Brackenwood shows Michel Tsouris’ work
Michel Tsouris is a painter, poet, musician and composer. Her show, “This is Where I Live,” opens at Brackenwood Gallery on Saturday, Sept. 4, with an artist’s reception from
5 to 7 p.m. during Langley’s first Saturday of the month art walk.
This exhibit features Tsouris’ eclectic painting techniques, including encaustics, photographic transfers of collaged paintings onto aluminum or copper, and paintings on paper surfaces that incorporate tar, wax and pigments. Sometimes images are etched onto a surface whether it’s paper, wood or metal. As she works, Tsouris often jots down lines of poetry, and they become part of the landscape of the painting.
With a background in psychology, each of her paintings tells a personal story. Sometimes it is obvious, but often it’s just a tiny image that suddenly appears as you step closer. A small girl crouched under a bed, or a tiny chair perched on a tight wire. You may not know exactly what lies beneath an image, but you build your own narrative as you contemplate the painting.
For this show, the artist has created a short multimedia presentation incorporating her own music, poetry and images to accompany the exhibit of her paintings. This journey allows you a more intimate access to Tsouris’ world. You find yourself going back to a painting, trying to find the place that floated by on the computer screen that you didn’t notice on first glance.
“‘This is Where I Live,’” Tsouris wrote, “is a collection of paintings about coming in and going out/ being present and being absent/ passivity and activity/ asking questions and watching things transform right before our eyes/ things we expected to change/ and things we never expected to change.”
The show continues through Sept. 27.

Raven Rocks Gallery presents Trimbath
Raven Rocks Gallery presents “Twelve Months at Admiralty Head,” by photo essayist Tom Trimbath. The show runs from Sept. 3 through
Oct. 1, with an opening reception to meet the artists from 5 to 8 p.m. during “First Fridays at the Farm” Wine and Art Walk on Sept. 3.
For the past few years, Trimbath has been documenting the large and small wonders to be found on Whidbey Island as seen through the artist’s lens. His previous series on Cultus Bay and Deception Pass treated us with visions of everyday beauty and unexpected wonder that uplifted our hearts and minds. As before, this new series of images from Admiralty Head inspires us to look again for the hidden treasure on the beaches and back roads we know so well.
“Whidbey’s center is Admiralty Head, a pivotal point of land that witnesses the passages of ferries, the ships, the tides and migrating birds,” Trimbath said.
“Admiralty Head anchors an intriguing mix of people and nature. The point of land is innocuous but pivotal to all around it.”
Enjoy a fresh look at familiar places seen through the eyes of a passionate seeker of beauty.
Also in the gallery this month are the latest paintings, tapestry, jewelry and fine artisan crafts by owners Mary Jo Oxrieder and Windwalker Taibi, as well as all of the other gallery artists.
Raven Rocks Gallery is at Greenbank Farm. For information and gallery hours, call 222-0102, or visit the Web site at www.ravenrocksstudio.com.

Whidbey Pies Café features Kris Wiltse
Whidbey Pies Café at Greenbank Farm welcomes the paintings of Kris Wiltse through September.
Wiltse’s light-filled watercolors and expressive sketches of local life are inspired by people, animals, plants and environments.
With a penchant for working on location, she imbues her art with spontaneity and the character of her subjects.
Wiltse is a Whidbey Island artist and illustrator who teaches painting and drawing for the South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District. She is best known for her interpretive signs of marine life, birds, flora and history. The pedestal-mounted signs are on display at some 20 state parks, county parks, cities, port district facilities and waysides on Whidbey and Camano islands.

Schouten welcomes Govedare and Belov
“Letters from a Potter, New Raku Pottery” by Joan Govedare and the paintings of Anne Belov will be shown from
Sept. 3 through Sept. 29 at Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm.
An opening reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m during First Fridays at the Farm.
Come and meet the artists, have some free refreshments and hear the swinging jazz sounds of Trio Nouveau.
“We are thrilled to be able to present this gorgeous exhibition by two of the Northwest’s most highly regarded artists, Joan Govedare and Anne Belov,” said gallery manager Faith Wilder. “Anne’s oil paintings and monoprints are lush and luminous, and Joan’s new raku vessels, which she calls “Letters from a Potter” are just exquisite.”
Both artists have been honing their techniques for more than 30 years, and this dedication is clearly reflected in the high quality of their respective artwork.
“Making paintings is how I reflect on my life events,” Belov said.
“My paintings are not about reporting. The goal is to create a believable fiction, which tells a story, and engages the viewer.”
Belov’s landscapes and still lifes are known and respected for her inspired use of light, structure and color.
Speaking about her show, “Letters from a Potter,” Govedare said, “This series of pots, 26 in total, contains a pot for each letter of the alphabet. I began early this
year by exploring every page of the dictionary, hunting five letter words
I thought would be fun to depict in clay. Once I had all 26, I began throwing and carving. A-Z Alate to Zamia, with everything in between. Each purchase will be accompanied with a real ‘letter from the potter,’ explaining why that word was chosen,” she said.
First Fridays at the Farm will be in full swing, with a Wine and Art Walk sponsored by all the shops and galleries which will be open late. Whidbey Pies Café will serve a special dinner menu.
The Rob Schouten Gallery is located on Whidbey at Greenbank Farm. For more information, call the gallery at 222-3070 or e-mail info@robschoutengallery.com.

MUSEO features painter and glass art
September’s exhibit will spotlight two dynamic MUSEO artists.
Kathe Fraga’s paintings are inspired by the beauty and romance of old. Fraga’s “French Wallpaper Series” evokes the hand-painted, timeworn walls of a grand old Parisian mansion. Her paintings resemble aged, decorative fresco panels adorned with birds, flowers, vines and leaves in a modern Chinoiserie style. She paints with acrylics and graphite on canvas finishing with a lacquered coating.
Kait Rhoads’ glass work reflects a great admiration of the structure and design of underwater plants and animals. Many of Rhoads’ sculptures in this series are inspired by the life forms of the ocean. Her color and pattern combinations also produce natural imagery such as feathers, seaweed and cherry blossoms. Complex glass patterning techniques of cane, murrine and zanfirico can be seen throughout Rhoads’ work.
An opening reception will be during Langley’s “First Saturday Art Walk,” from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4. The exhibit runs through Sept. 27.

