PAPER: TEXTURE AND FORM

Hello? Anyone still out there?
My apologies for being absent...sometimes life, full of facets, pulls us in other directions...
However, here I am to share more of my creative nature...better late than not at all.

Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery is under the guidance of a new director, Steve Tremble, and appears to be moving toward exciting higher visions. They previously went through some rebranding with identity and name changes and the like which resulted in a lot of various pains, but ultimately they've come back to their home-ground and have returned to who they were since they were founded in 1948 and grew from, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery.

Thier recent October 2019 invitational group show, PAPER: TEXTURE AND FORM, in which I participated, was focused on the versatile applications of paper. Here is the description from the BAC website...
PAPER: TEXTURE AND FORM - The beauty of paper is in the range of possibilities it invites and diversity of work it generates. This is reflected in this exhibition of 17 exceptional artists: Mary Ashton, Danielle Bodine, Jeff Brice, Heather Griffin, Victoria Foster Harrison, Lois James, Linda Jarvis, Tracy Lang, MJ Linford, Linda McClamrock, Nikki McClure, Dorothy McGuinness, Shane Miller, Debbie Peek, Jean-Marie Tarascio, Sande Wascher-James, and Helga Winter.

Artists were asked to write an Artist Statement for this show. This is mine :
I have worked with many natural materials, paper being one of them.  So having been presented with the invitation to participate in the Paper Show, it naturally felt inherent…Paper is a very fascinating material that can be manufactured or created in your kitchen or studio. Handcrafted papers from the pulp of wood or other fibrous materials carry a wonderful quality that can easily be individualized with play and experimentation. Paper’s versatility ranges from being used for drawing, printing,  writing, or for wrapping as well as other artistic and imaginative applications. It is one of my favored media.

The one paper I am most taken by is that of the paper which paper-wasps artistically create displaying color, patterns and fantastic designs born of various wood fibers they collect for building a nest. Intriguingly I have collected many abandoned wasp shelters over the years for use and examination. Undoubtedly, they are superb works of art in and of themselves. Using my inborn intrigue with this amazing raw element of natural material I created INGENIOUS ARCHITECTURE. Envelopment by the artfully crafted fibers creates a residence, a home, a dwelling. 

Nature is miraculous and never ceases to amaze me and keep me in awe. Paper is of nature as are we all.

Linda Jarvis


Much of my work has utilized paper. I've only dabbled in paper-making, but I've collected a various array of art papers, some of which are hard to part with.

This first piece is one that gave me much pleasure and intrigue into the beautiful paper that the industrial paper-wasps make for building their dwellings.

INGENIOUS ARCHITECTURE 
I started with a wonderfully weathered 4 X 4 block of wood I fashioned into a house shape, handcrafted paper for the roof, paper-wasp paper on the surface of the wood, beads for feet and a twig representing where the wasps build their homes. It was my commentary for bringing awareness of our natural world that is being blanketed by human-kind conduct and actions putting our environment, wildlife and various pollinators in jeopardy, thus being smothered, by our ways and negligence.

 This was the beginnings of this piece...applying selected the paper from a wasp nest.

 This image and the one below are close-up shots to show the beauty and intricacy of the wasp paper.

This image is of the finished piece, INGENIOUS ARCHITECTURE.

NATURE'S SHRINE 
All my work consists of mixed media. This piece started with a house shape I created from foam-core board with an inset then covered with art paper, 2 bi-fold cardboard pieces for the roof, square brass tube, flat disc beads, poppy pods, brass tacks, sticks, scrabble tiles for feet. In the inset niche I placed the beautiful seed pods of Genus Lunaria, aka Money Plant or Honesty branches. It progressed into my statement with regard to our protecting what is left of our natural world and wilderness'. 

 In studio completing the assembling, placing the seed pod branches within the niche of Nature's Shrine.

