Thursday, October 17, 2013

IN THE WAKE OF THE ARTISTS STUDIO EVENT

It was another wonderful event in the belly of GreyBird Barn. If you missed the great article that Shane wrote for our group that appeared in the Jefferson County/Port Townsend Leader Oct. 9th, here it is in below. Stay tuned for some photo highlights of the weekend.

Annual studio sale features six local artists

Greybird Barn, a rustic studio, is transformed into a charming gallery setting for the fifth annual artist studio sale, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13. 

With a cup of hot cider and a homemade cookie in hand, there is no better way to visit with the six participating artists, learn about their techniques, celebrate the arrival of fall and watch the barn come alive with energy.

Greybird Barn is the working studio of Shane Miller; it is in this space that she creates photo-etched sterling silver jewelry and narrative wall-hung boxes. Longtime Greybird friends Lynn Anju, Diana Cronin and Linda Jarvis are joined this year by first-time participants Paula Gill and Sue Skelly.

Five years ago, Miller and artist Jarvis dreamed, schemed and gave birth to the idea of having a studio sale with friends. The rustic barn, the Farmall Cub tractor named Bliss and the old ’52 Dodge pickup called Baladeuce all lend their charm to the autumnal setting. 
“Beyond our wildest dreams this event has turned into such a celebration and community gathering of like-minded people,” Miller says. 

Greybird Barn is located at 11 Carroll Ave., off Highway 20 about three miles outside of Port Townsend. Visitors should watch for signs posted beside the road. A friendly crocodile sculpture welcomes guests with open arms to the property.  
Paula Gill of Red Step Studio in Bremerton creates handmade ceramic art tiles, with each one being an original that is carved by hand. These tiles depict scenes of birds, flowers and bugs in the garden, chickens and orca whales, and images that elicit fond memories of a favorite road trip. With a wire embedded in the back of each tile, they can be hung alone or in groups on an interior wall, or add a bright note of color to your garden fence and patio wall. 
Sue Skelly of Poulsbo has been a collector of all things unique, eclectic and wonderful since an early age. One thing she simply can’t pass by are vintage buttons of all kinds. Skelly fashions these buttons into unique and charming necklaces and can often pass along some history about the buttons in each creation. 
She is also an artist born of the land. Skelly uses cedar in all its forms to create pillows, larger-than-life carved sewing needles, spheres, ornaments for the garden and more. Unique would be an understatement in describing her work. 

Using techniques such as photo etching and enameling, Lynn Anju creates beautifully crafted jewelry and etched metal items for the home. All of her designs originate as drawings, which are then transferred to the various metals and etched using an electrolytic process that involves saltwater and a charger. Anju’s inspiration comes from the natural world, medieval European tapestries and armor.

Diana Cronin of Egg and I Pottery is known for her bright colors and energetic designs. 
From her studio, located on historic Egg and I Road in Chimacum, Cronin hand-throws functional porcelain pots on a potter’s wheel and then carefully decorates each piece with food-safe glazes. Her love of color comes from having grown up in Miami, Fla., where she spent most of her free time snorkeling around coral reefs and studying marine specimens. 
Her style is one of a kind, and her bright palette has become her signature.

Each year, Linda Jarvis looks forward to this gathering of artists and community. “It has been wonderful to see how it has evolved over the years since its inception,” Jarvis says. “The environment that is created within this setting is fun and energizing.” 

Her background in commercial art and her studies in the fine arts have provided her with a broad mix of disciplines and media. Painting animals and working with a collection of reusable found objects, Jarvis juxtaposes them into assemblages and sculpture, often with a hint of humor and a bit of mystery. 

A Wizard's Wagon of Words, Wisdom and Wonder





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