ART IN THE LIBRARY

For this show I will be exhibiting smaller pieces of my work in the new Charlie Moore Art Case, which is on the ground level, between the children’s section and the circulation desk, at the Port Townsend Library with the opening reception being Friday, April 24th, 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

I will be in good company, Kathy Constantaine, Julia Eastberg, Counsel Langley, Wanda Mawhinney, Mitchel Osborne and especially the two found object artists, good friends and kindred spirits, Diane Haddon and Steve Parmelee.

I hope you can make the opening. The show will be running through July 17th, so be sure to stop by and view the works within this 8 artists exhibition.

Thanks again for your ongoing interest and support of the arts.

Be sure to click on the image above for a larger version.

PORT TOWNSEND OPEN STUDIO TOUR 2014

This year Shane Miller and I decided to do the Port Townsend Open Studio Tour sponsored by the Northwind Arts Center and the Port Townsend Arts Commission, asking 3 other artists to participate making our group five very talented and diversified artists guised as the GreyBird Barn Group. We are Shane Miller, myself, Linda Jarvis, Donna Snow, Shirley Moss and Loran Scruggs. You can read about each artist as well as see example images of the work that will be available during the tour via our artist page here. You can click on each image to enlarge them. Also find directions as to how to find us during the weekend on the GreyBird Barn Group page or at bottom of this post.

This year, 2014, is the 16th annual Port Townsend Arts Festival and the schedule of events will include visual arts, literary events, poetry, workshops, lectures, theatre and an artist studio tour. The tour offers an opportunity to visit local artists, observe demonstrations, and discuss the creative process throughout an intensive weekend of art, August 23 – 24, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. 
GreyBird Barn Group will each be demonstrating various parts of our creative process . . . such as: photo etching, 3D mixed media assemblage, mixed media collage, jewelry chain making, and tin can sculpture.
Here are some links to web-pages that will provide you more information about the tour, list of artists, and a maps.

STUDIO TOUR MAP

GOOGLE MAP

GreyBird Barn is located in the Glen Cove area at 11 Carroll Ave. 

Watch for our signs just outside of Port Townsend. Off of Sims Way/HWY 20 take Frederick Street east to Otto Street. Turn left on Otto and follow signs to the bottom of the hill. Turn left into driveway where a friendly crocodile sculpture greets you.

We are looking forward to seeing you all during the studio tour August 23 & 24.

COMING UNBOUND: BOOK AS SCULPTURE

Throughout its remarkable history the book has been a means to transporting ideas, messages, and thoughts. It has been an intriguing vehicle for reflection and communication, a formidable object. It has been banned, burned, collected, censored, hidden, sworn upon, quoted, treasured, adorned, discarded, chained, praised, and threatened extinction.

In the art exhibit Coming Unbound eleven artists explore the concept of “book” as inspiration in unique and personalized ways to convey their artistic messages.

Artists invited to participate in the Coming Unbound: Book As Sculpture are: Renee Bush, Mary-Ellen Campbell, Linda Jarvis, Gloria Lamson, Counsel Langley, Carolyn Law, Shane Miller, Jean-Marie Tarascio, Rebecca Welti, Joan Wenske, and Helga Winter. Stop by the Northwind Arts Center gallery at 2409 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend for the opening April 6th, 5:30-8 or
Thursday - Monday Noon - 5pm.

JOURNALS OF A WANDERING TRAVELER

 

all rights reserved by the artist © 2015

 

This is another piece for the COMING UNBOUND: BOOK AS SCULPTURE show that is opening this Saturday, April 6th at Northwind Arts Center that I mentioned in my previous post.  I wish I had taken some photos of the small journals as I was creating them. It was a fun process and the first time I have built a book using signatures. It is quite a process and makes me respect books and bookmakers even more now.

This piece is one I call JOURNALS OF A WANDERING TRAVELER. It is approximately 7" tall and 4" X 4" when the journals aren't pulled out at all.

Remember you can click on the photo for a larger image.

And thank you for coming back to see what comes forth from my studio in the woods.

BOOKS AND BEYOND

all rights reserved by the artist © 2015

all rights reserved by the artist © 2015

After a long quiet time of few or no words or visuals, I am once again here to greet you from the birthing canal of the Spring Equinox...the signs of spring are everywhere and I feel like I am rebirthing from, not quite dormancy, but perhaps a slothish winter retreat. But with more sunny days, buds are being pushed open with emerging flowers, there's the uprising of underground sleeping plant life and, of course, the heart full twitters of returning birds seeking mates while flittering about collecting remnants for garnering their nests, I am happily embracing it all with open arms and senses. 

Of late I have been gestating ideas for a BOOK show which opens April 6th at the Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend. With the nearing D Day (Delivery Day) on April 2nd and I am diligently at work on numerous pieces simultaneously and recently completed this one above, REFUGE WITHIN. 

My relationship with books has been a vehicle of sorts in which I am taken away from my daily life providing a gateway to imagination within a world of words.  Bringing the idea of books into a sculptural concept, to tell a story without words, has stretched my creativity provoking a way to visualize books as a metaphor. In my first approach (below, REFUGE WITHIN) I found that fabricating a book to resemble a tree as a safe haven was profoundly symbolic to me. 

Books have a way of taking us places in our creative aspects very much like art does. This project, titled Coming Unbound: Book As Sculpture, presented me with some challenges by testing my inventiveness. My use of natural and found elements lent themselves well to create and express books in a sculptural art form which expanded my artistic sensibilities and has opened up my imagination much like opening a book.

The cover of the book was made using some bark covered plywood given to me by a multi-facted, fellow artist friend, Ron. I darkened the edges to blend witlh the color of the bark. The pages were assembled with old computer paper I cut to the desired size, then cutout the niche to house the nest I fashioned out of lichen. I made and painted a polymer clay egg to rest in the lichen. I then tea dyed the pages to give them an antiquated feel and look. And what is a tree without branches...so I set foot outside my studio door into our moist woods and gleaned some old, dead Salal branches, scraped off the bark and discovered a dark surface that continued the cohesiveness of overall color.

If you are in the Port Townsend area April 6th drop into the Northwind Arts Center for the opening 5:30 to 8pm. It will be hanging through April 29th.  Visit the Northwind Arts Center for more information.

REMEMBER to click on the photos for a larger image.

4th ANNUAL ARTIST STUDIO SALE @ GREYBIRD BARN - OCTober 13th & 14th

      It is less than 2 weeks till our 4th ANNUAL STUDIO SALE at GREYBIRD BARN. It's happening Oct. 13th & 14th. The previous 3 years this studio event has taken place near the summer solstice, but this year we wanted to celebrate fall. This colorful time of year provides brisk air, the beautiful autumnal colors, ripe apples, and the fellowship and team-spirit of our group of artists gathering again to create an intimate gallery setting under the rafters of GreyBird Barn.

This year we are 6 artists. They include: Shane Miller, Diane Gale, me, Linda Jarvis, Diana Cronin, Lynn Anju, and Donna Snow. (Our images above appear in this order L to R each row). Plus our dear yearly elfin helper, my sister, Wendy, will be with us to assist in any way. We are so grateful for her energetic offerings.

Lucky us, our dear friend, Carrie, is baking for us again and this year she is making pumpkin bars (yum-yum) and we will have hot apple cider for sipping as you wander through the barn to see our inspired works of art. We are all hoping you can come see us at this years event. Whether you are coming from afar or nearby be sure to watch for our signage on highway 20.   S E E    Y O U   T H E N ! ! !

Remember to click on the above images for larger versions.