Artworks Gallery features John Olsen
Artworks Gallery’s featured artist this month is photographer John Olsen.
A First Fridays at the Farm Wine and Art Walk reception is from 5 to
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3.
Olsen’s current exhibit features photographs from his new collection, “Whidbey in Color.”
“I have noticed the Whidbey maritime environment has stripped off much of the colorful spirit of certain historic structures, leaving a false impression of lifelessness,” Olsen said.
“Therefore, I set out with several battery-powered flashes, flashlights and color gels to try a different approach. I even broke down and used a digital camera so that
I could adjust the lighting during those few minutes while the sunset light might be perfect,” he added.

Hello Drifters,
Remember me? Probably not.
This reporter, drowned in the weeds of the South Whidbey Record’s fertile field of features, artists and events, has neglected her Spindrift Pages. Wo is me.
I am afraid, dear reader, I am as lax a blogger as Hamlet was a decision maker. Though, Hamlet, it can be said, was not as busy as I was organizing the schedule of interviews, phone calls and emails required to glean the very heart of South Whidbey’s most talented onto the page. Meanwhile I’m also helping my intrepid editor and two fellow reporters to write, layout, read, proof, correct and proof and correct again, the pages of the twice weekly Record all while making deadlines. In short, I wish we all had more time, as poor tormented Hamlet seemed to, for turbulent soliloquies and message-laden dramas.
Anyway, here I am. The summer art season is in full swing with art groups preparing to open shows up and down the island.
“On Golden Pond” is closing this weekend at WICA, while “Robinhood,” and “As You Like It” are in the throes of it for Whidbey Children’s Theater.
Speaking of “As You Like It,” I was talking to director Rosie Woods the other day who was telling me the story of how she mentioned wanting to do Shakespeare outside on the island and before you could say, “But, soft, who goes there?” Fritz Hull of the Whidbey Institute at Chinook practically had an outdoor theater built for just that purpose. How’s that for support of theater arts? Rosie and I agreed, only happens on Whidbey Island. Anyway, I predict that show is going to be one of the most enchanting ever, so be sure and catch it, dear Drifters.
Meanwhile, I’ll be starting my foray into Bob Fosse’s world of “Chicago” as Mona, one of the dancers, at the Whidbey Playhouse in Oak Harbor. K. Sandy O’Brien is directing and choreographing and I’m preparing myself to be “whupped” readily into shape by the September opening. I need a good musical to get my butt into shape. Gail Liston of Vino Amore wine shop in Freeland plays “Roxie,” and my instincts say she’ll be fantabulous!
I’m a tad concerned about the smallish size of the WP stage, however, as I’ve never performed on it before. I will try my best, dear Drifter, not to fall off into one of your laps!
Adieu!

‘Gone to the Dogs’ canine portraits
Raven Rocks Gallery at Greenbank Farm presents local artist Deon Matzen and her most recent series of portraits titled “Gone to the Dogs,” through July 1.
Whidbey Island is a place where dogs are loved and welcomed, whether it’s at off-leash parks or the local art gallery. Matzen embraces that love of man’s best friend in her latest warm and whimsical series of oil paintings.
Ten percent of all June sales of Matzen’s dog portraits, Windwalker Taibi’s original raven paintings and prints, and Mary Jo Oxrieder’s prints and cards, will also be donated to WAIF. For information and gallery hours, call 360-222-0102 or visit www.ravenrocksstudio.com.

Island Framery welcomes Picco
Patty Picco’s monoprints, encaustics and hybrid encaustic-monoprints are now showing at Island Framery through June.
Included in the show, is Picco’s monoprint “Toward the Light,” similar to the one featured on this past year’s cover of the Whidbey Telecom phone book.
Picco is drawn to the process of layering and discovery as the finished work develops.
Picco has exhibited her prints, mixed-media and encaustic paintings in galleries and museums throughout the United States. She is an award- winning and internationally collected artist. She has more than 25 years of teaching experience and currently teaches at the Pacific Northwest Art School on Whidbey Island.
An artist’s reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 12.
Call 341-1418, or visit www.islandframery.com for details.

Artworks Gallery celebrates fifth
Artworks Gallery at Greenbank Farm celebrates its fifth anniversary with featured artist Dan Freeman through June.
Freeman is a sculptor who describes himself as a “maker of objects.”
He likes to use materials to convey a sense of now using “markers”, “stiles”, talismans” and “big splices.”
Freeman seeks an answer to the basic need for connection.
Other artists of Artworks Gallery co-op will be on hand to share in this special evening.
Their work includes oil paintings, watercolors and acrylic, hand-crafted jewelry, color and black-and- white photography, fiber art, sculpture, pottery, hand-made books and vessel-gourd art.
For more information, visit artworkswhidbey.com or call 360-222-3010.

CAbi Trunk Show is at Open Door Gallery
Carol Anderson is a nationally recognized fashion designer. For
25 years her designs were sold in the finest stores throughout the country. Her designs are now sold exclusively through CAbi Fashion Consultants.
Susie Kanewske, a CAbi fashion consultant, brings a spring-and-summer Anderson trunk show to the Island on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20 at the Open Door Gallery in the Bayview Cash Store.
The spring/summer line is inspired by the explosion of new life with bursts of color, prints that excite, silhouettes that surprise and proportions that are fresh and new. Denim is hardly new, but is stronger than ever and here it is patched, printed and distressed and even used like linen.
Come and enjoy this great shopping experience with Kanewske helping shoppers to find those special pieces that fit well and reflect a personal style.
Customers will also be able to enjoy a glass of champagne, and some cheese while shopping for fashions.
The trunk show at the gallery will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Visit www.opendoorwhidbey.com for more info.

