FOX ON THE CALM

BEWITCHED BY THE DARK 

SIDE OF THE MOON

This piece was photographed prior to it's completion, so if you are looking closely, it may strike you as having an incomplete look to it. I started with a sketch of a red fox on heavy weight, acid-free vellum, then came in with various washes, then moved forward painting layers upon layers of acrylic paint and colored pencil to capture the essence of the fox's fur.  A second piece of vellum was adhered to the painting to create more rigidity. Once adhered I used a sharp X-acto knife to cut out the fox. I put spacers between the background and the glass. The fox image sits between two narrower spacer at the bottom so it "floats" within the 1" deep frame, away from the background. The moon is a found object that has a dark, mottled, textured color to it.

In BEWITCHED BY THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, the fox appears mesmerized by the mystery and magic of the shadowy, darker side of the moon which we, from time to time, get to witness but perhaps not as full as depicted. It measures 8" X 10".

Click on the image to enlarge it.

MOONLIT REPOSE

This piece, MOONLIT REPOSE, is again of a red fox having a still, quiet moment under the fullness of the moon, which is thick, heavy, pulpy paper that I painted to resemble the moon's surface. It measures 10" X 10".

You may have noticed in the previous posts that I have been using cradle boards/artist panels (a wood panel with sides that can be 1/8th inch deep to 2 inches deep). I have been experimenting to see if this is a surface I want to pursue indefinitely or occasionally...we shall see.

Remember to click on the image to enlarge it. 

THE OPENING

The Nature of Things opened with a good steady crowd to the very end of the evening. Along with the interested public, many friends and family members attended to support the artists so it was a wonderful time for talking art, techniques, and simply catching up.

The show is beautiful with many thanks going to  Jay Haskins, print-maker and Northwinds Arts Center's gallery manager, whose eye for placement and grouping of artists' work as he hangs a show is exceptional (hanging help from Don Tiller. It is one of his paintings that graces the front of the Northwind Arts Gallery - see photo).

Our work goes very well together so it flows with a nice continuity to it. The four of us all have an affinity and reverence for the natural and mysterious. You will notice that crows, ravens, various other birds, dogs, and other wonderful animals appear in our work in various scenarios evoking emotion and laughter.

The two pieces I posted previously on March 12th, Looking For a Place to Call Home, and March 24th, Seeking Reflection, sold the day before so it opened up and moved the energy to generate more sales for me, Rae, Ellen and Kathleen. Ellen Reichart sold 2 pieces opening night. We're holding visions of more red dots for Kathleen Snow and Rae Belkin and all of us for that matter. We all worked diligently to make this show as beautiful as it is.

If you are in the area I hope you can get by the gallery. For more info on the Northwind Arts Center click here.

Thanks to all who came out to see the show Saturday during the opening and throughout the duration of the show...May 4 through 27, 2012.

THE NATURE OF THINGS

It always seems that when time is running short that imminent deadline rushes up and starts circling around me. But considering the limitations I am faced with I have made some studio time to get some new work done...two of which you can see in my last two previous posts.
The first weekend in May will be the opening of THE NATURE OF THINGS at Northwind Art Center in Port Townsend, WA. If you are in the area stop by for the opening on May 5th or sometime during the weeks this show will hang...May 4-27. I am delighted to show once again with these three talented artists, Rae Belkin, Ellen Reichart and Kathleen Snow (our wonderful curator). This is the second showing of our work together and the previous one in 2010 was very well received so our hope is to dazzle the viewers again this time around.
I hope to see you there.
Return here for another visit again soon to see more new works.

What follows is the press release for The Nature Of Things...

The Nature of Things

Northwind Arts Center presents The Nature of Things, showcasing the work of four Northwest artists who draw their inspiration from their relationship to the world around them. Rae Belkin, Linda Jarvis, Ellen Reichart and Kathleen Snow work in a variety of media including painting, drawing, assemblage and printmaking. Their unique works range from the poetic to the humorous. The show runs from May 4 through May 27, 2012 at Northwind Arts Center, 2409 W. Jefferson St., Port Townsend WA

Rae Belkin grew up is Minneapolis, Minnesota, looking forward to the Walter Foster drawing books she would receive as gifts from an aunt.  She has painted (for over 35 years) subjects as diverse as portraits to landscapes to chickens. A journey which started from art books, continued as an art major in college, led to her currently creating art using mixed media.  From once capturing a moment in time with a photo-realistic approach, she now captures thoughts and concepts with a unique style incorporating handmade papers, paint, ink, and acrylic mediums on canvas and paper.  Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States and in Europe.  Rae has also participated in many invitational exhibitions and garnered numerous awards.

