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Tag: Rob Schouten Gallery

Pigment, Perspectives, and Pandas || What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been

BY ANNE BELOV
Dec. 14, 2016

I, like many people these days, have been somewhat out of sorts. Okay, that is an understatement. I have been stressed out, depressed, and despondent like I haven’t been since my post-college boyfriend dumped me for one of my best friends. My cupcake consumption is WAY up. It’s been that kind of month.

Can you stand one more post about…um…you know what?

Pardon me while I run around screaming (Cartoon by Anne Belov)

For the last month or so, I have been trying to make sense of what the #@** just happened, not to mention what is going to happen in the next four years. It really doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you call home. I think we all know that this country could look very different in the months to come. Uncertainty leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to…more cake. I may survive the next four years, but it remains to be seen if my wardrobe will.

So, like any creative person will do, I make art about what’s keeping me awake till the wee hours of the night. This primarily takes the form of cartoons, but I have also felt compelled to write about what I was thinking and feeling in my introductions to my cartoons, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. There has been a lot of that going on among the cartoonists and writers that I follow.

Um…maybe hold the sprinkles. (Cartoon by Anne Belov)

There were, naturally, those who just didn’t agree with me, and well, that’s the way that is. Bye-bye! Hope you got what you wanted! But then there was one person, who agreed with my political point of view, but did not think that Bob T. Panda should be spouting off opinions all over Facebook and on my blog.

Huh?

I said, “Well, we are all suffering from too much information, and I won’t be insulted in the least if you don’t want to read this. I wish I wasn’t thinking about this stuff, but I am, and it’s going to come out in my cartoons, and I am going to write about it.”

“But, but, but,” this person said. “You are famous. You have influence over people. You are a celebrity! People pay attention to what you say, and besides, Bob is imaginary!”

And then there was a long, drawn out discussion where I and various other fans of panda satire (mostly politely, I thought), told this person why she was wrong, and if she didn’t want to read what I wrote (which, mind you, she agreed with) she didn’t have to read it. The discussion went on for a few days till we all got tired of it and took our marbles (what’s left of them) and went home.

So, that got me thinking several things. First, I’m a celebrity!?! Huzzah! And second, I’m imaginary? Huzzah! But mostly, it got me thinking about the role and responsibility of creative people, be you musician, visual artist, actor, or writer. During the final months of the campaign, I had noticed many writers, editors, and agents for children’s literature speaking out on social media. This was kind of new, as I’d always been told, keep your opinions of politics to yourself. And I generally stuck to that. But this felt different. And as more and more people that I knew and respected were speaking out, I felt I could not remain silent. The forces of evil certainly weren’t being silent.

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when I saw Amanda Palmer’s (yes, that Amanda Palmer) Facebook post about artists who remain silent in the face of racism, sexism, and oppression. We not only have the right to speak out when we see injustice, we have a responsibility to do so.

So get ready, because pandas are getting political. Deal with it.

Dis. Will. Not. Stand!!!
Cartoon by Anne Belov

Anne Belov lives and works on Whidbey Island, in an undisclosed location. Her paintings can be seen at The Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm and at The Fountainhead Gallery on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. You can find her peculiarly political panda satire at Your Brain on Pandas, and her books at Moonraker Books in Langley or on Amazon. Feel free to follow on Twitter where she is @pandachronicle and visit The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire on Facebook. No pandas (or cats) were harmed in writing this post.

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The views, opinions, and positions expressed by Whidbey Life Magazine bloggers, as well as those of the people who comment on their blog posts, are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of Whidbey Life Magazine.

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To read more WLM stories and blogs, click here. Have a great story idea? Let us know at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. You may link to this story. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

December 14, 2016
Pigment, Perspectives and Pandas || Busy, Busy, Busy

BY ANNE BELOV
June 15, 2016

You hear it everywhere you go: I’m so busy; I’m too busy; my children have a packed schedule; Lunch? Let me look at my calendar… I think I have a Tuesday next August. Does that work for you?

I thought, when I moved to Whidbey Island 27 years ago, my life would become calm and serene and, more importantly, far less busy. At first that seemed to be the case, since I only knew a couple of people and had little disposable cash to go to many things. WICA did not yet exist and The Clyde Theater only showed two movies a week.

Street Work; Anne Belov; Oil on Linen (c) the artist

While in college and graduate school, I always had part- or full-time jobs, so I learned to juggle class work with making a living and even (occasionally) having a little fun. This learned ability to multi-task allowed me to keep a roof over my head and continue to make paintings when I left school.

When I finally hit the tipping point of being able to make a living with only my artwork, the juggling didn’t stop. If you think making a living in art consists solely of staring at the lovely landscape till inspiration strikes, and then you create a masterpiece that instantly sells—well, I’ve got news for you. There’s the paperwork and record-keeping and making sure you have supplies. And then there’s framing and scheduling and transporting the work. Oh yeah, and then there is doing the work itself.

Eventually, in order to have money coming in more regularly, I added printmaking with a small company that sold etchings around the US and in Canada. This worked great for a while, until it didn’t.

Eight years ago I started drawing cartoons, and, shortly after that, decided to dip my toes in the waters of children’s illustrating and writing. Boy, do I know how to find (non) lucrative, time-intensive pursuits or what?

Pandamorphosis by Anne Belov

What works for me is having several creative irons in the fire all the time. While scheduling all these different aspects of my creative life can be challenging, it’s not impossible and—truth to tell—I kind of like it. I must have a short attention span or something, because working at different activities throughout the day keeps me mentally engaged.

When all I did was paint, I would sometimes find myself doing stupid things late in the day because my attention had wandered off somewhere. Breaking up my day into one to three hour segments allows me to keep all the balls in the air, only occasionally dropping one on my head. I keep a calendar (mostly…Oh, yeah, I need to go write this week’s schedule in the calendar!) with notes about what I’m working on in each of those varied projects. And, oh, let’s not forget gardening, yoga, and hanging out with friends.

Add blogging and website maintenance and keeping up with fans of my panda cartoons to the mix and you have a very busy life.

