This image might look somewhat familiar, but initially you may not be sure exactly what it is. Upon closer examination it begins to dawn on you that it’s a poppy but rarely have any of us taken the time to look so close. This photo is a poppy emerging from its casing and the colors and details Earl has captured here are remarkable! Silly Poppy!

Hope you can join us for the opening reception on Feb. 4th from 5-7 PM for Earl Olsen’s show of new work at Brackenwood Gallery. The show continues thru Feb. 27th.

]]> http://brackenwoodgallery.com/2012/01/25/earl-olsen-photography-show/feed/ 0 http://brackenwoodgallery.com/2012/01/05/lee-wexler-a-retrospective-of-his-art/ http://brackenwoodgallery.com/2012/01/05/lee-wexler-a-retrospective-of-his-art/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:11:19 +0000 rene http://brackenwoodgallery.com/?p=2747 It is not often you get to know someone after they are gone. Anne and I have just had this experience. A few months ago we contacted Fara Wexler and asked her if we could host a Retrospective of the work of her late husband, Lee Wexler. She agreed wholeheartedly and the journey began.

We went to visit Fara, who we also did not know, at her home overlooking the ferry on Whidbey. The first thing that struck me was how gracious Fara was and then how much in love she was with her husband. They were lovers up to the end and you could feel it palpably when you entered the house. We began to tour the different rooms where the art we would be exhibiting was hanging. Each piece had a story behind it and as we went along Fara would fill us in on each one.
It turns out Lee was painting images of the Northwest before he ever laid eyes on this place! He loved the sea so there were many images of the water with tide pools or sun shining across the water and mountains in the distance. These were amazing to see in the context of their home because you could tell immediately where his inspiration he was channeling came from just looking out the window.

But beyond landscapes you could tell people were really important to this man. Not just any people but people who had interesting stories to tell. People waiting at bus stops…each person has a totally different look and demeaner and you begin to wonder… where are they going, or why does the lady on the bench look so tired? People who survived the Holocaust who don’t look sad and defeated and you begin to wonder… how do people who went thru such atrocities still find happiness? A stunning portrait of a beautiful woman “Behind the Bamboo Curtain” and you start to wonder… what happened to her? Is she in a concentration camp or just standing behind a bamboo door?

As you can tell, our tour was profound, not only because we came away in awe of Lee Wexler the artist but also because we were privy to an intimacy few ever experience between a lovely woman and her beloved husband. These two people were lovers, colleagues and artists that loved life and each other. What a gift it was to get to know them. We are honored and privileged to host this special exhibit.

I hope you also can come get to know them at the Artist Reception which opens Lee Wexler’s show on January 7 from 5-7PM. Fara will be here along with her son Mark. It promises to be an extraordinary event!

We hope that viewers will think about this question and come up with their own answers. You might even want to share them with us! As the world gets smaller and smaller and we all have more varied experiences, the question takes on new significance. These artists wrestled with the question by meeting regularly to share ideas and worked hard at creating what they think is art throughout the year. In the end, they are asking you the viewers, what do you think is art?  Hope you can come and join in the conversation.

The exhibit continues through October. 31, 2011

Anne Belov has been painting for 35 years. Her skill and expertise with various mediums really are on display in this show. This piece for instance called, “Crossing the Line” took many long hours just to draw out the patterns on the fabric, not to mention the hours of painstakingly painting the lines, making sure they show depth and then reflect off the vase. The roses are lush and the birds eye view of them on the background of swirling fabric that actually looks shiny, is spectacular!

Cheryl Kamera’s textile art stands on it’s own in this show. Her woolen shawls and incredible silks flow and glide around one’s shoulders making you feel like a work of art yourself when you don one of her pieces. Cheryl, who is a chemist by trade, has fashioned these one of a kind art pieces starting from pure white silk or wool then dying them and over dying them sometimes many times to obtain the depth of color and design she has in mind.

One of my favorite pieces is this magnificent silk and felted wool piece. Cheryl described how she made this piece: she started with dying the silk and dying cut velvet, then laying fleece over and under the silk and velvet in patterns. Next she rolls the piece gently up on a large plastic pipe and begins the arduous task of rolling and rolling for hours with hot water and sudsy soap to achieve this unique felted design. It is truly gorgeous!

