BY MARTHA McCARTNEY Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
November 26, 2014
Shaunna Baganz describes her photographs as being nearly surreal. “I want to put the viewer right on that edge of imagination—bring them to a place of wondering if that scene actually exists.”
Baganz lived in Wisconsin where she worked in marketing and also did freelance photography. Her subjects were car and motorcycle racing and some wedding photography. It was when she moved to Oregon in 2008 that she was drawn more fully to nature photography. In 2011 she moved to Whidbey Island and now, she said, “I walk out my door every day feeling as if I’m on vacation.”
“Blue Sea Sailing” by Shaunna Baganz
One of her favorite places on the Island is Ebey’s Landing and it’s from there she’s been able to capture some beautiful sunsets. Sunset and sunrise are two subjects she is particularly fascinated with and making them unique by filling the foreground with an over-looked part of the landscape is her challenge. “I love detail and try to bring out layers of color and texture, especially in the clouds.” Baganz explained.
Her photographs reflect a feeling of peace and a sense of timelessness. The viewer is invited to engage fully with the scene—to become contemplative and relaxed. The photographer sees not only the colors and light of living on Whidbey Island but, with a relatively new eye to the area, she is able to hint at the magical qualities.
Currently Baganz is working on a long-ranging project photographing The Enchantments, a remote area southwest of Leavenworth, WA. Access to the area is extremely limited and must be obtained by permit. Hiking in and out of this wilderness area with 35 pounds of camera gear in addition to other supplies is a major accomplishment.
In addition to nature photography, Baganz is available for senior portraits and real estate photography.
Martha McCartney is a poet, photographer, mixed-media artist, persistent gardener and candle-maker.
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BY RUSSELL CLEPPER Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
June 18, 2014
He’s a cowboy racing for all he’s worth across some Southwestern desert on a mighty fast pony. Or now, he’s standing over a jukebox in some lonely saloon, choosing a song as a sultry little thing nearby waits for him to dance with her. They are the only two people in the room. Outside the open saloon door, the vast desert lies flat and empty.
Or now, he’s leaning back in an old chair, its front legs off the ground, his feet on the table, and his mysterious smile—almost a smirk—casts an enigmatic mood into the room. Whatever happens next may be threatening, or simply mischievous, but there will be some kind of risk involved. It’s as if he just told his buddy, “let’s go out and do something, even it’s wrong.”
These three scenarios come from three boldly colorful paintings by Whidbey Island artist Bruce Morrow and they are currently on exhibit at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley. Morrow’s work is also featured in Whidbey Life Magazine’s Virtual Gallery this month along with that of his wife, Buffy Cribbs.
Morrow, with Cribbs, demonstrates the press. (photo by David Welton)
“I do figurative paintings mainly, not much abstract work. My paintings and etchings tell stories,” Morrow said. “At least, there is the beginning of a story there. Something is happening.”
The iconic figure of the American cowboy appears repeatedly in his work. The Glendale, California, native credits his two years spent in the small community of Velarde, New Mexico for instilling in him a fascination for the Southwest, its landscapes and its cultural myths.
“It’s being able to see in the distance, to see that horizon,” he said. “There are no trees in the way. And we have all seen so many Western movies. I latched onto that cowboy image. It’s the American male.”
Barn Dance, aqua tint etching (photo courtesy of the artist)
Those vast, empty spaces with mesas on the horizon under an even more vast, brilliant blue sky have captured the imagination of many American artists. It’s the kind of landscape most of us associate with that lonesome cowboy, independent and self-sufficient, needing nothing to get by, other than his own wit and grit. He has probably contributed more to the ideal of the American male than any founding father, soldier, sailor, politician, farmer, financier or industrialist.
Morrow portrays him often as a shadowy figure, a silhouette, sometimes alone, sometimes dancing with a female partner. At times, we see more of his facial features, but he is almost always sideways or obscure, barely displaying a gritty, weary pluck. In one of his artist statements, Morrow says that his figure represents to him “the ennui of the displaced American male, the maverick, the cowboy without a range.”
Who’s Driving, oil on canvas (photo courtesy of the artist)
Morrow does paint other subjects, often treated with whimsy or humor. An American bison standing in the bed of an old pickup truck. A jazz or blues guitarist. A bird on a wire. A murder (of crows) in a tree. Almost all the paintings feature vibrant, strong colors, often with bold, dynamic textures. Though they are figurative, they are not realist.
“Bruce’s work has been described as enigmatic,” said Morrow’s wife, Buffy Cribbs. “He has an interesting competence. His work feels loose, but he has a way of nailing motion. His work becomes really lively. It’s a kind of beautiful inexactness.”
