Denis Hill

The work of award-winning photographer, M. Denis Hill, spans several decades & a wide variety of subjects.  

In the 90's, Denis took up panoramic photography & was one of the first to earn the Qualified Panorama Photographer (QPP) designation.

Since 1998, Denis has developed a body of work representing the unique nexus of land, sea, sky flora & history of Whidbey Island. "My favorite subjects are the landscapes & structures found within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve."

In recent years, he's worked with various encaustic painting techniques, utilizing pigmented beeswax. Regardless of the approach Denis uses, the color, texture & unique view of his photographs are breathtaking.

Judy Moore - So Much Fabric, So Little Time!

Judy thinks there's no better meditation than a few hours in the quilting 'studio'. "My closet of anxieties gets closed up, & I'm 'in the moment'--all the color & texture consume me". 

Judy learned traditional quilting when she was very young--from Mom, Grandma Hilda & many aunties. Sewing & tailoring actually paid college tuition expenses & helped her hone her skills.

It wasn't until the 90's, though, that Judy rediscovered quilting--as a personal expression & an emerging art form. "I can work alone, but also with others--learning from them in the process. In many ways I'm still a novice, but the challenge of adding other media & moving beyond two dimensions is exciting!" 

 
"Ink, paint, dye, metal, wood, other fibers & thread all offer great additions. I'm also starting to explore 'found objects'--re-use, re-purpose, re-think those discarded items."

Linnane Armstrong

"My artwork is consistently inspired by the natural beauty of my surroundings, particularly here at home on Whidbey Island.
I look for interesting shapes & patterns within the landscape & translate them into dramatic compositions in my scenic images. I try to capture intense light & dark values, as well as patterns that transition between them."--Linnane Armstrong

Linanne begins by making rough sketches at the location of the scene she plans to capture. She may also take some photos to refer back to in her studio as she works on her finished design.
In the studio she makes a detailed drawing--incorporating those elements of value & pattern--to be transferred on to the "block" in a mirror image. In that way, the print will be in it's original non-mirror orientation. "My medium requires me to think of everything in 'negative' as I plan my image."
Because of the variability in hand-printing, each print in an edition is truly unique.

Jim Short

   

Jim Short has always been interested in the potential beauty of abandoned wood. He's been a woodworker for many years, but in the late 90's he began exploring the possibilities in turned wood.

Essentially self-taught, Jim uses only local, island wood--often left behind--for turning. "Pieces of tree" he calls them. He frequently looks for the history of the wood he salvages--was it from a fruit tree in a farm yard? Maybe a great climbing tree shared by local kids? How old was this tree?

 From that viewpoint, each piece has it's own story to tell. Jim feels he's rescued his found pieces--at least temporarily--from hungry bugs, gravity, or the wood stove.

Mary Ellen O'Connor

"My love of nature & wildlife is the foundation of all the art I create." Mary Ellen starts with photographs she takes of gardens, frogs, birds & landscapes & then makes sketches.  She lets those sketches take her to the medium that best expresses her design.

Sometimes the concept will be used in a silver belt buckle. At other times a hand painted scarf will be the right material. Mary Ellen also views architectural etched glass as a wonderful medium for expressing the lines & patterns inspired by nature.
"Color & nature will always be the constant in my work."

Bev McQuary - Playing With Fire!

Bev's into lampwork glass beads & wirework jewelry.  Easy to say--not so easy to do!

Glass bead-making involves melting colorful Italian soda-lime glass rods around a mandrel with a propane/oxygen torch & then embellishing them.  The beads are kiln-annealed to remove stress in the glass. 

"The combination of color & techniques--while maintaining control of hot glass--is an exciting dance on an incredibly small palette that takes me out of myself & ito the moment" says Bev. Making the beads into wearable art is a completely different but exciting discipline.  "I use a variety of wireworking techniques to incorporate the glass beads into jewelry.  I work mostly with silver & ear-wires are always sterling silver.  I also use copper, brass, crystals, pearls, and found objects to create my 'baubles'."

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'11 artists' & our work.