Finished piece...NATURE'S SHRINE

PAINTING THE NIGHT SKY WITH NEW CONSTELLATIONS
I enjoyed playing with the markings or from my perspective, "constellations" on the tissue-paper pattern used for sewing. It is covering foam-core board that I constructed into a house shape, aluminum sheeting for the roof, aluminum foil covered make-up brush, street-sweeper metal brush bristles, tacks, mica for the windows and beads. I am in awe of our continued discoveries of our cosmos and galaxies and stars and planets...oh my!

Last, but certainly not least is RED ALERT! 

This is the beginning of RED ALERT! assembling as I go...As I moved along with it's evolution, it eventually spoke it's message to me progressing into an alarm to the loss of our birds and other wild beings...how the practices and behaviors of the human-kind have been diminishing their populations.

Many materials went into bringing this piece to completion...I painted a wooden egg red, added some dead lichen to a twig nest for it to rest in, all then set on a couple of paper discs from fireworks remnants, added feathers, a pastry icing cone, chipboard cone, aged paper-blind paper, wall-paper covered chipboard box, painted handcrafted paper covered chipboard nut container, more feathers set in aluminum tarp rivets, red/black boot lace metal canister top and map pins..

Finished piece, RED ALERT!

The show itself was beautiful and diversified. The opening was well attended, numerous sales, and many questions asked of the artists regarding their work and processes.

Thank you for revisiting this site. I hope I have not discouraged anyone from continuing to visit despite my sometimes being absent with new content...

Remember to click on any image to enlarge it to see more visual detail.

PRECIOUS & CORVUS ENVY

Thanks to those of you who faithfully keep coming back to check in on what's new...I have been resting my muse for some time now so there isn't much of late to share other than images of pieces from my most recent show...read on

Firstly, I hope this isn't too redundant from my post about the opening night of this show...here I go nevertheless.

I created this piece, entitled PRECIOUS, for the show, CONSIDERING CORVIDAE, that I was part of back in October of last year for Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery, which was closed for two months earlier this year for remodeling and renovation. It is now referred to as The Art Project. Visit their website to see what's new.

I hope this photo captured the essence of PRECIOUS. It was the second piece I created for this show...the first being CORVUS ENVY, posted in the promo announcement previously posted.

As many of us know, the Corvidae family very much like to collect objects, especially those that shine and reflect light and it was my intention that this piece convey that characteristic of this amazing family of intelligent birds.

Both of these pieces found homes pretty straight away, which I am happy about though sadly I didn't get to be acquainted with them for very long...only the connection I made during the creating of them.

PRECIOUS measures 10 X 11.25 X 1.25 and was created in mixed media using acrylic paints and India ink and various found objects.

As you may recall, if you come visit to these pages regularly, this piece below, CORVUS ENVY, was the piece I used in the announcement for the CONSIDERING CORVIDAE show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery, that I mentioned above is now The Art Project.

CORVUS ENVY is a mixed media creation and measures 10 X 10 X 1.75
For more detail information on this piece check out the previous posts.

                                                         
Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger image.

Thanks for your interest, patience and continued support...

CONSIDERING CORVIDAE OPENING NIGHT

I was so delighted to be a part of this show, honoring the existence of the Crovidae family which is wide in it's variety of birds and covers so much range of our beautiful planet.  

I was unable to attend the opening to the CONSIDERING CORVIDAE exhibit at Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery so I missed the pleasure of visiting with the other artists and attending gallery patrons. The upside is, through various correspondence with me, one of my collectors expressed she had interest in the piece I used in my show announcement (see previous post).  On Thursday morning I delivered my 4 pieces and shared with the staff about the interest in the piece and asked if the gallery would hold it till she could come over from Seattle to see it in person Friday afternoon. Graciously all the stars aligned as she was able to get there moments prior to the opening. It all turned out well for everyone as it seems the piece spoke to her and she is now the new guardian of CORVUS ENVY, pictured below. Thank you so much C.A.

CORVUS ENVY

PRECIOUS
  

PRECIOUS suggests this mischievous act when light reflected on these treasured items enhances the culprits chances of further irresistible appropriations. The title also comes from the perspective that the diversity of our natural world is precious, special and is of great importance to protect. Photo was taken prior to framing.