The two artists met in Peter Voulkos’ studio in the Bay area in 1974. They moved to Whidbey Island in 1986 with their four-year old daughter, Briony. Both had a knack for carpentry as well as experience gained from renovating their first home, so it was natural for them to make a living in construction here. The supportive arts community on the island inspired Morrow to take up his paintbrush again.
Night Bison, aqua tint etching (photo courtesy of the artist)
They bought a small house on a couple of acres on Sills Road and built a his-and-her studio next to it. Later, they moved the little house across the street and built a spacious, two-story home. Eventually, they acquired another lot just across the road and have transformed the old garage there into their latest artistic venture—Flicker Feather Press. They make art prints by etching on coppers plates, by relief printing from wood or linoleum blocks or by using other transfer methods. Their big Takache press is commercially available for other artists to use.
“I go back and forth between painting and etching,” said Morrow. “I’ll paint a figure and then go see how that would work in an etching, or etch something and then want to paint it.”
Kickin’ Back, etching (photo courtesy of the artist)
Morrow told the story behind one of his paintings. A gallery owner in Seattle, Joyce Bronson, knew how important his New Mexico experience was to him. She arranged for Morrow and Cribbs to visit an art installation, or site-specific sculpture—“The Lightning Field” by Walter De Maria—on the western side of the state near the hamlet of Quemado. It’s a one mile by one kilometer patch of desert where the artist has placed hundreds of stainless steel poles with solid, pointed tips in a grid array.
To get there, Morrow and Cribbs had to wait at the only bar in Quemado for a local rancher called Cowboy Bob. When he showed up, they all drank a few shots of tequila together before clambering into Cowboy Bob’s Bronco and heading out 50 miles over the desert to the site, where he left them at a cabin to spend the night.
“We never got to see lightning strike the poles that night,” said Morrow. “But it did inspire a painting.”
It’s called “Heading to Quemado,” the story of a coyote chasing a hat in the wind.
Image at top: Morrow pulls a print from the new Flicker Feather Press. (photo by David Welton)
Russell Clepper is a singer-songwriter who plies his trade locally and around the country. He is also a substitute teacher for the Oak Harbor School District.
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BY MARTHA McCARTNEY Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
June 10, 2014
Shortly after I moved to Whidbey Island two years ago, I walked into a shop in Langley called Chic Debris. In a room filled with the work of local artists and artisans—all worthy of any viewer’s attention—I was particularly drawn to a painting that was attached to the back of an olive oil can. The can had been perforated and cut open to create “windows” on all sides, then fitted with a light bulb in the top.
The subject of the painting was John Steinbeck, one of my literary heroes. But even if Mr. Steinbeck hadn’t resonated with me on a personal level, I would have been intrigued by the style, which—I later learned, after I bought the work—is known as “reverse painting.” Reverse painting is done on a translucent surface like glass or Plexiglas and has a long history, going back at least to the Renaissance and likely earlier.
As the name infers, the technique involves painting the subject in reverse on the backside of the glass. It’s slightly analogous to tying a tie while looking in a mirror but much more difficult and infinitely more aesthetic.
Buffy Cribbs explains the process of reverse painting (photo by Martha McCartney)
While it’s a challenging way to paint, the effort is more than balanced by the special depth and luminosity that are revealed in the process. The artist who created my now treasured painting is Buffy Cribbs. As the sense of happenstance that seems to thrive on Whidbey Island would have it, I later found myself sharing some time with Cribbs and discussing her work as well as its presentation in a number of venues this summer.
I met Cribbs for a tour of her studio and followed her through the gardens filled with fanciful assemblage sculptures. Every time I turned a corner I saw another installation bearing the artist’s unmistakable sense of fun. Pink and orange roses backlit by the sun grew along the fence and filled the spaces between bronze sculptures, rusting whimsical creatures fashioned from junkyard finds, a gazebo and a garden shed.
Stella, posing on the porch amidst the art (photo by Martha McCartney)
As I followed Cribbs and Stella, her Staffordshire bull terrier, into the house, the interior proved to be equally fascinating. Kitchen cabinets painted in bold geometrics, hand-built furniture that looked as if it had walked into the space instead of being carried and walls lined with fabulous prints and paintings combined for a powerful impression.
Her upstairs studio walls are hung with a selection of reverse paintings in preparation for an upcoming exhibit at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley. The exhibition is on display during the month of June and includes “whimsically capricious” paintings by Cribbs and Bruce Morrow. Both artists’ works are also currently being featured in the Whidbey Life Magazine Virtual Gallery.