There is a vast online community of writers in every genre you can think of, and I’m lucky to have connected with the KidLit writing community, mostly through SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Unlike the Seattle folks who can get together regularly in person, since I prefer not to “go to America” as we islanders call it, I’m more active online. This has led to creeping internet obsession, and I finally had to take myself in hand to cut down the amount of time I was hanging out online.

There’s an App for that…

Fortunately there is a Facebook group for that. Yes, I belong to a Facebook group, whose goal is to stay off the internet until we have completed at least one hour of creative work each day. Started by Bay Area children’s writer Deborah Underwood, this group keeps us accountable so that our day’s productive potential does not get consumed by watching panda videos or trading witty dialog for photos of pandas, or…well, you get the picture.

Because, in this group, we are all swimming in the KidLit pool, we have interests and challenges in common. It is an accountability group, for sure. But it has also become a support group, as we navigate the turbulent waters of children’s publishing.

It was a liberating revelation to realize that I don’t want to get rid of “busy,” since I finally realized that it’s what drives me ever forward. The best I can do is to keep “busy” under some amount of control. And isn’t that the best we all, in this busy world, can hope for?

Doesn’t everyone feel like this some days?

Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, cartoonist and writer living on Whidbey Island. You can find her paintings at The Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm and The Fountainhead Gallery on Queen Anne in Seattle. Her pandas hang out at Panda Chronicles. You can find the six-book Panda Chronicles collection at Moonraker Books in Langley or at the Whidbey Writer’s Network booths at the Bayview, Coupeville, and Oak Harbor farmer’s markets. She is working on a graphic novel starring pandas. Don’t miss seeing her work, along with a baker’s dozen of other painters, printmakers and sculptors at this year’s Froggwell Biennale, Friday through Sunday, August 5-7.

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CLICK HERE to read more WLM stories and blogs. Have a great story idea? Let us know at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

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.

June 15, 2016
Gallery Watch || For May 2016

BY KATY SHANER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 4, 2016

Welcome to the May “Gallery Watch”. Enjoy the variety of art offered on Whidbey Island. “Gallery Watch” is a collaborative project between the Visitor Information Kiosk and Whidbey Life Magazine. Gallery information contributions collected by Katy Shaner from drewslist drewslist@whidbey.com and Whidbey Life Magazine www.whidbeylifemagazine.org,

“FIRST FRIDAY AT THE FARM” Greenbank Farm 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 6. 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. Visit Rob Schouten Gallery, Artworks Gallery and Raven Rocks Gallery.

“FIRST SATURDAY ART WALK” Langley 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Visit Brackenwood Gallery, MUSEO, Whidbey Art Gallery, and Studio 106.

LANGLEY

DAVID PRICE – ENCAUSTICS 5 – 7 p.m. David Price’s works capture a sense of light through paint that reflect his “less is not more, less is better” approach to art and design. His minimalist paintings are created with a simple approach to composition, color and texture resulting in a space that seems to expand beyond the canvas. The gallery, edit. artdesignmercantile (next to Brackenwood Gallery on First St., Langley) features David’s encaustic works and will be open for First Saturday Artwalk on May 7. www.davidpriceartist

WHIDBEY ISLAND FINE ARTS STUDIO – DEMONSTRATION BY KATHY ANDERSON 10 a.m. Burrier Building at the Fairgrounds. The cost is $45. Kathy Anderson is a member of the Putney Painters in Vermont and a colleague and friend of Richard Schmid, with whom she paints. She will be doing a demonstration. For more on Kathy Anderson click to: http://www.kathyandersonstudio.com If you are interested in attending, please send email to: caryjur@gmail.com, we also still have a couple of spaces in the workshop. For more information contact Cary Jurriaans at WIFAS: www.whidbeyislandfas.com

BRACKENWOOD GALLERY – “THE FIGURE” 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. The history of the human figure is all but inseparable from the history of Western art. – Michael Brenson from Lascaux’s famous Paleolithic cave paintings, to Rodin, to Picasso, and beyond, artists have portrayed their visions of the human body throughout history. Visit the gallery during the month of May to see what our diverse group of artists – including Aaron Coberly, Ned Mueller, Sarah Sedwick, Carrie Whitney, Georgia Gerber, Jason Waskey, Jeff Day, Cary Jurriaans, Marc Bohne, and Pete Jordan – has to offer!

There will also be a Spotlight show on Celebrated Washington Artist Marc Bohne’s landscapes during the month of May. All shows run through the end of May. Brackenwood Gallery, 302 First St., Langley • 360-221-2978 • brackenwoodgallery@whidbey.com • www.brackenwoodgallery.com

THE WHIDBEY ART GALLERY 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. Whidbey Art Gallery is pleased to premier unique 2D and 3D art by guest artist Keith Scott, paintings by guest artist Mike Burroughs and a series of Dahlia photographs by featured member George Johnson in May.

The basis for Keith Scott’s original art uses layers of recycled automotive paint, scrounged from auto body shops. Considered hazardous waste when in the liquid form, the shops are usually glad to get rid of the paint. Built in layers, on the 3D pieces Keith adds a layer of clear urethane between layers to get the rigidity. He calls this raw product kalidium. He then carves, sands, and laminates the piece to get the finished product.