For “The Nature of Things”, Rae is continuing the theme of birds (mostly crows) in unusual landscapes.  She likes the idea that they have other perches besides the ordinary tree.  Just to liven things up a bit, she has also added to the mix a surprise appearance of a rabbit and some geckos.

Linda Jarvis lives in a woodsy, rural area, drawing her inspiration from nature. “As an artist I have felt a personal responsibility to relay some sort of emotion by way of my work. My hope throughout my career has been to trigger an elemental awareness to our natural world, the delicate stability of our environment and the wildlife that live within,” she states. “It is this sense of interconnectedness that moves me to create work from observations of our natural surroundings.” Her fascination with animals, their interactions with each other, even with humans, their personal idiosyncrasies bring both beauty and humor to her painting, assemblage and sculpture. She works in mixed media, using acrylic, pastel, graphite and colored pencils, and gives new life to various collected found elements.

“I relish the opportunity to witness someone truly being pulled in, transfixed by a piece that perhaps portrays a crow manipulating an object in some way that bears witness to it’s amazing intelligence or, in a dream, the ability to grow wings and fly with avian creatures. If I’ve aroused laughter or thoughtfulness I sense I have touched their center to pause in their imagination for just a moment.”

Ellen Reichart is a painter and printmaker whose inspiration comes from her reverence for nature, the impact of relationships, universal patterns that connect, and the constantly changing nuances and light patterns of the Pacific Northwest.  Reichart works from memory and allows experimentation and dream images to guide her during the printmaking process.  She enjoys the surprise each time she pulls the paper from the plate and a reversed image emerges.  Though most her prints are monotypes, ( one time prints),  she will often run the same paper through the press numerous times, adding or removing inks and shapes from the plate to create movement and texture.  The artist is drawn to the challenge of merging inner and outer worlds.  Her works are often described as haunting.  

Kathleen Snow had worked in multiple media from fiber to polymer to painting, but her 30 year fascination with printmaking is her primary passion. “The endless variety of techniques from etching and lithograph to monoprints and relief printing provide constant challenge and stimulation.” Snow draws on inspiration from the life and landscape around her, images and forms evolving from realistic to abstract. Her current work reflects her continuing relationship to her neighborhood crows, cycles of growth, and her recent travels to Central America.

There will be an artist’s reception at Gallery Walk, Saturday May 5, from 5:30- 8:00 pm. The artists will give a talk on Sunday, May 6, at 1:00 pm at the Arts Center. Northwind is open Thursday through Monday, noon to 5PM.

SEEKING REFLECTION

I think, at one time or I would hope many others, we seek to reflect on ourselves, our lives, our paths, our deeds. I also sense the changing of seasons brings on this meditative, contemplative state for pondering our lives, especially spring with the rebirth of our natural world in so many dimensions.

In this piece, SEEKING REFLECTION, another small one, I depict a bird studying its own likeness in the still waters. As I write this, in retrospect, perhaps a stronger narrative would have been disrupted waters where it can be more difficult to reflect.

I brought in more reflective elements with the use of dental mirrors. I rendered the finished image with acrylic paint and colored pencil. The overall measurement of this piece is about 6" X 3".

Remember to click on the photo for a larger image.

STUDIO TIME . . .

I am astonished at how much time has lapsed since I last posted. To those of you who have come again and again to take a look at what might be new, I apologize for the absence of more recent content. Circumstances keep my studio hours pretty scattered, but I am working to get a new body of work together for a show in May at Northwinds Art Center in Port Townsend, WA. The deadline is creeping up on me fast and swift.

This is one of the new pieces I am working on. It is small...the cradle board is 3 X 4. It is painted in acrylic and colored pencil and the copper is the outside casing over old electrical wire I manipulated into cylindrical cone-like shapes as finials with the tops flared open and a mock nest. I may title it LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO CALL HOME which was suggested to me while brainstorming for titles...or MOVING DAY or... This task still persists...

HAY EWE!

HAY EWE is another piece using the play on words or word play idea for the E-I-E-I-HO-HO-HO group show at The Gallery, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery. My mother's cousin is a real punster, he is a master punster, so it must run somewhere through my blood to want to play with words in this fashion.

Here, similar to some previous pieces I am thinking outside of the matte. If you have read many of my other previous posts you know I like creating depth in my work whenever possible. I like to think the layers lure the viewer in, at least that is my experience while I am in the process of developing and completing a piece.