DREAMS OF FLIGHT

DREAMS OF FLIGHT - Again as I mentioned with the PRECIOUS piece, I often wish I had the ability to fly like our world of birds do, so since I haven't yet mastered that quality I created this piece, DREAMS OF FLIGHT, with that notion in mind. 

IDENTITY THEFT

IDENTITY THEFT - Stellar Jays love to vocally mimic other birds and are quite talented at it. In this piece a Jay is steeling the visual identity of a Raven assuming it may give it more muscle or authority and maybe even tone down the rather unsavory conduct and silence piercing calls it seems so proud to demonstrate. 

I revel in watching these savvy feathered friends with their intrigue and humorous behavior. I am also entranced by their remarkable intelligence and impressed with their genius and mastery of tasks.  This particular species of birds is one of my favored subjects in my work. One of my best-loved sounds of nature is when I am out in my woods and I hear the whu-whu-whu of a raven pushing air against it's wings, breaking the silence the moment it passes over me...what a gift!

In most, if not all, my 3 dimensional pieces, the achievement of depth is my goal. Cutting out my painted illustrations, positioning and extending them  through the matt opening and over the matt, thus overlapping them, brings the subjects a bit closer to the viewer to create curiosity and pique interest…I want the animal or person to come out of the space, off the background surface so as to appear more alive rather than exist on one plane.

Thanks so much to all of you for coming back to view more of my work and read my musings. Your interest is very much appreciated.

Stay tuned to see what may come out of the imagination next.

Also, be sure to click on each image to see it in a larger format.

THE AFTER GLOW

It has been so enriching to reflect back on the fun we had during the weekend of our Artist Studio Sale with our fellow artists as we once again created a gallery like atmosphere in GreyBird Barn. The wonderful visiting crowds were numerous and wonderful despite the rain on Saturday that kept things a bit moist, but our spirits were high from all the generous words about our event. To quote Shane Miller, whose wonderful barn we inhabit every fall..."Over and over again we heard, "I never knew this little piece of paradise was down this road" ... "such a unique and talented group of artists" ... "I love your barn" ... "what an intimate setting for an art sale" ... "love the cookies." I was, and still am, overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness." The guests attendance and enthusiasm both days kept the barn warm and comfy.

All our efforts as a group go into preparing the grounds and barn to make it really shine. Then Saturday comes and it's time to throw open the barn doors to reveal our magical, creative space, in it's morphed glory.  We have been at this for 7 years now so each year makes the event even better than the last. We all gather one day prior to the sale where we expend time and energy grooming the grounds and transforming the barn. It is a group effort and we all work really well together sharing the load and chores. In the below photo we are taking a lunch break before we get back to stacking wood, weed eating, raking leaves and grass, hedge trimming, sweeping out the barn of saw dust and spider webs and staging the pathway to the barn with wonderful galvanized metal items collected by Shane and buckets of fresh picked apples off the generous King apple tree on sight, and enticing, colorful flags to lure in curious passersby. 

Loran with my Ruby, Diane and her Peaches, Lynn, me, and my sister, Wendy...

who gives her all to help us each year. We are so grateful to have her help and her giving spirit. 

Not pictured is Shane, taking the photo.

Once we load in our goods and set up the barn in our designated areas we transform GreyBird Barn's interior into a wondrous and enchanting space in hopes to delight the senses of our visiting guests.  As you can see the barn and it's surroundings takes on a whole new look once this gang is through with it. 

Our welcoming path to GreyBird Barn

Entering the barn

My space as you walk in, with Wendy, Bob and Shane shooting pics. That's her display in the back

My display and our "such a steal" bargain table on the right

Day 2 - empty wall spaces within my display

(As Martha would say, "that's a good thing") 

Shane Miller with her etched metal narrative boxes and jewelry

plus some new digital images not pictured. You can see them on her artist blog

Lynn Anju with her beautiful display of etched jewelry with beautiful stones

Loran Scruggs in her dazzling repurposed tin works of art 

and fun bottle cap creations

 

Diane Haddon showing her wonderful found object sculpture and fanciful collages

and big selection of post cards showing her images (Donna Snow and Diana Cronin looking on)

More images from the two day event...