‘Celebrating Realism’ is shown at MUSEO
The show at MUSEO in Langley this month features some of the most talented artists in the Northwest.
The show explores the many aspects of realism emphasizing classical forms and themes.
“Celebrating Realism” includes both paintings and sculpture with a variety of subject matter such as landscapes, wildlife, figurative work, still lifes and seascapes.
Curated by Cary Jurriaans of the Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio, this show presents an exciting group of artists, all exploring the many aspects of realism.
An artist’s reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 5. “Celebrating Realism” will run through June 28.
MUSEO is at 215 First St. Call 221-7737 for info, or visit www.museo.cc.

Brackenwood Gallery welcomes a family
Brackenwood Gallery in Langley presents “A Family Affair” featuring Buffy Cribbs, Bruce Morrow and Briony Morrow-Cribbs. It runs through July 1.
This creative family always comes up with interesting and exciting art, and this show is no exception.
Cribbs is a self-taught artist working in a multitude of medias. The work for this show highlights her paintings and her multi-media pieces.
Her paintings seek to provide a visual picture, an animation, of the effervescent experience of creating; the sense of being in the moment.
Morrow, Cribbs’ husband, is an incurable romantic who loves the outdoors. Morrow’s paintings, dominated by quick strokes and strong color, convey an awe and appreciation of simple things. He delights in painting figurative pieces and objects reminiscent of places and people he’s met on his extensive travels in the Western U.S. and at home.
The couple’s daughter, Morrow-Cribbs, is a print and etching artist who tries to create an accessible space between the world of science and the abstract; the mutable world of her imagination.
Morrow-Cribbs’ work is often a hybrid of monsters and chimera that retain elements that are familiar.
“With a tiny needle, I etch images into a metal plate, creating an alternative or suspended reality,” she said.
Her illustrations create a narrative that comments on complex issues around the environment and recent advances in genetics. They have recently been published in “Wicked Plants.” Her next book, “Wicked Bugs,” will be published in 2011.
Visit www.brackenwoodgallery.com for more info.

‘The Stillness of Things’ is shown in paint
Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm presents Cary Jurriaans’ oil paintings in “The Stillness of Things,” along with the new, hand-blown glass of Rob Adamson and Janis Swalwell.
The show through June 30.
Netherlands-born painter Jurriaans studied painting at the Seattle Academy of Fine Art and the Florence Academy of Art. Her work is in several private collections in the U.S. and Europe.
“There is magic that happens in the space of stillness that simply cannot happen in the space of continual movement,” Jurriaans said.
“There is a purity and serenity that simply cannot be found anywhere else. I love painting this stillness.”
Whidbey glass artist Adamson has pursued a love of hand-blown glass for more than 40 years, turning his vision of glass-making into a highly successful career. He is continually engaged in creating art glass and exploring sculptural directions in contemporary art glass.
Swalwell, who shares a Whidbey Island glass blowing facility with Adamson, has worked with handblown glass design for nearly 30 years. She is at work on a line of contemporary art glass, and does experimental work with pate de verre technique and casting glass.
For more information, call 222-3070 or e-mail info@robschoutengallery.com.

Art in the Café has Ursillo paintings
Art in the Café welcomes John Ursillo to Island Angel Chocolates in Langley during June.
As a colorist, Ursillo makes paintings that have been critically noted for their ability to render light.
That light gives them an almost palpable sense of time, realism, depth and volume.
With 30 years of experience as an artist, his works reside in many private collections and have been included in numerous open and juried shows.
The cafe is at 138 Second St. on Langley.

Marianne Brabanski’s “Dakota” is just one of the many faces to be seen in MUSEO’s new show “ABOUT FACE.” The show runs through May.

MUSEO presents a variety of faces
The May exhibit at MUSEO will feature four portrait artists: Marianne Brabanski, Lane Gwinn, Peggy Juve and Cheryl Zahniser.
Brabanski presents striking contemporary pieces.
Gwinn explores new depths through the movement of form.
Juve surprises with whimsical works.
Zahniser showcases new works on glass.
Each artist has such a distinct style that MUSEO’s curators said this show is sure to turn some heads.
Also on view are new works by ceramicist Beth Wyatt.
Wyatt’s newest collection of vessels combine ceramic and mixed-media elements with an unexpected twist.
“ABOUT FACE’ will run through May 31.
MUSEO is at 215 First St. in Langley. Call 221-7737 or visit www.museo.cc.

Art in the Café for May shows Carter
Art in the Café welcomes Diana Carter to Island Angel Chocolates in Langley through May.
Carter began by holding a crayon and was very good at staying within the lines. But that was no fun, so she took up painting on the walls. (She got a spanking for that one.)
Watching her uncle paint in his studio was her inspiration. So she eventually went to art school at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She spent eight years working in the publishing industry, finally as an art director. But she still wanted to do her own thing.
She painted for herself in her spare time and took an occasional class.
After retiring, she moved to Whidbey Island to begin to live her dream.
“How could one not paint with so much inspiration? Whidbey is truly a painter’s paradise,” she said.
She still paints on walls, — she painted a mural at her branch library — but her love is watercolor landscapes. Most of all, she loves interpreting her vision and sharing it with the world.
If you are an artist and would like to participate in Art in the Café, contact Mona Newbauer at
221-2728 or e-mail her at monalynn@whidbey.com for more information.

Brackenwood Gallery shows “Oh Spring!”
Brackenwood Gallery in Langley will show “Oh Spring!” through May. The show joyfully welcomes in the season with featured artists Sharon Spencer and Nola Allen.
Spencer, a stone and bronze sculptor for 35 years, is “jumping into the unknown” with a new path, creating nests and vessels from paper, clay, bamboo and other “things” of interest.
“This new direction, this freedom, gives me a sense of flying…a great liberation,” Spencer said. Spencer has also created one-of-a-kind bronze pieces for this show.
Allen’s watercolor roses, irises, rhododendrons and other flora will grace the walls of the gallery welcoming spring as only flowers can. Allen’s fondness for the beauty of nature shines through in these larger-than-life paintings.
Joining the featured artists are Janie Cribbs and Sara Saltee.
Cribbs gets enormous pleasure out of painting birds.
“Larger than life in various surroundings, birds seem to be looking through a window into our earthbound lives inviting us to fly,” Cribbs said.
Saltee is an assemblage artist.
“Arranging seemingly random and disparate pieces into harmonious and meaningful little worlds is, for me, the whole enchilada; a deeply satisfying and joyful process,” Saltee said.
Sara’s delightful mixed media shrines and shadow-boxes will add to the celebration and poetry of spring at Brackenwood.
The show runs through until June 1 with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 8.
Visit the Web site at www.brackenwoodgallery.com for more info.

