Artists' Gallery Sunriver - Great Art Picks Up Where Nature Begins in February

It may be cold outside, but if you stop by the Artists Gallery in Sunriver, you can bask in the warmth of some fantastic art. If you really would like to generate some heat, join all of the gallery’s artists at the Second Saturday reception on February 8 from 4-6pm. There will be plenty of refreshments to enjoy while you meet the artists and view their work. Featured artists are Nancy Cotton, Greg Cotton, Susan Harkness-Williams and John Butler.

Long time gallery artist, Nancy Cotton, doesn’t disappoint in providing a share of nature’s sunshine. One of the artist’s featured pieces this month is a sunny quilt that demonstrates Cotton’s incredible fabric art techniques. The use of color makes for a warm feeling on a cold day whether this art piece graces a place of honor on your wall or you have it cuddled around your shoulders while reading a good book. Nancy’s talents are not limited to quilts by any stretch- you’ll be delighted by table runners, napkins, smaller hanging pieces, hats and much more.

There is nothing like the use of wood in art pieces to warm up a room in your home and we don’t mean as firewood. Artist Greg Cotton is arguably one of the most popular artists in the gallery. It is difficult to keep many of his smaller pieces like wine glass holders, clipboards, cutting boards and cribbage boards in stock. Greg’s techniques really shine when he produces larger furniture pieces that really show off the warm beauty of the natural wood. One of his featured pieces this month is a side table that incorporates simple lines with rich wood texture.

Another long time artist at the gallery, Susan Harkness-Williams, gourd and jewelry artist, just keeps on delivering beautiful nature inspired pieces. Her sculptural gourd art piece entitled I’ll Remember September has the color of a perfect Fall day. When asked, “Why the name…other than the obvious?” Susan replied, “Because nothing rhymes with October.” This piece is part of a series Nature Speaks where local inspirations are carved into the gourd. Splendid color is applied using agents like India ink, metallic watercolor and stains to reach the deep eye catching tones. The negative space plays just as large a role in the piece. This and a number of other fine gourd art pieces will featured in February in the gallery.

New artist to the gallery, John Butler, produces beautiful sculptural metal art pieces that often have a practical application included in the design process. A really good example of Butler’s duality in art and practicality is Twining Vines. This particular piece of art depicts vines growing artfully up a wall surface. Fortunately, the vines “grow” in just a special way to allow wines bottles to be stored artfully within the twists and turns of the vines themselves.