If you are in the vicinity from December 2 through January 2 stop in to see the creations all the artists came up with using farm as their muse. And thanks for visiting these pages when you have the inclination to.

Below is a closer shot of this piece. Remember to click on the photos for a larger image.



all rights reserved by the artist Linda Jarvis © 2011

EWE & YOU

This is a fun piece I put together for an upcoming group show at The Gallery, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery on Bainbridge Island. The title of the show is E-I-E-I-HO-HO-HO! The theme is farm, such as in farm animals, buildings, equipment, etc. For this piece I decided to play with words. It is a wall mirror that sits away from the wall about an inch creating shadow behind it with my depiction of a ewe and when you look in the mirror you will appear with the ewe, hence the title...EWE & YOU.
Dimensions are 11.5H X 13W X 1.25D

all rights reserved by the artist Linda Jarvis © 2011

RUNNING, LAUGHING, WILD AND FREE

This piece is that which I mentioned in my previous post where I hoped to find a photo showing similarity to the piece one of my art school instructors, Fred Griffin, created using old patinaed cedar shingles for a ground to create a work of art. I rather like the moss and lichen texture on the shingles in his piece (see below) which promote more interest, from my viewpoint. In my piece above I fashioned pine needles, some stiff and some lanky, tree bark for the wild burro, feathers and waxed string for the mane. This piece goes back to 1987... It was a commentary on the demise of the wild burro.

REFLECTING & REMEMBERING

I have noticed that as I progress in age I find myself reflecting back on my life and what were the moments that left the most significant impact and that stayed in my memory. Most recently it has been my experiential learning years in commercial art school. I attended The Burnley School of Professional Art, founded in 1946, owned and directed by Jess Cauthorn when he purchased it in 1959 (Mr. Cauthorn purchased the Burnley School of Professional Art, and worked alongside William Cumming, Fred Griffin, Austin Dwyer, and many others in creating the premier commercial arts college in the Pacific Northwest.) and since 1982 is now known as The Art Institute of Seattle. During those first three years of the 70's studies in commercial art, design and illustration under the instructive encouragement of Bill Cumming, Fred Griffin, Austin Dwyer, Jess Cauthorn and other prominent northwest artists, as well as private studies in the fine arts, provided me with a wonderfully broad background in various disciplines and media. It was such a privilege to study in such an enriching, friendly and intimate atmosphere with these NW icons.

Just last month I sadly learned that 2 of my favorite and most revered instructors, Bill Cumming and Fred Griffin have past on from this world. Bill last November and Fred just in April. I will always remember them as I knew them then in 1970-72 (as in B/W photos above). I gleaned so much insight into the realms of art and graphic design from these two free spirited artists during my years at Burnley and small private classes from Fred. All of which I utilize so much in my creative process/work and in life and will never lose.

I also learned recently that Bill had written a book back in the 80's. Of course, upon this knowledge, I had to acquire my own copy. It is titled: Sketchbook-A Memoir of the 30's & The Northwest School.

It is autobiographical covering many years from his early 20's as well as looking into the lives and goings-on of all the artist icons within the NW School, such as Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Guy Anderson and Ken and Margaret Callahan. It is quite a first hand history with personal insights of the art scenes in Seattle and the Northwest and his accounts of his involvment in the WPA Art Project during the depression. He writes with clever humor and shrewdness. A delightful and eye-opening read.

To Fred and Bill's spirits...thank you both for the illumination you brought to my years of learning and to my life as an artist, not to mention the world of art. You will always be remembered and missed dearly.

Photo Credit Annette Bauman

William Cumming 1917-2010

A celebrity in the local art scene and best known as the youngest and longest standing member of the Northwest School with Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves and Mark Tobey. He called himself "The Willie Nelson of Northwest Painting".

Fred Griffin 1931-2011

Artist and graphic designer, creating in every moment. Prolific in every sense of the word.