Artworks Gallery features Plakos photos
Marie Plakos will be the featured artist at Artworks Galley at Greenbank Farm through May.
Plakos’ love of photography began many years ago when she first purchased a 35mm camera and began developing and printing her own black and white film. When digital cameras came onto the market Marie became interested in the new technique and equipment used in creating photos. Today she uses Canon SLR cameras and processes her photographs in Adobe Camera Raw.
Marie’s extensive travels have taken her to over 25 countries photographing people, animals, unusual landscapes and flaura. She says, “I am constantly amazed with Mother Earth and her inhabitants and strive to capture glimpses of that beauty through the medium of photography.” Her outstanding collection of floral photos will be a featured exhibit in Artworks gallery during the month of May.
Artworks Gallery, a co-operative of 15 artists, also features paintings in oil, watercolor and acrylic, handcrafted jewelry, color and black and white photography, fiber arts, sculpture, pottery, wood turning, and handmade books.
For more information, visit artworkswhidbey.com or call 222-3010.

Gallery thinks outside the box
Raven Rocks Gallery presents “Outside the Box: New Directions from Mary Jo Oxrieder and Windwalker Taibi,” May 7 through June 3 at Greenbank Farm.
Spring has artists Oxrieder and Taibi antsy for change and wanting to shake up the way they’ve been “arting” in the last year. Watching the freshness of spring, and considering what new media are calling, has them hearing new songs in their hearts.
What yearnings have they put off in favor of what comes easily? From Oxrieder, a new collection of inspirational clay wall-plaques, a school of fabric Lucky Fish, Scrumble Monsters, acrylic paintings tiny and large, as well as newly issued prints from her Fantasy Series.
Taibi has made decoupage Patron bottles, Faces and Places mirrors, an “In Mall We Trust” flag, Beach Moments tapestry and Crystal Rain. These are but a sample of what’s to come.
Also featured this month is sculptor Ed Bennett whose love and respect for wild birds is expressed in his refined and descriptive carvings. His detailed creatures include exquisitely carved textures of each feather. Completed works are painted using thin layers of acrylic to create a complex, lifelike color scheme. Each work is an heirloom treasure.
Join these and other gallery artists for an opening reception during the First Fridays at the Farm artwalk and wine tasting on from 5 to 8 p.m. on May 7.
For information, call 222-0102, or visit www.ravenrocksstudio.com.

Greenbank gallery has oil and jewels
Rob Schouten Gallery proudly presents new oil paintings by Pete Jordan and new silver and pearl jewelry by Barbara Mundell, May 7 through June 2.
An opening night reception is during First Fridays at the Farm from 5 to 8 p.m.
Meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments while enjoying the music of Trio Nouveau and browsing the gallery.
Jordan¹s new landscapes have a quiet drama with a compelling and familiar accessibility; a country road, old homes in a small beach town, a sweep of beach, and useful objects of daily living come to life with the strength, confidence, and originality of this well known Whidbey painter.
With thirty years of experience, Barbara Mundell’s handmade silver jewelry features freshwater pearls and semi precious stones. Depicting the beauty of nature she creates delicate flowers, vines, branches, and seashells in pleasing and original ways.
“First Fridays at the Farm” will be in full swing with the Whidbey Pie Cafe and Greenbank Cheese Shop and all three of the Galleries at Greenbank collaborating with the Greenbank Wine Shop for the for the delightful wine and artwalk.
For more information call 222-3070 or e-mail info@robschoutengallery.com.

Book art is at the Open Door in Langley
The Book Art Show at the Open Door Gallery in Bayview Corner opens May 15 and runs through May 25. An opening reception is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15 in a fundraiser for the Whidbey Island Writers Conference.
The conference will receive one third of the gross sales from the show, the artist receives one third, and the gallery receives one third. It is the Open Door Gallery’s goal to generate sales, raise funds for this nonprofit and to make this show a community event.
Open Door Gallery + Coffee is in the Bayview Cash Store in Langley. For info visit www.opendoorwhidbey.com.

Father/Son art exhibit at UUCWI Gallery of Art
A Father/Son art show is on display at the UUCWI Gallery of Art throughout the months of May and June.
Featured art is that of local bronze sculptor Ron Ward and his son Johnathan Ward, who designs and creates fine art pieces as well as functional art for the garden & home, and local teacher/photographer Leonard Jacob Good and his well known artist father Leonard Phelps Good, who died in 2000. More information about Ron Ward’s and Johnathan Ward’ s art may be found on their websites – http://www.artparts.org/wardj/index.html and http://www.classicroadart.com/
An artist’s reception will be held from 11:15am to 12:30pm on Sunday May 2nd in the UUCWI Art Gallery. UUCWI (Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island) is located at 20103 Hwy 525 just a mile north of Freeland on the west side of the highway.

"Contemplation" by Lois Mason is on display at Island Framery in Clinton.

Hello Drifters, Here’s the April sights for art on the  South End. Gaze in good health! 

