OLD Whidbey Life Magazine

Tag: Greenbank Farm art galleries

Rob Schouten Gallery presents ‘Willow, Wax and Wire: New Works by Kathleen Otley’ from June 5 to 29

May 27, 2015

A gentleman perusing Kathleen Otley’s work at Rob Schouten Gallery put his nose up next to a piece and said, “I can smell the bees.”

Mixed-media encaustic by Kathleen Otley.

The great-smelling bees wax encaustics of Otley can be found year-round here at the gallery, which will also feature the artist in the upcoming show, “Willow, Wax and Wire: New Works by Kathleen Otley,” from June 5 to 29. Friday Night Reception is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 5.

With her mixed-media encaustics, Otley uses layer upon layer of the sweet stuff, slathering it generously over a variety of media, which she lays on a block of wood.

Otley’s smaller pieces feature vibrantly painted birds amid ancient scrolls containing sacred Buddhist writings: some stories, some letters. She acquires the monastic scrolls from the Museum of Tokyo.

“Infinity,” mixed-media encaustic by Kathleen Otley. / Photos courtesy of the artist

Otley dresses up some of these small and affordable bird pieces with nests, dyed willow sticks, stones, fabricated eggs and other earthly treasures. The combination gives her work not only a deep-textured quality, but speaks to the artist’s fascination with the past and what she feels is its vital importance to the present.

For the featured show, Otley has created larger, more abstract pieces that maintain the same earthly and spiritual quality, but “branch out” with larger pieces of willow, while maintaining the artist’s longtime theme of the shield as spiritual protection — a theme that is carried through to her mixed-media willow shields. Her willow shields will also be on display, along with these new abstract encaustics that revel in earth-toned colors like those of her bird pieces, and lay the Japanese texts underneath bits of sculpted wire and sheaths of blue copper basket-weaves. All of Otley’s work exudes a soft and deep texture that feels antique, nostalgic and a tribute to nature.

Meet the artist from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 5 during Greenbank Farm’s “First Friday at the Farm.” The Pies Café will be open for dinner, while the galleries and shops welcome visitors to enjoy a little wine and cheese, meet the artists, see some beautiful art, all while roaming around beautiful Greenbank Farm. We’d love to see you!

Rob Schouten Gallery, a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists, is located at 765 Wonn Road, #C-103 at the historic Greenbank Farm. Gallery Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For further information, call 360.222.3070 or email info@robschoutengallery.com.

June 10, 2015
Rob Schouten Gallery presents ‘Beauty in the Moment — the Pastels of Annette Hanna’ from May 1 to June 1

April 29, 2015

Annette Adrian Hanna has a way with a pastel stick.

Here’s an artist who is able to transport the viewer to landscapes alive with color, while conveying the absolute soft and quiet beauty of Whidbey Island. Rob Schouten Gallery presents new works by Hanna in a show titled, “ Beauty in the Moment—the Pastels of Annette Hanna” from Friday, May 1 through Monday, June 1.

Hanna is an award-winning painter in a variety of media, but one of her favorites, she said, is pastel. Here we are treated to her exquisite pastel agility to create radiant pieces that paint the island in its finest light.

“Earth Sanctuary,” pastel by Annette Hanna.

“My main interests are people and the landscape,” said the artist, who lives mainly in New Jersey, but has long spent summers on Whidbey. “I love the outdoors and enjoy plein-air painting,” Hanna said.

“The beauty of the landscape, to me, has a very spiritual quality. I can go to the same location in different seasons or find a different viewpoint, and it becomes an entirely different painting.”

“After the Rain,” pastel by Annette Hanna.

Hanna is a member of several pastel societies both nationally and regionally and has been featured in American Artist Magazine, the Best of Pastel II, International Pastel Artist magazine and the Best of America, Pastel Artists, among her other notable achievements.

Please join us for light refreshments and a chance to see this fresh, new show from 5 to 8 p.m. during Greenbank Farm’s “First Friday at the Farm” event, when the Farm’s galleries, shops and cafe welcome visitors to enjoy a relaxed afternoon of fine art, good food, lively conversation and natural beauty.

Rob Schouten Gallery, a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists, is located at 765 Wonn Road, #C-103 at the historic Greenbank Farm. Gallery Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For further information, call 360-222-3070 or email info@robschoutengallery.com.

Pictured at top is “Fog at Deception,” pastel by Annette Hanna. Photos courtesy of the artist.

May 17, 2015
Let’s get romantic: Rob Schouten Gallery opens ‘Adornment, the Jewelry Show’ Feb. 6

Jan. 28, 2015

Romantic poet John Keats might have been looking at an exquisite necklace on a beautiful woman (or maybe a man) when he wrote: “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases.”

Mary Ellen O’Connor silver cuffs with colorful, resin inlays can be custom-made to fit any wrist.

