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.