Camano Arts Association Newsletter
   

August 2016
,

 Camano Arts Association (CAA) represents many talented artists from the vibrant arts community in Camano Island and Stanwood. We hope this newsletter will provide an interesting source of information about our artists and what they are doing and about art events in our area and beyond.
Enjoy exploring the art links in this newsletter and discovering a bit more about our wonderful community of artists.
Featured Artist
This month's featured artist is Rick Klauber.  Rick is a new member, and he is bringing an interesting new/old art to the CAA. New for CAA, and even for the West, but not so new to the world. A generic English term to describe this art is "Viewing Stones," a neutral term for an ancient art full of symbolism.

This is an art form (known as Gongshi, Suseok or Suiseki  if you are Chinese, Korean or Japanese) steeped in Asian traditions more than 1500 years old. Philosophical and religious views influenced the development of the art in the East, but Rick explains that the modern Western take on the art has veered away from the rigid categories and presentation standards of the Eastern art but retains philosophical elements such as a reverence for nature and desire to live in harmony with the natural world. The tradition of viewing stones in the West has only arisen over the past 80 years or so, Rick says, and mostly their introduction has been through major exhibitions at noted art museums in North America and Europe. 

Cat
Rick's journey into this art began in childhood with a fascination for rocks. His artistic sensibilities were honed via exposure to the Western masters while traveling with his parents through Europe, art history courses in college, and through travel in the far east.  During this time he also honed his craft of working with semi-precious stones. As a maker of jasper and agate jewelry, he enjoyed finding his own raw materials, and he discovered that certain stones "talked to him" without alteration.  A friend encouraged him to explore these feelings, and thus began his exploration of the art of Suiseki.  Rick found that his own aesthetic values resonated most strongly with this ancient, Asian art form.

"Eastern cultures have a stronger
ET
tradition of viewing raw nature as art" Rick says, but he has found a following here in the US." To fully appreciate viewing stones the viewer must also find an attachment to a stone that evokes a response of seeing beyond just the stone itself to a larger view of what is not seen but felt.  Shape is critical and probably attracts the viewer's attention first before the more subtle aspects come into focus."
4 Peaks 3 Valleys
 
A feeling of movement, balance and color are elements that Rick pays particular attention to.

Some stones are fascinating and enjoyable because of their objective representations. "Stones may have shapes of craggy mountains and at the same time indentations that can be interpreted as lakes, or quartz inclusions that look like waterfalls. I am drawn to stones that resemble an animal, a leaf, or a tree, but upon further study provide the viewer with a season or a weather condition."

Fire Mountain
But other stones are appreciated in an abstract or  non-objective way, more for the feelings they evoke in the viewer rather than for any object they may represent. "The communication between stone and viewer is a very personal response." And often, he says, "those stones that evoke the most different responses are considered the best just because they are so widely appreciated for so many reasons.  I am personally drawn to stones that combine not only shape with dramatic motion, but also a serenity that is found in nature ."

Bear Fishing
Where do these stones come from? These are not your average cobble stones and are not easy to find.  He finds that the Western US is a fertile ground, from mountains to deserts and even gravel pits. Desert stones, called ventifacts, have become a favorite of his due to the patina caused by natural forces of water, ice, wind, and sand. There is a desert glaze on many of these stones that make them look like they have been polished.


Picasso's Charles De Gaulle
Finding the stones is just the beginning. He then prepares these stones for viewing by carving a unique wooden base for each stone. He regards the base as a critical part of the presentation of the stone. Only one cut is made for presentation on some stones so that they will stand in a stable position, and the cut is never visible.

A number of Rick's pieces are included in the juried book Viewing Stones of North America, by Thomas Elias (editor and past Director of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington DC). Rick's Viewing Stones have appeared in numerous monthly publications of the Aiseki Kai Newsletter of Los Angeles, and in the magazine article  A rock with a view, (Rock and Gem Magazine, Mar 2014). He has participated in many juried shows, including 6 of the 7 Puget Sound Bonsai Association shows from 2014 to 2016 at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, where he has exhibited 85 different stones which appeared in their annual publications.

You can learn more about this art and see more of Rick's work at his  website.

He can be contacted at: rangerricz70@gmail.com.


ARTIST NEWS
Doris Platis has closed her Seagrass Gallery, which has been a major fixture and important supporter of local artists for many years, to move on to other artistic adventures.

Doris' plans include reconnecting with her roots as a potter. Her new art venture will feature gas-fired stoneware ceramics under the nom de guerre "The Potter's Wife."

She also will continue her support of local artists through trunk shows and individual art events from her Madrona Beach location. Interested artists can contact her at seagrassgallery@live.com.

Click  here to read about the help she gave to the new Sunnyshore Studio to get up and going this summer.

Molly LeMaste r is having a one woman show, through October, at Carillon Point, in Kirkland.

CLASSES
Collage Workshop with Molly LeMaster

Molly LeMaster will be teaching a collage workshop on August 27th. The focus will be collaging crab pictures. For more information, please email Molly at mdlemaster@wavecable.com
 
ACRYLIC WORKSHOP AT
SUNNYSHORE STUDIO



Jed Dorsey is leading a three day workshop in acrylic painting at Sunnyshore Studio on Camano Island, Thursday - Saturday, November 3-5.  This workshop is for all artists 18 years and older of any level. The morning hours are a combination of instruction and demonstration leaving the afternoon for hands on practice with feedback. You will gain essential tools to help you create well-designed, striking, colorful, and light-filled compositions.
 
The cost for the three day workshop will be $225.



This workshop has an 8 person minimum, 15 maximum capacity. Sign up soon for this opportunity to learn with a rising star in an incredible location on Camano Island.

Click here to sign up
SHOWS AND OPENINGS
Roaming Artists Show
Original Artwork Featuring More Than 20 Artists  

Saturday Sept. 3rd & Sunday Sept. 4th  
Labor Day Weekend


Featured Artist: Sue Uhrich


 
Raffle Painting: Rod Sylvester


Saturday 10am - 5pm     Sunday 10am - 5pm

Island County Multi-Purpose Center (Blue Building by CASA)

141 East Camano Dr     Camano Island, WA 
 
 Matzke 7th Annual Art Auction 
Auction for the Artists and the Gallery
October 1st, 5pm
(Preview art during September) 

Eighty five pieces of fine art (all mediums) 
will be auctioned 
    
Preview the artworks the whole month of September,
every weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) 11am - 5pm.
You can come view the artworks, and even leave a bid
or
call 360.387.2759 to view during the week.

The Live Auction Finale will be held
October 1st
$25 fee per person at the door
 
Auctioneer: Al Mangold 
MCs: Jack Gunter and Karla Matzke


Party and food starts at 4pm

Sandwiches, Hors d'Oeuvres,Yummy desserts,
Wine and a great time !

Auction starts promptly at 5pm
 

2345 Blanche Way, Camano Island
open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 to 5 and
weekdays by appointment  
 email: matzke@camano.net
  
 
Matzke Fine Art Introduces Newest
Artist in Residence

Brian Somers
 
 
Destiny Raku-fired clay, wood bamboo, leather 
by Brian Somers 
 
  
Table of Contents Links
Quick Links
CAA
Local Galleries
  
Further afield

MoNA 

Schack Art Center 

BAM 

SAM 

 




Camano Arts Association, Art Lives on Camano Island
http://www.camanoarts.org/