OLD Whidbey Life Magazine

Author: Carolyn Tamler

Don’t Miss the Free Whidbey Island Farm Tour this Weekend

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
September 17, 2014

As little as nine years ago some people on Whidbey were opposed to farming on the island, according to Karen Krug, owner of Spoiled Dog Winery. “There were some negative attitudes,” she said, “from people who didn’t understand farming as a good use of the land.”

Krug was looking for creative ways to inform people about what farmers do and how they are being good stewards of the land. “A great many people had no connection with the farmers,” she said, “even people who lived next door to a farm.” Her solution was to organize a committee to educate the public.

Betsy & Walter—mascots for this year’s Farm Tour (artwork created by Stacey Neumiller)

Thus was the first Whidbey Island Farm Tour created in 2006, through the joint efforts of the newly formed committee and the Whidbey Island Conservation District, a group that was chaired by Krug. The concept from the beginning was that the tour would be free, so that it would appeal to families.

Initially, Spoiled Dog Winery was the major financial supporter of the event with the Conservation District and WSU Extension as contributors in-kind. In ensuing years, however, additional sponsorships and grants have been obtained from the Port of South Whidbey, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Coupeville Port, Whidbey News Group and many area businesses listed on the farm tour website.

In addition to the pinot noir grapes they grow for some of their wines, the 25-acre Spoiled Dog farm is home to llamas, cows, horses and chickens. Krug noted that most of the people who visited before the tours began were unaware it was a traditional farm that includes the vineyards. Visitors usually meet Blue or Sami and quickly understand the name for the farm and the winery.

Sami sleeping, with the cows in the pasture behind (photo by Karen Krug)

Coupeville artist Stacey Neumiller was brought in to create the brochure and advertising for the first tour. She came up with the idea of having an artistic mascot for each of the years. “I had done a painting of a cow with Whidbey Island on it prior to the first Farm Tour,” Neumiller said. After the first year, I showed a print of the cow to Karen and suggested the idea of using the paintings as mascots. She agreed and the rest is history.”

In partnership with the Whidbey Island Conservation District, the annual Farm Tour has continued to thrive and grow. The current Chairperson of the Farm Tour is Hal Schlomann who, with wife Gretchen, owns Fern Ridge Alpacas. Sarah Cassatt of the Conservation District is this year’s Administrator of the Farm Tour.

_______________________________________

The 2014 Whidbey Island Farm Tour
is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21.
For a map, a list of the participating farms
and more information,
visit the website at
http://www.whidbeyfarmtour.com/
________________________________________

Schlomann said he appreciates that the tour is a cooperative effort. “The committee provides help, enrolls sponsors for the tour, coordinates the event with the participating farmers and distributes promotional materials.

“Residents of the island need to recognize the importance of farms to our local economy on several levels,” he added, “including agri-tourism, traditional farm stands and commercial produce served in many of the local restaurants.”

He also admitted he gets great pleasure showing visitors how to bump noses and make friends with an alpaca.

Hal Schlomann shows off his girls to a visitor (photo by Carolyn Tamler)

With the growing popularity of the “Buy local” movement on Whidbey, there is also an increasing awareness of the value and quality of locally grown and raised products that are available here at the farmers’ markets and in the local grocery stores.

This year’s Farm Tour includes 14 participants, whose farms vary widely in appearance and in the types of produce being raised; the map of the tour participants also lists the eight farmers’ markets that run the length of the island.

So if you don’t know about the variety of produce (vegetables, berries, lavender, grapes, flowers and trees) livestock (cows, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, alpacas, llamas and horses) water produce (mussels) and fiber that comes from Whidbey Island, the Farm Tour this weekend invites you to learn and be dazzled.

Image at top: Karen Krug at the door to Spoiled Dog Winery (photo by Richard Duval)

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

______________________

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

September 17, 2014
Sculptor Frank Rose Promotes Island Arts

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
August 20, 2014

Frank Rose constantly seeks to improve his portrait work in clay because, as he noted, “I haven’t figured it out yet.” But to the casual observer, it’s hard to believe there’s a higher level of perfection he can attain.

In his Freeland studio, Rose is surrounded by the paintings, clay sculptures and bronzes he has created in the 29 years since he retired from the military. His passion extends beyond making art to “making the arts flourish on Whidbey.”

Self-portrait of Frank Rose in sculpted in clay. (photo courtesy of the artist)

Currently, Rose is directing his energies toward the Summer Whidbey Working Artists (WWA) Tour being held Aug. 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31. He is one of 27 participating artists working in their studios in 18 locations from Oak Harbor to Langley. “This year’s tour has been expanded to two weekends,” he said. “Visitors will have lots of time to see a range of artistic styles.”

