Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Black Tie: Denim and Diamonds

A Holiday Party with an Elegant Flair!

A fantastic evening to kick off your holiday celebrations. Elegant hors d’ourves, a complimentary glass of champagne, no host bar including specialty drinks, live music and silent art auction.

Call soon to make your reservations, space is limited.
Tickets are $20 each or $35 for two.

We hope you can come celebrate the holidays with us!

Saturday, December 8
7-10pm

BONUS!

The Methow Valley Inn in Twisp is offering a “night on the town” rate for Denim and Diamonds participants!

Half price for the night of December 8, including a bountiful breakfast. For instance, a room for two with shared bath $45, a room for two with private bath $60.

Reservations must be made before 5pm on Dec. 8. Call 997-2253 for reservation

Friday, November 9, 2012

Mosaic Mandalas

with Nicole Ringgold 

Sat, Dec 15, 11am-2pm
at Confluence Gallery
Cost: $45, includes materials

In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions sacred art often takes a mandala form. In this class you’ll learn to mosaic using rock, recycled pottery and glass on a 12” circular panel. You are welcome to bring a special object to incorporate into your mosaic.

Kitchen Arts: Mastering the Perfect Pie Crust

Kitchen Arts: Mastering the Perfect Pie Crust (and adult eggnog!)
with Kate Posey

Sun, Dec 2, 1-3:30pm
Location TBD
Cost: $35, includes recipes and snacks

Have fun and prepare for the holidays! Learn the basics of laminated pastry, make and bake a holiday pie, discover the secrets of shatteringly flaky crust, and make old fashioned eggnog.

Wire Wrapped Stone Jewelry

Saturday, Nov 10, 11am-1pm
at Confluence Gallery
Cost: $15 plus $10 supply fee

Simple and easy wire wrapped stone jewelry using agates, beads and other cool found objects. This is the first of Confluence Gallery’s inexpensive holiday classes where you can create a great gift in a few hours. Pre-register or drop in.

Sip and Shop

Matthew Armbrust
Becky LaVergne
A Little Something for Everyone

To quote a recent visitor to Confluence Gallery, “Wow, there are a lot of really good artists here!” That sentiment is heard virtually every weekend at the gallery. The abundance of art is one thing that makes Twisp a great place to live. We support and nourish creativity. This holiday season at the Confluence Gallery gift store there is exciting new work by local and regional artists.

Confluence Gallery’s board of directors hosts Sip and Shop on Friday nights in December, 5-7pm. Indulge in yummy treats and listen to live music by Horse Crazy on the 7th, Emele Clothier on the 14th and Ken Bevis on the 21st. Join Leslie Strand on December 7th and 14th for a wonderful paper ornament project.

Confluence has made a superb small gallery of animal portraits by Becky LaVergne, titled Lovable Livestock Paintings by a Wannabe Farmer. Wait till you see the pig, you’ll fall in love too! Confluence introduces an exceptional new painter to the community. Western artist Laura Kemp, a part time resident of Carlton and full time firefighter in Seattle paints beautifully illuminated, precise watercolors of horse life. If you are fond of landscapes check out the miniature landscape gallery. Exquisite and affordable landscape paintings by plein air artists Gregg Caudell, Nora Eggers, K Robinson, and Gordon Edberg.

Everyone loves bling, or in our town, colorful organic splendor. The unique river rock necklaces of Nicole Ringgold, polished gems by Shaula Zink, or the classy cowgirl jewelry of Jenni Tissell create perfect accessories for Confluences Dec 8th holiday party, Black Tie: Denim and Diamonds.

There is new work by local potters, like the outlandishly imaginative Matthew Armbrust. Matt, who is doing post graduate work at Central Washington University, is inscribing poetry and beautiful quotes into his thoughtful pottery. Suzi Jennings shows off a new design, equally as colorful and precise as previous work. Emily Post continues her irresistibly lovely work inspired by the beauty of nature.

Retired teacher and musician Lauralee Northcott has found a new art form to pursue, exceptional, intricate pine needle baskets, woven with beautiful accents. Lauralee learned from Gerry McClure of Nespelam, but took the work to another level by adding semi precious stones and beads. Lauralee says “I didn't know I could do this, it's like my hands just knew what to do". Maybe it was the beautiful autumn, planets aligned in creative precision, or the muse swooped down and wacked us with her golden wand. Whatever the cause, there is so much lovely and surprisingly affordable work at Confluence Gallery from your friends and neighbors that it would be a shame to miss it. Come in and shop for a special little something and feel good about supporting the local economy.