Island Framery presents Lois Mason’s “Luminous Earth” series.
“Luminous Earth” is a body of infrared photography work — an ontological study, which is an unusual task to undertake in the medium of photography. Unusual, and challenging, because the ubiquity of the photographic image is largely responsible for Western culture’s default attitudes and assumptions about what is real and what is imaginary, Mason said.
This Whidbey Island artist’s work seems to propose that the mind’s tendency is to build false constructs of reality built on lazy observations of the world. Her work challenges the viewer to become more engaged in understanding what is real.
“We live in a world of activity”, Mason said, “and rarely do we see through the illusion of our daily lives to glimpse the true nature of the present moment.”
Photography is usually associated with a captured still moment in time. Thinking in these terms would lead to quick and false assumptions about Mason’s work. The passage of time is an elemental part of the infrared images she creates, some of which require exposures of 15 minutes or more. With this in mind, the viewer is drawn into an understanding that linear time is deeply woven into the world as we know it. The capturing of infrared light, invisible to the human eye, proposes that there could still more to our existence beyond our current technological powers of observation.
Mason said her work is meant to evoke a sense of recognition, a familiarity, or a coming home and to create an opening for the viewer to ask, “What is real?”
Mason holds a first place award in the Environmental Division for Women in Photography International. Visit www.loismasonphotography.com.
“Luminous Earth” will be on display at Island Framery through the month of April. A reception for the artist will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 10. Attend the reception to be entered into a drawing for $50 for a custom-framing credit.
Call 341-1418, or visit islandframery.com for info.

“There/Not There” at Brackenwood Gallery
Brackenwood Gallery in Langley proudly presents Gail Gwinn’s “There/Not There,” a solo watercolor show featuring a series of intricate black and white paintings. “There/Not There” runs through April 26.
The exhibit also includes a few of Gwinn’s newest etchings from this series.
“Thoughts, memories, dreams, ghosts, time; all things that are there/not there,” the artist said. “Things that affect me, and yet I can’t hold them or keep them. So are they really there, these things?”
This series examines a paradox — the presence of that which lies between what can be kept and what is lost.
Gwinn is an artist who pays great attention to detail. She combines textures and patterns to create paintings with a dreamlike essence. A talented painter and printmaker,her expertise shines through in the quality she achieves in each piece. The combination of the abstract and the real draws one in to look closely at her work.
For info, visit www.brackenwoodgallery.com or call 221-2978.

April Art In The Café
Art in the Café welcomes painter Gayle Watkins.
Watkins paints because it challenges her artistic abilities. She started painting in 1980, while living in Kenai, Alaska, just on a whim to see how well she could do. She was amazed to find how easy and how much fun it was using oils, how flexible they are and how easy it is to change a look. Her favorite paintings are landscapes and seascapes of places that hold personal meaning for her. Her goal is to capture light, create depth and to invite the viewer into her world. She combines the use of brushstrokes and the palette knife to give her paintings a richer look.
Watkins has exhibited at the Island County Fair, at the Artists of South Whidbey Annual Show and at the Bayview Senior Center.
Watkins and Island Angel Chocolates invite you to an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 3 at 138 2nd St. in Langley. The artist’s reception is in conjunction with the Langley Art Walk held the first Saturday of each month. Enjoy strolling Langley and visiting all the participants of the Langley Art Walk while enjoying chocolate, of course.
The Langley Art Walk is free and open to all those interested in all types of creative works. If you are an artist and would like to participate in Art in the Cafe, call Mona Newbauer at 360-221-2728 or e-mail her at monalynn@Whidbey.com for more information.

Raven Rocks Gallery presents“Capturing Nature’s Beauty in Oil and Clay”
The Art of Stan Gabelein and Denise Krueger
Raven Rocks Gallery is pleased to feature the vibrant landscape oil paintings of Stan Gabelein for the month of April.
Gabelein’s life-long love of the outdoors is captured vividly in his paintings of his most beloved places from Alaska to Wyoming, Canada, Washington and Montana. His love of nature has given Stan an eye for detail and leaves one feeling that they are actually standing in the places he paints. This show will focus on a collection of Stan’s most dramatic landscapes and seascapes from around Washington State, including “Banks Lake Reflection”, “Skagit Old Growth” and “North Cascades.”
Also featured in April will be the delightfully whimsical “Pod Jars” of Denise Krueger, a ceramicist from Portland, Ore.
Krueger is enchanted by the natural forms of seedpods from all varieties of plants, which she incorporates into her miniature jars, with her own personal interpretations added in. The lid handles imitate sprouts, blossoms and more, and the inside of each jar bring its own special surprise. These functional works of art are perfect for storing your little treasures, or just placing on a shelf as décor.
For information, and gallery hours, call 360-222-0102, or visit the Web site atwww.ravenrocksstudio.com.

Artworks Gallery presents “April Breezes.”
The handpainted silks of artist Maggie Lancaster are at Artworks Gallery in Greenbank Farm.
For centuries people have used different forms of art to embellish fabrics. One of these, the art of dying silk has held Lancaster’s interest for the past several years. Lancaster has chosen the traditional Japanese method of silk painting using wax resist — or Rozome. She blends vibrant hues and melted wax to paint her delicate floral and landscape designs to create one of a kind banners and scarves. Maggie’s original designs on silk will be on display at Artworks Gallery throughout the month of April.
Artworks Gallery, a co-operative of 15 artists, also features paintings in oil, watercolor and acrylic, handcrafted jewelry, color and black and white photography, fiber arts, sculpture, pottery, wood turning, and handmade books.
For more information visit artworkswhidbey.com or call 360-222-3010.

Local photos at 1504 Coffee
Photographer Karen Leeds will be the featured artist in April at 1504 Coffee in Freeland. Her travels in the past few years, as well as living in the beautiful Northwest, have provided inspiration that has taken her craft to a higher level and more artistic aspect of the medium. Many of her images are abstract and display textures and patterns, as well as the ways in which shapes work with or against each other.

MUSEO features “The Artful Garden”
During the month of April, MUSEO gallery welcomes the spring season with an
exhibit of works inspired by the garden.
The show, entitled ‘The Artful Garden’, will present botanical-themed
paintings by Lisa Snow Lady. Sculptural garden pieces by featured artists
will also fill the gallery, all in celebration of the amazing gardens of the
Pacific Northwest and Whidbey Island.
Also be introducing jewelry by local Whidbey artist Jongae Swanson.
Architectural yet often organic in nature, we will be showcasing her
sterling silver necklaces and earrings.
You are cordially invited to attend the show opening at the artist’
reception on Saturday, April 3rd from 5-7pm. The exhibit will run through
April 26.