Guest artist, Mike Burroughs, who creates in both oil and watercolor, will share some of his work during May. Featured member George Johnson will be showing a new series of Dahlia photographs for the first time. Meet Keith Scott, George Johnson and members of the Whidbey Art Gallery, while you enjoy light refreshments and wander the gallery. Whidbey Art Gallery, 220 Second St., Langley • 360-221-7675 • www.whidbeyartists.com

STUDIO 106 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. Studio 106 will be hosting 4 guest artists to show their work. Please stop in and say hello to our friends Judith Van Arnam, Jean Mason, Kim Stokely-Barber and Mary Green. Studio 106 is a working art studio. Guests are welcomed for First Saturday Art Walk, by appointment, and whenever we are there working! Studio 106, 106 McLeod Alley (between Whidbey Island Bank & Star Store) • 206-679-7843

MUSEO GALLERY Artist’s reception will be 5 – 7 p.m., on Saturday, May 7. MUSEO Gallery, 215 First St., Langley • 360- 221-7737 • www.museo.cc

BAYVIEW

HIGH SCHOOL GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ART SHOW On display through May 30. Bayview Cash Store, Goosefoot Office. What is the Youth Perspective on Climate Change? An invitation to all high school students to share thoughts, feelings, wonderings, dilemmas about climate change through a broad range of media. Prizes awarded. All submissions will be displayed at the Bayview Cash Store, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley. For more information, contact Julie Glover at: julieg@whidbey.com or Ann Linnea at: treewmn@whidbey.com • www.whidbeyearthday.org

ART FOR HORSE LOVERS! 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6 is opening reception for Heidi LaCourse and the work of mixed media artist Janet Pheifer, 3D encaustic artist Anne Smidt, and abstract painter Mike O’Connell. Blooms Winery’s Tasting Room at the historic Bayview Corner Store. Just in time for the opening of racing season, Blooms Winery is featuring the paintings of Heidi LaCourse, equine painter. Heidi’s work shows her love of horses. She has been around horses since she was five years old and spent a summer during college working exercising thoroughbred racehorses at Longacres. She has ridden in the Washington State hunter/jumper circuit and trained grand prix show jumpers in Ireland. Having owned and trained many ex-racehorses over the years she is fascinated with the beauty of these stunning athletes. The show will run through May and June. Blooms Winery Tasting, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley • 360-331-4084 • www.bloomswinery.com/

FREELAND

FREELAND ART STUDIOS – JEFF DAY SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS “Reflection” Istanbul and China continuing thru June 27. Artists at the Freeland Art Studios produce original works of art in stone, bronze, metals, clay, glass, mixed media, and water in motion. At the studios you will find fine art sculpture for in or outdoors, tile, clay portraiture, jewelry, leaping and swirling concepts in water, custom designs in tile – all in a working environment. If you’re curious about how art is conceived, planned and executed, stop and watch artists at work. Freeland Artist Studios, 1660 Roberta Ave., Freeland • https://freelandartstudios.com/

GREENBANK

RAVEN ROCKS GALLERY – “ROXALLANNE MEDLEY’S WHIMSICAL DELIGHTS IN CERAMIC” 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the opening reception. Show runs through May 31. The Gallery presents the heartwarming and wonderfully whimsical work of Roxallanne Medley, the featured artist for May. A local resident of Coupeville, her work is best described in her own words: “My ceramic work includes original, painted and hand-cut relief tiles and hand-painted ceramic serving pieces. I apply watercolor techniques to ceramic tiles, plates and platters.”

All this month the gallery will be presenting new weekly offerings of paintings, fiber arts and mixed media works from both Mary Jo Oxrieder and Windwalker Taibi. Raven Rocks Gallery is a member of The Whidbey Art Trail, a year-round self-guided tour of galleries and studios featuring the work of local and regional artists. Raven Rocks Gallery is located at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road,C-101, Greenbank. 360-222-0102 • www.ravenrocksgallery.com

ROB SCHOUTEN GALLERY – “ALONG WATER’S EDGE” WATERCOLORS BY PEGGY WOODS 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the artist’s reception. Show runs through May 30. Light Refreshments will be served. Rob Schouten Gallery is pleased to welcome Anacortes watercolorist Peggy Woods to her debut showing on Whidbey Island. Woods’ watercolor paintings skillfully explore the play of light on water, whether glowing with strong contrast or misty and soft, creating tranquil dramas that convey the poignancy of everyday coastal life. Her paintings are renowned for realism and detail, but her soulful connection to her subjects is what makes them come alive. Rob Schouten Gallery – a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists at Historic Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank • 360-222-3070 • info@robschoutengallery.com • www.robschoutengallery.com/

ARTWORKS GALLERY – GAYLEN WHITEMAN 5 – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the artist reception. During May Artworks Gallery will feature artist Gaylen Whiteman and her “May Madness” show. Light snacks and beverages will be served. Live music will be performed by guitarist Steve DeHaven. Other Artworks Gallery artists will be on hand to greet visitors during the reception.

Gaylen, who typically paints in a realist fashion, has recently been experimenting with abstraction and, as she says, “having a blast.” She says, “I am especially enjoying the contrast between precise and deliberate painting for realism to the pure joy and spontaneity of abstraction.” In her “May Madness” show, Gaylen will devote half of her display to favorite works in realism, and half to favorite and recent abstract art. Her art includes paintings in watercolor, acrylic, and oil. Artworks Gallery is located on Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road • 360-222-3010 • www.artworkswhidbey.com

COUPEVILLE

PENN COVE GALLERY – MARK LUCERO Mark Lucero is Penn Cove Gallery’s May featured artist. Mark paints with acrylics, usually on wood panels which are carved with high-speed routers. With bold colors and uninhibited and expressive lines, he creates movement while maintaining a careful sense of balance. His compositions range from realism to fully abstract. He thinks of his artwork as both self-discovery and self-disclosure, so that many paintings originate from fundamental truths about human experience. His intention is to give joyous and lighthearted expression to some of life’s deeper truths. Mark will be at Penn Cove Gallery 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, May 30, when he will discuss the methods and meanings behind his paintings. Penn Cove Gallery, 9 NW Front St., Coupeville. • 360-678-1176 • www.penncovegallery.com • www.MarkLuceroArt.com

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CLICK HERE to read more WLM stories and blogs. Have a great story idea? Let us know at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

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May 4, 2016
Pigment, Perspectives and Pandas || Sitting on Top of the World

BY ANNE BELOV
April 13, 2016

When I first got out of graduate school and headed off into what passes for the real world, I had many ideas about what success would look like. I remember thinking, having a color postcard from a real gallery…that’s what success is. But as the shows and the years passed and the piles of color postcards started piling up, I realized that a color postcard with your art and a gallery name on it is just one small step in a really long journey.

