((Left) Melissa Woodman. Photo courtesy of Red Chair Gallery (Right) Blue Spruce baking dish by Patrick Woodman) When a new generation takes over a family-owned business, there is usually an orderly transition. In the case of Blue Spruce Pottery, the changeover was completely unexpected, due to the death of founder Michael Gwinup one year ago….
(Tyler Haas. Photo courtesy of Red Chair Gallery) Jewelry designer Tyler Haas loves creating unique jewelry with beautiful flowing lines —be it Art Nouveau swoops and spirals, swooshing arcs that resemble Asian calligraphy, or swirls that are inspired by the jewelry and armor of The Lord of the Rings movies. For example, a vibrant rainbow…
(Autumn Stillness, 36×48 watercolor on canvas by Linda Swindle) Watercolorist Linda Swindle loves to paint animals. “Animals have a universal appeal,” she says. “I like them because I can give them personality.” Animal portraits, unlike human portraits, do not have to look exactly like the subject, she points out. “I can make them sad, funny…
(Painting by Rebecca Baldwin) Rebecca Baldwin takes vacations in places that lend themselves to the landscape painting she is known for. This fall that was biking the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in Idaho, a 73-mile long paved trail (a former railroad route) that passes through forests and marshlands and skirts Lake Coeur d’Alene and…
(Encaustic by Janice Rhodes) How does an artist start the work day? Encaustic artist Janice Rhodes drives to her studio, a converted garage near the First Street Rapids Bridge on the Deschutes River. She turns on her slow cooker to heat the wax that is the principal medium for her art and then takes a…
(The Embrace by Mary Jo Weiss) “Combining metals is what I like to do,” explains jeweler Mary Jo Weiss. Pairing sterling silver with 14K, 18K or 22k gold, and sometimes niobium gives her jewelry a distinctive look. Once you see it, you recognize it as Mary Jo’s style. Her work is showcased at Red Chair…
(Photography by Sue Dougherty) As a veterinarian, Sue Dougherty has a special empathy for animals. As a wildlife photographer, she extends this sensitivity to the wild creatures she captures on camera. “I’m always trying to create intimacy and connection with the animals,” she says. Dougherty traveled extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic to places as diverse…
((L) Weaving by Stephanie Stanley (R) Spiritual Energy by Michelle Lindblom) Stephanie Stanley — Weaver When you see a photo or video of a weaver gracefully throwing the shuttle on a loom, it looks easy. What you don’t see is the hours of preparation required before the weaver even sits down to weave. Stephanie Stanley,…
(Pottery by Dori Kite) Random scenes of natural beauty inspire potter Dori Kite. A current series on ravens resulted from a walk in the woods where she witnessed a “conspiracy” of ravens (the proper collective noun for a group of ravens) engaging in an earsplitting argument. Their raucous behavior and the word “conspiracy” led her…
(Artwork by Joanie Callen) If you look closely at one of Joanie Callen’s mosaic creations, it is like a kaleidoscope. The undulating shape and shimmering surface first catch the eye and then you are drawn closer into the glowing colors and intricate patterns she creates with glass and beads. Each piece is the result of…
