Friday, 28 November 2014
As planned, we left the house at about 10:30 AM for the Peninsula Arts Association Studio Tour.
We knew we would not be able to see all 17 of the venues, so we skipped the shops in Long Beach and a few places where we had been before. (The event continued Saturday for those who could devote two days to fitting in every single stop; we had other plans for Saturday.)
Marsh Pottery
I was curious to see a pottery studio in the Sahalee neighbourhood on the hill west of Ilwaco.
Hobbit Shop
We tried to go to Karen Brownlee’s studio next but shot by her driveway, went into the next driveway thinking it was hers, and decided to keep on going north and catch her on the way home. (All day became suspenseful; would we get back to Karen’s on time?)
We swung back over to Pacific Avenue (the ocean side) and into a mysterious driveway. This is what I had been hoping for: to visit places down secret little roads.
I asked Annie if Jim recycled wooden pallets, since I had seen the old pallets leaned up against the side of the shop. She showed me a pallet table (for only $40!)…
And she told me that the chairs we had noticed outside were made of pallets…
Annie took us out the side door and showed us the fence that Jim is building out of deconstructed pallets.
I fell in love with a birdhouse; Jim said it was not one he had made. He had gotten it up in Tokeland at a craft fair for $20. Make me an offer, he said, and I acquired the charming birdhouse for $20!
Getting to see this hidden-away woodshop was one of the highlights of the tour for me.
Carol Couch Watercolors
Kathleen had told us we must be sure to visit Carol’s studio and home. Oh my, she was so right!
The house that stood here before was a manufactured home. One stormy day three trees fell on it. Rather than replace it with another manufactured, Carol decided to design a house that would be a place to grow old in, with wheelchair width doors and all on one level. It is gorgeous.
Carol introduced us to her friend and chef, Eddie, who had done much of the design work on the house and who was cooking up delectable empinadas.
Note, bottom right below, the Depot Tavern. That was the previous incarnation of The Depot Restaurant, now our favourite place to dine and one of our gardening spots.
Naquaiya’s Studio
On a quiet side street in Ocean Park, we found the cutest little house. If we’d ever been up that street before, I would have noticed it.
Next door is a barn housing the art of several artists, including owner Michele Naquaiya.
As we left, I noticed the mosaic shutters on the house.
The next day, Kathleen told me that she got a tour of the house later that day. I was jealous! She told me that artist Michele had done much of the building and had learned a lot about power tools in the process. The house was only recently completed. Michele had told me that all the wood trim was hand cut and she made all the mosaics.
intermission
We saw some cute little Ocean Park cottages on our way to the next studio.
Bette Lu’s Holiday Studio
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one; would it be just Christmas decorations?
I was pleased to discover a tiny studio full of excellent art. Artist Bette Lu Krause said she just calls it the holiday studio because of the time of year that she opens for this event; most of the time, she sells through local galleries.
Her art is evocative of nature, fog, trees, and the sea.
On an impulse, even though I was concerned about time left before 4 PM, we decided to make the rather long drive up to north Surfside to a studio we’d visited on a previous tour.
Don Perry Metal Art
Don’s studio is in a garage up a steep driveway.
We both tried to get photos when his metal tool was actually shooting blue sparks. It occurred to me later that neither of us are at all assertive in getting people to pose for photos. In one sense, this means you can count on the blog photos being true to life; nevertheless, it would have been so easy to ask him to just shoot off some sparks for a great photo.
I decided I could not live without that starry sphere. It was a long day’s wages in price. I learned years ago from the book Your Money or Your Life how to value things I want to buy. You deduct your overhead expenses from your hourly wage, figure out how many hours you would have to work for said thing, and then decide if it was worth it. The starry sphere was most definitely worth a day of my time.
He warned us it is assembled under tension so never undo it. I promised we would not dissect the garden art.
intermission
Surfside is a windswept neighbourhood on a base of sand.
In Ocean Park, we made a quick drive to the beach approach restrooms. Across the street, I noticed the unusual sight of the very popular Full Circle Café without cars and trucks parked all along the front.
Bay Avenue Gallery
We next visited the Bay Avenue Gallery especially to see the latest creations by our friend Joe Chasse.
Lisa, who runs the edible garden tour and often volunteers at Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, was cashiering for the event.
All of Joe’s recent “canned ham trailer” pieces from his Dangerous Toys collection had been sold. They HOP off the shelves. You can see some photos at his blog, here. Other interesting pieces remained:
We also found a display of the little pottery houses by Jan Richardson. We miss seeing her around since she has moved away from the Peninsula. You can see her former Peninsula home and garden here.
A display of Karen Brownlee’s pottery reminded me we must hurry as I did want to see her studio.
Lisa told us we must go next door to the workshop as more art was on display there.
I was smitten with a flattish piece with a poppy seedpod design. It turned out to be a second, a platter that the artist thought had failed, and the price was therefore low.
Beach Home Old and New
We reluctantly, because of time running short, skipped the Weir Gallery as we think it is open more often than the “occasional shop”, Beach Home Old and New.
The large space abounds in all sorts of just the kind of thing I like.
Of course, we had to stop at the Wiegardt Gallery to have a staycation look at the garden (no weeding allowed!) and to say hello to Eric.
A young art patron reached out to touch a photo and his mother, as would any good mother, admonished him not to touch.
Eric, a renowned art teacher as well as a renowned artist, said that it was okay for the boy to touch the painting. In fact, said Eric, there was a painting with even more texture. He got it down from the wall so the boy could examine the layering of paint.
With just a little over a forty five minutes left, we departed to try to make it to Karen’s studio. On the way, we drove right by another studio tour sign and realized we had forgotten…
Epinoia Studio
…so we turned around in the driveway of Peninsula Landscape Supply and went back. Who did we find in the driveway, giving a consultation about some running bamboo, but our good friend Ed Strange!
Karen Brownlee Studio
We had to take our leave of Ed and rush down to the Brownlee pottery studio. This time, we knew that we should turn in at the driveway with mosaic posts. No photo ensued as the driveway was long and the tour was due to end in about fifteen minutes.
You may recall the annual charity event, Empty Bowls, and that Karen is the driving force behind it.
Karen’s work is both beautiful and practical.
at home
We left Karen’s at 4:00 on the dot and came home to lay out our acquisitions and dote on them.
To make the end of the day even more satisfying, I saw from my window that Jessie’s Ilwaco Fish Company had lit their holiday star for the first time this year.
Even better, I knew I had one more pleasant social and artistic occasion the following day and then I might have six days of reading time.
It really touched my heart to see Eric take that painting down so the boy could feel it better. ❤️
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Oh, me too, it was the high point of my week..or more!
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The mosaics on Michele’s house were done by Michele herself, as were all the jams and preserves available in her barn/studio. She is an amazing, multi-talented woman!
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Thanks for that; did not know she made the preserves. I will edit to make more clear that they are Michele’s mosaics.
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