Sarah McConnell - June - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Lakeside painter, Sarah McConnell during the month of June. A third-generation Montanan, Sarah McConnell has been an artist and teacher for over a decade. Her work is sold in many galleries throughout the United States. She is the author of One Big Beautiful Bead, which was published by Lark Books in 2007. She paints portraits and makes jewelry in Lakeside, Montana, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Sarah talks about her work, “I paint children because they're beautiful - their eyes are bright, their skin is fresh - you can't really go wrong with such a great subject. There's infinite variety and I never get bored or run out of subject matter. I paint in mixed media - watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage - whatever seems to suit the subject best. By necessity (children are not famous for being able to sit still for a long time) I paint from photo references. I take lots of pictures, outside if possible. I'm striving to make my current work more painterly - my natural tendency is to be super-realistic and keep working until you can hardly tell the painting isn't a photo. My goal is to capture not just the likeness, but the moment in time. If you could put a summer afternoon in a bottle and take it out on a dull midwinter day - that is how I would like you to feel with one of my paintings.”

Meet Sarah during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 from 6-9 PM. Sarah’s work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of June.

Spring 2010 Station 8

May 2010 Gallery Nights at Jest Gallery

The paintings of Montana artist Laura Miller and sculptures and paintings from Ryan Mitchell will be on display at Jest Gallery this Thursday. In addition to these featured artists there is also new work from artist Donna Gans. Please take a chance to stop by and say hello on Thursday!

List of artists featured at Crush for the first Gallery Night!!

Crush Wine Bar is gearing up for the first Whitefish Gallery Nights, this Thursday, May 6th! We are excited to announce that Glacier Park will be the theme for the first show in honor of the Centennial. The four featured artists/photographers featured in our gallery will be:

--GravityShots (www.gravityshots.com)

--Pete Thomas (www.petethomascreative.com)

--Craig Moore (www.glacierworld.com)

--Tammie Lee (www.spirithelpers.net)

Drink specials and a special food menu by John's Angels Catering will be offered during the art walk. For more information email crushwinebar@gmail.com, or call (406)730-1030

Spring Invite at The Walking Man Frame Shop & Gallery

The Walking Man Frame Shop & Gallery will be hosting a Spring Invite for the first Whitefish Gallery Nights of the season. Various artists will be on display, including Lisa Schaus, Maggie Logan, new works by Danny Kraus & a preview of our featured artist for August, Justin Anthony, from Missoula. For more information, call 406-863-ARTS & look to our facebook link for updates on future exhibits!

Kay Petal - Needle Felted Dolls - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Alaska artist Kay Petal during the month of May. Kay is a sculptural needle felt artist originally from Wasilla, Alaska. She was working out of her home studio, overlooking a scenic Alaskan lake, but her Felt Alive Studio is now on the road. She and her husband have left Alaska in their RV on an indefinite teaching tour.

With just a single barbed felting needle borrowed from industry; lofty, lustrous wool tangles into solid felt creations bound only by one's imagination. Wool is an amazing sculpture medium with endless possibilities. Kay's focus is on dolls. Her dolls are 100% needle felted wool batting made without using any patterns or a single sewing stitch; just thousand of pokes with her felting needle. Kay uses various colors of dyed wool almost like paint as she adds the details. They are quite flexible and have a very unusual lifelike quality to them that Kay contributes to the living qualities of the wool.

The first Whitefish Gallery Nights is Thursday, May 6th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Kay will be teaching needle felting classes at Camas Creek Yarns in Kalispell, May 14-16. Spaces are still available. For more information regarding classes, please contact Camas Creek Yarn.

Poppies/Lavonne Burgard

 

Station 8 presents Lavonne Burgard

Lavonne Burgard
Acrylic on Canvas

The arrival of Spring is celebrated through the work of Lavonne Burgard. Her use of color, and the freedom reflected in her brush strokes, gives the viewer the feeling of standing in front of an open window, surrounded by fresh air and bright skies.

Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Lavonne has called Montana home since 1975. Over the past 31 years, she has taught high school Art in Iowa, Arizona, South Dakota, Australia, and most recently in Kalispell.

Lavonne has left her teaching career behind, but, in so doing, has gained a new perspective which is reflected in her work. Retirement has opened her eyes to the expansiveness of life, and the limitless possibilities it holds. No longer bogged down by the details associated with her former responsibilities, her outlook is larger, and her sense of freedom expanded. A bright future is there for the taking, and Lavonne's large acrylics on canvas surely capture that attitude.

As both an artist and educator, Lavonne's work has been duly recognized. The Montana Arts Education Association selected Lavonne as recipient of the Montana Arts Educator of the Year in 2006. A one artist showing of her work, which included sixteen acrylic paintings of trees, took place at the Sage Spa. In addition, her work has been shown in the Hockaday Museum of the Arts for past and present membership, most recently as a participant in their minatures auction showing. Currently, her work is on display at the Montana Frameworks in downtown Kalispell and the Three Forks Grille in Columbia Falls.

Station 8 is very pleased to host Lavonne Burgard as their first artist, of their first season as participants in Whitefish Gallery Nights First Thursdays. Please join us for an evening of fun, laughter, and lightheartedness, May 6th from 6-9 PM.

Whitefish Goldsmiths

Whitefish Goldsmiths will be presenting artists Beatrice Arrow and William Hayes. Beatrice will be presenting her "Words" in colorful and inspirational watercolor. William has captured the unique and mysterious underwater world in photographic images. Beatrice will also be treating us with her gourmet raw food appetizer's. Come out and enjoy on this blustery October First Thursday's Gallery Nights.