Here are some quotes, the first one I particularly relate to, especially the last sentence: "Get the mark down. Put your germinal thoughts into visual impacts. Notes, sketches, exercises in finding, filing, assembling and storing for visual feedback/scanning. Here is the priority, the calisthenics make all the difference. Here is the visual thinker, not the verbal thinker." FG

Well, this one hits home, too:"I am the Fantasy Archeologist. The investigator of the visible. My paintings tie together years of metamorphic work that range from seed pods to whole orchestrated walls each part of a series celebrating Nature’s magical glimpses. The jewel-like hints that mean a vast untapped treasure lies within the earth’s surface. The archeologist begins to brush aside the surface to get to the source. I want to give the viewer the excitement of that moment - to give him the desire to uncover - peel away - to draw him through my paint strokes and surface edges. I want each viewer to feel the fascination when a glowing fossil has been unearthed. I want him to begin to read the romance of the painting." FG

And this: "I believe a painting should have an attractive quality from afar. The image should have a thoughtfulness that reads further into the painting, that rewards the viewer who wants to think about it. In other words – attraction with meaning." FG

I recently discovered a web-site of Fred's work that I've never found googling in the past. It is so fantastic to reference so much of his work. This piece above is reminiscent of a piece I did years ago titled "Running, Laughing, Wild and Free", where I used old cedar shingles in the same fashion...I didn't use spent sparklers, a nice use, but I did use very long pine needles in much the same way. If I can find an old photo of this piece I will post it. Minds think alike...kindred spirits.

I hope you will take some time to read about these 2 amazing individuals and view their artwork at the links I provided above. When you view Fred's vast body of work on his site you will recognize why I related to him, his approach and reverence to nature as I have over the years. I will miss knowing they are still in our world, but they left behind a wonderful legacy, visual and otherwise.

Onward...

ARTIST STUDIO BARN SALE HIGHLIGHTS

For those who did not make the 3rd Annual Artist Studio Sale last weekend, this is Gunther, our friendly crocodile sculpture (by Shane Miller) who greets our guests as they enter the magical world of GreyBird Barn Studio.

This year, with the help of my husband, I faced the wall with sound board for an easier hang.

The Artists...Beverly Saito, me, Linda Jarvis, Shirley Moss, Diane Gale and Shane Miller.

Many thanks go out again to my sister, Wendy, and friends Kristi, Carrie and Ari for all the help they offered to our efforts. Their generosity of spirit is so very much appreciated by all of us.

With such heartful team endeavors we brought to fruition our annual event once again. Thank you!

ARTIST STUDIO SALE at GreyBird Barn

June 25th and 26th is fast arriving. We are all hoping you will be able to stop by the charming GreyBird Barn in Port Townsend for our 3rd Annual Artist Studio Sale. Come visit a while, share news, have some refreshments, introduce yourself and even take home an artful acquisition!

The directions on the post card above are as follows: Look for our signs just outside Port Townsend. Off Sims Way/HWY 20 take Frederick St. east to Otto St. Turn left and follow the signs to bottom of the hill. A large crocodile sculpture will let you know you've arrived. We are located at 11 Carroll Ave. See you there!

Click on any image to enlarge it.

SAVE THIS DATE

Our Artist Studio Sale is coming up soon so please save these dates. We will open GreyBird Barn again with 5 of us showing our goods the weekend of June 25 & 26.

Please check back for more details, I promise I will update the information so you can find us easily.

COMMENTING ON A COMMENT

Time has escaped me once again, as life is full and demands are high, but here I am. A while back I mentioned I would remark on one of the complimentary comments I received back in the fall of last year. It was my surprise that they featured some of my corvid images on their site that they've dedicated to ravens and crows and the such, a site for corvid connoisseurs. It is quite a wonderful site so please be sure to visit AvesNoir.

You will find the link to my feature page bottom center of the nine image blocks on their home page.

Their comment: I am absolutely enchanted by your work! We have featured it over at AvesNoir. Enjoy!

Thanks for the feature Aves Noir! It is much appreciated!

The image above is a detail shot of a piece titled "Identity Theft".

TEMPUS FUGIT

Well, here again I have let months go by since my last blog entry. I am taking a bit of a hiatus from hanging out in my studio and creating art. This is due to my elderly mother who is in need of my attention and since I live so close I am accepting the responsibility to look after her with the occasional help of my sister and others who know her. It feels right to give back to her while she is in her waning years...after all, our mothers give so much, so happily to us as children, at least mine did and for that I feel very fortunate. She is so sweet and good natured and we get along great.

It does, however, feels a bit odd to be away from my studio, that is, to not be spending any real length of time there, but I feel that my absence will generate some interesting work in the future. I will have a whole new perspective and a fresh start. Meanwhile, I will be musing and keep my sketch book handy.

Since you are reading this, I thank you for returning to see what might be new on these pages. My apologies for no visuals this time, other than the Artists Musing image above, which I love. Do keep coming back, though, as eventually I will have something new to share.

My next post will be in regard to a comment I received some time back, the latter part of last year, and I want to share it with you. I think you will enjoy it.

Thanks for tuning in.

