December 2021 Guest Artists:
Spokane Jewelry Guild
1. Linda Malcom
2. Michele Bournonville
3. Bunny Webster
4. Sarah Peterson
5. Valerie Fawcett
6. Sandra Phoenix
7. Janet Brougher
8. Holly Swanson
9. Helga Hirsh
10. Kris Howell
11. Joan Ashworth
September 2021 Gloria Fox & Karen Robinette
Gloria B. Fox
Artist Biography
Born in Texas, I moved to Spokane at the end of first grade. Color and imagery have been life-long interests, which earned art awards and scholarships throughout my youth. As a young adult, I attended EWU for two years and graduated from UW with a BA in General Art, a BFA in Sculpture and a Secondary Teaching Certificate. Since that time, I have offered children’s summer art camps, continue my 30 year involvement providing programs and events for the Museum of Arts and Culture, and lend my efforts to many volunteer organizations. I am a member of River Ridge Association of Fine Arts, signature member of Spokane Watercolor Society and participate in several garden clubs, which keeps me connected and learning. I have exhibited in a number of shows and events in the Spokane area, winning numerous awards as a watercolorist. My goal is to keep growing as an artist and continue my watercolor career in a meaningful and engaged way.
Artist Statement
As an artist I am inspired by many things – patterns, light and shadow, color and the mood of a particular place or subject. I am often influenced by the drama of nature. Artistic expression is my means of responding to the world around me. It’s an attempt to capture the essence of what is attracting my attention and to communicate the emotional and visual aspects to others. Watercolor is a challenging and gratifying medium for this expression.
Contact information: gloriabfox@gmail.com, (509)499-1812, instagram at @gloriabfoxarts
Karen Robinette
ARTIST BIO
Karen is an award-winning graphic designer and watercolor artist. She applies her understanding of design concepts and color relationships, as used in advertising and publishing, to her watercolor paintings. Since 2016, after a long career as a graphic designer, Karen has taken watercolor classes and workshops, and has exhibited her work from Spokane and the surrounding area to the west side of Washington State. Mostly inspired by nature, Karen’s watercolor paintings reflect her interest in remote places in the outdoors, as experienced on hiking and bike trails, as well as national, state and city parks, and botanical gardens.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I spend many hours yearly on hiking and bike trails, photographing and doing studies on-site to later use in my watercolor compositions. As a watercolor artist, I combine color and design to create unique artistic expressions based on my experiences exploring nature.
August 2021 Randy Haa
My background in oil painting and working as a landscape designer was the artist part of me for 30 years. In about 1998 I took a fused glass class and made a cute bowl. It was not until 2005 that a friend asked me to go to a Portland art studio to make fused glass Christmas ornaments. This is when I fell in love with this medium.
I did my first year of experimentation at the Portland artist's studio and attended a basic fused glass class at Bullseye Glass located in Portlan, OR. In 2006 I moved to Newport, WA. It was at this time that I purchased a kiln for my studio.
Usable art is the most fun to create. It can be a colorful spoon rest, bowls or serving plates. Creating a glass object for someone's home or business is always very rewarding. Sometimes when I am experimenting with the glass, I receive the most wonderful surprises.
I take great pleasure in watching people run their fingers over my work as they respond to the energy and vibrant colors. When they smile I know they have made that wonderful connection with my craft
July 2021 Ruthie Franks & Nan Drye
Nan Drye
I work with plants and plant dyes on natural fibers to make beautiful, useful things. I am fascinated with the colors achieved from many humble weeds we overlook every day and the rather magical processes used to get them to give up their secrets. I have always been a bit obsessed with the passage of time, and this art form fits right in. The time of year and the stage of growth of a plant can affect what color it will give. The process itself can not be rushed-open the bundle too soon and it is ruined. This work teaches me mindfulness, presence and patience.