Since he arrived on Whidbey Island in 1986, Rose has immersed himself in developing and promoting arts organizations in the community. He joined the board of the Island Arts Council, dedicated to supporting local artists by serving as “an umbrella for start-up organizations in the arts.” As local schools dropped most of their art courses, Rose sought to fill the void. Since 2008, he’s helped the “Artists in Residence” program—local artists paid to present art classes in the schools—to grow. “It’s important to get young people involved with arts,” he said. “Their appreciation and interest in art will stay with them their whole lives.”

Five years ago, he joined with then-Superintendent of South Whidbey Schools Fred McCarthy to develop Whidbey’s Festival of the Arts. Their partnership continued after McCarthy became mayor of Langley; he and Rose are working on a five-year plan to make Whidbey Island the premiere art center in the Puget Sound area.

Because Rose waxes enthusiastically about other artists, it was no small challenge to get him to talk about himself during a visit to the Freeland Art Studios at 1660 Roberta Avenue (off of Harbor Ave. behind Whidbey Island Bank and Waif Thrift). Rose, one of 10 artists sharing space in the airplane-style hangar, commented that he is inspired to pursue his art by observing fellow artists, especially sculptor Sue Taves. “She’s passionate about her work and always working on new ideas. She’s a great role model for me.”

Rose loves working with clay. “You can make things happen quickly. Of course, you can also make things go away, if you’re not careful.” Much of his enjoyment comes from the way clay comes alive for him as he handles it. “I find it fascinating to reproduce a likeness of a human being. It’s about interpreting and translating what I see visually. It gives me a unique perspective into the soul of another human being.”

Portrait of local icon Jim Freeman by Frank Rose. (photo by Carolyn Tamler)

He has also trained his own brain to guide him in the sculpting process. “I have to overcome the differences in how my left brain and right brain see things.”

Rose has mastered the technique of painting fired clay with acrylic so that the finished piece resembles a bronze. His portrait of local celebrity Jim Freeman captures the personality as well as the appearance of the man. Rose’s own self-portrait is museum quality. He is currently sculpting a likeness of Kay Parsons, coordinator of the WWA Tour, who is awed by how much this piece not only looks like her but reveals her zippy personality.

While perfecting his art, Frank Rose continues to develop his vision “to motivate and organize artists, community members, businesses and service organizations to promote the exciting and memorable works created by Island artists.”

And for the next two weeks, Frank Rose will be doing just that to make the Summer Whidbey Working Artists Tour a success.

For more information, visit www.whidbeyworkingartists.com. To see more of Frank Rose’s work, stop by the Freeland Art Studios.

___________________________________

The Whidbey Working Artists Summer Tour is on two consecutive weekends: Aug. 23 and 24 and Aug. 29, 30 and 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This self-guided tour features 27 artists at 18 locations from Oak Harbor to Freeland. The participating artists invite the public to see how and where they create their art. Art mediums include pottery wheels, looms, liquid glass, wet paint, wood and clay. For more information visit www.whidbeyworkingartists.com.

Whidbey Working Artists Summer Art Tour poster

______________________________________

(photo at the top: Frank Rose posing by the portrait of local painter Kay Parsons (photo by Carolyn Tamler))

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses, entrepreneurs, events and interesting places on the island.

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

August 20, 2014
Excellence Abounds at this Year’s Whidbey Island Area Fair Photo Exhibit

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
July 30, 2014

“The camera is the paintbrush, but the quality of the photograph comes from the artistic abilities of the photographer,” said David Welton, one of two curators of this year’s photo exhibit at the Whidbey Island Area Fair.

“Windbreak” 2012 Winner at the Coupeville Festival (by Kim Tinuviel)

Kim Tinuviel, the other curator, agrees. “While there is some really good/affordable equipment out there, making great images comes from the person behind the camera.”

David Welton at the Langley Photowalk (photo by Kim Tinuviel)

Welton and Tinuviel have teamed up to replace the recently-deceased Terry Permenter, who managed the photo exhibit for more than 20 years. Given the title of “co-superintendents” by the fair’s organizing committee, Welton and Tinuviel reviewed more than 400 submissions. Justin Burnett, Editor of the South Whidbey Record, selected the winners.

“Every entrant received an award,” said Welton. “The quality of these photographs is high, and we wanted to encourage each person to go to the next level in pursuing their ambitions as a skilled photographer.”

Kim Tinuviel, self portrait

Prizes include a white ribbon, awarded to good quality photographs, a red ribbon, given to those whose photos were the next level up in quality and a blue ribbon for those deemed “excellent.” Larger ribbons known as “Awards of Merit” were also presented. The largest ribbon and top prize went to the single photograph judged “Best of Show.” Those who attend the exhibit can vote for their favorites; the most popular photo receives a “Peoples’ Choice Award.”