My journey starts way back when (just you never mind how way back it started) and on the other side of the country. I loved to draw and I loved to read. I took a variety of art classes from many places, all through grade school and into high school. I majored in painting in college, moved across the country, and went on to get an MFA in painting.

But I soon learned that success would not, did not come instantly to me, not by any stretch of the imagination. My first gallery shows did not result in any sales. But I kept going, working in restaurants, retail, and at a coffee roaster, painting all the while, and dreaming of the day when I could do nothing but paint. It took me eight years after completing graduate school before I could quit my “day job” but I finally did and 28 years later, I haven’t had another one.

Breaking Fast: Reading Terminal Market (c) Anne Belov Oil on Linen

Here’s the interesting, or maybe frustrating thing about working and making your living from creative pursuits. There are no guarantees. Not a one. By 2007 I was showing at five galleries all around Western Washington and Oregon and making a decent living. I thought life (and my income) would keep getting better and I could look forward to, if not retirement, (because artists don’t retire,) at least a comfortable old age that did not involve living in a dumpster.

They say the gods laugh when humans make plans.

The economic collapse of 2008 did not last one year. For me, it has lasted seven years. I went from being represented by five galleries to being represented by one, with the expected hit to my income.

When Life Hands You Lemons…paint it! (c) Anne Belov Egg Tempera on panel

But here is another thing about creative people. We are problem solvers and infinitely curious. While I did make many attempts to find more representation for my paintings, so many artists were in the same boat, looking for new galleries as their galleries closed or jettisoned many of their artists. My search did not go well. I only found a new Seattle gallery to represent me this last fall.

I decided to take this as an opportunity to experiment and expand my horizons. About eight months before the economy went to hell in a hand basket, I became obsessed with pandas.

What do pandas have do do with painting?
Why are you drawing silly cartoons about pandas?
Aren’t you supposed to be a serious painter?

I didn’t have an answer to those questions, I only knew I felt compelled to make these drawings, which became cartoons, which became stories about…you guessed it …pandas. Cartoons on scraps of paper evolved into better drawings of pandas in a sketch book, and those became cartoons posted on a blog, which eventually got collected into a self published book. Stories got longer. One book became six.

You might think these cartoons have nothing to do with my painting, but in that you would be mistaken. The more that I immersed myself in panda narrative, the more the tools that I acquired in building my skills as a painter – composition, value, ways to show movement, facial expressions – came into play in my cartoons and illustrations.

Even when I am “playing” it is hard for me not to become serious about a pursuit. I joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) in the fall of 2009 and began to learn what I could from them about literature for children and the business of publishing. I knew somehow pandas would be involved. Last year I applied to and was accepted in a mentorship program organized by the Nevada chapter of SCBWI, to work on a graphic novel about a panda detective and a missing Impressionist painting. (See? I didn’t sleep through ALL my art history classes!) The program lasts six months, and during that time my story grew from a rough outline to what will become a middle grade graphic novel, with the help of my brilliant mentor.

And now, my mentor is my literary agent. Is that cool, or what?

But here’s what I’ve learned in my years of supporting myself as an artist. This is not the top accomplishment, but just a step along the way. It’s an ongoing process and there will be downs as well as ups. This partnership will work for, well, as long as it works, and as long as I keep working as hard as I can in this new – for me – medium. Right now, I am once again, sitting on top of the world.

But as we all should know by now, it ain’t over till the panda sings.

What, you were expecting the Metropolitan Opera? (c) Anne Belov

Anne Belov paints, writes, and draws pandas from her home on Whidbey Island. Her paintings can be found at The Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island, and at The Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. She is the ringleader of The Froggwell Biennale which takes place this year on August 5th, 6th, and 7th at Froggwell Garden. You can find her books at Moonraker Books in Langley as well as at her website, Your Brain On Pandas. Her graphic novel The Pandyland Mysteries: The Case of the Picturesque Panda will be available sooner or later. She is represented in all things literary by Gordon Warnock at Fuse Literary.

April 13, 2016
Artists of Whidbey Island || An Introduction

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY DON WODJENSKI
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
April 6, 2016

Standing in Rob Schouten’s studio last June—with the smell of oils, turpentine and fresh air from the open door, sunlight streaming through the southerly windows and KPLU playing jazz on the radio—I felt very much at home. We were visiting prior to a collaborative photo session of Schouten as he worked on his latest painting. As he moved from palette to painting and back, I circled around the small space, photographing the process. He’d paint, I’d photograph, we’d converse. On the radio, Miles played “So What?”

Rob Schouten

With one year and 12 artists completed in my photo series, “Artists of Whidbey Island,” I feel that reflection of what I’ve seen is in order.

Buffy Cribbs

Initially, in this self-designed project, I sought to create a series of simple photo essays of artists and friends at work in their studios. Having previously photographed musicians in performance, I believed I could photographically represent the essentials of studio time: work and contemplation. The series, to date, has been an examination of the making and meaning of Art.

Studios are created in all kinds of spaces—spare rooms, basements or dedicated buildings. Studios are a manifestation of the artist’s sense of space and utility. Artists are workers. Tools, supplies, storage, work surfaces all have their places.

Mike Wise

Studio spaces are also cluttered with the ephemera of creative effort. Walls are covered with remnants of past work and souvenirs; bookcases and shelves are filled with Art titles and inspiration. Working materials are arranged by color, size and frequency of use. Lighting is from a mix of sources: natural, artificial, direct and ambient. The focus of each space is the easel, table, wheel or bench where the real work happens.

Capturing these artists at work—for instance, witnessing them engaged in the creative process, contemplatively squinting at a canvas, loading the palette and brushing the surface—is an experience of both technical and philosophical consideration. Each environment presents unique circumstances for photographic capture: working out exposure in mixed light, finding unique angles, being mindful of space limitations, not stepping on the cat.

Anne Belov

Conversations during the photo sessions are about processes, experiences, the origin of ideas and what it means to be an artist. These inventive individuals briefly share their journeys through contemplation, conceptualization, expression, and exhibition. Each artist’s attention drifts between the work at hand and our conversation, engaging in each. Familiar routine mixes with discussion. Passionate opinion momentarily stills the brush. Quietude restores focus on the work at hand.

