February Featured Artists
Port Townsend Gallery will spotlight the fused sterling silver jewelry of Joanna Beachy and the pastel paintings and floral etchings of Jeannie Fine during the month of February.
Joanna Beachy
Sterling silver and semiprecious stone bracelet
by Joanna Beachy.
Artist Joanna Beachy is one of the founding members of Port Townsend Gallery, and creates her fused sterling silver jewelry in her Marrowstone Island studio. Beachy’s love of silver, along with the intimate, portable art of jewelry making, began in her high school years as she watched Native American silversmiths at work in the Southwest.
While sorting through her scrap silver on a rainy afternoon last fall, Beachy recognized parts and pieces from projects spanning her life as a jeweler. The artist began imagining how she might fit these bits into some of her current work. The results of this exploration can be seen in her newest collection of work, which Beachy calls “Revisions,” reflecting the fusion of past and present.
Jeannie Fine
Painter Jeannie Fine moved to Port Townsend from Maine in 2009, after having spent a winter here in 2007. Fine uses soft pastels on sanded paper to capture the shimmering beauty of the landscapes that surround her every day. Along with pastels, the artist also works in watercolor, and describes herself as both a plein aire painter and a studio painter. She is currently enjoying her work on several “dusk-to-night” paintings “There is so much to see even though the light is fading,” explains Fine. “And even after the sun has set there are still wonderful compositions out there.”
“Raspberry Sky” pastel painting
by Jeannie Fine.
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In addition to her landscape pastels, Fine will exhibit several abstracted floral etchings. These small, delicate etchings are hand colored, which lends a moody quality to the finished piece. The etchings are a combination of etching, aquatint and soft ground, an etching method that produces prints with soft lines and a somewhat grainy texture.
See more of Jeannie's work on her website:
www.jeanniefine.com
Odd Couple Residing at Port Townsend Gallery
"The Odd Couple” created by
Ginny King and Susan Hazard.
Two new characters have taken up temporary residence at the Port Townsend Gallery. Granny, a relentless rocker and armchair traveler, and her son, a feckless but intrepid exploring naturalist, have installed themselves without reservation in the downtown art gallery.
“Granny” is a life-sized fiber and mixed media creation of artist Ginny King. The doll, sternly seated upright in her rocking chair with her go-to-meeting hat, pearl earrings and (slightly bedraggled) fox stole, represents hours of careful planning, layering, sewing and stuffing. King, known for her delightful character dolls and whimsical sock toys, has grown this character doll to a new size in scale.
Artist Susan Hazard created Granny’s companion assemblage piece “The Naturalist,” using found and recycled objects. The five foot tall figure has a vintage suitcase torso, lichen-covered branches for arms, and leather boots with baseball bat-shaped candlestick holders for legs. Hazard created the head from paper mache’, added a camera lens monocle, and topped the noggin with a dashing pith helmet.
Granny holds down the home fort, while her exploring scientist son seeks the seldom-seen Granus Rockerus, commonly known as the Steely Eyed Coot, distantly related to the Red-Breasted Nuthatch. The somewhat odd, but friendly, couple is ready to receive guests every day beginning at 10am.
Artists Exhibiting Elsewhere
- Victor Judd is one of the featured artists at the Museum and Arts Center in Sequim for the month of February. The MAC is celebrating nature's beauty with an exhibit of natural-material artwork. Victor's Maori-inspired bone carvings are on display.
- Dawn Sagar will be on display at the Art Mine in Port Hadlock for the month of February. There will be an opening reception on Feb. 6th starting at 5 PM.
- Laurie Perrett will be the featured artist at the Elevated Ice Cream eatery in Port Townsend for the month of February.
Come and meet our featured artists and the “odd couple” at a reception during Gallery Walk, Saturday, February 6th, from 5:30-8pm. Light refreshments and good cheer 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
Previous Months' Newsletters
715 Water Sreet, Port Townsend
OPEN daily at 10 AM
(360) 379-8110 |