During this month of valentines and sweethearts, Rob Schouten Gallery’s gets in the romantic mood with its February show, “Adornment,” featuring the work of its four jewelry artists, Morgan Bell, Barb Mundell, Mary Ellen O’Connor and Tammi Sloan. The show opens Friday, Feb. 6 and runs through March 2.

Adornment with jewels is a 7,000 year-old practice that has developed through all the greatest civilizations. From the great queens of Egypt and the Roman Empire to today’s contemporary European houses of fashion, jewelry has played its part in a woman’s ability to express herself in a visual way. Whidbey Island artists are creating beautiful pieces of jewelry that continue to burst with new ideas of form, color and design.

Barb Mundell’s green drusy necklace with jade beads.

Some of the great woman of history have made adornment with jewelry interesting and fun. Cleopatra was fabulously adorned, and they say Queen Mary, married to King George V in the 20s and 30s, had an extraordinary collection of gems. Apparently, she delighted in her jewels and was a splendiferous woman partly because of this delight.

Remember those great close-ups of Paloma Picasso in the 80s with her exquisite designs draped around her beautiful neck above which beamed that wonderful face? Jewelry has always been an ever-changing and great expression of art and design.

Handmade earrings with black beads show exquisite attention to detail by Tammi Sloan of My Brown Wren jewelry design.

Come in and see what these contemporary women artists are creating for other women and take a clue from Queen Mary’s delight: Adorn yourself!

Please join us for light refreshments and a chance to meet the artists of “Adornment” from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 during Greenbank Farm’s “Second Sunday at the Farm” event, when the Farm’s galleries, shops, cafe and market welcome visitors to enjoy a relaxed afternoon of fine art, good food, lively conversation, and the exquisite natural beauty of this special place.

The fabulous Paloma Picasso at Tiffany’s in New York City, 1980. / Photo by Roxanne Lowit.

Rob Schouten Gallery, a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists, is located at historic Greenbank Farm on scenic Whidbey Island. January gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment only. For further information, call 360.222.3070 or visit www.robschoutengallery.com.

(Pictured at top: Barb Mundell of Bella Terra created this beautiful garnets and silver leaf-work bracelet.)

February 8, 2015
Rob Schouten Gallery presents Keiichi Nishimura’s mixed-media paintings on silk through October

Sept. 24, 2014

Come see the moon and the sea in a whole new, elysian light.

Rob Schouten Gallery presents “Keiichi Nishimura, Mixed-Media Paintings on Silk” in this longtime artist’s first Whidbey Island show from Oct. 1 to 30.

Nishimura is known for his unique approach to wave imagery and his use of metal leaf within each of his original, one-of-a-kind paintings on silk.

Nishimura’s work is a modern interpretation of traditional images and techniques. He understands deeply both the discipline of his Eastern culture and the freedom of Western expression—a combination he strives to integrate into his work.

“When I came to this country 30 years ago, all I saw in California was an old style of Asian art,” Nishimura said. “I wanted to show people a new style of painting; I wanted them to see more of what was current art in Japan.”

Nishimura began taking what he saw as a traditional Japanese style of art to a new place, adding his own semi-abstract style on familiar themes.

“Quiet Storm,” triptych, mixed-media on silk by Keiichi Nishimura. (photo courtesy of the artist)

The medium he uses is a water-based pigment derived from suihigofun (a mineral), which the artist grinds to a finer consistency and then mixes with a delicate balance of nikawa (melted pine sap). The nikawa is what gives the pigment its deep rich color and also enables it to adhere to the silk. Variances in color and tone are created by hand with wide brushes. He may incorporate a color resistant technique using flour or sand, sumi (charcoal), gold leafing, ink and other techniques all in a single work.

Now a resident of Whidbey Island, Nishimura was born in Kyoto, Japan, where he began his training as an artist in 1976 under the apprenticeship of his father, Jintaro Nishimura, a master artist for more than half a century. Nishimura has shown his work extensively in the San Francisco Bay area and in Hawaii.

The artist said he is excited to have the Whidbey community see his work and is curious to know what people here will make of it.

“I’m just so glad to have this opportunity to show my paintings on this beautiful island for the very first time,” he said.

The gallery will also feature Anne Belov’s original drawings from her children’s picture book “Pandamorphosis” for two weeks only, from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, with an artist book-signing from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.11.

Please join us for light refreshments and a chance to meet both these artists from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12 during Greenbank Farm’s “Second Sunday at the Farm” event, when the Farm’s galleries, shops, cafe and market welcome visitors to enjoy a relaxed afternoon of fine art, good food, natural beauty and lively conversation.

Pictured at top is “Peaceful Morning,” mixed-media on silk by Keiichi Nishimura. (photo courtesy of the artist)

Rob Schouten Gallery, a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists, is located at 765 Wonn Road, #C-103 at the historic Greenbank Farm. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends; closed Tuesday or by appointment. For further information, call 360-222-3070 or email info@robschoutengallery.com.

September 24, 2014