Assemblage sculpture by Buffy Cribbs, entitled “Best of Show” (photo by Martha McCartney)
“This exhibit is something Langley has not seen and is going to be exciting and dynamic,” Cribbs said, standing by a large painting of crows silhouetted against a wallpaper-like pattern in striking shades of yellow. This piece and much of her other work are achieved by a bold buildup of brush strokes in lively colors.
The subjects of the paintings are narrative and the vibrant jewel tones bring each story to life. “Some people are afraid of color,” Cribbs said. “They are afraid that the intensity of pure color will interrupt the harmony of the piece. But I think dissonance in art can be as essential as dissonance in music. Conflict creates a focus and it’s one of the necessary elements for art to become even more compelling.”
Cribbs’ artwork is filtered through a variety of geographies and cultures including her childhood in California, coming of age in Ireland and working as a young artist in Paris. The result is a vibrancy and light-heartedness that infuse her art, regardless of the medium. Even at the beginning of her career she took the stance that art could be fun and she has supported her claim time and time again. How else could you describe a painting of two red bell peppers atop the fins of a cobalt-blue underwater sea creature?
Across the road from the studio is the new Flicker Feather Press print shop. The printing press can be used for copper plate etching, monographs and relief printing. Cribbs’ vision is for “collaborative salon” events where writers, poets and artists meet to share ideas and create within the context of partnerships. “Art is not about ownership,” she said. “Art is about what the viewer brings to the piece. As artists we make room for viewers to have their own experience, to participate and bring into the artwork their own story, their own narrative.”
Hand bound reverse glass painting portfolios by Buffy Cribbs (photo by Martha McCartney)
As an example of the kind of synergy that’s possible through combining a relief print and the written word, she pulls out a framed print with her original poem beneath. The black and white relief print softens and illustrates the written word. The Flicker Feather Press studio is being utilized by several local artists and is available for bookings and workshops.
You can view the intensely colorful reverse paintings of Buffy Cribbs during the month of June at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley and then see her work during the first week in August at Froggwell Gardens in Freeland. In September she will be exhibiting relief prints at the Brackenwood Gallery in a show that will include a number of Whidbey Island print artists.
Image at top: A studio tour with Buffy Cribbs (photo by Martha McCartney)
Martha McCartney is a poet, photographer, mixed-media artist, persistent gardener and candle-maker. She has never really gotten over not being photographed for a Richard Brautigan book cover. Currently she is learning to navigate by using her inner compass, which she keeps pointed towards her own true north.
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Spring has arrived on Whidbey Island, and creativity takes flight. Or maybe I should say that creativity is for the birds. The eagles have begun nesting at Froggwell, the swallows have returned to Whidbey, and this morning I saw that the osprey had returned to their nest on a power pole about two miles north of Freeland.
In the Virtual Gallery this month, we have two artists that have a special interest in birds. Frances Wood will be showing her watercolors of her avian muses at The Rob Schouten Gallery this month, “Taking Flight.” Frances’ birds have a spark in their eyes that comes from long observation of her feathered friends.
Georgia Gerber, a sculptor with an international reputation, also has long been interested in birds, as well as many other animals. Georgia doesn’t stop with the descriptive, she takes the forms, lines, and masses and bends them to her considerable will, ending up with something that is both bird and more than bird. Her work ranges from the highly realistic to bordering on abstract, but always with an eye to the animals from which she receives inspiration.
(featured photo: “Bowed Raven,” bronze sculpture by Georgia Gerber)
Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, and designated bad influence. In addition to curating the Virtual Gallery, Belov also blogs for Whidbey Life Magazine, organizes the Froggwell Biennale, is the author of four collections of The Panda Chronicle cartoons, and the soon to be released children’s book, Pandamorphosis. You can find her paintings at The Rob Schouten Gallery and her cartoons at http://yourbrainonpandas.com
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BY CLAIRE MOORE Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
April 30, 2014
We’ve received several requests that we publish the “Thank You” lyrics that Marsha Morgan sang as Master of Ceremonies at the Whidbey Life Magazine “Launch” Party on Friday, April 25. Since we’ve also received several questions, we asked Marsha for some answers.
Marsha Morgan sings a “Thank You” at WLM Launch Party. (Sketch courtesy of Sue Van Etten)
Where did the lyrics come from and how did they come about?
When Sue [Taves, WLM publisher] asked me to host the event, she mentioned there were a “few” thank-yous that she needed to include. Then she gave me the list of names.
I knew I couldn’t just stand up there and read off all those names, and thought adding a little music might make it more bearable for the crowd. The list struck me as a “patter,” which made me think of the “Major General” song. I kept bugging Sue to get info about all the folks and, gradually, the song came together for me.”