STUDIO SCENES & FIREFLIES IN THE ATTIC

It is hard for me to realize that over 2 months have passed since I last posted. For those of you who continue to revisit to see what's new, thank you for coming back.

Life can throw us challenges and when it does we simply step up and do what needs to be done with love and grace, we would hope. My plate is quite filled up these days caring for my elderly mother, looking after my dog who has a crippling neurological disorder, while trying to find balance all on the verge of turning 60! Oh yeah. So the act of creating artworks and studio time is limited to say the least, though I will do what I can, when I can and post when possible.

As you see in the photo at the top, my studio work table can get a bit overloaded and crowded with various materials and elements, but somehow this seems to be the way I work best. Not too long ago I purchased a box of gouache paints to see if I wanted to go for the big tubes...They are still sitting there partially used while I am still contemplating their further use as I seem to gravitate to acrylics, so we will see where they take me, if anywhere.

Presently, I am in a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery in Winslow on Bainbridge Island. The theme is The Play Of Light. With that idea, the play of light, the wheels in my head got in motion to come up with a piece that might arouse one's curiosity. Which brings us to this featured piece. As I was working through the creative motions it came to mind I might like to show the progress/process of the piece as I worked. So this 2nd photo illustrates how I lay out the parts to see how I'll construct it, what material I will use to cover it and what elements to apply. To bring light to it was a task, but I had numerous minds to help me get the right lights, wiring, battery, etc. My husband's electrician mind came to the aid, ultimately getting it all wired and powered up, while he gave me a refresher course in soldering, though he really did most of it.

Eventually this was the end result (below). At the back of the base there is a switch that turns on 5 very small, and I do mean small, lights that you can see only if you get up close and peek through the round hole near the top of the structure that lets you look into the attic. Being that the lights are so close and our eyes do not focus well at that distance, or at least in the case of my eyes, halos surround the lights simulating the look of fireflies. Hence we have FIREFLIES IN THE ATTIC.

This show run from Dec. 3rd through Jan 3rd. Stop by if you are in the area.

MID-NIGHT THIEF

With all the thievery we see in the behavior of crows and ravens, keeping an eye on all our shiny objects, such as keys, would be diligent on our part, lest we lose them to these clever Corvidaes. I revel in watching these savvy feathered critters. This particular species of birds is one of my favorite subjects, as you may have seen from my previous posts. I am entranced by their intelligence and impressed with their genius and mastery of tasks. MID-MIGHT THEIF suggests this mischievous act, when, in the night, the objects become lit by the moon's bright light, enhancing their chances of further, irresistible appropriations.

For this piece I used a wonderful block of wood with diminishing red paint. I have a fetish, of sorts, for weathered remnants of painted wood I pick up on our beaches. They possess so much character and bring interesting qualities when used in various applications and seem to have revealing stories within them.

MID-NIGHT THIEF is another fairly small piece. It is a wall piece, though this photo was taken as it sat on it's base. I like the shadows it cast on the backdrop. It now resides with friends Kate and Ned Schuman who are big supporters of the arts on the Olympic Peninsula. Thank you both for your continued interest in my work!

STARLIT GAZES

This piece, STARLIT GAZES, is a much smaller 2D piece and unusual for me to render, but I had fun bringing it about. It is a simple piece, yet still has depth to it as I put spacers between the glass and the matte with additional spacers between the matte and the art itself (not shown-the photo of this image was taken before I nestled it into the frame) I enjoyed working in this smaller format (once framed it measured 9" X 9") and hope to do more. The next piece I will be posting is small in nature also, but in an assemblage composition.

This was the first piece to sell at the BIRDS OF A FEATHER exhibit at Northwinds, a recent show mentioned in previous posts. I am happy to say it now resides with a friend and fellow local artist, painter and illustrator, Max Grover, along with his cats in his very fun and artful home. I can understand why he was drawn to this piece since his paintings are so whimsically fun, colorful and playful. You can see more of Max's work at his web-site. His motto is Fun Art for the Serious Mind. I like that.
Thanks Max. I am delighted and flattered you connected with STARLIT GAZES.

FENCE PROOF RABBIT

Here is another wordplay as I venture to twist the original expression, Rabbit Proof Fence, into my own, in FENCE PROOF RABBIT. It seems that what we try to do to control nature or other situations we think we have control over, nature ultimately, in most cases, wins and possibly with catastrophic results. Basically, in this piece, I just like the notion that the rabbit is not confined or restricted by a man-made obstacle.

