Each of our November artist brings a unique focus to fine art.
Kay Crawford, River Run
Kay Crawford hopes her pastel paintings make you pause, smile, be intrigued or simply rest for a moment. She’s inspired by Pacific Northwest landscape scenes.
Janet Ellis, Cobalt Bowl
Janet Ellis is fascinated when the color, shape and texture of cut glass pieces change dramatically in the fusing process. Her pieces develop through a fluid design process that emerges as she works.
Scott McRae, 12 Sara’s Apples
Scott McRae continues to explore the bold colors and textures of acrylic paints, and strives to bring out a ‘joyful person’ in his paintings. He uses bold brush strokes and incorporates abstract areas so the ‘mind can wander’.
Trudy Woods, Colander
Trudy Woods explores sgraffito and texture on hand-built porcelain in her pieces, spending more time than ever on each piece.
Join us for our monthly First Thursday celebration on November 6 at 5:30 pm.
Mark your calendar for our November 15 Holiday Opening as well!
See more of each artist’s work below by clicking their name.
Kay Crawford (pastels), Janet Ellis (fused glass), Scott McRae (paintings), Trudy Woods (pottery)
About Kay Crawford – pastels
Kay Crawford, Canoodle
Painting is an act of sharing what I find to be beautiful! If seeing my work causes you to pause, smile, be intrigued, inspired or simply rest for a moment… then the painting is a success.
What draws me to a subject is my gut reaction, whether a Wow or a peaceful Yes. Then I relish the intense, in the moment process of deciding what arrangement of shapes, lights and darks and color combinations will share that feeling with you.
Enjoying the immediacy of painting with pastels – the ability to put gorgeous color directly on the paper – I find them especially suited to painting landscapes that I photograph.
Living in the Pacific Northwest provides an unlimited selection of landscape eye candy. Whether painting outdoors or in my studio overlooking Mount St. Helens, I am drawn to the beauty of its landscapes and the play of color found there. ~ Kay Crawford.
See more of Kay’s artwork on her website at Kay Crawford, Fine Art
Kay Crawford, River Run
Kay Crawford, Shining Bright
About Janet Ellis – fused glass
Janet Ellis
Janet’s exploration in the world of fused glass art has been evolving for nearly 15 years, beginning as a hobby and developing into a passion.
From the beginning, she has been fascinated seeing the color, shape, and texture of cut glass pieces change dramatically in the fusing process. Also intriguing are the variables in kiln-firing glass: the type, thickness, dimensions, and color of the glass components all influence the appearance of the final product.
Janet began by creating functional art pieces (plates, dishes, bowls), later branching out to create jewelry. She frequently allows a very fluid design process to unfold, with the pieces evolving and emerging as she works. Playing with multiple glass layers of different shapes and sizes, overlapping pieces, and varied types, textures and colors of glass, often her designs have purposeful voids and asymmetrical components.
Working in her home studio, Janet is excited by her continuing journey of learning about this beautiful medium.
Visit Janet on Facebook at Ellis Fused Glass
Janet Ellis, Cobalt Bowl
Janet Ellis, Red Platter
Janet Ellis, White Snow Platter
Janet Ellis, Purple Jewelry Set
Janet Ellis, Black and White Swirl Bowl
Janet Ellis, Multi-Colored Jewelry Set
About Scott McRae – paintings
Painting to show the joy in people
Scott McRae
I am so excited when I see a bouquet of flowers, trees, fruits other subjects from nature. Yes, they are pretty by themselves, but it is their personality that captures my imagination. It is the joyful person in all of us that I want to bring out in the objects.
My technique is to use brush with strong color choices, bold brush strokes, and abstract areas for the mind to wander. I learned to use colors through the direct application of pastels, watercolor crayon, oil pastels, and acrylics.
I eventually moved to just using acrylics because I liked the bold color and texture of the paint. My work has developed from pure abstract to more realistic. The changes have come about because I could see more personality in the actual flower rather than a direct interpretation.
~ Scott McRae
Scott McRae, The Red Room Mums
Scott McRae, Sunflower Bouquet
Scott McRae, Pineapple Surprise
Scott McRae, Bosc Pear
Scott McRae, 12 Sara’s Apples
About Trudy Woods – pottery
Trudy Woods, Colander
I enjoy making pots that people like to use. The relationship between form and function is an interesting concept to me, perhaps because it is a recurring theme in the study of biology, the subject of my formal education. I have been creating pots on the potter’s wheel for over 35 years. My work has changed over the years, but for the past several years I have been working with carving motifs – either derived from African textiles or inspired by the river that I can see from my studio – and glazing them simply with a beautiful blue glaze that never ceases to amaze me with its complexity.
A couple of years ago I was suddenly struck with the desire to explore sgraffito – carving through applied colored slip to reveal the natural color of the clay beneath. The black, plum, and green pieces herein this show are the result of this line of inquiry.
Just a few weeks ago I decided to play with texture on hand-built porcelain, and a few pieces here are the very beginning of that journey. I have no idea where this will go!
Teaching is very energizing, even though it is time-consuming: through my students and colleagues, I have more ideas than ever, and less time for my own work, so each piece has become more important to me, and I cherish my time in the studio.
Now I spend a great deal more time on each piece, loving every minute of it. ~ Trudy Woods