Cary Jurriaans

Artists most often work in solitude; time is needed to define concepts, realize ideas, refine their techniques and contemplate the scope and direction of their creative output. As an artist, photographer and advocate of the arts, my engagement with professional artists in their working environment continues to inspire my respect and admiration for the dedication, discipline, desire, vision and talent each brings to the island arts community. Although I’ve initially focused on painters, my plan is to eventually expand “Artists of Whidbey Island” to include sculptors, weavers, glass artists and ceramicists.

Al Tennant

Folios of featured “Artists of Whidbey Island” are on view at http://www.wodjenskicreative.com.

Editor’s Note: Don will be contributing blogs with more photographic explorations of artists in their studios to Whidbey Life Magazine; stay tuned for who’s next.

Don Wodjenski, a Whidbey resident since 1979, is an artist, photographer, teacher and musician living in Coupeville. He recently retired after decades of teaching, including 20 years with South Whidbey Schools. He is the current President of the Whidbey Island Art Council. Although never without an opinion on art and culture, he is new to blogging.

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CLICK HERE to read more WLM stories and blogs. Have a great story idea? Let us know at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

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 6, 2016
In Search of Truth and Beauty || Memories of the Green Realm, My Romance with Spring

BY JONI TAKANIKOS
March 18, 2016

I am hopelessly in love with a land far, far away. My heart conjures this distant landscape most readily in the spring. It was March of 2011 when I met Ireland for the first time. On one of my first afternoon walks through the neighborhood of Carigtwohill, a rural suburb outside of Cork City, I was exposed to the Irish moon through a flock of cherry blossoms and, further down the old road, I met a family of swans. I was falling for Ireland, following her roads and finally finding my own heart.

A poet in Ireland, April 2011 (photo courtesy of the author)

I traveled the roads of the Emerald Isle, south to north, east to west, sometimes doubling back again like an extended children’s jump rope game of double Dutch. I watched carefully for the right time to jump in and be taken by the spring wind once more. More often than not it was an Irish person’s hand that held mine as I jumped in and followed their lead with a trusting traveler’s heart. These friendships lined the roadways like pots of gold at the end of rainbows that arced across the spring sky.

On my way back southwards from the Antrim Coast, where you can see Scotland from the beach, I was invited to stay in the home of some new friends who lived in Coleraine. Coleraine was a train stop along my route to Derry, then Sligo—Yeats country—and eventually Galway and the Arran Islands. Mick and Christine picked me up at the train station and brought me to their sweet home. They showed me my lovely room with my own bath, including slippers and a bathrobe.

I had dropped into five-star Irish hospitality indeed. I told them I would take the train to Derry in a day or two and they insisted that I stay longer so they could show me more of the sights in their area. I was fortunate enough to be on a three-month sabbatical so I happily accepted their gracious offer. My time with Mick and Christine was so beautiful and easy, their home and manners wrapped around me with the comfort of a favorite bathrobe.

Irish Moon between blossoms, March 2011 (photo by the author)

A highlight of my week was a trip to Kilcranny House, Peace and Reconciliation Centre, a four-acre farm established in 1985, dedicated to peace, diversity and the environment. Not only did Christine introduce me to the people who worked and volunteered there, but I was invited to be part of a project to plant trees along the drive leading to the farmhouse. I planted a few trees that day, and I was able to plant one tree, a Rowan, in memory of my Greek father, John, in the Irish soil in the spring. He would have loved the sentiment and the history that brought humans, the land, the tree and the birdsong of that morning in April—the month of his birth—to this few acres of farmland dedicated to peace and diversity. As our hands patted down the soil of his tree and others along the driveway, I felt my heart being planted as well.

Mick took me to the train station a week later. Of course he and Christine had prepared a delicious lunch and snacks for me to take on the train. Mick insisted on helping me get on the train with my bags and got me settled in my seat. As we were saying our goodbyes, the train began to move and Mick and I were pounding on the windows to get the stationmaster’s attention. They did stop the train to let Mick off, but we continued our waves goodbye until the train was far down the tracks. As I rode the train to Derry that day, eating my lunch, prepared by the hands of my friends, I knew I was leaving behind a part of my heart but I was also taking with me a heart that could afford to be broken and, in that shattering, a mosaic of beauty revealed.

Giant’s Causeway, April 2011 photo by author

On our own dear isle of Whidbey, the springtime is just beginning to unfold her colorful blankets amidst the backdrop of sun, rain, wind and the occasional frost, sharing the same stage, orating all at once. A sculpture exhibition, “Evoking Ireland” by Alexandra Morosco, opened at the Rob Schouten Gallery at Greenbank Farm on March 4. I drove to Greenbank that rainy evening to attend the opening. Stepping inside the packed gallery space, hearing Irish music from Randal Bays and friends wafting from the corner, seeing the stone that had been transformed to speak the language of the far off Emerald Isle and, of course, being in the company of friends and neighbors, my heart began to burst with love and longing for all I left in Ireland and all I had brought back with me.

The heart sends out powerful signals reaching across the seas because the next morning I received a message from an Irish friend in Cork City who asked me when I would be returning. Again and again is my answer.

Here is a fragment of an ancient Celtic poem:

I am an estuary to the sea
I am a wave of the ocean
I am the bull of seven battles
I am the eagle on the rock
I am a flash from the sun
I am the plant of beauty
I am a salmon in the pool
I am the strength of art…

Heart stone rooted in Ireland, April 2011 (photo by the author)

Perhaps it is no wonder that poets held the highest position in Irish society. Poetry in Ireland is not experienced through the lens of academia as much as it is felt viscerally and it is as important as breath and bread and butter.

If you want to experience Ireland this spring you can do it right here on Whidbey Island. Alexandra Morosco’s show, “Evoking Ireland,” at the Rob Schouten Gallery continues through Monday, March 28.