Thanks again to friend, Ned Schumann for taking the photo of this piece during the BIRDS OF A FEATHER exhibit. I like the shadowy quality as it shows it's depth.
Remember clicking on the image will enlarge it.

BEEFRIENDING AGAIN

This is a wonderful shot of BEEFRIENDING against the vibrant wall at Northwinds Art Center taken during the BIRDS OF A FEATHER exhibit, photographed by Ned Schumann, a friend and the founder of OlympusNet.
I love how the chair pops out off the vivid red wall and the shadows it creates from the gallery lights illuminating it. This is the piece that is on the pedestal that Ellen and I flank in the previous post's photo, also taken by Ned during our Artist Talk.

MORE BIRDS OF A FEATHER

In this photo I am shown sitting with the three fellow accomplished artist-friends I exhibited with in BIRDS OF A FEATHER as we shared our artistic backgrounds, approaches and techniques. The Artist Talk, which took place on a Sunday afternoon, was part of the education process Northwind Art Center provides the community. We each expressed our artistic experiences with some of our insights and methodology on one or more of the pieces we were displaying. I expounded on the piece in a previous post, DREAMS OF FLIGHT, as well as the other previously pieces you can see if you scroll down. During the presentation there were inquisitive questions from the attendees which allowed for more revelation of our work. One of the participants was Ned Schumann, founder of one of our oldest local Internet Service Providers on the Olympic Peninsula, OlympusNet, which started in 1993. He was filming the event and also took this photo (above) of us while we spoke. We are, from left to right: Kate Snow, Ellen Reichart, me and Rae Belkin. I will be posting other shots he captured of my work from this exhibit at a later date. Stay tuned. Remember to enlarge the image, click on the photo.

DREAMS OF FLIGHT

Layering has always been an intricate part of my work. I like the idea of creating depth. Then within the story that unfolds comes the creation of intrigue. This piece is a bit unusual for me as I do not typically do people. But I was wanting to do a piece that depicted a person wearing a bird mask, but once I had this female image complete I did not want to cover up her dreamlike gaze. So, where do I move with it? I then thought a kite with a bird placed on it might be fun way to add some movement to the contemplative stillness of the woman. I have been using the matte as an extension of the working format and I am really liking the results and how it plays into the whole of the concept. The idea of the wings on the woman came at the end and with the dreamy trance she took on, then, of course, the title was birthed . . . DREAMS OF FLIGHT. Haven't we all, at some time or other, thought of being able to fly? I know I have. I so often imagine what it might be like to sore high on the winds, travel where and as I wish, seeing the Earth below and distances far off. Perhaps the next life has this in store for me.

This photo was actually taken before I got the piece settled into a frame, as you can see the shadow at the top of the matte is a little distorted. This was also part of BIRDS OF A FEATHER show at Northwind Art Center, Port Townsend, that is still on exhibit through Aug. 1. Remember to click on the image for a larger view of it.

MASQUERADE GONE A-FOWL

Like most of my pieces, this piece metamorphosed and evolved as I created it. The mallard hen is painted on heavy vellum then cut out and set off the background. I was going to put the mask over the mallards head, but thought why cover her up after giving her life. So I decided to suspend the raven mask from string and add more dimension that made it look more 3D in it's form . . . it hangs over the matte. Ultimately, this title came to me after it had been completed. I was riding as passenger in the car with my husband when it hit me. I said out loud, "Oh! I think I've got it! Of course!". It rang a bell in my head so clear, it could be nothing other than MASQUERADE GONE A-FOWL. Playing with words creating a visual pun can be a lot of fun. Attempting to achieve that play on words successfully can only be known when I see the reaction in the viewers eyes, on their face or in their laughter. Therein showing me that the imagining effort and ultimate outcome was worth it. This is part of the BIRDS OF A FEATHER exhibit with Rae Blekin, Ellen Reichart and Kate Snow (see post below) at The NorthWind Art Center that hangs through July.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

From July 2nd through August 1st our local art center, Northwind Arts Center, will host an invitational show: BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Myself, (Linda Jarvis) Rae Belkin, Ellen Reichart and Kathleen Snow are presenting works in a variety a media. All four of us share an affinity for using imagery and themes related to animals and the natural world exploring various ideas often conveying a sense of mystery and humor. I am looking forward to my work hanging out, so to speak, with these other wonderful artist's work.

If you live near or around the Olympic Peninsula area I hope you can join us for the BIRDS OF A FEATHER Walk-Through, Friday, July 2 at 10 a.m. and the Opening Reception, Saturday, July 3, 5:30 - 8 p.m., at the Northwind Arts Center - 2904 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend.