Fire House Studio Gallery blows glass for the garden
Callahan McVay’s Fire House Studio Gallery is excited to announce its new garden art section. Spring is here and your garden needs something special. Artist Todd Eugene will be showing large scale metal sculpture and playful glass flower sets with whimsical dancing grass. The gallery will also be featuring metal interior design works such as tables, lighting and wall decor.
Visit the studio to sign up for Callahan’s popular “Blow your own glass experience”. Any age or experience can create a sea float, tumbler or paper weight. Soon to come, “Forge your own metal experience”, blacksmithing with Todd Eugene.
First Saturday gallery walk will feature live glass blowing and black smithing. Inquiries for Fire House Gallery can be directed to cedarhillfoundry.wordpress.com.

Open Door Gallery has sculptures and paintings
New works by Whidbey Island artists, Dan Freeman and Mark Skullerud at the Open Door Gallery, Bayview Corner April 7 through May 1. An artists’ reception is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7 in conjunction with the Bayview Corner’s Annual Open House.
Dan Freeman’s mixed-media sculptures are a combination of wood, metal and stone. His work ranges is size from quite small to over 9 feet in height. They are quite imaginative and thought provoking, often with an interesting “twist” to them. Mark Skullerud’s abstract drawings and oil paintings reflect over 30 years of experience in the study of drawing and painting.
“Art that is planned has its roots in thinking. My compositions are not planned. I prefer to say they come from the heart. They can’t teach, instruct or demonstrate because there is no forethought. I’m really trying to set something loose. If purely representational art tries to capture real life, my work is about letting it go – letting go of expectations and conventions, the baggage we’ve picked up in the first half of life.”
The combination of Freeman’s sculptures shown with Skullerud’s paintings is a unique visual experience.
The Open Door Gallery also has on ongoing exhibit of work by Pacific Northwest artists. There is a wide range of arts and crafts represented, including ceramics, jewelry, glass, handmade books, sculpture, and paintings.

Musicians Seth Sobottka, Tera Applegate, Wyatt Homola and Gloria Ferry-Brennan hang at Greenbank Farm.

Hello Drifters,
I was reminded yesterday of the value of art when I sat and listened to the Young Artists Concert, a conjunction of four teenaged musicians who played with the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra. The high school auditorium was not full, but the energy exuded by each of the musicians and by the orchestra managed to fill the room to an electrifying capacity.
When 14-year-old Wyatt Homola played a flute concerto by Quantz I was intrigued. I had never heard of the composer, but I was crying by the end of the performance. OK, so I’m a big mush, but I couldn’t help it.
I couldn’t help feeling equally as moved by 12-year-old Tera Applegate’s performance of a violin concerto by Mozart, either. By this point, I didn’t care that my face was wet and that perhaps I was getting a bit carried away by the feelings the music had stirred up in me.
To be honest, it wasn’t just the music. Seeing someone such as Seth Sobottka up there, blowing out a difficult Franz Strauss solo on the French horn goes beyond what the music inspires. It’s seeing this 16-year-old kid, who also managed to wail to great effect on his horn at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival recently, reaches a part of my brain that provides me with some hope in a world that so often seems to be going to the dogs.
By the time that violinist Glory Ferry-Brennan, at the ripe old age of 13, stepped onto the stage ( a faery like vision in a radically original green dress) I knew I would be slayed for good. Ferry-Brennan is a musician of the highest order, despite her age, tackling a very difficult “Chaconne” by Vitali. It was all I could do to keep from crying out loud so desperate was I with love of what this young girl could do with her violin. The music just streamed from every inch of her being and out through her instrument. I think I can speak for the majority of the audience when I say we were ravished.
Beyond the beauty of the gift of music given us, was the quiet but easily-detected delight of orchestra conductor Legh Burns for the young artists whom he gave each a thoughtful introduction. To witness his pride in being able to showcase such talent was sweet indeed.
Thank you, musicians.
patricia

Part of the large cast who play multiple roles in “The Kentucky Cycle,” which opens Friday, April 9 at WICA, are Jennifer Zisette, Jameson Cook, Tom Churchill, Ethan Berkley (in back), Jim Scullin and Daniela Rose.

Hello Drifters, This month in Langley you might feel the urge to hear some fine Appalachian bluegrass music, or attend a downhome, foot-stompin play party, or find out if you have any ancestors that came out of Kentucky or maybe even have a rollin’- in-the-mud good fight with one of your cousins over who owns the land.
Blame it on the Kentucky Project.
Whidbey Island Center for the Arts presents an all-encompassing cultural event with the Kentucky Project, a series of events which kicks off with “Simple Gifts: The Music of America,” a WICA Conservatory Choir concert on March 14; entertains the family with “Play Party: Songs and Stories of Appalachia,” on March 19; and builds to a crescendo with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Kentucky Cycle,” opening April 9.
The project also features partnerships with community events such as the WICA lobby exhibit of the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island’s “Ties that Bind: The Biggs, Rowen, and Talbert Families.” This visual exploration of the ancestry and relationship of the fictional families of “The Kentucky Cycle,” hones in on the real events that shaped the lives of the people of Appalachia.
Another community-partner event is “Our Lives, Our Land: The Kentucky Cycle Stories in the Good Cheer Garden,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 17. This event includes prologues (30-minute educational programs with audience participation), a community discussion led by AmeriCorps volunteers, a sampling of food from Good Cheer’s garden, and a performance by the WICA Chamber Singers, an advanced group of local vocalists.
The arts center has stepped out of its singular theater season role and extended the reach of its next theatrical production to include history, genealogy, food, music and stories along with all the drama. It welcomes the community to explore the conversation that a play such as “The Kentucky Cycle” can spark.

