September Featured Artists
New, playful paintings from artists Janice Gruber and Dawn Sagar will be in the spotlight at Port Townsend Gallery during the month of September.
“Silver River” acrylic painting
by Janice Gruber
Janice Gruber
Artist Janice Gruber has recently wanted to break out of her regular use of oils and watercolors by exploring acrylics. She sought to express herself and her ideas through abstraction and expressionism. Gruber’s quest has resulted in colors and ideas flying around in her head (and her studio) this summer. The artist plans to unveil the rich, textural results of this “paint fest” during September.
Gruber claims she has no deep convoluted thoughts she must convey in her new work, just the elemental process of “paint flying at the canvas and having fun, while at the same time producing a pleasing piece of art.”
To see more of janice's work, visit her website:
www.janicegruber.com
“The Adventuress (Goes to the Birds),” oil painting
by Dawn Sagar
Dawn Sagar
Oil painter Dawn Sagar has been fascinated with ships and boats since moving to Port Townsend. She is particularly drawn to the well-crafted wooden boats we have the pleasure of seeing on a regular basis here. Besides the obvious metaphor of journey and transport, there are nuances to boat images that Sagar felt compelled to explore. As part of her graduate work, she created a series of small sculptures depicting birds in boats. The artist explains: “On several occasions I witnessed what I thought was a large canoe filled with rowers on the bay, only to realize it was cormorants on a log. From there, a series of drawings and paintings followed. I love the idea of migratory birds setting out on ships rather than their own wings. They are serious birds, searching for monopolies in migratory routes, nest sites, and global domination. The birds (also known as the Peeps based on a certain marshmallowy quality to their profiles) appeared on many small craft in my work and, sometime mid-semester, they pirated a schooner. (I am not proud of this, but sometimes these things are outside our control.) In this recent series, “Stowaways,” I was exploring a variety of aspects of wooden boats. The Peeps are present; if you look closely at each painting you will find birds in hiding.”
Sagar admits she has no idea where this series will ultimately end but suspects the birds will not rest until they have commandeered every vessel they can. “It’s kind of a rough crowd to hang with,” she says, “but the Peeps keep me from taking myself too seriously in my artistic journey and have made me look at boats in a whole new light.”
To see more of Dawn's work, visit her website:
www.dsagarart.com
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Welcome to our new PT Gallery Members!
We are proud to announce that we have added three new artists to our gallery. All three will be showing their work regularly. They are: Brett Aniballi, a black and white photographer; Stephen Cunliffe (mainly) a color photographer; and Haden Starbuck a jeweler and fiber artist. All three have fabulous art to display and we are delighted to have them join us.
Come and meet our featured artists and see the work of our new artist members at a reception during Gallery Walk, Saturday, September 4th, 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
Gallery Walk Re-Usable Cups
In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic trash generated on Gallery Walk evenings, Port Townsend Gallery offers art patrons the option of purchasing a tiny clay cup handcrafted by gallery members Darby and Phoebe Huffman.
Port Townsend Gallery artists enjoy the hospitable tradition of welcoming visitors with refreshments during Gallery Walk, the popular first-Saturday art event. The amount of plastic cups thrown away after each event, however, is something members are trying to reduce. Their solution: a small clay cup that patrons can purchase, enjoy that evening, then bring back and reuse month after month.
Gallery member Mary Lynn Maloney explains: “People are used to carrying their tote bags with them to the grocery store, why not carry your own special little cup to Gallery Walk?”
Clay Gallery Walk cups
by Phoebe and Darby Huffman
The custom-made cup is hand-thrown by husband and wife team Phoebe and Darby Huffman, two local artists who strive to maintain a ‘green’ studio. The Huffmans purchase 100% of their power through PSE’s Green Power Alternative, and the artists apply no glaze to the custom cups, thus avoiding the use of heavy metals in their process. In addition to their green practices, the Huffmans intend to donate a small proportion of the sales of the cups to the Jefferson Land Trust.
The tiny Gallery Walk cup holds approximately 2.5 ounces of liquid, making it an ideal size for sipping, admiring art, and then stashing into a purse or bag. The cups are chip resistant as well as dishwasher and microwave oven safe. Cups are priced at $6, or 2 for $10, and are available at Port Townsend Gallery.
To see more of the Huffman's work, visit their website at www.phoebehuffman.com
Previous Months' Newsletters
715 Water Sreet, Port Townsend
OPEN daily at 10 AM
(360) 379-8110 |