Ruthie Franks
I started growing gourds 20 years ago to provide a supply for various art projects. I find growing gourds is an art in itself; to create mature, strong, well-formed gourds that can be turned into colorful display pieces. The process includes a long grow season, plenty of hot weather and water.
The drying process takes six to eight months followed by thorough cleaning. Thick-skinned, smooth, unblemished gourds are the desired end product.
I carve designs on the gourd and use various dyes, stains and paint that will bring out the character each gourd reveals by it’s own unique size, shape and texture. Enjoy!
June 2021 Ruthie Franks & Lynne Jacobsen
Ruthie Franks
I started growing gourds 20 years ago to provide a supply for various art projects. I find growing gourds is an art in itself; to create mature, strong, well-formed gourds that can be turned into colorful display pieces. The process includes a long grow season, plenty of hot weather and water.
The drying process takes six to eight months followed by thorough cleaning. Thick-skinned, smooth, unblemished gourds are the desired end product.
I carve designs on the gourd and use various dyes, stains and paint that will bring out the character each gourd reveals by it’s own unique size, shape and texture. Enjoy!
Lynne Jacobsen
I am a native of the Pacific Northwest, my palette and choices of subjects generally reflect the sunny warm light of Spokane and the Palouse or the cooler light and softer shadows of Anderson Island in Puget sound where I have lived over the past 12 years. I have painted my entire life with the goal of capturing moments in time, tiny spots of beauty and focus that capture my heart.
I grew up as a child of the sixties, which means much of my early artistic development focused on the emotional impact of art. As I continued to grow as an artist, I realized I needed to get back to basics working on drawing and classical painting techniques to enable me to tell my story as a “woman of a certain age”.
My retirement from a long career in nursing gave me even more time to work on my art and allowed me to find and develop my own techniques and work on my story telling in painting even more. My art continues to be focused on using classical methods to bring in the serenity and calmness of beautiful everyday objects. My vision is to share the beauty and light you can find in the most mundane subjects. Light is a recurring theme in all my work.
2020 brought me back to Spokane. I am thrilled to be in a larger community and am looking forward to meeting other artists, hearing other stories and continuing to grow in my personal artistic journey.
My new home has a large studio with good light, and I continue to be blessed with my supportive husband Dave and entertained and inspired by our big goofy dog, Finley.
“I’m in fine fettle and fired with a desire to paint”
Claude Monet
May 2021 Yasuke Mayhew
Just before facing an empty nest, I started ceramics at Spokane Art School about 15 years
ago. I made an instant connection working with clay. Shortly after the Spokane Art
School closed its doors, I joined The Clay Connection and created a lot of art pieces with
passion for 4 years. As a child, I was totally fascinated with nature, so it came naturally
that I started expressing my love and admiration for any type of beautiful, little creatures
through ceramics. In order to portray animals, birds, and amphibians realistically, I first
researched all the images from different angles, thanks to the Internet. Then, I challenged
myself to transform hard and heavy clay to look light, warm, rough, smooth, or fragile.
During the coloring process, I always painted eyes first and painted layers of glazes with
my hope that each piece would come alive with a soul.
After spending countless weeknights and weekends at the kitchen table as an amateur
ceramic artist, I eventually became burnt out and stayed away from clay for a long time.
My production became limited to a single piece for Art on the Green every year, where I
was lucky to be awarded cash prizes 4 times at the Juried Show.
Five years ago, a strong urge to create returned to me. All of a sudden, the idea of
humanized animals popped into my mind. My dog started playing the violin, and a moose
started playing the guitar. Two years ago, which was the zodiac year of the wild boar, a
face-painted Kabuki boar started to dance.
I eventually attended a raku firing at The Clay Connection. I had previously avoided raku
because I wanted to have as much control as possible over my process. However, I have
since totally accepted and enjoyed the unpredictability of raku firing. On display, there
are several subjects finished in both regular firing and raku firing so that you can see the
differences in color effects. I also enjoyed making replicas of ancient Japanese Jomon
vases and artifacts in different colors and with some original concepts added on. I have
realized that there is no limit to ceramic creation. Whatever I want to create, there are a
hundred ways to express it. I wish to continue to expand my horizons in art.
