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
April 2021 Sandy Aaronson
Have you ever been mesmerized by a great book or musical score? I get the same response when I see a ray of light transmitted through a flower petal in my garden or the way it plays along the back of an old cat sleeping in a sunny window. Color has intrigued me in many ways, since childhood, when I learned to embroider and knit. I soon moved on to pastels and paints. I used color collaborations in jewelry, utilizing gemstones and sometimes hand-blown glass. I observed the works of the great masters and became inspired by some wonderful instructors along the way.
Which brings me to the present I am still on my journey of the explorations of light and the interplay of delicious colors around us. I am inspired by the Hubble telescope pictures and the "what happens if I use this color" methodology. Sometimes I strive for a more subtle, reflective viewpoimnt of everyday places and things. Other times I go crazy trying to capture a brief interplay of shadows when the sun comes out after a rain. I am ever challenged to attempt to show you, the viewer, a small corner of that world on canvas or paper. So let us begin on our humble journey...........and may you find a small glimmer of the joy this searching brings to me.
PS I have been asked about my use of the name Upchurch. I use it to honor my maternal grandmother who was a homesteader near Orofino, ID. She survived some terrible times and kept a sense of humor. She was a source of inspiration in so many ways.
March 2021 LR Montgomery
WHO HE IS
LR Montgomery creates original oil, impressionistic landscape paintings of our beloved Northwest.
His paintings bring the ambiance and memories of our outdoor experiences into homes, work spaces, and recreational abodes.
As an artist with a heart for conservation and sustainability, he paints nature, exposing its intricacies and boldness, lights and shadows, wide-open spaces, and hidden secrets.
Montgomery’s images float through the boundaries of realism and impressionism, reflecting a sensitivity and close interaction with the environment and the Northwest outdoor life style. His recognizable, prolific outpouring of works show a respect for life, nature and the beauty of God's creation.
STATEMENT
I applaud those with the foresight and determination to conserve our natural areas for enjoyment, environmental stewardship, and education. Our rugged yet fragile natural areas, (like art) are a gift from the past, a gift for today, and a gift for the future. Through art, I strive to conserve and grow the great gift of our natural areas, and share it with others.”
COLLECTIONS ~ INFLUENCE ~ AWARDS
LR Montgomery’s work is found in the collections of corporations, private individuals, environmental groups, museums, and educational institutions throughout the USA, Europe, Russia, China, Mexico, Canada, Africa and Japan.
Collecting entities include Kaiser Permanente, Spokane Eye Clinic, Pacific Lutheran University, Washington State University, City of Spokane, Dishman Hills Conservancy, The NW Museum Of Arts & Culture (The MAC), Layola Marymount University, Shriners Children’s Hospital, and Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Montgomery has produced signed limited edition etchings or print images for organizations such as The NW Museum of Arts & Culture (The MAC), St Georges School, The Friends of Manito, WSU Intercollegiate School of Nursing, and Dishman Hills Conservancy.
Awards include Los Angeles Printmaking Society National Exhibition Purchase, The Artist's Magazine National Art Competition Finalist, Artistry In Wood Featured Artist, and Valley Art Center First Place.
Montgomery has been featured in Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living Magazine, The Spokesman Review, Columbia Basin Herald, Silver Valley Voice, Signals, and on KSPS Public Television.
LR Montgomery is the Artist In Residence for Dishman Hills Conservancy. DishmanHills.org
His influences include Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Sorolla and Chevreul.
PERSONAL
LR Montgomery lives in Spokane WA with his wife Carole. His studio and gallery are located near Manito Park. He can be reached at LRMontgomery@LRMontgomery.com
PS
LR Montgomery is a bit of a rascal and a great story teller. Click here to receive his occasional e-newsletter where you can read his insights, learn about upcoming shows, and be among the first to see his new paintings.
Feburary 2021 Sally Lancaster & Genevieve
Sally Lancaster
Bio
Sally Lancaster was born in Spokane and attended Washington State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. She taught jewelry making and papermaking while living in California, displayed in galleries, and participated in group shows.
Sally’s work is focused on mixed media, a culmination of all of the types of materials she has worked with – acrylic painting, fabric, papermaking, printmaking, and jewelry making.
Artist Statement
The mixed media pieces I create focus on working with form, texture and space. By layering and using different materials, I strive to create that feeling of balance and harmony as in nature – the smooth and the textured, the bold and the soft working together.
I don’t always work from a preconceived notion. I let the ideas flow as I begin to work the materials I choose – experimenting with acrylics, colored pencils, papers, fabric and thread until a work emerges. My pieces are created out of the sheer joy of creation itself.
Genevieve Arnold
Genevieve studies nature and artists for her inspiration. Her work usually contains animal imagery. She lives with three beautiful dogs and two cats, an endless source of inspiration and humor. She often looks at the work of Eduardo Kac, Eva Hesse, Mark Dion, Cia Guo-Change, Faith Ringgold and Adrian Piper for inspiration.
She loves living in Spokane with its beautiful parks and close proximity to nature. Her favorite things, other than making art, are walking her dogs, chatting with neighbors and enjoying a cup of hot coffee with friends and family.
