February Featured Artists
The featured artwork at Port Townsend Gallery during the month of February is that of pastel artist Brooke Allison and fiber artist Maite McLuen.
“Sukhothai” pastel painting
by Brooke Allison
Brooke Allison
Since she was a child, pastel artist Brooke Allison has felt compelled to create and express her every day observations and experiences. She finds that pastels allow her quick movement of hand for loose rendering, gestures and vivid color. Over the past few years, Allison has become enamored of texture, studying its many forms in landscapes, surfaces and people. This focus allows her to express the way time and experiences leave their marks on all types of anatomy. Allison feels that her “strokes of color have a rhythm that reflect the pulse of nature and the seasons of life, all woven together.” Alongside this study of texture, the artist also observes that her latest work involves an exploration into unfamiliar color choices and bolder strokes or shapes.
Through her art, Allison seeks “to understand and convey how we continue to choose to live and notice beauty in a world full of adversity. I believe there is a rhythm we are all connected to, in all of our simple and complicated daily tasks. This undercurrent and mysterious gift is, I believe, what connects us all.”
Maite McLuen
Weaver Maite McLuen finds that the cold grey days of winter are conducive to thoughts of warmth and the promise of spring. With this in mind, she continues her exploration of colors found in the Northwest landscape in her new line of wool ruanas, shawls and scarves.
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“Madrona” weaving on loom
by Maite McLuen
In planning the design of her “Madrona” ruana, Mcluen used a piece of bark to select the palette of yarn colors that recreated the beauty of the madrona tree and its peeling bark. Red berries on a shrub became the inspiration for her "Berberis" ruana, while a moonlit snowfield gave rise to "Plata." Thoughts of spring led her into a new series of hand painted silk warp scarves that capture the newness of a young leaf and the vibrancy of the crocus flower.
“Weaving gives you a unique environment in which to play with color and texture,” explains McLuen. “The warp on the loom becomes a canvas from which color threads can be added or subtracted until the desired look is achieved. Thus each step in the creation of a hand-woven piece is one of discovery and joy.”
Meet the artists at a reception during Gallery Walk, Saturday, February 7th, from 5:30-8pm. Light refreshments will be served. Port Townsend Gallery is located at 715 Water St. For more gallery information, phone 360-379-8110, or visit www.porttownsendgallery.com
Valentine’s Day
We have many gifts to choose from for Valentine’s Day. Jewelry, keepsakes, paintings, glass ornaments, shawls, cards and much more. Visit the Gallery and ask the artist on duty for individual gift ideas.
Previous Month's Newsletters
715 Water St. Port Townsend
OPEN daily at 10 AM
(360) 379-8110
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