Green Realm, Antrim Glens, April 2011 (photo by the author)

Wednesday, March 23^rd, from 3-5pm, one of my favorite island musicians, Kristi O’Donnell, of Irish and Estonian descent, will open her art show at Prima Bistro. For information www.kristio.com.

Please consider coming out to celebrate the shenanigans of spring on April 1 and 2, when I’ll be performing alongside other fabulous fools at Ott and Murphy Winery Tasting Room and Cabaret Stage for “A Fool’s Weekend,” each night a foolishly different performance that will include music, poetry, comedy, plenty of shenanigans, and lovely OM wine to open the buds of your heart and soul. $9 cover per show
“highly recommended” fools will include grand master fool himself, David Ossman, Judith Walcutt, Patricia Duff, Beverly Graham, Siri Bardarson, Max Cole-Takanikos, Natasha Nichols, and me, Joni Takanikos. Reservations also “highly recommended” @ 360.221.7131.

(Blog was edited to add new events 3/23/16)

Joni Takanikos is unabashedly in love with Ireland, poetry and springtime. She teaches yoga at Half Moon Yoga Studio in Langley Village. www.halfmoonyogalangley.com. Her favorite asana is vriksasana, tree pose.

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March 18, 2016
Alexandra Morosco Connects Stone with Ireland’s Spirit at Gallery Show Opening March 4

BY KATE POSS
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
March 2, 2016

In the warp and weft of sculptor Alexandra Morosco’s recent life, the threads would be stone and the patterns inspired by an island distant from Whidbey Island’s shores. Morosco’s connection to stone and the Irish spirit are captured March 4 through 28 in a showing of her work, “Evoking Ireland,” at the Rob Schouten Gallery in Greenbank.

Morosco on the shore of Inisheer, 2012 (photo courtesy of the author)

Morosco traveled to Ireland in 2005 with poet David Whyte on one of his annual tours. While visiting a farm there, Morosco—who is of Irish and Italian heritage—was handed the small book that changed her life. “When I was handed the book, “Irish Stone Walls, ”it was one of those moments when time actually held still. The book vibrated in my hands and I read it late into the night.

“Yes, a book on stone wall building quite captivated me,” she added. “Fast forward ten years later: Patrick McAfee, Irish author and master dry-stone waller, is one of my closest friends and esteemed colleagues. In hindsight, 2005 was a big year for connecting me to Ireland.”

“Gothic Guardian,” limestone (photo by Michael Stadler)

With that initial spark that became an enduring friendship, Morosco returned to Ireland the following years. In 2012 McAfee introduced her to the island of Inisheer, which hosts an annual educational and training event called the Féile na gCloch (Festival of Stone). She was introduced to Paraic (Patrick) O’Conghaile, a fisherman and owner of a pub called, Tigh Ned’s. It was O’Conghaile who envisioned a memorial for fisherman lost at sea. He shared this dream, privately, with McAfee, who suggested Morosco as a good fit for creating the memorial.

Tools of the Trade (photo by Kate Poss)

“And so it was! I simply said YES!” Morosco said. “It was, for the most part, a volunteer project. Karin Sprague, a letter carver, and I returned to carve the project in 2013 and were rewarded with pints of Guinness, brown bread and fresh fish delivered to our cottage each day! Who could ask for more?”

Since 2012, Morosco has returned each September to teach stone carving at the Féile na gCloch. In 2014, she was contacted by the Irish Army and asked to create a stone memorial for a soldier who had gone missing 30 years before. The young private was from Inisheer and a close boyhood friend of pub owner O’Conghaile.

Work in progress, memorial for Irish soldier, commissioned by The Irish Army and U.N. Forces. Completed March 2015 (photo courtesy of the artist)

Morosco was touched to be invited to do a second project on the island. “It’s impossible to explain the interwoven nature of the island and its people,” she said. “It is probably also impossible to explain what an honor it is to be ‘let in’ and welcomed to do this deeply personal work, as an outsider, or a ‘blow in.’ I am honored beyond measure by these opportunities for my hands and heart to go to work.”

She plans to return to Inisheer this September to work with the Festival of Stone.

Morosco’s Tibetan Mastiffs rest on their stone dog house (photo courtesy of the artist)

During a recent visit at her fairytale stone cottage along a meandering creek, Morosco’s pair of Tibetan Mastiff dogs go through the ritual of sniffing me, assuring their mistress I am safe to enter. A raven calls from somewhere up in the tall firs and cedars.

Inside the old kitchen, the smell of chocolate wafts from the oven. Her Irish grandma’s kitchen table, a hand-painted metal reminder of years ago, stands across from the stove. The place feels like home to me, and Morosco says it reminds her of Ireland’s west coast. But she knows that Whidbey is her heart home.

“I found my place here on Whidbey,” Morosco said, having lived in the Puget Sound since 2002. “I like to visit other places, but when I come home I weep [with gratefulness]. Sure I’ll complain about the grass-mowing and the creek overload; the creek has visited the house many times in the years I’ve lived here.”

Morosco’s stone cottage on Whidbey Island (photo courtesy of the artist)

Her home includes an old garage, now a studio, with a large window that lets in beautiful light. Shelves are lined with various sanding disks, drills and chisels. She refers to her array of pneumatic drills as her “soldiers.” At the moment Celtic music is playing, but Morosco also likes listening to the poetry of David Whyte and the poetry of John O’Donahue, beloved by the Irish people.

Standing on her worktable is an image of a woman who looks like she’s emerging through the wind. She is “Anima Loki” and is carved of limestone. The wind lady is going to be part of the show at Rob Schouten Gallery.

“The image is inspired by a cliff’s edge… a feeling of undefined vulnerability,” said Morosco. “She depicts fierce wind, bracing and facing. Wind, water and stone are inherent elements of Ireland and Whidbey.”

“Anima Loki” (photo by Kate Poss)

Then there’s her sculpture of a little boat being tossed in the waves, which is also part of the upcoming show. Carved of Colorado marble, it’s called “Currach’s Portal.” A currach is a small sturdy boat used by Irish fishermen. Once made with sealskin, modern versions, coated with sealed canvas, are still used today on remote islands such as Inisheer.

