now:

April 5th, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends, featuring Caleb Spencer (vocals)

May 3rd, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends (performers TBA)

June 7th, First Friday:  The BBC

July 5th, First Friday:  The Julie Duke Band

August 2nd, First Friday:  Ranger and the Re-Arrangers

September 6th, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends (performers TBA)

October 4th, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends (performers TBA)

November 7th, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends (performers TBA)

December 6th, First Friday:  Peter Spencer & Friends (performers TBA)

We'll post notices prior to show dates, and updates as they happen.  Please check back often, or for your convenience you can sign up as a follower to receive an e-mail notice everytime we post on the blog.

March 2013 Gallery Picks

Happy March... MARCH??!

Actually, somehow, it's already the middle of March, which means it's time for our Gallery Picks Newsletter to hit the presses.  For more information, click on the title of any individual piece for a quick visit to our web shop.  Enjoy!

(By the way. if you'd like a monthly reminder that the Gallery Picks Newsletter is viewable here at the Blog, plus notices of upcoming shows, sales, and musical events sent directly to your inbox, send a note to sr@theislandgallery.net to subscribe.)

Sycamore Table with Black Steel Legs
Dimensions:  76" x 36" x 2"

If you've never seen quartersawn hardwood before, this table is a perfect example
of the beauty of this particular cut.  Quartersawn lumber became very popular
during the arts and crafts movement of the early 1900s.  It is a process in which logs
are cut into quarters and then the boards are sawn at an angle away from
the center of the log. This causes the growth rings or "grains” to pass through
the boards at a more perfect 90 degree angle. The benefits of quartersawn boards
have been known to Europeans for at least 600 years: Quartersawn boards
are not as prone to twist, warp or cup as they age, very important in bygone days
before modern wood treatment was an option; they are also stronger,
hold a finish better and do not allow liquids to easily pass through.

The honey/butter tone of the sycamore is beautifully set off by dramatic round
black steel legs, which add to the contemporary look of the live-edge table top.

Tree of Life VI.  Isnia
Batik on Silk Reverse Applique
150 x 80 cm

This magnificent wallhanging is a double-sided reverse applique collaboration by
Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam (Isnia) of Yogjakarta, Java, Indonesia.
Generally speaking, reverse applique is a sewing or "quilting" process in which
two or more layers of cloth are stacked one over the other, each layer being
cut away in turn to reveal the one below.  In this case, the artists first batik their
silk fabric, then cut, place, and sew the pieces together using variations in thread
colors, producing a vivacious 3-D artwork that is quite different on either side.
In this case, the artists have used cool teals and moss greens on one side,
with flaming reds and intense blues on the other.

A motif seen with almost complete universality across cultures and religions,
the Tree of Life alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet.
This motif is frequently seen in the work of Isnia.

Early warning:  This particular wallhanging and a number of Isnia's other
extraordinary pieces will be available for viewing in the Gallery during a special
May 2013 exhibition, which will be attended by the artists themselves.
More details will be available soon.  Stay tuned!



Basic Short Black K Dress.  Carter Smith
Black Leather Capelet.  Mabel Mae Designs

We've sung Carter Smith's praises many times here on the blog, and it's hard to find
more superlatives for this artist's consistent and gorgeous work; but let's face it,
this go-with-anything bias-cut mid-calf length dress in silk georgette is ready to
take you dancing!  Cut to conform to any woman's body, its voluminous skirt is
flowing and swirly - a great look with heels or your most spectacular
boots - and is available in S/M/L/XL sizes.

We've paired it with Mabel Mae's soft-as-silk black leather capelet, a lovely
little accessory with a magnetic button closure and edges subtly studded in pearls.
 
When they say you're looking good, simply reply, "What, in this old thing?"



Small Madrone Bowls.  Curt Minier
Dimensions (bowl on left): 5" x 4-3/4"

The Pacific Northwest is home to many amazing wood artists, and we love them.

Curt lives on Vashon Island, and after an illustrious career in furniture-making that included

apprenticing at the Baulines Crafts Guild in California where he studied the Espenet

style, a contemporary California craft movement, then being a founder of Northwest Fine

Woodworking in Seattle, he is happy to explore new forms and styles.

These madrone bowls are turned end grain, dyed, with clear lacquer finish.  Sounds

easy enough, but how does he do this:  They seem to glow, as if some inner light

is trying to escape the slender walls of the vessels.

Is it magic?

We're not quite sure...



Walnut Hall Table
Dimensions:  58" x 33" x 1-1/4"

Stunning!

This live-edge walnut hall table is a beauty, with its simple, modern feel
and Pacific Rim sensibilities.  Created from local salvaged hardwood, it has
a conversion varnish finish.  We have three of these currently on display in the Gallery,
which the artist dubbed Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear; this one is the mid-size.
Each is different in wood grain and markings.  For further information on this one
(Mama Bear), click on the title above to visit our online shop.

Or stop in at the Gallery and say hello to the whole family!



"Duchess".  Carol Campbell

Ascot, anyone?  A quick turn around the manor grounds, perhaps?  A spot of tea in the parlor?