Hope you can come to this show, it is stunning! We are so lucky to have the caliber of artists here on Whidbey that show at Brackenwood Gallery. It’s an honor to represent them and show their exquisite work!

For instance, this amazing piece of Sharon’s. At first as you move close you think it is another one of Sharon’s paper creations, but then you realize it is bronze! You find yourself moving even closer to look over the top into the opening and voila! a gorgeous golden egg is revealed. This piece entitled, “The Offering” is a bronze burn out and was indeed originally made out of a paper substance with woven sticks and a fabric wrap. But now, it is bronze.

Skip Smith’s work is also filled with wonder. For instance, you wonder what in the world he took a picture of to get the image that appears on the paper. You would swear it was a painting, not a photograph. Skip is an expert at Lith photography, a process of development that takes great care and precision, which his work aptly demonstrates.

Hope you can make it to the Artists’ Reception on Aug. 6 from 5-7, but if not come have a quiet and elegant stroll between now and Aug. 29th.

People wait all year for the next Pete Jordan show. Now is your chance to purchase a Pete Jordan for your collection! The artist’s reception is July 2, from 5-7 PM. Come on in and take a peek at some of the most astounding paintings of Whidbey Island you will see anywhere!

This has been an incredibly beautiful show with gorgeous paintings and sculptures. Susan Ogilvie is a very accomplished Oil Pastel artist and she teaches her medium across the country.

Sue’s ingenuity has produced spectacular sculptures perfect for the garden, patio or deck with the added bonus of interaction.

So come on in and take peak at great art at Brackenwood Gallery!

Coming in July… PETE JORDAN.

Susan’s pastel paintings capture lovely scenes from the Skagit valley, Whidbey Island and the Olympic Peninsula.  As we hung the show we kept remarking that if felt like we had been to those places.

This painting is called “Valley Morning” could be the stunning beauty of  farmland in central Whidbey or the Skagit Valley. As a pastel instructor across the nation, Susan’s talent in her medium is well known. Her work is exceptional and we have already received “Oohs and Ahaas” galore! Susan will join us from Port Ludlow for the opening night of the “Imagine Summer!”

For this show, Sue Taves was inspired by the idea of wind and the force it has on the landscape. She wanted to create sculptures with parts that can be manipulated by the human hand. Carving out of a variety of stone, Sue created several different sculptures that you can play with and move into all kinds of formations. The sculptures look great in the garden where they become unique interactive garden art.

This piece, carved in black basalt, is called “Windscape” and would be fun to place on a patio or deck outside because when it rains it turns all black. Then as the sun comes out or the wind blows it dries again the patterns reemerge. Like the wind, it is constantly changing!

These two artists’ work are a delight to have in the gallery. Come on in and take a peek! The show continues thru June 27, 2011.

As part of this event, Brackenwood is honored to host Trunk Shows with our local and esteemed textile designers Cheryl Kamera and Carys Ann Hamer as well as our jewelry designer Judy Morgan. Be sure to get to 1st Street by 12:30 to catch the FLASH and the free stellar Fashion Show at the Clyde directly following.

If you live on the island, going to the mall costs a bundle: $14 for the ferry, gas and the hassle of finding parking and traffic coming and going. Shopping locally in Langley is much cheaper and way more fun! Working on this event I have had a chance to learn the efforts that the shop keepers go to in order to keep their costs competitive with stores on the mainland. Most Langley merchants really work on trying to appeal to locals with down to earth styles and prices we can afford.

The town is ready to put on a GREAT FASHION EXPERIENCE for you this weekend so come into Langley and have some FUN!

Dear Carys, I wore your beautiful scarf many many times in India and didn’t see anything nearly as beautiful while there – had no need to even look. It is so lovely and feels so good. It has been washed and is waiting for its debut in Seattle. Love, Patti

Here is Patti in her one-of-a-kind Carys Ann scarf. Come in and see our collection of Textile Art at Brackenwood. Both Carys Ann and Cheryl Kamera have a great assortment to choose from for all your special occasions coming up this spring and summer or for that special trip you are taking. Thank you Patti for sharing!