The Kentucky Stories
“Play Party: Songs and Stories of Appalachia” celebrates the fine art of storytelling with Jill Johnson and musical guests at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19.
Share a rollicking good time with storyteller Johnson and her special guests Steve Showell, Judy Magidson, Bruce Rowland and the Shape Note Singers.
Together, they will evoke an older, simpler time and invite the audience to participate in some “old-timey” fun.
Johnson will work her storytelling magic and spin the yarns while the musicians add the songs of America’s first frontier. Bring the whole family for this “play party” to listen, sing, stomp, clap and play.
“Play Party: Songs and Stories of Appalachia” is a WICA Family Series presentation.
Tickets range from $12 to $15 and are available at www.WICAonline.com or call 221-8268.

The Kentucky Chorus
The WICA Conservatory Choir will sing it’s Kentucky-influenced heart out with “Simple Gifts: The Music of America” at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 14.
With director Robert Prosch leading them, the voices of this ensemble will take audiences on a historical harmonic ride through the great American West, celebrating the nation’s musical traditions through classics such as Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs,” “Down by the Riverside,” “Water is Wide,” “Shenandoah,” and “Amazing Grace.”
Tickets are $10 and available at www.WICAonline.com or call 221-8268.

The play schedule
What: “The Kentucky Cycle.”
Where: Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.
When:
Part One — 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11.
Part Two — 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April, 17; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 18.
Part One — 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 23.
Part Two — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24.
Tickets:
Part One or Part Two single performance — adult $16, senior/military $14, youth $12.
Cycle Pass (both Part One and Part Two) — adult $28, senior/military $24, youth $20.
Get tickets at www.WICAonline.com or call 221-8268.

Cee Cee James and her band at Cozy's Roadhouse in Clinton in January.

Hello Drifters,
Langley blues singer has done it again and managed to get her classic blues voice noticed by the Washington Blues Society. (James and her band recently traveled to Memphis, Tenn. where they were sent to represent the society at the annual International Blues Competition Contest. The band played their hearts out there, but James said the judges never cracked a smile.
But now, James is nominated again. This time it’s for Best Female Vocalist by the Washington Blues Society.
James has sent the word out that she needs your vote in order to stand on the podium at the awards show Sunday, May 16 at the Triple Door in Seattle.
You must be a member of the Washington Blues Society to vote. Become a member and vote for James at www.wablues.org/About/joinWBS.html.
So c’mon blues fans and local artist supporters, vote for Cee Cee!
The next show for Cee Cee James and her blues band is Wednesday, March 10 at Engels Pub in Edmonds.
Visit James’ Web site at www.ceeceejames.com.

Denise La Rue's "Peep Show" textile art is at MUSEO in Langley.

Art in the Café features Barbara Mearing
Art in the Café welcomes Barbara Mearing as the featured artist for February at Island Angel Chocolates in Langley.
Mearing paints for the simple pleasure of it, and her subjects are ordinary things: simple objects, flowers, local scenes – anything that appeals to her. Mearing, a mostly self-taught, artist, works in acrylics.
For more information about Art in the Cafe, contact Mona Newbauer at 221-2728 or e-mail her monalynn@Whidbey.com.

‘From Here to There’is at Brackenwood
Brackenwood Gallery proudly presents “From Here to There” through March 1.
The show features artists Anna Mastronardi, Jeff Day, Rich Frishman and Faye Castle.
Mastronardi’s work captures the colorful beauty of Italy, as well as local glorious sunflowers. Encaustics with photos of Venice and intricate seaweed collages draw you into other worlds.
Day’s travels to Istanbul inspired paintings and sculptures that bring to life the daily lives of ordinary Turkish people. His paintings and multi-media pieces from his recent move to Nanjing celebrate the art of Chinese kites.
Castle’s “plein aire” sketches from her journeys around Whidbey and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico are finished as delightful and lovely watercolors.
Frishman joins the show with a photo-montage of a beloved landmark the Doghouse Tavern. He wove together more than 217 separate photographs taken over an 18-month period to create this image. Photographs were shot from various perspectives and at different times of year to produce this great monumental work.
The gallery is at 302 First St. in Langley. Call 221-2978 or visit www.brackenwoodgallery.com for more information.

Fine-art print show on tap in Bayview
More than two dozen local artists and photographers will exhibit work in a unique show at Bayview Corner in Langley, hosted by Fine Balance Imaging Studios.
The Fourth Annual Gratitude Art Show will run through Feb. 28 in the Hub, as well as Feb. 19 – 28 in the Open Door + Coffee Gallery in the Bayview Cash Store.
A catered artists’ reception will be in the gallery from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. Call 221-2707 for information or e-mail info@fbistudios.com.
Most of the work will relate in some way to tools, houses, construction and, of course, heart, hearth and home.

Island Framery begins with painter Dave Pauls
The Island Framery is dedicating two of its walls solo exhibitions by local artists. The space will give preference to original pieces and artist-made prints. Joy and Chris Dennis, the new owners of Island Framery, say they strive to continue the same personal care to the Whidbey Island creative community for which former owner Lynae Slinden is renowned.
Kicking things off is the recent work of painter Dave Pauls. The work is richly layered with color, pattern, and philosophy.
In high school, Pauls and Chris Dennis participated in a volunteer muraling project in the pediatric department of Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif.
“At that age, I was petrified and afraid of making mistakes,” Dennis said. “I was content with playing things safe by projecting tried and true storybook images up on the wall to copy. Dave took risks, and painted his own images of anthropomorphic sunflowers freehand, with total confidence, and everybody loved them. I really looked up to him as an artist back then, and am totally blown away by what he’s producing now.”
Pauls lives in Shoreline, where he works by day planning package design for Nintendo. Pauls has an affinity for patterns, or rather, a deceptive mimicry of pattern, which could be described as chaos in sheep’s clothing.
See a preview of the show at www.islandframery.com.