Bath Salts and Sugar Scrubs

with Nicole Ringgold 

Saturday Nov 17, 11am-1pm
at Confluence Gallery
Cost: $15, plus $10 for supplies.

Nicole Ringgold wants to fill the world with nature, and no-one in this territory is apt to discourage her. To help accomplish this goal she’s teaching about homemade bath salts and body scrubs. This hands-on all natural gal will send participants home with a relaxing, rejuvenating concoction made with ingredients from any kitchen, garden or grocery store.

Every year Confluence Art Center offers affordable classes as we approach the gift-giving season. Tuition for this class is $15 with a $10 supply fee for salt, sugar and bottles. Bring your own bottles if you want to save a little cash. Nicole will supply the Lavender and other herbs from her garden, but you can also bring things that you want to experiment with.

Ringgold’s philosophy on beauty products seems logical, “It makes sense to me that all of the products we use on our bodies should be edible. I don't mean that shampoo should contain chocolate or Bailey’s Irish Cream, but if we're going to put it on our bodies, it should be natural enough to consume”. The recipes she uses are simple, quick and easy to produce from basic kitchen ingredients. There aren’t additives to keep ingredients permanently separated, but a little shaking or stirring is a small trade-off for home-made products made from real ingredients that make you feel good.

Some of the scrubs are meant for the face and some the feet. Abrasive ingredients can be sugar or oats, scents can be vanilla or herbs. Aloe, Shea butter and olive oil could also be included. You might think coffee grounds are an unusual choice, but they are said to be an anti-cellulite agent that works to detoxify and tighten the skin.

Nicole Ringgold is the Executive Director for Confluence Gallery & Art Center. On the side, she gardens and creates art and all kinds of natural health & beauty products. She’s an enthusiastic participant in social media, and you can peruse her blog at, www.liveinart.org. In it she describes her processes and offers inspiration for simple living.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Festival of Light


Exhibit: Nov 10-Jan 5
Opening reception: Saturday, Nov 10, 4-8pm
Event Location: Confluence Gallery

Light up your winter at Confluence! Confluence Gallery presents a dazzling winter holiday exhibit, “Festival of Light” opening November 10 with a reception from 4 -8pm. The exhibit features over 40 local and regional artists in a vibrant and diverse display of ‘illuminating’ art. To fulfill the public’s seasonal need to show appreciation for one another, the gallery and gift store will be chock full of gift possibilities, and on weekends the art center offers affordable gift making classes.

Donna Keyser, Curator of this final Confluence Exhibit of 2012, asked artists to envision a world of light, physically, spiritually and culturally. What does it look like? What can an artist create that will bring on, or illuminate this transition to a New Year or new era? The results are expected to be illuminating, entertaining and inspirational. Keyser states, “At first I just wanted to fill up the gallery with actual lights, but as I thought about it more, I felt that the light needed to come from within the artist and the medium serve as the vehicle to communicate hope”.

The exhibit features long time favorites as well as newcomers from within and outside the valley. Dan Brown exhibits solar illuminated garden sculptures, Cheryl Wrangles show’s her intimate and familiar Methow landscapes and Yuko Ishii displays sensual photos depicting hope and quiet reverence for nature. The holiday exhibit is an opportunity for artists who are new to the community to show their work and the curator has also asked local artists to invite their favorite artists.

An accomplished group of graduates from Seattle’s Gage Academy is showing their work. Kathie Bliss, K Robinson, Mary Lou McCollum, Sandra Kahler and Claudia Pettis are master painters, each expressing different kinds of illumination, from the pure depiction of light on the landscape to the exuberant portrayal of dogs in party hats! Confluence introduces the art of hometown gal Zephyr Wazallann recent graduate of University of Washington’s fine art program.

From Tonasket, the prolific Quill Hyde brings his imaginative metal creations, and Delia Severin uses found glass to form towers of sparking light. The gallery walls will be packed with paintings and everywhere else an abundance of exceptional hand made items.

An additional holiday treat is served up by the board members of Confluence Gallery. For a second year they host Sip and Shop every Friday night in December, with live music, wine, hors d'oeuvres and socializing until 7pm.