Paintings, jewelry, ceramics … you’ll find it on the trail
The North Country Artist Trails includes a dozen galleries and artists’ studios spread across northeastern Washington and southern British Columbia.
“Visiting the trail is an art lover’s idea of a perfect day,” says organizer Gloria de los Santos of Kettle Falls, Wash.
The free, summer-long, self-paced tour also features places to grab a bite to eat, specialty shops and lodging.
Art travelers can see original paintings, drawings, wearable art, American Indian bead work, sculpture, photography, woodworking, jewelry and ceramics.
One artist showing work at the Shop the Frontier outlet in Republic, Wash., is impressionistic painter Gregg Caudell.
“I’ve always worked outdoors,” says the horse logger and former iron worker. “When I took up my easel again it was only natural for me to paint outdoors.”
Caudell spends most of his days in the Sanpoil River valley, painting in the shadow of Chillimoss (Cold Mountain) on the Colville Reservation.
“I’ve discovered that my affinity for color and pushing paint around has developed into a distinct technique that uses something of the effect of Seurat’s ‘pointillist’ practice of placing pure colors in proximity to each other to create a third color,” he says.
A cluster of large willow trees seen from his back porch is a common subject of Caudell’s.
“Right now I’m doing a series of plein air paintings from the same location in different seasons,” he says. “It is my interpretation of Claude Monet’s ‘Haystacks’ series.”
The Monet series of 25 canvases is famous for its use of repetition to illustrate differences in perception of light across various times of day, seasons and types of weather.
“I live in a spectacular place,” says Caudell. “There are paintings everywhere I look.”
Caudell documents his journey as an artist on his blog page: www.pleinairartist.blogspot.com.
Shop the Frontier is located in the Stone Soup office, 600 S. Clark Ave. in Republic.
The store features a myriad of items by local artisans from three counties. Call (509) 775-3217 or visit the virtual store online at www.shopthefrontier.org.
‘Artist Trails’ demos
“This being the third year of the tour,” says de los Santos, “we decided to have scheduled times when the artists can show how they make art.”
Artist demonstrations are set for the last weekends in June, July and August. This weekend’s demonstrations include:
•On Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Dana Canning will weave on several types of lap looms at WiseCrafter Studio, 4003 Cedar St., in Loon Lake, Wash. The studio is home to the Lost Arts Guild, which includes drum makers, potters and weavers. Call (509) 258-4665 for more information and directions.
•Tour organizer de los Santos plans to illustrate how she does encaustic painting on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Studio Five, 3181 Pierre Lake Road in Kettle Falls. Call (509) 684-3002 for directions.
•There are two free wheel-throwing demonstrations lined up on Saturday. The first is just down the way from Studio Five at Crutchfield Pottery, 2992 Orient Cutoff Road, at the junction of Pierre Lake Road. From 1 to 3 p.m., Barry and Terri Crutchfield will wheel-throw pots. They offer saggar-fired utilitarian jars and platters, raku pots and ceramic garden art. Call (509) 684-6510.
•The second wheel-throwing display is from 1 to 4 p.m. at Shoshana’s Handthrown Pottery, 610 South Ave. in Northport, Wash. Call (509) 732-8863 for details. Also look for River Jones’ colorful gourds.
New to the trail this year is the Grand Forks Art Gallery in Grand Forks, B.C. For information on changing exhibits go to www.galleries.bc.ca/grandforks.
Other artists on the trail are Charlene Payton-Holt at the Eagle Ridge Studio in Republic, Wash.; the Greenwood Institute d’Arts and painter Caroline Locher-Stein’s studio in Chewelah, Wash.; River’s Edge Art Studio in Curlew, Wash.; and the Kettle Falls Historical Center and G. L. Belcher Fine Arts in Kettle Falls, Wash.
A brochure including a map, directions and studio hours is available at many area chambers of commerce or online at www.northcountryartisttrails.com.
‘Speaking Figuratively’
Spokane Falls Community College faculty member Cyndy Wilson opens a new show today in the SFCC Art Gallery.
“Speaking Figuratively” features charcoal drawings of the female figure. Wilson is combining her interest in archetypal representations of the female form with a strong intuitive approach.
“So much is contained in the female figure,” she says in the show’s brochure. “In this exhibit my intention is to capture the truth of some of these expressions, and I hope that my imagery shows the strength and beauty of women.”
An opening reception is today from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery, Building 6 on the college campus, 3410 Fort George Wright Drive.
View the work in the free gallery through July 26, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Spokane Valley art
Spokane Valley artists are showing original art in a summer exhibit at the Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave.
Artists with work on view include Nan Drye, Trish Elser, Erin Griffin, Don Hiatt, Janet Ivie, Benita Papadakes, Anna Rector, Sue Rohrback, Anne Sherrodd, Kathy Williams and Rada Zukia-Ehmke.
The show is up through Sept. 10 and can be seen Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Call (509) 893-8400 for information.