My last ceramic exhibit was almost 9 years ago, and some pieces on display were created
during those early production years. Hopefully my assortment of old and recent pieces
will show you my artistic growth. I pray that my delicate creatures can make you smile,
gently speak to your soul, and bring back some warm, sentimental memories of your pets.
Please come and enjoy my enchanting ceramic world.
Yasuko Mayhew
September 2019 - Lynn Gardner & Brenda Everett
September Guest Artists:
Lynn Gardner & Brenda Everett
LYNN GARDNER IDAHO GIRL ART
Bio:
Lynn Gardner is a self taught enamelist living the dream 40 miles south of the Canadian border. Lynn combined her love of painting, fused glass and silversmithing into creating whimsical organic torch fired enamel jewelry.
She lives with her artist husband, five horses, six chicken, an ornery barn cat and her faithful sidekick Daisy, an old black lab. Lynn puts on many workshops in her studio and garden in pottery, jewelry and mixed media painting
You can find her work at numerous galleries in Montana, Idaho and Washington. Magic, serious magic, happens every time I find my way to the studio. My never ending love affair is where color meets metal, where I create torch fired enamel jewelry for the eclectic soul. Add color and imagination along with a big dash of whimsy and you’ll describe my work in a nutshell.
Artists Statement:
My studio is nestled in the Idaho Panhandle, among three mountain ranges, meandering rivers and the beautiful Lake Pend O'Reille. Inspiration is everywhere…..in the trees on the trails I ride my horse on, in the water of the rivers I kayak on, in the songs of the birds I listen to in the early morning hours.
My work starts with that inspiration of form and color. Using sheet copper I cut out my shapes using either a metal shear, a hydraulic press, or a jeweler saw. The pieces are filed, shaped and then the magic starts with the enamel powder. Layers of color are fired on it’s put to the flame where the powder melts and fuses with the metal. My time in the studio is like going to a party and I almost always close the door at the end of the day with a happy heart and a smile on my face.
BRENDA EVERETT
Brenda Everett is a PNW native with an endless love of costal beaches, art, guitar playing, family and friends. Brenda lives in Spokane with her husband, two kids and two Welsh Corgis. She had a BA in drawing, painting, and printmaking from Portland State University, and a former life as a Social Worker.
“Carving into wood and linoleum is my passion. My work is inspired by the natural world, music and figures. Slowing the world down while gazing at a slice of everyday life is a key piece of my subject matter. Weaving narrative, and colors are important, though some prints are destined to be black and white.”
May 2019 - Katie Frey
Katie Frey
Katie Frey has painted and studied art all over the world, including Australia and South America. She graduated from Walla Walla College in 2007 and has been teaching and creating art in Spokane ever since. Her areas of focus are acrylic painting and mixed media texture art. These paintings range from realistic to abstract, and most paintings include some form of collage, found objects, or texture medium to emphasize depth and create layers of interest. For her, inspiration and texture are synonymous. Inspiration might be on the inside of a coffee sleeve, in the layers of peeling graffiti beneath a Spokane bridge, or found in the erosion lines of a rock.
It’s all about Texture
Katie Frey creates mixed media paintings that stretch from realistic to abstract.
Her abstract work is usually done in acrylic and often with mixed media materials such as found paper, metal foils, and texture mediums. These paintings often take on a geologic or strata inspired appearance.
Katie also loves painting trees and landscapes. Many of her landscapes are done with a palette knife to create bold strokes in an impressionistic style, while others include textures such as sand, sea glass, broken shells, and found objects.
Her third love is whimsical paintings of animals. Whether they live in the forest or in your living room, her cats, bears, and bunnies have a charming storybook quality.
