In the Company of Women
Laura Gaffke • Kathy Johnson • Diana Sartor• Annie Wildey
Opening Reception - May 3, 5-8pm
An Afternoon with the Artists - Saturday 11th, 4pm
Please join the artists for a casual gathering to enjoy the exhibition and learn more about their creative practices. Light refreshments will be served.
Scroll down page to view artworks
About the Exhibition
AiR is please to present its 12th exhibition which opens on Friday May 3rd during Westerly’s First Friday Arts Crawl.
This month’s exhibition celebrates friendship and community, showcasing the work of four women artists with diverse creative practices. When four creative women decided to meet regularly to support and nurture one another’s creativity, they had no idea they would still be meeting 13 years later.
For Laura Gaffke art is an inward journey to a place of discovery, growth, and stillness. Her creative practice is present in all areas of her life. Quiet moments in her garden and at the beach observing, listening, sketching, connects her to the energy and joy of life. Nature and travel informs her work. It is these experiences, as well as her natural ability to focus on joyful moments that her vibrant color palette emerged. Whether working intuitively with acrylics or watercolor she aims to engage viewers and make meaningful connections by sharing soulful moments in her life. Laura’s creative practice extends to teaching, writing and the collaborative project ‘Laura Two Tina’ - This project reinforces how connections deeply affect her creative work and life.
Kathy Johnson, is an artist, and educator with a passion for plants, paper, rusty metal, and creating a second life for discarded materials by repurposing them into her art. Curiosity and experimentation are the guiding forces behind her art practice. She explores the natural processes of eco-printing and rust-printing to create the many papers and textiles used in her mixed media work and handmade books. The unpredictable nature of these techniques presents both challenges and moments of excitement. While they may dictate Her color palette and require a release of creative control, they also invite unexpected results to unfold. Embracing this combination of intention and serendipity leads her on a continual path of discovery in which to explore new work.
Kathy will also lead a mini speed collage workshop to Celebrate World Collage Day on Saturday May 11 at 2.30-3.30pm. Register here.
Diana Sartor a mixed media artist enjoys the journey of twists and turns her creative process leads her, as she explores techniques and materials leading to new ideas and fresh results. We know her for her bold color and sensuous oil and cold wax paintings, or acrylic and hand painted collage papers. In this exhibition we are treated to some of her new work . Sculptural pieces using the technique known as Joomchi. These works have a more delicate palette dictated by the paper, combined with twigs and sticks. Joomchi is a traditional Korean way of making textured handmade paper forms using mulberry paper. The technique creates strong, textural, and painterly surfaces by layering and agitating the paper. We are excited to see more of these pieces..
Painter and printmaker Annie Wildey explores moments of beauty, wonder and awe in the coastal landscape. She interprets the landscape and ocean through a fluid process of moving between freedom and control, accident and intention, pushing and pulling paint around to translate a subject in motion. The results are evocative and moving paintings.
To purchase artwork please email us and we will arrange for online purchase, and shipping or you can visit the gallery to view in person.
Laura Gaffke
Sunrise Serenade, $225- Laura Gaffke
Twilight Tide, $225 - Laura Gaffke
Whispering Waves, $225 - Laura Gaffke
Seaside Symphony,$225 - Laura Gaffke
Watercolors on Display - Laura Gaffke
Coral Reverie, $225 - Laura Gaffke
Tangerine Twilight, $225 - Laura Gaffke
Guiding Whispers I $225 - Laura Gaffke
Guiding Whispers II $225 - Laura Gaffke
Truth $225 - Laura Gaffke
Dance In The Light $225 - Laura Gafke
Blissful Daydream $300 - Laura Gaffke
Spreading Joy $300 - Laura Gaffke
Let Go $300 - Laura Gaffke
Bursting with Joy $2100 - Laura Gaffke
Joyful Awakening, $1200 - Laura Gaffke
untitled - Laura Gaffke
Coastal Cove $250 - Laura Gaffke
Coastal Kaleidescope $250 - Laura Gaffke
Kathy Johnson
Rusted & Copper Journal NFS- Kathy Johnson
Daily Collage Book NFS- Kathy Johnson
Ecoprint journal with Silk NFS - Kathy Johnson
Rust Printing with Stitching $425- Kathy Johnson
Rust Printing with Stitching $425- Kathy Johnson
Rust Printing with Stitching SOLD- Kathy Johnson
Rust Printing with Crocheting $425- Kathy Johnson
Weathered Remnants framed $125 - Kathy Johnson
Hydrangea Blue ! $125 - Kathy Johnson
Hydrangea Blue II $125 - Kathy Johnson
Hydrangea Blue !II $125 - Kathy Johnson
Hydrangea Blue !V $125 - Kathy Johnson
Terrain II $125 - Jathy Johnson
Terrain I $125 - Jathy Johnson
Terrain III $125 - Jathy Johnson
Terrain VI $125 - Jathy Johnson
Weathered Remnants ! $125 - Jathy Johnson
Weathered Remnants !I $125 - Jathy Johnson
Weathered Remnants !II $125 - Jathy Johnson
Weathered Remnants !V $125 - Jathy Johnson
Eco-print Silk Scarf $75 - Kathy Johnson
Ecoprint raw silk hangings $130-145 - Kathy Johnson
Dian Sartor
Free York Spirit $550 - Diana Sartor
Loud and Proud $325 - Diana Sartor
Uncertain Path $125 - Diana Sartor
Path Unknown $125 - Diana Sartor
Please Don't Stop the Music $325 - Diana Sartor
The World Says Hello $650 - Diana Sartor
Study in Compliments I $250- Diana Sartor
Study in Compliments II $250 - Diana Sartor
Undecided - Diana Sartor
Pink Dreams - Diana Sartor
Hang On SOLD - Diana Sartor
Tranquil Framed $150 - Diana Sartor
Unglued Framed $150 - Diana Sartor
Anchored Framed $150- Diana Sartor
Find Balance Framed $195 - Diana Sartor
Annie WIldey
Morning Mood $6,600 - Annie Wildey
Morning Shades of Grey II $750 - Annie Wildey
Morning Shades of Grey III SOLD - Annie Wildey
Rocks N Roll Framed $2,200- Annie Wildey
Retreating Tide $6,600 - Annie Widey
Rocks n Surf $6,600- Annie Wildey
Brooding Seas $6,600 - Annie Wildey
Gentle Breeze $5600 - Annie Wildey
Candy Colored Cloude $750 - Annie Wildey
Summer Rocks $2,600 - Annie Wildey
Summer Rocks N Surf $2,600 - Annie Wildey
Glistening Summer Wave $5,800