January 2021 Juaquetta Holcomb
Juaquetta Holcomb hand spins rustic art yarn from fleeces grown on sheep and alpaca, right here in this area. Each day finds her washing, dyeing and spinning fibers into yarn. She then knits, crochets and weaves hats and shawls with these yarns. Juaquetta lives east of Spokane and sells her work at the Kootenai County Farmers market and local art festivals. This is her 12th year as the January guest artist at Pottery Place Plus.
December 2020 Joe Simonsen
Joe Simonsen
I started woodworking as a young boy helping my father with some of the projects he was doing. I went on to working in a cabinet shop building cabinets and counter tops. Although I have worked in several different fields and held different positions throughout my work history, woodworking has always been my passion. Since my retirement over a year ago I started having a lot more fun doing what I love to do. Give me a block of wood and I’ll make something out of it.
November 2020 Guest Artist The Spokane Jewelers Guild
The Spokane Jewelers Guild formed in 1982, and consists of an ever-varying membership with a variety of specialties, backgrounds and interests. Guild members this year work in sterling silver, titanium, copper and mixed metals, as well as vitreous glass enamel, polymer clay, fibers, found objects, crystal, and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Techniques include silversmithing, beadwork, weaving (wire, fibers, beads), designs strung with gemstone beads, fusing, riveting and much more.
October 2020 Mike DeCesare
Artist Statement:
Photography is my first language, expressed in images that draw the viewer inside a scene to see, feel, interact with, and add their personal interpretation of a place or a time when light, color and form, combined to create a unique and memorable human experience.
Bio:
Mike uses an academic foundation of technical expertise from his formal training at the New York Institute of Photography, along with a deep and abiding love and respect for the outdoors, to create images that interpret and respect, nature's grand and beautiful elegance, or serve as a time portal to a place where people once lived and loved, and left their mark behind.
Every image is photographed and then hand crafted solely by Mike DeCesare to render a final work that interprets the natural world and the bond between nature and people.
Mike has been invited to exhibit at prestigious art shows, including: Spokane's Artfest, Coeur 'd Alene's Art on the Green, Salt Lake City's Urban Arts Festival, and the Beverly Hills artShow.
Mike's work has been featured in Hidden Treasure Art magazine - the editor called his work "Absolutely breathtaking." Mike has been a featured artist on the influential Artsy Shark website, included in Volume XII of International Contemporary Artists, and his portraits were featured internationally by Agefotostock, one of the top international photo agencies.
In February, 2019, Mike received a "Special Merit" Award for his image, "Parisian Cafe," in the 9th Annual International UrbanScapes competition that attracted 500 entries from 22 countries. Mike has also received awards from the Las Vegas Red Room Art Gallery, and the international Centre of the Picture Industry.
Mike's images appear on handcrafted Maple bookmarks and other environmentally sourced wood products made by Mitercraft and his friends Julie and Ron Flint.
Mike lives in Spokane, Washington, but travels and photographs around the country and internationally.
September 2020 Karen Robinette & Gloria Fox
Karen Robinette
Karen is an award-winning graphic designer, and a watercolor artist. She applies her understanding of design concepts and color relationships, as used in advertising and publishing, to her watercolor paintings. Since 2016 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.
Glorai B. Fox
Born in Texas, I moved to Spokane at the end of first grade. Imagery and color have been life-long interests, earning art awards and scholarships during 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 various volunteer organizations. Membership in Spokane Watercolor Society, River Ridge Association of Fine Arts and garden clubs 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 thoughtful and engaged way.
August 2020 Rosemary Barile
Rosemary Barile was born in 1955 in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. She received herMaster of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Washington in 1997. The focus of her studies were Fiber Arts and Buddhist Art History in Asia. As an undergraduate she traveled to Nagoya Japan for the International Shibori Symposium. This trip proved to be a pivotal in influencing her art, as well as, her personal life. While in Japan she was introduced to Buddhist and Shinto spiritual practices and Japanese Tea Ceremony. As a graduate student she went on to study the ritual of Tea Ceremony with the Seattle Urasenke Foundation and began her ongoing exploration of Hatha Yoga. Rosemary left the Seattle area in 2005 to live on the island of Maui. While living in Hawaii she was represented by Maui Hands Gallery and her work was selected for Art Maui in 2006. She returned to the mainland in 2008 and now lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Rosemary’s work has been exhibited at the Center on Contemporary Arts (CoCA) in Seattle Washington, the Prichard Gallery at the University of Idaho, The Sun Valley Center for the Arts, and the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. She is currently represented by Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston and Dallas, Texas, and by Patricia Carlisle Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
July 2020 Bonnie McMahill
Spokane area potter, Bonnie McMahill, discovered her love of clay upon retirement from a 40+ year career in the healthcare field. She took many art classes in junior high and high school, however gave these up in college to focus on the sciences. While busy with her career and three children, she found artistic outlets by sewing dance costumes and creating beautiful and functional hand knit gifts. Retirement allowed for time to explore clay art, and she was hooked! She is interested in many types of pottery finishing techniques, including underglazes, sgraffito, tape-resist, and silk screening. She draws inspiration from her family, pets, and the outdoors to create fun and functional pieces of art.