“Currach’s Portal” (photo by Kate Poss)

Outside, under an awning, stands a stone woman emerging from salmon-colored Utah sandstone. She is called “Ghobnait On Pilgrimage.” Ghobnait was a medieval Irish saint whose convent was based in County Cork, Ireland. According to lore, Ghobnait had family troubles and fled to Inisheer, where an angel told her to establish a convent back on the mainland. Her order raised bees and believed in the healing benefits of honey.

“My saint is naked, showing her vulnerability,” Morosco explained, pointing out how the stone’s natural swirls dictated how the body could emerge from the stone. The sculptor’s sensitivity to positioning the sandstone’s natural swirls and lines to accent Ghobnait’s body is impressive.

Morosco and her pneumatic ‘soldier’ drills (photo by Kate Poss)

While she typically creates large pieces for commissioned projects, this gallery show, her first on Whidbey, includes smaller pieces. “I haven’t had the luxury, in the past, of creating pieces of my own to show in a gallery,” she said. “But then I met with Rob [Schouten] in December and thought, ‘What if I put a fire under my ass and get this ready by St. Patrick’s Day.’”

Gallery owner Rob Schouten said, “As a gallery, we are always on the lookout for accomplished professional artists that fit in with the gallery’s philosophy and overall feel. If those artists then also live and work on Whidbey and haven’t shown here much, things get really exciting. Alexandra Morosco is such an artist.

Cill Caomhan, (St Kevin’s Church), Inisheer, Aran Islands (photo by Cormac Coyne)

“Morosco’s work evokes a deep connection with the land and the people inhabiting the land,” Schouten added. “In both her stone and bronze sculptures she’s able to capture an archetypal essence in her subjects that transcends ordinary reality and reaches a deeper mythical level. It’s no wonder, therefore, that Alexandra is attracted to Ireland and the deep layers of story and culture that predate modern sensibilities and are so prevalent there.

“There’s a quality of magic realism to her sculptures that immediately imparts to the viewer the notion that these are soul images, generated in the dark and fertile ground of a life well-lived, with consciousness and awareness. We are very happy to be premiering Alexandra’s work here on Whidbey and to introduce this wonderful artist to our community.”

“The Celtic Apprentice.” Italian Marble (photo courtesy of the artist)

Look for Morosco’s work throughout March at the Rob Schouten Gallery. The public is invited to the Opening Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4. Enjoy music by Irish fiddler, Randal Bays & Friends.

Additionally, the public is invited to a “Meet the Artist” event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 20. A presentation, “Storytelling in Stone,” will explore how Ireland has captured the artist’s imagination, her work-based pilgrimages to Ireland, the stories behind the sculptures and the journey ahead. She is considering returning to Ireland this spring, taking the ‘Evoking Ireland’ exhibit to Connemara and retreating in the Irish countryside and people that nourish her.

To learn more about Alexandra Morosco, please visit her web page at http://moroscofinearts.com. To watch a video of the creation of “An Cloch,” Morosco’s memorial to honor lost fisherman, click here: http://moroscofinearts.com/the-stone/.

Image at top: Morosco carving at her Whidbey studio (photo courtesy of the artist).

Kate Poss works as a library assistant at the Langley Library. She was thrilled to work for three summers as a chef aboard a small Alaskan tour boat from 2008 to 2010. She was a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles for many years before moving to Whidbey Island where she likes ‘talking story,’ hiking, hosting salons and writing her novel.

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March 9, 2016
Pigment, Perspectives and Pandas || The Season of Light(s)

BY ANNE BELOV
December 9, 2015

For some reason, people like to call this time of year the season of light. Really, it is the season of dark, as far as I’m concerned. This time of year, I question my judgment, for making the decision to move, and then stay in the Pacific Northwest. These short days lead to endless introspection. They lead to turning on as many lights as possible. Maybe it’s actually the season of lights, come to think of it.

Where You’ll Find Me / Oil on Linen / private collection/ © Anne Belov

There is no end to the possibilities that I present myself with, and then argue with myself, over which direction is the right way to go. It’s a good thing I like to spend time by myself. For a creative person, that alone time is essential. It’s hard to find the voices inside my head when there is too much going on around me. As a painter and a writer, I spend a lot of time shuffling around in my head. It’s where the work happens.

“What if I did this?”

“What if I did that?”

What do I do when the dark, the rain, the cold (well, okay, it hasn’t been that cold yet this winter) get to be too much? Sometimes I go to Italy! Not actually, since it’s pretty cold there too, and I have way too much work to do here. (Not to mention a limited budget.) I mean that I fire up the lights in the studio, and work on a painting from one of my several Italian adventures.

Assisi Sun and Shadow / Oil on Linen / © Anne Belov

There is something magical about being in a well-lighted room, looking out over the cold and misty woods that surround my house. And when I look at the painting on my easel I remember the warm, sunny afternoons sitting in the piazza in Cortona, sketching and thinking about dinner.

Other times, when the dark and cold are too much, my mind turns to pandas. Really, if watching a video of panda toddlers going down a slide doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will. The pandas entered my life when the economy was turning to crap, and I see no reason to let them go now that it is improving a bit.

Pandas in the season of lights © Anne Belov

If drawing cartoons of pandas, and creating stories for them wasn’t enough to brighten my world, the responses of the people who have found them would certainly do the trick. (They like them, they really like them!)

There are far worse things in the world than a little dark and rain. If you watch even a little bit of the news, you know what they are. We all need something to get us through the long wet nights of the Northwest winters. I have paintings and pandas. What brings light back into your world?

The only thing more cheery than pandas is coloring pictures of pandas.

Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, and illustrator. Her wordless picture book Pandamorphosis is a celebration of magic and pandas. She has recently published her 6th collection of the Panda Chronicles cartoons: We R Endangered, as well as a Panda Chronicles coloring book. All are available at Moonraker Books in Langley. You can see her paintings at The Rob Schouten Gallery at the Greenbank Farm and at The Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. There is still no MacArthur Fellowship awarded in Panda Satire. Read her weekly cartoons at YourBrainonPandas.com.