Lynn

Diane and Peaches go for a walk-about on rainy day Saturday

 

Peaches! 

Our friend, Victoria Josslin, who is now retired from Bainbridge Arts 

and Crafts Gallery, visiting with Diane Saturday

Potter and good friend, Diana Cronin and Diane, posing it up on Sunday, day 2

An artistic environment within GreyBird Barn

The view from my vantage point within my booth

This is Rick Dennison, Lynn Anju's husband. He was our weekend warrior aka our super hero of the weekend...He gave us so much with a big heart. Before the weekend ever started, Rick came and helped Shane stack her firewood for a day ... and he also set up and picked up all our signs on the highway and along the route leading to our event... and to top it off, directed visitors as to where to park their cars for 2 days (even in the rain on Saturday!) ... all without any complaints. What a trooper! A HUGE THANK YOU to Rick for all his help and generous giving. 

 THE GANG OF ARTISTS

Diane, Shane, Wendy in the center (our other giving and mighty helper-THANK YOU again Wendy! Nearly every year she has come to assist us and help us in multiple ways for which we are forever grateful!), Lynn, me, and Loran

An additional special big thank you to Wendy...Besides many other chores, she helped with prep-work, refreshed our cookie supply and kept the warm cider dispenser full for us during the weekend.
  

Another big thanks to Libby Wennstrom for the big article in the PT Leader...Thank you Libby!

Thanks to those who were able to visit our event and perusing this post. 

GREYBIRD BARN TAKES FLIGHT PT Leader

 GreyBird Barn art sale 

takes flight this weekend

Interview and article by Libby Wennstrom

Five working artists – all women – have teamed up for the seventh GreyBird Barn’s Artist Studio Sale, set from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 8-9.

The sale is located at the barn studio of etched-metal artist Shane Miller, 11 Carroll Ave., in Glenn Cove. Many of the artists represented have been selling in the show for years.

The GreyBird Barn artists, whose work runs the gamut from found-object sculpture to photo-etched jewelry to mixed-media painting, plan to be on hand both days to explain their processes and answer questions.

New to the barn sale this year is Suquamish artist Diane Haddon, who specializes in assemblage and found-object collage. Returning artists are Linda Jarvis, mixed-media, sculpture and assemblage utilizing found objects), Lynn Anju, metal etchings, sculpture and jewelry, Loran Scruggs colorful reused tin and bottle-cap creations and GreyBird Barn studio owner Shane Miller, photo-etched jewelry, narrative boxes and sculpture.

Miller has been a working artist for about 25 years, starting out in large-scale steel sculpture; over time, her work has evolved to include photo-etched metal boxes and three-dimensional opening frames. She is now branching out to paper and collage work – still using some of the same photo processes she uses in her etchings – gluing tiled gampi paper onto larger canvases to create large, composite images. In recent years, Miller has switched from using harsh chemicals for photo etching to a process which uses electricity – provided by a car battery – and a strong salt water solution. Miller says she’s happier with the results, and the process is far less toxic than using conventional photo etching chemicals.

A thread running through Miller's artwork, regardless of media, is narrative – every piece tells a story. Her "narrative boxes" hang on the wall and open up, inviting viewers to open each panel to find out what the rest of the story might be. Miller's work is available year around at Bainbridge Arts & Crafts.

Miller came to Port Townsend in 1993 for the sea kayaking, and stayed, in part, because of the thriving regional arts scene. The barn – which serves as her studio space when it's not being pressed into service for the sale – has become a way for a group of what Miller calls "like-minded artists" to come together once a year and create an intimate, informative way of selling their work. All of the artists sell their work at regional galleries, but having "at home" time offers people a chance to talk with the artists about their processes, tools and intentions for a piece.

The barn is located in a quiet, semi-rural area in little-traveled Glenn Cove, just outside the Port Townsend city limits. From State Route 20, take Fredericks Street and follow the signs to the bottom of the hill. Sale hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday Oct. 8-9. For more information, call Miller at 379-5421.