March 2020 Cindy George & Ian Kelly
Cindy George
I have been painting in acrylics for most of my adult life. Primarily, I paint on small canvases with an edge, so the scene can be continued all the way around, allowing the painting to be viewed from all angles. I originally started painting on this size canvas due to time constraints but now I love to work on this size! I find they can be tucked into so many interesting places such as corner shelves, coffee tables, counter and desktops, usually displayed on a miniature easel or set free standing.
The northwest is full of inspiration for everything I love to paint, from the northeast corner of Washington to the Olympic Peninsula! I also find much of the subject matter for my art, nature and wildlife, right where I live. Last autumn there was a large herd of elk in the field at the bottom of our driveway for over a month. This summer I frequently walked to a large commercial sunflower field just a half mile up the road. I am always in awe of how even the simplest landscape can be transformed by changes in light and atmosphere. This is what truly inspires me, attempting to capture that snippet in time of nature’s unending beauty and surprises!
Ian Kelly
I am a graphic designer, user experience graduate student and artist living in Spokane, WA. My work is graphic in nature and relies heavily on strong silhouettes to create depth and color to convey mood. My art is heavily influenced by the wonder and imagination of The Great Outdoors. Through emotive minimalism, yes I made that up, my goal is to provide enough narrative to draw you in, at which point you are encouraged to use your imagination to fill in what's not presented. My landscapes often explore the beauty, magic, and mystery that resides in the woods which represent a provocative dichotomy; pleasure/relaxation and mystery/suspense. I hope you find yourself getting lost within the story.
Without the distraction of fine details, you are free to use your imagination to complete the narrative presented, to revel in the pure use of color and shape. Each illustration begins a story and allows you, the viewer, to continue the tale with deep reflection. All of these landscapes tell a story, but what is it? How do your experiences shape and change the narrative?
February 2020 Toni Spencer
Toni Spencer has been showing her batiks as Guest Artist at PPP for many years. A resident of Idaho since 2001, she has taken part in art shows from Alaska to California for more than 30 years. All her batiks start with her original drawings often inspired by the shapes and colors of nature. They may start there but sometimes they take on a life of their own and turn out very different than originally planned. The batiks are created with either Silk Broadcloth or a Silk Jacquard. A wax mixture is used as a resist and vats of dye are used to apply the color, working from the lightest color to the darkest. The distinctive crackle found in batiks is created when the wax cracks and allows dye to penetrate to the fabric. Some of the crackle happens organically and some are manipulated by Toni to enhance the design.
Road Trips of the Northwest. The Columbia Gorge, Glacier Park, Lake CdA, the St Joe River, the Palouse Hills, and just traveling along Northwest Highways all have inspired the many Batiks for this show. The layers of trees, hills and mountains fascinate my artist’s eye and challenge me to try to capture the feelings they evoke.
January 2020 Jauqetta Holcomb
Juaquetta Holcomb hand spins rustic art yarn from fleeces grown on sheep and alpaca, right here in this area. Each day finds her washing, dyeing and spinning fibers into yarn. She then knits, crochets and weaves hats and shawls with these yarns. Juaquetta lives east of Spokane and sells her work at the Kootenai County Farmers market and local art festivals. This is her 11th year as the January guest artist at Pottery Place Plus.
December 2019 Jerry Simchuk
ARTIST BIO: Jerry grew up in the Northwest where he began to develop his keen eye for wildlife and love of nature. Days spent fishing, hunting, hiking, and caring for a variety of animals on his family's farm filled his days, while his nights were spent painting and exploring his growing affinity for art. The knowledge and sensitivity gained during this time would become the hallmarks of his realistic, highly detailed Fine Art Bird Sculptures.
In 1993, Jerry found woodcarving to be the perfect medium to express his artistic talents. He was drawn toward bird and fish sculptures, and deep down he knew this medium would be most rewarding, allowing him the ability to turn his love of wildlife into an art form. Soon after finishing his first carved bird, Jerry entered his work in the Boise Woodcarvers Show in 1994 where he took top honors in his division.
Since his first competition in 1994, Jerry Simchuk has competed regularly at top-level bird carving shows around the country, including the Ward World Championships. He has received numerous high level awards for his wildfowl and fish carvings, and his work has been selected to appear on the cover of Wildfowl Carving Magazine in 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018. As one of this nation's most respected and premier wildlife artists, Jerry Simchuk has been invited to judge many prestigious shows, including the Ward World Championships since 2004. With his passion for creating realistic bird sculptures in both wood and bronze, Jerry continues to share his knowledge and skill with others, offering seminars, classes and writing articles. Jerry finds it very rewarding to know he is helping others grow in there passion for this art form.
Jerry currently resides in Spokane Valley Washington with his wife Jean where he continues to build his reputation as a full time wildlife artist, sculptor, judge, and instructor.