What is the source of the original music?
I searched online for the song and found a recorded version. It’s “I Am the Perfect Model of a Modern Major General” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera of 1879, “Pirates of Penzance.” (Editor’s note: if you’re curious and have a few minutes, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGWoXDFM64 to hear it performed. And yes, the pirate in the scene is a very young Kevin Kline.)
How long did it take to come up with all that?
I was fortunate to have a couple months’ notice from Sue to prepare for this and, of course, that’s exactly how long it took.
Who was that great accompanist?
Eileen Soskin, a tremendously accomplished musician, was willing to “dumb down” her piano playing abilities (which she demonstrated when she later accompanied Gloria). She also has a great sense of comedic timing. We had a grand time together.
Marsha Morgan, MC, sings her thanks for everyone who made WLM and the magazine a possibility. (photo by David Welton)
Who knew you could sing, Marsha!?!?
I don’t think of myself as a “singer” but I have sung all my life. As a teenager in southern California, I was in a “band” and we did songs like “White Rabbit” and Beach Boy medleys. I’m sure we were horrible but we had fun. Mostly I’ve sung in choruses. And recently I’ve been taking lessons from local musician and teacher, Nancy Nolan, and am enjoying it immensely.
I’ve had more experience as a Master of Ceremonies during my years in Santa Cruz. I also wrote the scripts and lyrics for those events. Most recently, I enjoyed doing the narration for WLM’s “Indiegogo” video last fall.
You can check out the video produced by Robbie Cribbs’ for the Indiegogo campaign here.
Thank You—from Whidbey Life Magazine BY MARSHA MORGAN
We’d like to thank you here and now for services you gave and how,
The staff, the writers, bloggers too, and all our sponsors. Thanks to you.
Our Russell Clepper wrote, no jest, about the fun of DjangoFest.
He plays guitar and teaches too so can I get some tips from you?
And, all the photos that you see our David Welton takes for free.
He’s traded stethoscope for lens and now he’s got more Facebook friends.
Suzanne, Siri, Vicky, Julie,
Deb, TWO Eriks, Joanie, Judith Share whatever’s on their minds ’cause that’s what bloggers do-oo-oo
______
Dianna MacLeod, Hedgebrook alum, writes for us and thinks it’s fun.
She came to town to write a book and now I’d say we’ve got her hooked.
Susan Wenzel, writes of food; she teaches all she knows and how.
Can you grow some food for storage? Yes, and you can also fora-a-a-g-ge…
Who can tap dance, screenwrite too? It must be our great blogger, Su… …zanne Kelman’s great all through and through. And she’s got an accent too.
Betty, Carolyn and Penny— Wow, your stories lift our hearts, of painters, weavers, farmers, music, authors and dramatic art. ______
Our chief milkmaid, Vicky Brown of goats and cheese, she’s quite renowned
Her Laughing Bellies Toffee snack—really should be nicknamed “crack”
Patricia Duff, we love your stuff; your writings always so sublime
We know you go the extra mile,’cause what you write is AP STYLE…
Where there’s Panda–monium, can Anne Belov be very far?
She paints, she draws, she writes; it’s true, and she will even Kickstart you.
Jan’s the Webmaster supree-eeme,
On most days it makes her scree-eam.
In her sleep she hears your song: There’s something wrong! I can’t log on! ______
Kim Tinuviel plays bass and takes great photos, makes great art
If we hadn’t grabbed her star we never would have come this far.
Editing, no job for whimps, to cut your words, that really hurts
But Claire Moore never makes you wrong.
— It’s just your story’s — way — too – lo-o-o-n-n-ng…………
There’s one hundred fifty-two, the Indi-Go-Go gifts from you-ou,
But to name you all won’t do! JEEZ, you must be kidding, Sue!
And who keeps this ship of ours
Afloat when times are feeling rough?
It’s Sue! the very model of
A Modern Major PUB-LISH-ER!
—with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan…
(featured photo: Marsha welcoming the crowd at the party (photo by Vicky Brown)
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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.
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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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 magazinein 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.
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.
While April showers are having their way with us, we turn to two painters of the world around us, in hopes that we can call springtime weather to us just a little sooner. Or at least distract ourselves from the storms that soak our gardens and keep us indoors.
Cary Jurriaans was born in Holland. The Dutch set the gold standard for still-life paintings and scenes of everyday life that are still influencing artists several centuries down the pike. She works in oils—with subjects that you might find as you move through your day—making the ordinary extraordinary with her use of light and color.