It's almost impossible to look at Carol's marvelous hats and not feel a tug of
nostalgia for long English summer days, swans swimming in castle ponds, or a
Royal Wedding or two - even if we've never personally experienced any of those things!
We can always turn on the telly and dream, can't we?
(We can also hope for Easter Bonnet weather, which so far proves elusive.)

Carol has graced us with a must-see collection of her chapeaux - variously
described as Picture Hats, Perchers, Skimmers, and Sculptural Sinamay, among
others - possibly in hopes that we're all off to the Kentucky Derby shortly, or might
contemplate cruising around Bainbridge In Bloom (our island's popular July garden event)
replete in blooms of our own.  And why not?  If the ladies of Downton Abbey can
wear fabulous hats, we can do it, too!

(The butler, however, did NOT do it...)

Cotton Batik Scarf.  David Mendoza
Dimensions:  74" x 14"

We've carried David's work in the Gallery for all of its eleven-years' span
(yes, we're in our eleventh year).  All this time later, his artistry continues to evolve
and is always deeply satisfying.  This beautiful scarf is part of his recently arrived
shipment, and is perfect for spring and summer wear.  Long, lightweight and breezy
cotton in black and white hand-stamped batik with touches
of indigo... well, it's sheer delight.

A little about David:

David Mendoza is a native of the Seattle area who now lives on Bali
where he designs clothing and jewelry.  After thirty years of working in the
arts and cultural politics he decided to take a short break and in 1998 went off
to Bali for a 10-day holiday.  Four months later he had found a piece of land on
which it seemed he was about to build a house. David returned to Seattle for
a month to get his bearings and find out if he had lost his mind. Then he
returned to Bali to begin building his house.  He became interested in
Indonesian textiles, particularly natural plant dyes which before the invention
of chemical dyes were traditionally used to give color to yarns and textiles.
Some of the plants used for dyeing were growing on his land, so he began to
experiment.  He now has a studio near Ubud, and we see the results of
his efforts with continuing pleasure.



"Stripes", Vintage Black and White Bead Necklace.  Virginia Paquette
Dimensions:  32" long

It's difficult to take a glance through the jewelry cases here at the Gallery
and not come away breathless over Virginia Paquette's jewelry.  Her broad range
of styles, from classic gemstone pieces to vintage and ancient beads, is pretty
impressive.   We'd love to rummage through her bead and gemstone stash!

This necklace is particularly striking with its weighty wooden vintage beads,
painted black and white and strung simply on linen cord.  The beads float freely
on the cord, and would  make a statement whether worn with a casual outfit
or in a more formal setting.  The cord is quite long at 32 inches, but
could be shortened quite easily if desired.

Click on the item's title above to visit our web shop for more information on Virginia,
and to view her beautiful work!



Felted Wool Basket with Speckled Feathers.  Doriane Nieburgs
Dimensions:  approximately 3" tall x 4" in diameter

Not your usual Easter basket... but imagine how sweet this would be on the
Easter table, for something a little different.  Doriane always makes these lovely
felted wool baskets with little surprises on or inside them, ready to delight even
the crustiest among us.  We can imagine a line of these on a shelf,
dining table or sideboard, perhaps containing one or more of those
elusive eggs we hunt for this time of year.  Or start a collection for
yourself or a youngster, to keep and cherish forever.

Visit the web shop or stop in at the Gallery for more information, and to see
a selection of Doriane's delightful, colorful baskets, both bigger and smaller!


Be sure to bookmark this page, and don't forget:  if you'd like a reminder sent directly to your mailbox, send a note to sr@theislandgallery.net; we'll sign you up right away.  And keep an eye on the blog for brand new information on our upcoming musical series!

Gallery Strolling...?

Over the years, we've noted that First Friday Artwalks here on Beautiful Bainbridge Island can take many forms:  bustling and jolly at the holidays, sedate and serious, even drowsy on occasions, especially when one of our trademark Northwest monsoons blows through.  Things can get quiet - or crazy - very quickly.  We never know, really, what to expect.  But this past Friday had a new feeling, something a little different, that we couldn't pin down at first.  We've attempted to analyze this vibe, however, and finally came up with an appropriate descriptor.

Relaxed. 

Sort of a Parisien Boulevardier kind of relaxed, wherein the townfolk Art-Strolled rather than Art-Walked.  Perhaps had a sip of wine here and there, perhaps nibbled on hors d'oeuvres or little chocolate Easter eggs, then entered the Gallery to the gentle tones of an acoustic guitar, and suddenly exhaled.  Relaxed.

Ah-ha, that's what made the difference:  Peter Spencer and his guitar.

Peter began the evening with a string of wonderfully executed instrumentals, treating us to tunes ranging from the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel to Pachelbel's Canon in D.  Once the audience was sufficiently entranced he switched to soulful, bluesy vocals, keeping the mood mellow, casual, Art-Strolly.

Relaxed.

We loved it.  Everyone loved it.

Keep an eye on this blog as we announce more musical events with Peter and other local musicians.  You're going to want to save the dates!