Stephen Isley presents Rob Akey

Whitefish artist Rob Akey, will exhibit new and recent works at Stephen Isley Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery beginning Thursday, October 1st during the Whitefish Gallery Nights 6PM - 9PM. Akey will be showing plein air work from the Mission and Flathead Valleys and previewing work from a new series focusing on Native American subjects.

Akey teaches painting at Flathead Valley Community College, was voted the Flathead's Favorite Artist for 2008 and is a 2009 recipient of the Artist-Wilderness-Connection residency in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

October - Ruth Lane - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Kalispell fiber artist Ruth Lane during the month of October. When Ruth discovered felting, she finally found the creative outlet for which she had been searching. As a self taught fiber artist, the versatility of fiber allows Ruth to “play” with a wide variety of materials including wool, silk, fabrics, yarns and threads. Creating one of a kind fiber art pieces to share with the world fulfills her creative passion.

One technique that Ruth especially enjoys is the ancient technique of felt making. Traditionally to make felt, raw or dyed wool was dampened with soapy water and agitated (usually by stomping or rolling) to “felt” the wool. She uses this traditional method of wet felting as well as dry felting with needles, either by hand or machine. Ruth then embellishes the felt with free motion machine embroidery, hand stitching and other techniques to develop a unique design.

As Ruth continues her journey into fiber art, she is learning to look at the world more clearly and closely. She is inspired by the beauty of the natural world, be it an “ordinary” piece of grass, a tiny bit of lichen or the gorgeous Montana landscapes. When you look at her work, Ruth wants you to be drawn into the layers and details of the rich, textural surface and to “feel” the joy of its creation.

Meet Ruth during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, October 1st, 2009 from 6-9 PM. Ruth’s work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of October.

Flowers, Faces and Family Friends

Whitefish Goldsmiths is featuring Flowers, Faces and Friends by artist Jane Kleinschmidt. Jane's latest art project is the Northwest Montana Humane Society calender for 2010. Jane drew from many pets residing at the Humane Society. Camera for reference photos in hand, Jane spent time in the rooms where the pets lived. One day in the cat room, she had several loving cats giving all their attention to her. She would have loved to take them all home they were so sweet. Jane's cat Jose is a lifelong companion adopted from the Humane Society. Jane rendered the pets in pastel on sanded paper, a wonderful medium for capturing the expressions of the animals. Pastel and oil paintings of people, wildlife and flowers inspired by summer high country hikes are hanging for this evening of art wine and tasty appetizers. If you are not able to attend September 3rd's Gallery Night, Jane's artwork will be on display throughout the month.

September - John Rose - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Columbia Falls metal artist John Rose during the month of September. John has been working with various types of metal since his teens and has many years experience as a fabricator/welder. Throughout his years of employment, he was always creating designs from scrap metal and selling those pieces as a hobby. When unable to find a job after moving to the area in 2001, John started making and selling his artwork at area farmers markets as well as doing custom orders.

John enjoys the outdoors, drawing inspiration from his surroundings to create wildlife in whimsical and traditional designs in heated copper. He starts with mostly reclaimed material, creating a variety of unique handcrafted designs that include jewelry, ornaments, garden art and wall art. By cutting the copper sheet, hammering by hand for texture and shape then heating each piece to various temperatures, his technique achieves unique colors that are individual to only that piece. John enjoys working with his hands and looks forward to each day in his workshop.

Meet John during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 from 6-9 PM. John’s work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of September.

The Purple Pomegranate, located in downtown Whitefish, features handcrafted artware from artists across the United States. Representing more than 150 American artists, the store’s eclectic offerings include jewelry, ceramics, musical instruments, turned wood, glass art, fiber art, prints and paintings. Look for us on the web at www.purplepomegranate.com .

Stephen Isley Jewelry

Stephen Isley Jewelry will feature the work of Philip Pontillo at the Whitefish Gallery Nights open house on Thursday, August 6 from 6PM to 9PM. Philip combines art and function in his woodworking to create pieces from the traditional Arts & Crafts to the very modern and contemporary. He believes that every piece should be designed around the wood itself to highlight its natural color, grain and patterns. He uses a wide variety of exotic hardwoods that range in natural color from vivid yellow to bright purple, as well as domestic hardwoods such as cherry, maple, oak and black walnut.

All pieces are finished with hand rubbed oil and wax to bring out the beauty of the wood. His work includes jewelry boxes, fly boxes, and home furnishings

August - Sherry Wells - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Kalispell potter Sherry Wells during the month of August. Sherry’s studio, Free Flight Studio, is located at the base of the Rocky Mountains close to Glacier National Park. She has been working with clay for over 30 years and has a degree in art education. Sherry has taught classes to all ages. Her goal is for folks to transform their kitchens and household items used in day to day life into works of art. They then can take a moment out of their day to stop, interact, touch, enjoy, and appreciate a piece of art made by someones hands. They can stop to appreciate art at unexpected moments throughout the day to hopefully enhance and improve their day and possibly even their outlook.

Sherry’s pieces are individually thrown on a potter's wheel and/or hand built using white stoneware or porcelain. Most are a combination of wheel thrown work that has then been altered. Nothing is wasted, all clay is recycled, what does not get fired becomes another piece. The pieces not meeting selling standards can be found as garden art, mosaics & stepping stones around her studio grounds. All work is fired to 2400 degrees F and is oven, dishwasher & microwave safe, except Raku which is intended for decorative purposes only. The work on display will be from Sherry’s two most recent wood firings.

Meet Sherry during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, August 6, 2009 from 6-9 PM. Sherry’s work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of August.