June 29, 2016

Whidbey Art Gallery is starting the holiday off right with dazzling artwork.
We are featuring the colorful paintings of guest artist Dale Reiger, the unique carved clay ceramics of guest artist Molly Heuffed, and pastel and acrylics paintings of featured member, Barbara Mearing.

Please join us for a reception to celebrate this original art on Saturday, July 2nd during First Saturday Art Walk from 5 to 7 p.m. Meet Dale Reiger, Molly Heuffed, Barbara Mearing and our member artists. Wander the gallery, ask questions and enjoy an evening of art.

Dale W. Reiger, a Seattle native moved to Whidbey in 2006. Dale arrived at painting twenty-five years ago and his style can best be described a primitive elegance.

Using large quasi-¬representational figures, painted in a loose style to illustrate his personal iconography. Dale draws on his artistic, spiritual and international background. Having traveled many times to Asia, Dale has been influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism and the Japanese concept of wabi¬sabi.

The language for Dale’s themes is color; he is attracted to bright colors and is engaged in a dialogue of the harmony and dissonance of color. Dale paints on canvas, metal or wood, with acrylic paints, oil bars, china markers, ink and colored pencils. Dale is also a kiln formed glass artist. His work “Observation Tower” is on display in Langley.

Barbara Heuffed came to Seattle 25 years ago to pursue a science career at the University of Washington but after some years, her life took a turn and found clay. “I had always wanted to learn clay since I was child. The opportunity presented itself and I dove in. I have been ‘playing in clay’ for 20 years now, and I still love it.”

I have had so many wonderful teachers along the way. Each has influenced me in a special way. I am a “mosaic” of all of them. My work reflects those teachings while also incorporating aspects that are instinctively my own. I am influenced by aboriginal paintings and designs, and the Pacific Northwest’s natural landscape. It is easy to be inspired by my surroundings. My designs are intuitive, based on the shape of a leaf or organic forms from the sea.

Each piece is one of a kind, although they represent a “family” of sorts. I love to carve, a technique also known as sgraffitto. When I am working, my ceramics allows me to create a type of “dance” on each piece.

Our featured member is Barbara Mearing. “I paint for the simple pleasure of it, or as the song says to ‘fill up my senses’. My subjects are ordinary things – simple objects, flowers, local scenes – and serendipitous, suddenly realizing the scene in front of me is beautiful! My goal is to give joy to myself and anyone who wishes to share. It is all about enjoyment.

I have chosen to work in acrylic paint, pastels and colored pencil because these materials have drying qualities that allow me to work at a pace that is for me, the most pleasurable.

View work by members of the Whidbey Art Gallery daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit our 5 rooms of art or stroll the Lane and enjoy our outdoor works of art. From whimsical to traditional, embrace fiber, clay, recycled parts, glass, metal, sculptural and functional pieces of art.

Whidbey Art Gallery
220 Second St.
Langley, WA 98260
(360) 221-7675
www.whidbeyartists.com

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