According to Welton, “It’s scary to show your work. It takes courage to display your photos for others to see.”

Tinuviel and Welton met three years ago at the Edmonds Art Festival. Subsequently, Welton brought a group of photographers from all over the region to Tinuviel’s “Langley Photowalk.” Welton works with South Whidbey Parks and Recreation and is the primary photographer for Whidbey Life Magazine. Tinuviel teaches photography and art out of her home studio and runs her own graphic design business.

“Kayla & Araya on the Clinton Ferry,” 2012 winner at the Edmonds Art Festival (by David Welton)

Tinuviel says she and Welton consider this a great opportunity to work together and to educate the public about the skill and art involved in creating beautiful photographs.

The exhibit will be at the fairgrounds during regular Fair hours: Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, Aug. 2 at the Malone Building (near the carnival area).

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

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CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

July 30, 2014
A recent trip made me truly appreciate the special life style of Whidbey

Carolyn and Rich Tamler in Seville (photo by a friendly passerby)

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
July 24, 2014

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful trip with some Whidbey friends that took us to Italy, France and Spain. We were gone for a month and visited several places in Northern Italy, the Rhone Valley and Provence region of France, Southern Spain and ended in Barcelona.

People ask me what was my favorite place. I cannot come up with one answer: everywhere was my favorite place. What really stands out in my mind more than the places we toured is my impression of the people in all of the places we went. I know it’s a generalization and it’s just my interpretation of what I was seeing, but people in all the places we visited seemed so much more relaxed and happy than my experience with Americans in most of the places I have been to in our country.

We never ran into a single rude or abrupt person. Even though none of us spoke any of the languages fluently, everywhere we went people were very eager to help us and talk with us. We had several over-the-top experiences where someone reached out to us and helped us figure out a train connection, or encouraged us to visit them someday; in one instance a man got us “private” tickets for an amazing concert and has since sent me emails that gave me the translations for what we heard and provided us with additional information and videos.

All of our meals were excellent (Does anyone know why the coffee in these countries is sooooo good?). We quickly got into the local mode and found ourselves having long, relaxed mealtimes.

Charles Terry, Betsy MacGregor and Penny Cabot (all Whidbey folk) enjoying tapas in Ronda, Spain with Carolyn (photo by Rich Tamler)

In the evenings we would go to areas with several restaurants that had outdoor seating. We saw people having extended dinners with their friends, talking enthusiastically and laughing. Musicians were frequently in our midst. Whichever place we chose, we had excellent, fresh food and we never had a waiter bring us a check until we asked for it.

As I mentioned, I have seldom had this kind of feeling when I have visited American cities. My experience here is that most Americans seem anxious, worried about their jobs, their money, their futures. Mealtimes often consist of grabbing a quick bite somewhere.

But, fortunately for us, we returned to Whidbey at the end of our adventures. Within our first week home, we visited farmer’s markets, walked around Langley, heard live music playing to happy crowds and noticed how friendly people are just visiting the local grocery stores (I have often told folks off-island that when I see someone I know in the grocery store, we don’t just say “Hello,” we have to hug and get caught up on each other’s doings).

Carolyn and Rich Tamler, Betsy MacGregor and Charles Terry in Cinque Terre, Italy (photo by a friendly passerby)

Shortly after we returned, we went to Ott & Murphy to hear LocoMotion and heard them call out to tourists and welcome them. And, by the end of their sets, the room was filled with people dancing.

I know there are likely several places in America that project a more relaxed and happy feeling. But, I love and appreciate my home on Whidbey. We are blessed to live in a community, not just a place, where I believe there is a genuine feeling of caring for one another.

I hope we can always keep it that way.

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses, entrepreneurs and interesting places on the island.

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CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

July 25, 2014
Chris Harshman and the Award-Winning SWHS Jazz Band: ‘It’s All about our Community’
BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 20, 2014

In 2008, schools in the Seattle Area accounted for five of the 15 finalists in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Competition—the most prestigious high school jazz festival in the world. The South Whidbey High School Jazz Band was one of the five.

That’s only one of the many distinctions the SWHS Jazz Band has achieved in recent years. They have been winning First Place in their division at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival for 15 years. In 2009 they were finalists in the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival. The Wind Ensemble just received a Gold Award at the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival in British Columbia, qualifying them for the Canadian National Music Championship.

In addition, the Jazz Ensemble has been featured on the KPLU School of Jazz CD four times.

Someone at one of the East Coast festivals once asked Director Chris Harshman, “Is there something in the water out there?”

So, what makes the South Whidbey High School Jazz Band Program so exceptional?

SWHS Jazz Ensemble (photo by Robin Bush)

“It’s great family support and great community support. The support comes in the form of the energy provided, the financial support and the attendance at our performances,” Harshman said. “Every time I make a move to improve the Jazz Band, the whole community seems to move to support what I’m doing.”