Sandy Byers’ work exudes love and affection for her subjects, be it a tempestuously-clouded sky over the Skagit flats or a couple of cats squabbling for dominance in the comfy chair. Rich color and strong compositions bring solidity and grace through her use of pastels, a medium that, quite frankly, has always eluded me. In her hands it sings and swings.
I hope you will enjoy this month’s virtual gallery. Watch for articles about these artists coming soon.
Anne Belov
WLM Virtual Gallery Curator
Photo at the top: “Building Trust,” oil by Sandy Byers
While April showers are having their way with us, we turn to two painters of the world around us, in hopes that we can call springtime weather to us just a little sooner. Or at least distract ourselves from the storms that soak our gardens and keep us indoors.
Cary Jurriaans was born in Holland. The Dutch set the gold standard for still-life paintings and scenes of everyday life that is still influencing artists several centuries down the pike. She works in oils, with subjects that you might find as you move through your day, making the ordinary extraordinary through her use of light and color.
Sandy Byers work exudes love and affection for her subjects, be it a tempestuously clouded sky over the Skagit flats, or a couple of cats squabbling for dominance in the comfy chair. Rich color and strong compositions bring solidity and grace through her use of pastels, a medium that, quite frankly, has always eluded me. In her hands it sings and swings.
I hope you will enjoy this month’s virtual gallery.
Anne Belov
Click here for Sandy Byer’s feature.
Click here for Cary Jurriaan’s feature.
Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, and designated bad influence. In addition to curating the Virtual Gallery, Belov also blogs for Whidbey Life Magazine, organizes the Froggwell Biennale, is the author of four collections of The Panda Chronicle cartoons, and the soon to be released children’s book, Pandamorphosis, published by Booktrope. You can find her paintings at The Rob Schouten Gallery and her cartoons at http://yourbrainonpandas.com
Sandy Byers
“Edge of Skagit” pastel by Sandy Byers (photo courtesy of the artist)
For more information on any of this work, contact the artist. All work is original and copyrighted by the artist.
The Featured Artists’ Gallery is sponsored by Walking Woman Productions and has been created as a means for Whidbey Island visual artists to bring new and/or experimental work closer to the public eye. While Whidbey Island is well-represented by several high-quality art galleries, for the un-represented artist there is a lack of venues in which to show ones’ work. Established and emerging artists alike may utilize the Featured Artists’ Gallery to exhibit new work, gain experience and receive feedback. All work exhibited is for sale. Please visit the website link provided for each artists’ complete contact information. Artists are invited to participate by the gallery curators, if you think your work is suitable for a show, please contact us at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
The Seattle Men’s Chorus will swoop audiences away at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 5—into the wonderful, musical world of Broadway darling, Stephen Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz is the genius behind the music of “Wicked,” “Pippin,” “Godspell” and more. The Chorus will sing many of his popular Broadway smash-hits, plus some additional rarely-performed tunes. It’s a wickedly fun homage to a modern master!
The performance will be held at South Whidbey High School’s Performing Arts Center.
Proceeds from the concert help support Citizens Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse (CADA) on Whidbey Island. CADA has served victims of domestic and sexual violence since 1979. Last year staff members provided services to 1,084 women, men and children and 1,557 bed nights at Marjie’s House, their emergency shelter. Services include a 24-hour hotline and free, confidential assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, elder abuse, rape, sexual harassment, stalking, child abuse, child sexual abuse or neglect and other forms of interpersonal violence.
In an effort to achieve their vision of ending violence in the community, staff members work with youth to change their behaviors and attitudes. Working in partnership with Island County schools, the CADA Youth & Community Educators endeavor to provide school presentations on safety, healthy relationships, bullying, cyber-bullying, dating relationships and other forms of violence in middle and high schools. In 2013, presentations were made to 2,691 Island County youth.
The singers are led by a talented group of individuals from diverse backgrounds. The men combine with Seattle Women’s Chorus to become the largest and most influential choral organization in the state of Washington and the largest community chorus in America. This will be Seattle Men’s Chorus’ first performance outside the Seattle Metro area in 2014. Members of Seattle Women’s Chorus and Diverse Harmony will join in on this exclusive Whidbey Island event!
Windermere Real Estate/South Whidbey is a sponsor of this concert and will be hosting a Pre-Show event. For more information about this pre-event, please contact the CADA office at (360) 675-7057.
Tickets for the concert are $35 and are available at the following ticket outlets: Useless Bay Coffee and Moonraker Books in Langley, Pickles Deli in Clinton, bayleaf in Coupeville and Wind & Tide Bookshop and the CADA Office in Oak Harbor. For more information about CADA, click on www.cadacanhelp.org/.