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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.

December 9, 2015
Pigment, Perspectives and Pandas || We’re Gonna Have a Resolution

BY ANNE BELOV
October 7, 2015

Is it a bad thing to admit that I was just reminded that I had a post due and that it was due…um…tonight? Do I need to make some Fall Resolutions to recommit to my previously organized ways?

Does it look like I’m organized? (photo by Anne Belov)

Maybe it’s wrong to admit this here, and maybe it isn’t, but one of the current facts of my life is that it is cut up into about 600 Little. Tiny. Pieces. I think it’s safe to say that many people are in the same predicament, so maybe flopping the elephant in the room into the middle of the dining room table is a good thing.

The facts are as follows:

1. My aging mother needed to be moved permanently into a nursing home all the way across the country, due to a fall and a broken leg. This included a whirlwind eight-day trip to the east coast to effect the move, sorting and disposing of decades worth of possessions.

2. I have both a new (to me—huzzah) gallery that wants to show my fine art work, as well as my faithful island representative, The Rob Schouten Gallery, for whom to create, prepare, and deliver work (in a timely manner and with all documentation in order.)

3. I need to finish compiling the cartoons for my anxiously awaited (by my six fans) new Panda Chronicles collection, “We R Endangered,” as well as do all the formatting, proofing and a bunch of other things that I haven’t quite gotten to yet. Not to mention, keeping my weekly posts of new cartoons done on schedule.

We are endangered! (cover illustration by Anne Belov

4. Two different groups of dear friends came to visit the island in September, and of course I wanted to visit with them and play Island Tour Guide, because it’s fun to see the place you live through new eyes, and plus, FUN!

5. A whole bunch of other piddly stuff that is too numerous and too tedious to mention. Many of them involve house and yard work.

And the big thing is number six: I had been accepted into a mentorship program through the Nevada chapter of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. This six-month long program pairs the pre-published (in traditional publishing), the genre changing, or the I just need to give my writing/illustrating a kick in the ass writer/illustrator, with a professional who is currently working in the publishing industry. Each mentor has two, or at the most three mentees to advise.

Last weekend in Reno, Nevada, we met with our mentors for the first time, outlined the work that they felt our Works in Progress might need to be ready to send out on submission. I will be working on a graphic novel, doing both the writing and the illustrating. It needs to be double in length (at least) from where it is now. I’m considering major stylistic changes, as well as changing the narrator point of view. I have the other writers in the program to cheer me on, read my WiP and kick me in the butt when I need kicking, as well as my individual mentor cracking discreet whips in the background.

As a freshman art student, I had a professor who shared these words of wisdom with us, his freshman design class, usually right before he gave us some huge, time-consuming assignment:

“If you want something done,
give it to the busy person.“

I feel quite certain that I am a busy person. I am also pretty sure that I am up to the challenge set forth by my mentor. Keeping all these balls in the air will not be easy, but there is something about the beginning of fall that makes all things seem possible. The clear skies and bright colors of autumn feel more like renewal to me than it does like the dying of the year. The crisp days and cool nights tell me it’s time to go back to school, to learn new things.

I am learning new things, keeping the balls in the air and loving every minute of it.

Somewhere, my old art professor is smiling.

Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, and blogger. She is working on a middle grade graphic novel through the SCBWI-Nevada mentor program. Her paintings can be seen at the Rob Schouten Gallery in Greenbank, and at the Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. Besides writing for WLM, she publishes new cartoons on her blog, The Panda Chronicles, twice weekly.

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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.

October 7, 2015
Rob Schouten Gallery presents “Friends in Life and Art: New works by Francy Blumhagen and Sharon Spencer” through July

Friday Night Reception is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 3

Madonna has nothing on these Material Girls. Rob Schouten Gallery is pleased to present “Friends in Life and Art — Francy Blumhagen and Sharon Spencer,” which opens July 3 and runs through Aug. 3 at Greenbank Farm.

“Taking a Moment,” bronze by Sharon Spencer. All photos on this page are by Michael Stadler.

Paper, pulp, ink, paint, bamboo, fiber and bronze and are some of the materials that inspire these artists, along with Japanese art, nature and friendship. Spencer will show both bronze pieces and mixed-media sculptures, while Blumhagen will show mixed-media collages.

These friends, who have each been making art for 40 years, have formed a strong bond through long walks with their dogs at Greenbank Farm while talking about art, process and sometimes uncooperative materials.

“Red Moon,” mixed-media collage by Francy Blumhagen.

Spencer, who is well-known and admired for her bronzes, began exploring mixed-media about five years ago.

“It’s interesting when you find someone you can trust and can share something about ideas,” Spencer said. “I’ve learned a lot from Francy.”

“We are both interested in materials,” Blumhagen said. “I’m interested in seeing what happens with the paper, the ink, the paint and how it leads me to the next experiment. The images become less important as I watch what the materials will do.”

“It’s the experimenting with these new materials that brought a lot of joy and energy back into my work-life,” Spencer said. “It’s important to stay alive and not keep doing the same thing over and over again. It kills the spirit of the work and if that happens, you can see it in the work.”

Both artists reveal a Japanese sensibility with this show. Not surprising since Spencer studied at a school of Japanese arts in a Kyoto shrine run by women and devoted to the study of nature. Blumhagen’s father had been stationed in Japan, so she grew up in a house full of asian art.

“Shinto,” bamboo, fibers, handmade paper, cording.

“It instilled something in me,” Blumhagen said, “and I love going to Sharon’s house because it is filled with asian art.”

“Yes, I’ve always loved Japanese things,” Spencer added.

“Listening to Sharon talk about wanting to always branch out is something I’ve been wanting to do, too. I want to forge ahead; indulge myself and see what happens,” Blumhagen said.

Come over to Rob Schouten Gallery in July and see what these ultimate “Material Girls” made happen.

“Crows,” mixed-media collage by Francy Blumhagen.

Meet the artists from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 3 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 24, 2015