There are currently 21 students in the Jazz Ensemble and 44 in the Concert Band, which includes most of the jazz students. They rehearse four days a week during school and often before school as well. Harshman said that many students not only practice on a regular basis but also study recordings and attend live performances. “These kids are highly committed to the program and continue to participate in many other extracurricular activities for the school and the community.”

Harshman also attributes some of their success to their unique style. “During the 1970s, many high-school jazz bands added a rock or Latin feel to their swing feeling,” he said, “but most Northwest bands stuck to the traditional way of Basie and Ellington. That feeling is highly prized by Wynton Marsalis, the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which sponsors Essentially Ellington. This rootedness of traditional swing in Seattle area high-school jazz bands goes a long way toward explaining why kids in this area have been so successful at Essentially Ellington.”

Chris Harshman has been involved with music since he was a small child. He came from a family of musicians; his mother and both of his brothers are professionals. He said, “In our household, we were raised with the value of music and athletics.” He started out playing jazz saxophone but found himself drawn to the bassoon, which has been his primary focus for most of his musical career.

Harshman taught in several Puget Sound area schools and lived in the Shoreline area for many years. In 1997, he and his wife Dyanne, also a musician, moved to Whidbey Island so their two sons could attend the Waldorf School. Harshman commuted to work in Shoreline for three years; then the job of Langley Middle School Jazz Band teacher opened up, and he got the position. The LMS Jazz Band already had an “exemplary reputation” when Harshman took over as the Director.

Heidi Klein on Alto Sax, Conor Workman on Tenor sax (photo by Robin Bush)

In 2006, the job of Director of the High School Jazz Band became available and Harshman took on that role. He realized that the Middle School Band provides the talent that moves up to perform at the high school and was pleased that Jess Foley (now Monett) took his job, where she continues to groom the talented youngsters who move on. “I’ve had such fantastic talent in my classes,” Harshman said, “and many are now performing professionally.”

He came back to the original comments about the support of the community: “The community and the Band work together. Adult musicians invite the kids to play with them and many of the groups on the island tap into our resources, including the Whidbey Community Orchestra, the Saratoga Orchestra and many of the churches. There are lots of opportunities for the kids to shine.

“Music crosses so many barriers,” Harshman continued. “There is so much for each generation to learn from the other.” He concluded, “I enjoy watching all of this happening.”

Upcoming performances by the South Whidbey High School Jazz Band:
- May 23 All Island Jazz Festival at SWHS, 7 p.m.
- May 30 Jazz Night – Jazz ensemble performs at SWHS, 7 p.m. Free admission.
On May 27, the Concert Bands of both the High School and Langley Middle School will perform at the High School auditorium at 7 p.m. Free admission.

Photo at top: Chris Harshman directing the SWHS Wind Ensemble (photo by Robin Bush)

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
May 19, 2014
Roger Purdue: A Legacy of Northwest Coast Native Art on Display in Coupeville

[vc_row font_color=”rgba(221,153,51,0.1)”][vc_column width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1399336380466{border-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1399483782121{border-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.01) !important;*border-color: rgb(0,0,0) !important;}”]BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 7, 2014

The legacy of Roger Purdue is evident in many places in Coupeville. It can also be seen in the Coastal Native logos he created that have been used to promote the Penn Cover Water Festival in Coupeville since 1992.

Last year, a few months before he passed away, the Water Festival honored the artist at a special celebration for his festival designs and his signature carved piece, the Salmon Wheel. The festivities included dancing, singing and the presentation of a button blanket, designed and made by Samish Tribe members Diana and Pat Dunn. A cedar hat decorated with an eagle feather was presented to Purdue by Samish Indian Nation cultural development coordinator Rosie Cayou-James.

Purdue was born on Orcas Island where his family had lived since the early 1900s. His mother, Huldah, was half Coastal Native, a member of the Tsimshian Tribe. Purdue loved Orcas and lived there until he attended Western Washington University where he majored in art; after graduation he moved to Oak Harbor to take a teaching position. Throughout his life he made frequent trips to Orcas to visit his family and the land where he grew up.

On a beautiful Whidbey day at her Coupeville home overlooking Puget Sound, Purdue’s wife, Sara, shared memories of their life while friends Michael Ferri and Ken Skaley recalled their experiences. “His designs came directly from his observation of the sea creatures, animals, and birds living in their natural habitat,” Ferri said. “What he saw growing up on Orcas or traveling in Alaska he drew, eventually bringing those beautiful images to life in his art.”

