PORT TOWNSEND — Gallery 9, Northwind Art and the Port Townsend Gallery will be among the venues participating in the Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Port Townsend.
• Gallery-9, 1012 Water St., will feature oil paintings and pastels by Susan Martin Spar and the unique woodworking of Robin McKann throughout June.
Spar studied at Georgetown Atelier in Seattle and is also a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Her painting, “Pillars of Creation,” will be on display in the gallery’s front window.
Spar paints landscapes, figures and still lifes, but she has started to look beyond everyday objects, animals and landscapes and has shifted her focus outward into the greater universe.
Her piece, “The Wizard Nebula,” is an oil painting inspired by NASA’s James Webb Telescope and is part a new series she is working on.
“I have always been intrigued and mystified by space,” Spar said. “I love science, science fiction and all things futuristic. I come from a very traditional and classical background with extensive Atelier training. That intensive study has served me well in providing a strong foundation from which I feel confident in exploring other genres and styles.
“These paintings inspired by the James Webb telescope are painted without the use of AI, air brush or any means other than brush and palette knife. I’m excited to share these subjects and styles with you this coming June.”
Spar’s work may be viewed at www.susanspar.com.
McKann has developed his woodworking skills through years of practice.
McKann retired from a finish carpentry business in Southern California and moved to Port Townsend, where he works with spalted alder, figured maple, myrtlewood and other well-aged exotic woods that he has collected over the years.
He produces functional art like cabinets, tables, decorative boxes and cutting boards whose designs are inspired by James Krenov, Sam Maloof and Mother Nature.
McKann coats his creations with layers of hand-rubbed pure tung oil, giving them a durable, water resistant, nontoxic surface that enhances the natural beauty of the wood.
“Joining Gallery-9 in 2008 has inspired me to explore with the woods surrounding my home,” McKann said. “Curvaceous forms and innovative swinging drawers and lids for natural formed boxes are found in my designs. I have spent many years chasing rainbows in grains of wood.”
The work of Spar and McKann will be on display at Gallery-9 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays throughout June.
For more information, visit www.gallery-9.com.
• The Port Townsend Gallery, 715 Water St., will host a reception for Brian Iverson and Sally Pfaff from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Iverson began by blowing lampworked beads using a technique dating back to the 14th century that involves melting and forming glass using a specialized torch.
After moving to Port Townsend in 1997, he expanded his interests to hot glass and began to produce larger pieces, working with his wife, Rebecca, and their daughter, Iris.
The team designs and creates both colorful art pieces and functional glassware for everyday use, much of which is inspired by the peace Iverson finds in natural spaces.
His exhibit at the gallery includes large, fluted bowls, paperweights full of seaforms and lampworked sculpture; he also has some of his garden art in the gallery’s outdoor space.
Pfaff’s landscapes are semi-abstract expressions of the natural world and are inspired by the natural forms, shapes and colors that catch her attention when she is out wandering.
Her process involves an intuitive, free-form approach that uses varied textures, watercolor-like layers, a sense of movement and colorful compositions.
Pfaff sometimes uses printmaking techniques to add layered complexity to her landscape paintings.
Most of her works are acrylic landscapes with occasional monoprints showing up.
The works of Pfaff and Iverson will be on display at the Port Townsend Gallery from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
For more information, call the gallery at 360-379-8110 or visit www.porttownsend gallery.com.
• The Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St., has two shows on display during Saturday’s Art Walk.
In the front space, “Lush Language” will be on display for another month.
The exhibit celebrates four Northwest artists: Isabel Elena Pérez of Quilcene, Tininha Silva and Claire Ragland of Port Townsend and Becca Fuhrman of Seattle.
Another exhibit, “Showcase 2024,” is on display in the inner room.
The exhibit features 27 new works from four returning artists: photographer Stephen Deligan and painters Joyce Hester, Roger Morris and Marian Morris.
Both exhibits can be viewed from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays through June 30.
For more about Northwind activities and the Jeanette Best Gallery, visit www.northwindart.org.
Works like Wizard Nebula by Susan Spar will be on display at Gallery-9 in Port Townsend during the Art Walk this weekend.
Sally Pfaff’s landscapes are semi-abstract expressions and are inspired by the natural forms, shapes and colors that catch her attention.
Brian Iverson’s glasswork will be on display at the Port Townsend Gallery during the Art Walk on Saturday.
