Your guide to life on
Mercer Island, WA
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group
April’s First Friday Art Walk will be featuring two special events. Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts is having an opening reception for their newest exhibit, “A Feminine Touch: Innovative Visions,” and SZ Gallery will be hosting their two-year anniversary celebration, along with premiering three new artists at the gallery.
The First Friday Art Walk will take place at their respective locations in the Mercer Island Town Center on April 6 from 5 – 8 pm.
Four female artists will be featured this April at Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts, starting with an opening reception night during the First Friday Art Walk. The four artists include three painters, Valaree Cox, Karen Dedrickson, and Sharon Carr, and one floral designer, Jessika Mazure of House of Posie on Mercer Island.
Clarke & Clarke is celebrating the arrival of Spring with fresh new art. Jessika described one of her compositions as “Life imitating Art,” as her arrangement mirrored a vintage floral painting.
About the Artists
In these blossoming artists’ dialogues, we see that their vocabularies consist largely of these descriptive adjectives: determined, courageous, innovative, intuitive, chaotic, joyful, resilient, synergistic, synthesis, curiosity, and passion.
These women are kindred spirits to one another, yet visibly and dramatically unique in their approach and bodies of work.
Valaree Cox will show a new group of Encaustics based on antique Chinese and Japanese calligraphy papers. “The Way of Tea” is a collection that is all about process and materials informing one another. Valaree has become one of our most collected artists, providing fresh and diverse works.
Karen Dedrickson brings to us a contemporary Sumi-e collection inspired by the ancient Chinese and Japanese art form of Black Ink on Paper. The series is titled “Soul of Soil,” as Karen’s interpretation challenges the expectation of sumi-e in tricking the ink to make it move in unexpected ways. She feels that she has merely scratched the surface of possibilities. This is a premiere showing of this work.
Sharon Carr of Sharon Carr Studio has been painting for 25 years. We are presenting “Crazy in Love with Color,” which stems from Sharon’s connection and passion for color. It is color that keeps her engaged in painting. Sharon uses a palette knife to get big textural chunks of vivid tones onto a canvas with the imperative that her work is to be attentive to beauty. She embraces chaos in the process.
To add a final feminine touch to the art presentation, Jessika Mazure of House of Posie on Mercer Island will create a living sculpture offloral components to complement the three painters’ works. This brings a multisensory and tactile element to the show. Those in pursuit of outstanding, radiant, and one-of-a-kind arrangements or installations should seek Jessika’s creations.
This show will definitely connect to all five senses and is a true breath of Spring.
Learn more about Clarke & Clarke on their website >>
For the April First Friday Art Walk, SZ Gallery is celebrating their Cotton (two-year) Anniversary with a party and the opening reception for three new artists: Laura Castellanos, Juan Carlos Castellanos, and Robert Wood. For their anniversary party, they will be featuring specialty cotton candy-themed cocktails and small bites. They invite everyone to join their team as they celebrate two years at their location on Mercer Island.
About the Artists
The pieces by Cuban-American artists Laura Castellanos and Juan Carlos Castellanos are part of their first visual collaboration, previously featured at Gary Henderson Interiors in Seattle. Their art is a conversation between the two, inspired by their deep knowledge of art history with references to other art pieces.
Robert Wood is an artist from Lopez Island. He has been creating Mixed Media artwork for over 20 years. His exhibit at SZ Gallery will feature a whimsical narrative revealing the story of travelling gnomes called “Left Luggage of Gnome Island,” influenced by life on Lopez Island.
Read more about the artists on the SZ Gallery website >>
The First Friday Art Walk is on the first Friday of every month from 5 – 8 pm. This free art walk features local art and free refreshments.
Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts is located at 7605 SE 27th Street, Suite 105.
SZ Gallery is located at 2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 160.
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group