Skaley collaborated with Purdue and became a protégé of his on several projects. Skaley said that when Purdue first began working with watercolors, before he pursued his carvings, he could do a complete painting in one day. Skaley, like his mentor, increasingly created more elaborate carvings. Skaley also recalled that “Roger was always doing sketches.” Many of his sketches became fine art prints, and evolved into carvings.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1399333400832{border-color: #dd9933 !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1399424465862{background-color: rgba(226,127,52,0.24) !important;*background-color: rgb(226,127,52) !important;border-color: rgba(27,36,119,0.49) !important;*border-color: rgb(27,36,119) !important;}”]

Penn Cove
Water
Festival

Saturday,
May 10

 11am-5pm 

Coupeville
Waterfront 

Free!

The Penn Cove Water Festival features annual tribal canoe races, Native arts and crafts, demonstrations, storytelling, dance performances, artist demonstrations, authentic Native foods, children’s activities and exhibits and displays.

11:00 am
Festival Welcome
Main Stage

Dedication of Festival
in Memory of
Roger Purdue

For more information,
click here

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Purdue was a registered member of the Tsimshian tribe. His mother was the first person to provide insight for him into his history. It was reinforced by many visits with relatives on his trips to Orcas. Huldah’s mother was a full-blood Tsimshian of the Raven Clan who had passed much native culture down to her daughter. Ferri recalled that Purdue told him of the many times his mom had shared this inherited knowledge with him.

Whale Whorl Wheel, designed by Roger H. Purdue and carved by community carvers in 2011 (photo courtesy of Sara Purdue)

In 1976, when he was in his late 30s, he met and married a fellow teacher, Sara Sherman. Sara’s family had lived in the Coupeville area for over 100 years. When she described their relationship, she said, “We were true partners for 37 years.” They have two children—Wilbur, who became a teacher in Coupeville and established a farm on Ebey Praire, and Grace, who is a college student and lives in Mill Creek.

One of two whale fin carvings designed by Roger Purdue that were a prototype for a possible kinetic sculpture (photo courtesy of Sara Purdue)

Sara said that Purdue didn’t really reconnect with his Native American roots until the two of them went on a sailing trip in 1990 and stopped for a visit at Annette Island, south of Ketchikan, Alaska. They went to Metlakatla, the main town on the island and the home of the Tsimshian Tribe, a people who are famous for their Northwest Coast art. While there, Purdue experienced much of the natural world that was part of his heritage: killer whales, humpback whales, grizzly bears, eagles, porpoises, ravens and other wildlife.

On the Alaskan trip, they visited several Native Coast cultural centers along the way. At Haines, Alaska, they met Shaman Charlie, who participated in the canoe races that became a part of the Penn Cove Water Festival. Shaman Charlie gave Purdue a set of carving blades. While at a stopover in Victoria, Purdue visited the Royal Museum and spent considerable time educating himself about Native Coast art.

Shortly after the sailing trip, the two drove from Coupeville to Prince George Island with some friends. Along the way, they stopped to see the Northwest Coast Native art: the carvings, totem poles and longhouses. More and more, Purdue awakened to his heritage.

Frog carving by Roger Purdue (in the collection of Arlie Ostling Estates (photo courtesy of Sara Purdue)

In 1992, Purdue retired from teaching and began to focus more energy on his carvings, while also becoming a caregiver for Sara’s elderly parents. The year 1992 was also the first year that Purdue created the logo for the Penn Cove Water Festival. He partnered with graphic artist and printer Carol Peralta of CP Prints. Every year following, he created a new logo for the Festival, highlighting the cultural traditions of the Native Americans living in the Penn Cove area. He and Peralta adapted the logos to create fine art serigraphs, T-shirts and posters. Some of his work has been sold, but most has been donated to benefit the festival and the community. In 2013, Purdue donated 15 of his logo designs to the Penn Cove Water Festival to be used in future years. At the time he donated them he told his friend Ferri, “that should hold ’em for a while…”

Sara Purdue stands by the Salmon Wheel in Coupeville in 1996 (photo courtesy of Sara Purdue)

A major artistic highlight of Purdue’s career was the creation of the Salmon Wheel, which he worked on from 1993 to 1996. “The Spirits of the Salmon” originally was displayed at the base of the Coupeville Wharf but now resides in the Island County Museum. Five different salmon on the wheel represent the five species that live in this area. The wheel commemorates the importance and spirituality of the salmon and the environment; the circle and its ability to spin represent the cycle of life.

Ferri, who helped Purdue organize his materials, is also helping to establish his legacy beyond Coupeville. Ferri said that Purdue “was not a self-promoter.” He described his work as “very professional, and it speaks to Purdue’s Coastal Native spirit.” Ferri added, “I know that someday Purdue will be seen as a major Native American artist throughout the West Coast.”

