Aleah Chapin and mom, Deborah Koff Chapin, at 2010 Show at Brackenwood

Many will know Aleah personally and some may remember the work we have had in the gallery by Ms. Chapin. She is a very gifted and creative artist. Ms. Chapin grew up on Whidbey Island and was nurtured from birth by a group of women she calls Aunties. Aleah took photos last summer and used them to create a body of work that can be seen on her website known as Aunties. Aleah has been away from Whidbey for several years studying art in Germany, the Netherlands and most recently in New York working on her MFA at the New York Academy of Art. Aleah submitted ‘Auntie’, a nude portrait, to the BP Portrait Award competition. “Her body is a map of her journey through life.” Aleah says, “In her, I see the personification of strength through an unguarded and accepting presence.” Obviously others see the power of this painting as well. ‘Auntie’ Gail, the subject of Aleah’s painting, is accompanying Aleah to London, a very brave woman indeed!

Auntie, Oil, Aleah Chapin

Brackenwood had the pleasure of hosting Aleah Chapin as one of the artists in a show entitled ‘A New Generation’ of Whidbey artists in 2011. Recently we exhibited and sold her self-portrait called “Introspection”. We salute Aleah, a very powerful and talented young artist, and wish her great success. We hope she receives the 1^st place BP Portrait prize. An update will follow once the prizes are announced. Follow Aleah Chapin on her website at: http://www.aleahchapin.com

For more information about this award, see: http://www.npg.org.uk

It is such a pleasure to have the opportunity to contemplate and think about the art as well as the environmental importance of trees. We are honored and excited to have Kent Lovelace join our gallery for this show and think Skip had a really good idea when he asked Kent to join him in this endeavor! Come on down and enjoy this lovely show!

Janie is known for her birds and her use of gorgeous acrylic color and often includes gold granulation. These paintings have the most amazing backgrounds and patterns infused with vintage designs.

Morning Room, acylic on wood panel by Janie Cribbs

Sara Saltee is back with her delightful and thoughtful assemblage pieces. She collects the most amazing tiny treasures and painstakingly puts them together into assemblages that make you stop, stare and really look closely. Each time you peer into these tiny worlds you are rewarded with a new little seed of wisdom or a smile because you can’t believe what she has done with a teeny tiny chicken!

Detail from Home is Where the Mind Is, assemblage by Sara Saltee

Be sure to see this unique and lovely treat for the eyes and mind. Come to the opening on April 7 from 5-7 and meet the artists or stop by before April 30.

If you love paintings we have some lovely offerings from some of our best painters.

Sunset #1, oil, Pete Jordan

You will enjoy seeing Joanie Govedare’s new glowing pots in her characteristic incised and painted pottery. The photographic art from Kim Tinuviel and Rich Frishman will transport you to the beauty of the natural world when the sun shines!

Death Valley Dawn, Photography, Rich Frishman

Come enjoy some sunshine and join us for the Artists’ Reception from 5-7 PM.

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!