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. 

LOST AND FOUND: ASSEMBLAGE

Yesterday, my fellow artist friend, Shane Miller, and I delivered our work to Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery in Winslow for the upcoming show LOST AND FOUND: ASSEMBLAGE. It will open Friday, Nov. 2nd with an artist reception, 6pm-8pm. It runs through Dec 3rd. Stop by if you are in the area. 

We caught up with another fellow artist friend from our neck of the woods, Karen Hackenberg, who is also part of the show while she was delivering her work to the gallery. Her incredibly executed paintings focus on discarded mass produced items that are found littering the edges, cracks and seams of our natural world. Many items were found along the edge of beaches here in the Pacific Northwest. As well as her paintings she has a few assemblages using found objects.

A BRUSH WITH FATE

Linda Jarvis

One of the pieces I submitted to the show, pictured above, to my delight became the poster child for promoting this LOST AND FOUND exhibit having been used in several forms of advertising, for instance CURRENTS, a Bainbridge Island seasonal cultural quarterly & events calendar, which is a publication of Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council. Thank you Victoria! (Victoria Josslin is the Director of Public Information at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. She is an art historian and the founder of Artdish, an online discussion of Northwest art. Victoria's articles have been published in the Seattle P-I, Aorta, Art Access, and currently in Glass Quarterly - available at the Bainbridge Public Library.) If you want to view this CURRENT issue click on the link above then on the FALL 2012 issue and view as a PDF.

The show artists participating besides myself are Linda Castello, Bil Fleming, Chris Giffin, Karen Hackenberg, Nancy Hewitt, Shane Miller, Mark Osborn, Deborah Peek and the legendary master of found objects art jeweler, Ron Ho. We got a sneak peek at his beautiful new piece that he created with some old Tibetan keys, an earplug from Mexico or Central America, beads and his handcrafted silver elements. He is quite a well known jeweler here in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He was a student of Ramona Solberg and it is easy to see her influence in his work even though his style is his own. It is a  privilege to be showing with him. We are hoping he will be present at the opening Friday night (tomorrow)...he is in his mid 70's. 

TIBETAN RELIQUARY

Ron Ho 

More later...