Michael Ferri, Sara Purdue and Ken Skaley, Sara is holding the woven hat given to Roger by the Penn Cove Water Festival. (photo by Carolyn Tamler)

In 2006, Purdue was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. As the disease progressed, many people came to visit Purdue to help in whatever ways possible, often just to listen to his stories. He died on January 19 of this year, but the amazing heritage he left behind of carvings, sketches and paintings will long be treasured in the Coupeville Area. And, as Ferri suggested, his work may well become widely known and appreciated in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

(Photo at the top: Roger carving at home (photo courtesy of Sara Purdue)

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

May 7, 2014
Sophia Duccini Wants to Bring her Songs to the World
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
April 23, 2014

What sets Sophia Duccini apart from many professional musicians is not only her age—just 18—but her own sense of what she creates as a singer/songwriter/musician. “I see my music as an extension of myself and my emotions. My songs often help me process through life and all the feelings that come along with it.”

Duccini began her journey as a musician at 11, taking piano lessons and becoming so skilled as a classical pianist that she was performing in piano competitions by the time she was 13. She continued taking classical piano lessons for five years.

She began writing instrumental piano pieces for fun at the age of 14. She commented, “I thought I might go into piano performance, but I wanted to be more creative.”

At 15, Duccini began teaching herself guitar because, she said, “I wanted to expand my horizons.”

A major turning point for Duccini happened that year, the summer of 2011, when she took a week-long intensive course in songwriting offered by Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She wrote her first song and knew she wanted to do more writing and singing. She also added banjo, mandolin and harmonium to her repertoire. She admitted that she used to be a very shy person who was nervous about performing, but after her experience at Cornish, “I knew this was what I wanted to be doing.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″ el_class=”.sidebar-wpbakery”][vc_column_text]

WLM
Launch
Party!

Sophia Duccini
will perform with
Gloria Ferry-Brennan

at 7 p.m.
on

Friday, April 25

at the
Launch Party
of WLM’s
first print edition.

These two talented young women will perform a varied program including five of Duccini’s original works. Check out one of her YouTube videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxn69OF7EAA

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Sophia Duccini (photo courtesy of the artist)

Duccini says it’s not too surprising that she is so involved with music. She comes from a family of singers and musicians, including two of her grandparents, her father and two brothers. (Her sister is an artist). She believes she has derived a lot of passion and direction from the supportive attitude of her family.

Duccini was born and raised on Whidbey Island. She happened to be a next-door neighbor to another young woman who is a musical prodigy, Gloria Ferry-Brennan. Although they knew each other as children, they didn’t have much contact. But, in this last year, the two young women have come together after observing each other’s performances for many years. They had their first concert together at the Fremont Abbey in January and then played at “Sound Off!” at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

The cover of Duccini’s EP (photo courtesy of the artist)

Duccini and Ferrry-Brennan are playing together now as often as possible and having great fun in the process. But they also realize they are young and will be going different places in the future. Duccini is planning to attend Shoreline Community College in the fall and major in graphic design. After she gets her AA Degree, she said, “I’ll see where things go for me.”

Duccini describes her music as “autobiographical, metaphorical experiences and feelings.” She added, “I hope my music can touch people. A song can help someone get through the hard times and have greater appreciation for the good times.”

Future performances by Sophia Duccini:
- May 2^–Western Washington University Higginson Festival of Music benefitting Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth
- May 3^–Abbey Arts presents CATHEDRALS VIII at St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E, Seattle
- July 3^–“Celebrate America” at Freeland Park on Whidbey Island
Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
April 26, 2014
Cary Jurriaans Follows in the Steps of her Family of Painters from the Netherlands

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
April 16, 2014

In a lively conversation Cary Jurriaans shared her strong opinions about art: “Artists are made, not born,” she said.

This is the mantra of the Gage Academy in Seattle, where she got a lot of her training. She has observed, “Some people are born with talent; however, they never develop it. Successful artists work hard on improving and learning more. Before someone can be successful as a representational painter, they need to work at developing their skills in drawing.”

“Hommage to Morandi,” oil on linen (photo courtesy of the artist)

Jurriaans was born and raised in the Netherlands and grew up among some of the most beautiful art in the world. She comes from a family of painters; most notably, her aunt was the Parisian painter Mena Loopuyt (1902-1991) and she is also a direct descendant of Johan Joeke Gabriel van Wicheren (1808-1897), a Frisian portrait painter. Her work shows the influence of the Dutch Gold Age that included many of the great masters who were painting food and everyday things.

“I paint from life, never from photos,” Jurriaans said. “I have always been interested in seeing beauty in the ordinary: things around the house, such as kitchen utensils and food…the essence of our life in the kitchen…where a family gathers and talks.” Jurriaans added, “I do take a reference photo of the set-up so when food rots I can replace it.”

“Fromages Bleu,” oil (photo courtesy of the artist)

Jurriaans said she finds painting very nurturing and healing for her. “Still life is a peaceful and quiet subject matter; it calms me down, and I get into a meditative mode where time is totally forgotten.”