Katie Frey also teaches classes and workshops all over Spokane. You can find her classes through Act2 and the Corbin Art Center, as well as on her blog: artwithkatie.blogspot.com.
November 2016 - John Blessent & Hannah Charlton
The Guest Artist Show at the Pottery Place Plus Artisan’s cooperative for the month of November are:
John Blessent
AND
Hannah Charlton
* * *
Come and meet the artists at our
FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTION
November 4, 2016 from 5-9 PM
Join us, meet the artists and find out how they create their unique pieces of art.
At 203 N. Washington, Adjacent to Aunties Bookstore in the Liberty Building
John Blessent
Teaching art his entire life, at Mead High School and as adjunct art professor at Whitworth College, John has concentrated on one of a kind jewelry since his retirement from teaching. Using texture and color he creates stunning and unique jewelry.
Hannah Charlton
Hannah Charlton’s internship at the Grunewald Guild in Plain, WA fueled her interest in traditional art forms and the relationships between art and faith. Hannah then began to study medieval art in earnest, focusing on illuminated manuscripts. She has continued to make commissioned pieces and most recently passages from The Book of the City of Ladies, a 15th-century feminist book on great women in history.
April 2016 - Toni Spencer Batiks
Toni Spencer is our Guest Artistis for the month of April. Stop by for the reception and meet Toni and see her work:
Birds and Bikes
FIRST FRIDAY
April 1st, From 5-9 PM
About Toni
Toni has been showing her batiks as Guest Artist at PPP for many years. All her batiks start with her original drawings, which are often inspired by the shapes and colors of nature.
A resident of the Northwest since 1979 and of Idaho since 2001, Toni has taken part in art shows from Alaska to California for more than 30 years.
About Batik
Batik is a "resist" technique. Melted wax is applied to the fabric, then the fabric is dipped in dye (the waxed areas "resist" the dyes). The fabric is allowed to dry before repeating the process again for each color in the design working from the lightest color to the darkest.
Care and planning must be taken with choice of colors because each new color mixes with the previous colors in the unwaxed areas. Mysterious and almost magical changes occur when waxed fabrics are dipped into different color baths.
The crackle or veining that appears in most Batiks is caused when the wax cracks and allows the dye to penetrate to the fabric. After the final color is applied, the wax is removed and the piece is ready for presentation.
See more of her work on her website!
March 2016 - Jan Designs
The Guest Artist Show for the month of March will feature Jan Kruger and her new collection of works...
Letter Play
Artist Jan Kruger combines the art forms of Acrylic painting and the bold marks of Calligraphy to create one of a kind art pieces.
Jan is a regular Visiting Artist in our gallery. We are excited to be showing her special collection for the month of March at the Guest Artist Show. Come and meet her at our First Friday Reception on March 4, 2016 from 5-10 PM
Jan was first introduced to Calligraphy during high school and she has continued to study in many design and calligraphy courses since then including classes at The Spokane Art School, The Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, and many Calligraphy conventions and workshops including a year long study in Seattle in 1995.
Calligraphic lettering has many other uses than the manuscript writing of the Middle Ages. It has become an art form all its own. Calligraphy today combines many other types of art such as handmade paper, paper marbling, collage, watercolor painting, gold leafing, and acrylic painting. Many of these different art forms can be seen in Jan’s artwork as she combines her love of color and painting with letters to design one-of-a-kind art pieces.
Jan has exhibited at The Spokane Art School, The Corbin Art School, Show of Hands Gallery, Northwest Artist’s, and various banks, libraries and wineries.
She has been a member or guest artist at Pottery Place Plus for many years.
Jan is the owner of Jan designs, a graphic design firm started in 1979 located in North Spokane. There she produces one -of-a-kind calligraphic artwork as well as a line of verses and sayings, dream books, canvasses and greeting cards.
She is also the author of a published book.
To see more of Jan's collections visit her website.