Thank you Libby for this article in the PT Leader Oct. 5, 2016. We so appreciate your willingness to showcase us and our event.

7th ARTIST STUDIO SALE at GreyBird Barn

We've just walked into our Fall Equinox so it must be time to bring GreyBird Barn into it's gallery glory for 2016. We are all hoping you can make it to our event to celebrate the arts and this beautiful season of changing colors and cooler temps. And, of course, all of us artists will be present to meet and greet, answer questions so you can get to know each one of us and our techniques and approaches to our creative process, or add a new piece to your personal collection. And, for an extra enticement, we will have homemade cookies and hot apple cider for our guests. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN, our artist line up this year includes: 
Diane Haddon from Suquamish - this is her first year with us, so welcome Diane!
 I will be there, of course, Linda Jarvis from Chimacum, 
Shane Miller from Port Townsend - it is her wonderful barn/studio we transform for this event.  
Loran Scruggs from Port Townsend - this will be her 2nd year...welcome back Loran. 
And, Lynn Anju, also from Port Townsend - this will mark her 5th year at GreyBird Barn - thanks for joining in again, Lynn. 

If you are not familiar with our respective mediums a short description of our work is below.

This year we have teamed up with two very special B & B’s in Sequim. Their guests have been offered a Fall Art and Food Tour and includes, in part, a stop at GreyBird Barn to meet the artists and enjoy the creative atmosphere. We are very grateful to Dungeness Barn House Bed and Breakfast at Two Crows Farm and Greenhouse Inn by the Bay for their participation...thank you.

      

   

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support for the GreyBird Barn events and artists.

ANOTHER LOOK

A Juried Show where artists have utilized recycled, repurposed materials in other ways from that originally intended.

Waste materials, found objects, and everyday items, which 
are repurposed and used in an innovative way other than initially designed, will take new form as jewelry, sculpture, assemblages, pictures and more.

Exhibit runs October 2 through 
      November 2, 2015
October 3, 5:30 pm-8:00 pm Opening 
      Reception and Art Walk 
October 4, 1:00 pm Juror’s talk 
      by Max Grover
 
Another Look Juror Max Grover is an artist and illustrator living in Port Townsend. He has been an artist since childhood and his works have been exhibited in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. He is the creator of many popular books for young children including The Accidental Zucchini, which received a Parents’ Choice Award.

Max was one of the curators for Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s opening show in 2013 “First Light: Regional Group Exhibition”. He was featured in a solo exhibit at BIMA in summer 2014 titled “Max Grover: Hunter, Gatherer, Painter” and his work is in the BIMA Permanent Art Collection.

  Artists in the Show include:

 

Northwind Arts Center
701 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA
360-379-1086
info@northwindarts.org
webmaster@northwindarts.org 

Northwind Arts Center is open and staffed by volunteers Thursday-Monday: 11:30 am – 5:30 pm.  The Center is also open during Port Townsend Art Walk evening on the first Saturday of the month, and for special events.  Art talks, demonstrations, and artist workshops are often scheduled in conjunction with shows.

The Arts Center is located at 701 Water Street, in the historic Waterman & Katz Building.  Entering town on State Route 20 (Sims Way), you proceed through the traffic light at the intersection of Water Street and Taylor Street.

We are 2 blocks past the light on the right side of the street.

A GIFT OF CONTINUATION

To maintain our botanical province and natural surroundings 
we carefully save our seeds from one plant generation to the 
next to preserve the quality of a species. 

A Gift of Continuation is an offering in hopes of bringing forth another generation and continue the valued tradition of seed saving. 

Detail image of 

A Gift of Continuation

This piece, as with others I have created of similarity, is made from various materials. The chair is made from metal street sweeper bristles arduously constructed twisting wire around the "slats" to hold them in place. It was a bit of a struggle keeping everything aligned while maneuvering the pliers and wire as I secured the "slats". The small 1 inch square box is made from mica and paper with red maple "whirly-gigs" inside it representing seeds gifted for the future.

Remember you can see these images larger by clicking on the photos. 

All rights Reserved By The Artist © Linda Jarvis 2015