The image of the piece above the map is titled IDENTITY THEFT. It has always intrigued me how blue jays can mimic various bird's songs and/or calls in the attempt to fool the other birds and scare them from their nests. It stirred up in my mind this image of a blue jay trying to steal the identity of a crow. It always puts a smile on my face when I hear a blue jay mocking other birds and I think to myself, how clever is that! But, then again, how deceiving. That being said, crows are very clever and intelligent in their own right. Seeing this piece in person will give you the full monty and energy of what it is depicting and the embellishments on the frame. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to get by the gallery during the shows duration through July. Remember to click on the image for a larger view and don't forget to stop back to find new posts now and then. Thank you for your interest.

POST BARN SALE

This is the complete crew from our 2010 Artist Studio Barns Sale. From left to right:

Shirley Moss, Kristi Templeton, Shane Miller, Beverly Saito, Carrie Eckhart (our cookie maker), me (Linda Jarvis), kneeling in front of me, my dear sister Wendy (who helps out wearing many different hats-we couldn't do it without her!), and Diane Gale. We had a blast all weekend, made new friends and visited with our previous visitors and loyal patrons. Thanks to all for making it a wonderful 2nd Annual,

2nd ANNUAL STUDIO SALE AT GREYBIRD BARN

SAVE THE DATE!!! June 26th and 27th

Mark your calendar for our 2nd ANNUAL STUDIO SALE AT GREYBIRD BARN in Port Townsend, WA. Five wonderful artists: Diane Gale....Linda Jarvis...Shane Miller...Shirley Moss....and Beverly Saito will be featured in a variety of mediums.



Our good friends at Diana Cronin's Egg & I Pottery Studio in Chimacum, WA will be celebrating their 5th Annual Open Studio & Pottery Sale. Once again GreyBird Barn Studio Sale will coincide with the Egg & I Pottery Sale. Read more info about Egg & I Pottery Sale here.

Bring your friends and family and come for a delicious day of art and fun.....Port Townsend is beautiful in June.

(remember that you can click on any image to see it larger)

Have questions?...Or would you like to be added to our email list?...
Contact Shane Miller

CHAIR AFFAIR 2010

It is time again for the Chair Affair.
The ArtScape web-site is not currently updated when I last looked today, but you can read about ArtScape's vision and mission.

My chair this year is a retro piece I did back in '94. It was a time when I was emerging myself with a spiritual affinity for the Native Americans and the reverence they share for nature and Earth. I titled it Strong Heart.

I hope those of you who live on the Olympic Peninsula can come by to see all the wonderful chairs and tables donated by our local artists Saturday, May 1st in the Mt. Baker Building,
2nd floor, 5:30-8pm. Live music and refreshments...
Don't forget to bring your wallets...this is a great cause...
Thank you

STRAIT ART 2010

This is my first year to jury for Strait Art at the Port Angeles Fine Art Center.

Above is my self promotional email announcement that I sent out to my e-list. The show is diversified and encompasses 29 artists from the Straits of Juan de Fuca area. This year the exhibition merged with the new PUB (Pirate Union Building) Gallery at the Peninsula College campus which expands the exhibition space considerably, giving each artist the opportunity to show four pieces each. The opening reception was yesterday afternoon with generous attendance. There were delectable delights for nibbling on while mingling with guests and other artists.

It was an opportune time to meet new artists and reconnect with others I had not seen in a lengthy time. The local PA paper, the Daily Peninsula News, did a cover story in their Spotlight section last Friday, 3-12-10, if you have access to this publication you can learn about the participating artists.

RETROSPECT REFLECTION

From time to time, as with writers, artists get blocked, too. We lose our voice, so to speak. Those inspirational juices just don't flow through our blood as per usual. I have had one of these dry spells of late. You may have noticed if you have visited these pages within the last five months or so, I haven't had much to share. For a while I was in a period of experimentation, shifting my direction. I was really enjoying the creative process, but I didn't feel grounded in it, thus a bit off balance for a time. I wasn't sure of my expression which in turn silenced me in that uncertainty. I was groping, but grasping nothing. This empty phase gave me pause to review how and where my creative endeavors have assisted me.

This piece shown above was something I drew 35 years ago. I have to say it struck a chord in me when I came across it while I was thumbing through my old portfolios, struggling with this lack of inspiration. I've always felt close to this piece because it speaks with a whisper and offers a moment of tranquility, indicative of where I was in my life, living on the Big Island, Hawai'i. In that way it slowed me down by offering me quiet time to breathe and infuse intention into how I want to begin again as I move forward in my newest work and meditation.

