Osebold dolls stunning

The exquisitely crafted Japanese paper dolls and folded origami objects of Patti Reiko Osebold are on view at On Sacred Grounds Art Gallery in Valleyford.

“Japanese Crafts” is up through April 9.

Paper dolls in Japanese culture date back more than a dozen centuries, according to Osebold.

“The dolls I made are based on a 15th-century technique,” she says. “I’ve incorporated my own methods to traditional patterns and added origami to each piece.”

Osebold sculpts the body of each doll using special clay imported from Japan. She then uses high-quality handmade paper for the clothing. Each piece takes about three weeks to complete.

The Spokane artist has been taking classes and making origami for almost 30 years. About 12 years ago she began making sculptured dolls. Her origami figures include animals, insects and flowers.

“Paper is a versatile medium,” she says.

An opening reception is March 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. During that time Osebold will be teaching origami classes between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. A $4 fee includes instruction, materials and a free drink.

Due to space limitations, reservations for the one-hour workshops are required, says gallery owner Elaine Rising.

To register, or for additional information, call Rising at (509) 747-6294.

Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

On Sacred Grounds Art and Book Gallery is at 12212 E. Palouse Highway (corner of Palouse and Madison) across from the Valleyford Community Church.

‘eye4art’ take 2

Returning for its second year is “eye4art,” an art show and sale that benefits the students, teachers and staff of the Mead School District.

“A lot of people turned out for last year’s event, so we’re doing it again,” says artist Harold Balazs, longtime Mead schools booster.

The event takes place Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. in the Commons at Mt. Spokane High School, 6015 E. Mount Spokane Park Drive.

In addition to items by Balazs, there will be more than 200 objects from a number of regional artists including painter Gordon Wilson and photographer Gay Waldman.

Artists are donating 25 percent of their sales to the Mead Education Foundation. The nonprofit foundation provides grants money for innovative classroom programs and has helped with band, shop and art supply fees and medical costs.

“Last year’s art show went beyond our expectations,” says foundation president Mark Burns. “We hope people will turn out again this year.”

Tickets, available at the door, are $10 per person (children 12 and under admitted free) or $25 per family, with all proceeds going to the Mead Education Foundation. Call (509) 465-6032 with questions.

Attendees will munch on light refreshments and listen to live music while scanning the artwork.

Watercolor shows

“Spokane painter Mary W. Dewey is showing her watercolors at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church from Tuesday through March 28.

The 40 watercolors include paintings created during travels around the world. A number of the “en plein air” paintings “were done in tours along the Loire in France,” writes Dewey in a news release.

Meet Dewey at an opening reception on Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the church, 5720 S. Perry St.

“The North Spokane Library is displaying a Spokane Watercolor Society Exhibit through March.

Local artists include Patricia Elser, Shirley Erlandsen, Emma Randolph and Sue Rohrback.

The library, 44 E. Hawthorne Road (near Division), is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Othello salutes cranes

“The whole town is devoted to our dear friends the sandhill cranes and we are no exception,” says Sally Lambert, director of the Old Hotel Art Gallery in Othello, Wash.

During March the gallery is spotlighting the naturalist paintings of wildlife artist Todd Telander from Walla Walla.

“His work is highly detailed and absolutely gorgeous,” says Lambert. “He spends hours researching, sketching and observing nature and its obvious in the quality of his paintings.”

For more information on Telander go to www.toddtelander.com.

Along with Telander’s renderings are the crafts of Mavis Muller from Homer, Alaska.

Mueller is a self-proclaimed “craniac” and her work tells the story of the American Sandhill cranes’ migration south in the fall and return to Alaska each spring.

Proceeds from the sale of Muller’s wall hangings and handcrafted books will benefit the Cranehaven Project in Alaska.

The gallery, 33 E. Larch St., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It will have extended hours during the Sandhill Crane Festival. The gallery will be open until 6:30 p.m. on March 24 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 25.

Call the gallery at (509) 488-5936 with questions.