BY LAURA STANGEL SCHMIDT
Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
April 29, 2013
Consider clothes that reveal a love of art and beauty; clothes that are not fancy, but still extraordinary. It’s art to grace the body by Whidbey Island artist Terri Jo Summer.
Summer’s unique collection of wearable art is featured in a trunk show at Artworks Gallery at Greenbank Farm this weekend. The show and sale opens during Artworks’ First Friday reception, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 3, and continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.
In her Shining Sea Studio overlooking Honeymoon Bay, Summer explores what she calls “the creative mystery.” Here she designs, dyes, sews, and embellishes one-of-kind garments and accessories, which are available in fine galleries and boutiques throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as right here on Whidbey Island.
Working exclusively with natural fibers— silk, linen, cotton and wool— in her clothing designs, Summer hand dyes her textiles using earth-friendly techniques in a range of color palettes, from rich and subtle to bright and vibrant.
During her 30 years as a designer, the artist has traveled the world, searching for fabrics and inspiration. “My appetite for exotic textiles renders an opulent diversity within my collections,” she said.
Although Summer has created art couture for the rich and famous — Oprah, Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, and Goldie Hawn, to name just a few — her greatest satisfaction comes from making unique apparel for Whidbey women (“my tribe,” she calls us) to wear every day, striking the perfect balance between elegant and practical.
The trunk show features pieces that can be dressed up or down to flatter all ages, sizes and shapes. Not “fast fashion,” Summer’s timeless pieces are designed to make Whidbey women feel forever happy about the way they choose to present themselves to the world.
Summer will be at Artworks Gallery on Friday and Saturday to talk about her work and to take custom orders.
Artworks Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 360-222-3010 for more info or visit the website.
Visit Teri Jo Summer’s website at www.terijosummer.com.
Laura Stangel Schmidt is a mixed-media artist and writer in Langley.