The third annual “Artists in Love” show at Raven Rocks
The owners of Raven Rocks Gallery, Mary Jo Oxrieder and Windwalker Taibi, consider February — a time focused on love — to be their month, and so are the featured artists this month. In celebration of their love and passion for each other and their art, they are filling their spaces with hearts of all kinds from February to April 4.
Oxrieder will present her latest handmade greeting cards, whimsical “Love Tree” paintings, mixed- media beaded hearts, love poetry plaques and plush fabric hearts. Taibi’s latest “Ravens in Love” paintings will be debuted alongside his new series of mixed-media works entitled “For the Love of Ravens” and his new line of necklaces.
Joining the party will be new heart-themed bookmarks by Larkin Van Horn and the exquisite ceramic “pod” jars of the gallery’s newest artist Denise Krueger.
The gallery will also be extending its January showing of the paintings of Deon Matzen, Stan Gabelein and Richard Engstrom through this month, and as always, featuring the latest and favorite works of all the resident artists.
For information, call 360-222-0102, or visit www.ravenrocksstudio.com.

‘Five Sumi-e Artists’ show in Greenbank
Whidbey Pies Café, Greenbank FarmFive Sumi-e Artists continues its show of Asian ink-and-brush paintings.
Sumi technique is an ancient Asian art form, using brush strokes that are simple, elegant and serene. Paintings feature nature scenes and calligraphy. Jo Finley, Chizue Rudd, Irene Ruiz, Yvonne Palka and Joann Peterson will have their work on display until the end of February.

Rob Schouten Gallery presents: ‘The Body Electric by Ken Hassrick — A Retrospective’
This fundraising exhibition will benefit Whidbey Island Arts Council and opens Friday, Feb. 5 and runs through March 3.
Hassrick’s drawings and paintings reveal the classic subject of the female body, with its neverending variations of form and interpretation.
Whidbey painter, Ken Hassrick (1921-2004) spent more than 30 years exploring this evocative subject. This retrospective of his work will feature figurative compositions that range from realism to the abstract.
In keeping with Hassrick’s wish to have his work benefit the artists of Whidbey Island, his son Matt Hassrick and Matt’s wife Vicky have generously donated a large body of Hassrick’s paintings to the Whidbey Island Arts Council to which proceeds from the show will go and be used for many fine programs including scholarships and the development of arts education in island schools.
For more information call 222-3070 or e-mail info@robschoutengallery.com or visit www.robschoutengallery.com.

MUSEO’s greatest show has arrived
“The Greatest Show” has arrived in Langley, as MUSEO presents a show made of entirely circus-themed artwork.
Witness side-show spectacles, big top performers, fiercely-tamed creatures all wrapped up in amazing feats of art.
Ringmaster Jarvis and her assistant lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy that celebrate the spirit of the circus.
The Greatest Show will run through March 1. For more information, call 221-7737 or visit www.museo.cc.

1504 Coffee Bar has photos
Throughout the month of February 1504 Coffee Bar in Freeland will
show photographs by Goss Lake resident Tanya Schubert.
In her pictures, ranging
from small objects of the natural world, such as flowers and birds, to human structures and landscapes, the artist tries to capture the mystery of the light that illuminates the world.
1504 Coffee is located next to Gay 90’s in Freeland.

Artworks Gallery Presents ‘Hearts & Flowers’
Artworks Gallery highlights the Valentine month with new heart-themed jewelry by Deborah Hulsey and Maren Metcalf, and larger than life floral photography by the gallery’s newest member, Marie Plakos.
If you are looking for a unique gift, Artworks Gallery features original artwork of 17 local artists in a variety of mediums.
February features John Olsen’s black and white photographs of old cars; Valerie Moore’s creatively enhanced coastal photographs; Mark Lucero’s hand-carved acrylic on wood paintings; Dan Freeman’s woodcuts and elemental statues; northwest scenic paintings by Judith Burns, acrylic, Rainy Lindell, oil, and Gaylen Whiteman, watercolor; Maggie Lancaster’s hand-painted silk scarves, banners and braided rugs; Marcy Johnson’s hand woven scarves, rugs and hammered jewelry; and Zia Gipson’s mixed media, fiber and jewelry art.
The newest member Plakos, is a native of California who came to love the Northwest and particularly Whidbey Island by coming to the Coupeville Arts Center in the 90s.
She is a member of the Whidbey Island Surface Design group, Pacific Northwest Art School, and the Photographic Society of America. Plakos and her husband travel to photograph interesting places and cultures around the world. For local photography, she looks for wonderful gardens and colorful flowers.
For hours and other info, call 360-222-3010, or visit artworkswhidbey.com.

Creative Moves has variety in Langley
Enjoy Creative Moves Gallery’s framed and unframed photos by Les Dunner, who brings in new work weekly.
Also featured is the work of Sheila Mohn and her student Tianna Brennan, who have Northwest landscapes at affordable prices, framed and unframed.
Creative Moves is at 107A First St. Call 221-5989 for more info.

A great time was had by all at the 2nd Annual Arts, Hearts & Hammers Benefit Auction at Open Door Gallery in Langley.

The folks at Open Door Gallery + Coffee in the Bayview Cash Store in Langley would like to thank everyone who joined in at the 2nd Annual Arts, Hearts & Hammers Benefit Auction.
A total of 40 artists contributed more than 70 pieces for the auction.
There was much laughter, bidding and, best of all, money raised for Hearts & Hammers.
The Open Door Gallery wants to thank the following volunteers who donated their time, energy and food for the event:

Barbara Phillips
Anne Smidt
Debbie Torget
Mary Tauscher
Chris Whitney
Mary Willis
Ginger Miller
Molly Shoup
Nikki Coyote
Linda Schwarz
Ronni Levin
Special thanks also goes out to Taste 4 Wines, Swede Hill Cellars, and Blooms Winery for their donation of wine.
Finally, thank you to everyone who attended and contributed throughout the evening. Each one of you played a role in allowing us to have such a great event.
Bidding on the remaining pieces will be open until Sunday, Feb.14. Stop by the Open Door Gallery + Coffee, place your bid and show your support.
Hearts & Hammers receives one third of the gross sales, the artist receives one third, and the gallery receives one third. At the close of this year’s auction we expect to have raised over $3,000 for Hearts & Hammers.
Visit www.opendoorwhidbey.com or the blog at www.opendoorgallery.blogspot.com.