During this retrospective ritual I saw with remembrance where I have been with my work and a small glimmer of light appeared guiding me to move forward. This meant it was time to call on my muse again and hope she would oblige with an appearance. Thankfully she did show up and with grace and calmness to help move my brushes and pencils and stir ideas and visions around in my head.

Though heavy moods and doubts accompanied this creative drought, I learned that patience was key - to be with what may be keeping me without expression and journey through it by reflecting on where I have come from.

This insightful journey was of immense support to help carry me forward to explore new creative horizons. It is good to be back, to have my voice again and I am most grateful for this quiet, yet stimulating piece...and my muse, of course. I close in gratitude.

Stay tuned.

This illustration was done in graphite pencil, colored pencil and acrylic paint back in 1975.

All rights reserved by the artist.

CVG 2010

Once again I have been caught up in a capsule of time that kept me from tending to positing. I have finally broken out and have returned to these pages to catch you up on recent goings-on. Two of the 3 pieces I entered for jury, BeeFriending and King of the Towed, were selected as part of the CVG show (Collective Visions Gallery) in Bremerton, WA. Only 128 entries were selected from nearly 800. The juror was Jake Seniuk of Port Angeles. He is director and curator of the Port Angeles Fine Art Center. Numerous artists from the Port Townsend area also have pieces chosen for inclusion in this show, two of which are friends, Shane Miller and Diane Gale. This 3rd annual juried show will run through February 26th. If you are in or near the area stop by the gallery to see this show of talented Washington artists.

Click on the piece titles above to view my accepted images.

The Collective Visions Gallery is located at 331 Pacific Avenue, in the heart of downtown Bremerton, on the corner of 4th and Pacific and are open Tuesday through Saturday 10am-5pm, and other times by appointment.

STUDIO TOUR REFLECTIONS

Well, time has lapsed since my last post . . . my apologies for the delay. However, this is a follow up to my last post.
This Artist Studio Tour was another adventure in presenting ourselves and our work to our community. Here I am standing at the open barn doors during the early pre-tour hours. After completing our set up, we were all contemplating what the weekend would bring as 3 out of 4 of us had not participated in the Port Townsend Artist Studio Tour before other than our own Barn Sale previously this past summer in June.

Here we are witnessing the quiet before the storm, a view of my work after set up before the crowds arrived.

Here we are getting our signage all together so our visitors can find us easily.

The sun came out after a night of drizzle and a morning of cool fog. Walking into GreyBird barn was like walking into a gallery of sorts. We were, once again as with our June sale, very happy with our set up as it welcomed visitors into a very creative space.

If moving clockwise through the space my work appeared, then
Diana Cronin's wonderful, colorful pottery at the right and below.

This tour gave us the opportunity to show our process first hand as to how we create and answer questions visitors may have had. Above I am explaining my drawing and painting technique and the use of found elements.

Diana at work demonstrating painting glaze onto a piece of pottery and Shane documenting the affair. Shane's photo-etched metal narrative boxes and jewelry are on the panels behind her.

Here again you can see more of Shane Miller's work and in the foreground is the display of Diane Gale's earthy and imaginative ceramic works.

Diane had her wheel on site to give a hands-on demo of how she builds her various ceramic pieces and discussed the wood fire process.

Though I could not partake in these yummy looking goodies, I had to share this artful plate that was so generously gifted to us by our friend, Carrie. She baked these and much more for our tour guests. We were the talk of the town, not only for our great artistic barn presentation, but also for these delicious offerings.

My dear mom (90 years old! would you believe) and sister. They were 2 of our many happy guests warming up with hot cider that we also offered our guests.

Here we are. The troupe. From left to right is Shane Miller, Wendy Jarvis (our angel and my sister who helped us again with giving so much of herself during setup, the weekend and striking), Linda Jarvis (that's me), Diane Gale and Diana Cronin.

Over all we were very happy with the weekend, the 11th annual Port Townsend Studio Tour. The tour encompassed 47 different studios open to the public and again, Shane's GreyBird Barn turned out to be a perfect venue for the 4 of us to present our works to the community and out of town visitors. The turn out was fantastic with 265 visitors coming through during the two day studio tour. I also want to thank 2 out of town friends, one who I have known since kindergarden, who came all the way from Redmond.

We are looking to the future to next June on the solstice weekend for our 2nd Annual Artist Studio Barn Sale at GreyBird Barn. Stay tuned.