Her art is described as “Classical Realism.” She knew she needed to develop her technical skills before she could let her imagination take over. “I learned to draw at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy and I did classes and workshops at the Gage Academy in Seattle. With the workshops we put on at Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio (WIFAS), I am still learning.”

She said that Picasso, Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh and most of the Impressionists were all excellent draftsmen before developing their own special style later.

New materials also led to this new style of art. “The invention of modern pigments led to more experimentation for artists with color, this led to the boom in Impressionism.”

“From our Tree,” oil on linen (photo courtesy of the artist)

Jurriaans and her husband, Sieb, moved to the United States 42 years ago. She was quick to note that she couldn’t be living her current lifestyle as an artist and teacher without the continual support of her husband. After moving all over the country for Sieb’s business, they settled in Seattle with their children and eventually moved to Whidbey. Jurriaans said she and Sieb are in love with Langley.

Cary Jurriaans originally created her Fine Art Studio in Fall City, but today the studio is flourishing on Whidbey Island. The Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio offers a range of drawing and painting classes including still life, figure and landscape. The classes and workshops are small and provide opportunities for artists to develop their skills in an intimate and supportive setting.

Her work has been exhibited in numerous juried shows in the area, including the PONCHO Invitational, and her paintings are in private collections in the United States and Europe. She is currently a member of Evergreen Artist Association, Oil Painters of America and Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters. She is the first female member invited to join this historic group of artists that was established in 1928.

Jurriaans is one of our artists in this month’s Virtual Gallery. To see other examples of her work, visit her personal website, http://www.caryjurriaans.com/. And to see what’s happening at Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio, go to www.whidbeyislandfas.com.

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org

April 16, 2014
Sandy Byers: For the Love of Biscuit and Gravy

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
April 9, 2014

What struck me first about Sandy Byers’ website was the entire section devoted to “Cats Only.”

Sandy Byers (photo by Kathy Khile)

“Biscuit and Gravy were two loves of my life; they were my muses,” Byers said. Both of the cats went to “cat heaven” but while they were in her life, she did dozens of paintings of them, individually and together. Her pastel of the two, “Dibs on the Red Chair,” won first place in the Animal & Wildlife category of Pastel Journal’s “Pastel 100 Competition” and appeared in the April 2012 issue.

Photo of Biscuit and Gravy, Byer’s “muses” Photo by Sandy Byers

Byers said she came late to the world of professional artists, even though she had her first private lessons in oil painting when she was 13. She has been obsessed with art her whole life but she didn’t take her next oil lessons until she was 25. For the next several years she worked for Microsoft and then for Expedia in program management and program development. “The longer I worked in the software industry,” she said, “the more I became motivated to pursue art.”

In 2002 she moved to Oak Harbor, left the software business and began to concentrate on her art in a studio her husband built in their home. Today, Byers and her husband live next door to her parents; her family lived in Oak Harbor during one of her father’s Naval deployments and, after retirement, her parents settled there. Her sister, Diane (who has two cats) lives around the corner and her brother lives in Cornet Bay.

Award-winning painting “Dibs on the Red Chair” Photo courtesy of the artist

Because art was a second career for Byers, she needed to build her cachet in that world. A few years after opening her studio, she achieved signature status at national, regional and local levels. Her website indicates awards and presentations that began in 2004 with two awards in Pastel Journal and extend to the cover art for the American Veterinary Medical Association magazine in November 2013.

She has also greatly expanded the media with which she works her wonders. “Art is my constant companion wherever I go and I like to experiment with many different materials,” she said. Her primary media are now oils and pastels. But she is constantly setting new goals for herself: new processes or subjects, where to focus her attention and how much to paint.

“Deception Pass” by Sandy Byers Photo by Sandy Byers

She has a love of all animals, she said, and that is expressed in much of her art. She tells the story of having a chicken follow her around and realizing, upon returning home, that she had fallen in love with it; the chicken soon became the subject of a painting. Animals represent about a third of her paintings. However, when her cats died, she began focusing more on outdoor painting. Her website shows five areas of specialization; in addition to “Cats Only” and “Animals” she features “Figures,” “Land and Sea” and “Still Life Floral.”

Byer’s art studio, built by her husband, Larry
Photo by Sandy Byers

Byers said she recently discovered the world of plein air painting. “I’ll be outside a lot in the coming months, on Whidbey and beyond, looking for whatever calls to me.” She especially appreciates how much she gets to interact with people when she is doing her plein air work. “People are drawn to what I’m doing and enjoy talking with me while I’m working. All the sights and sounds that occur around the painting become a memory of what I’ve done,” she added. One of her favorite stories is her experience painting an interesting barn and noticing a teenage boy who came running up to see what she was doing. When he saw her painting, he exclaimed excitedly, “That’s my barn!”

Sandy Byers appreciates seeing others enjoy art. She teaches workshops out of her home studio and is supportive of anyone who seeks her out, responding to questions or giving advice about an art project.

To keep up with Byers, visit her website: www.sandybyers.com. And check out her work in this month’s Virtual Gallery.

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island.

Photo at top: “Edge of Skagit” pastel by Sandy Byers (photo courtesy of the artist)

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WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

April 9, 2014
Lijah Hanley, Photographer, Shines in Exhibition at ‘Inspired Arts’

BY CAROLYN TAMLER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
March 31, 2014

When Lijah Hanley was 11 years old, he asked for a camera for Christmas. His mother gave him her old Canon Rebel SLR, but he had to repair the shutter with money from his allowance.

Hanley, 18, now has a solo exhibit of his current photographs at Inspired Arts Gallery in Freeland during the month of April.

Assisting his mom doing portrait photographs when he was still little, he knew he wanted to make photography his life’s work. “Before I had my own camera, I’d help my mom by holding the reflector when she was taking the pictures,” he said, adding that she’s always been a major inspiration and mentor.

Lijah Hanley’s sister, Beth

With his new ‘old’ camera, the young Hanley began taking his own pictures. “I took pictures of anything and everything in my backyard—insects, leaves, trees.” Recently, while going through the “old stuff in my garage” in preparation for a move, he found many of his old photographs and was reminded of the hundreds of pictures he had taken in that first year.

When Hanley was starting middle school his father got a contract for work in Georgia and the family moved to a small town north of Atlanta. His seventh grade art teacher saw some of his work and was so impressed that he started taking Hanley out of class to go on photo shoots.

“The King of the Truffulla Trees” by Lijah Hanley

In the eighth grade he took an advanced-placement class and was allowed to decide where to focus his energies. Hanley says, “The kids [in the class] decided they wanted to enter their work in as many contests as possible. That’s what encouraged me to enter a photo competition for National Geographic Magazine.”

Hanley entered a portrait he had taken of his sister, Beth, integrated into a landscape scene. The photo garnered a prize in the 2009 National Geographic “Hands On Explorer Challenge” for youths under 18. He shared the prize with 14 other young winners who got to spend 12 days in Peru and the Amazon jungle with Bruce Dale and Amy Toensing, highly-regarded professional photographers from National Geographic Magazine.

“Field of Cherry Blossoms” by Lijah Hanley

This was Hanley’s first win, and he started seeing himself as a professional photographer. It was, he said, the beginning of his obsession with the art of photography. After three years in Georgia, Hanley’s family moved back to Vancouver, Washington, and Hanley chose to do home schooling so he could focus on his photography.

He learned digital process with the help of a neighbor. And with the help of his father, who has assumed the role of his business manager, he began his career as a professional photographer.

He started selling his photographs at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market, began passing out business cards and created a website and a Facebook page that now has over 6,000 followers.

Hanley has won several awards in addition to the first award from National Geographic. This past July he was the only winner in the National Geographic Student Expedition Contest and went to London for two weeks. The trip gave him a great deal of publicity and a big surge in visitors to his business website.

“Punchbowl Falls, Oregon” by Lijah Hanley

Currently, he shows his photography at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market and the Portland Saturday Market; he also has 12 shows lined up so far this year. He decided the Puget Sound area, with its call to tourists, was the next place he wants to establish a presence. He will be finishing up an exhibit in Seattle the end of March at the “Best of the Northwest Spring Art Show.” Then, by an amazing bit of serendipity (to which we here on the island are accustomed), he’ll be coming to Whidbey.

“Fall Splendor” by Lijah Hanley

Steve Sloan, one of the artists associated with Inspired Arts, learned about “an amazing teenage photographer.” He told Sue Averett and Ron Roesler about some of the photos he’d seen and, with some Google detective work, they found Hanley. After looking at his website, Averett said, “Let’s see if he’s willing to come to Whidbey.” She emailed him, and he responded with an immediate “Yes.” “I have some friends who have a cabin on Whidbey,” he said, “and I’ve really wanted to come for a visit.”

You can learn about Lijah Hanley Photography by visting his website: http://Lijahwinter.smugmug.com/ or his Facebook page at Lijah Hanley Photography. Or, better yet, see his photography in April at Inspired Arts Gallery, 1689 E. Main Street on Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, call 360-331-2244.

Pictured at the top: Lijah Hanley (photo courtesy of the artist)

Carolyn Tamler was a marketing research and community involvement consultant in the Seattle Area for many years before moving to Whidbey Island, where she has become known as a writer who enjoys telling the stories about the many businesses and entrepreneurs on the island

CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

March 31, 2014