By Matthew Nash
Olympic Peninsula News Group
SEQUIM — While a few of the faces might have changed in recent years, organizers of the ninth annual ARTfusion on Labor Day weekend say the quality remains high.
The event blends 3-D copper and wood art with paintings and jewelry at The Cutting Garden Art Center, 303 Dahlia Llama Lane in Sequim, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday.
Returning artists Catherine Mix, pastels/watercolors; Tuttie Peetz, wood sculptor; and Paulette Hill, artistic jewelry, say they’ve been working hard in the past year to explore new avenues.
They expect visitors to be as excited as they are for newcomers Jinx Bryant, pastels/watercolors, and Clark Mundy, a copper sculptor.
“It’s such a rush working with other artists,” Hill said.
“Before the show opens, you step back in awe as everything comes together.”
In the past year, Hill has found comfort in her art following family members’ health issues. She’s continued making one-of-a-kind pieces using semi-precious stones and metals, but she’s found new ways to experiment including adding stone beads, wrapping two or more stones into one pendant and adding stones cut in mirror images for earrings.
“There are no mass-produced pieces here,” Hill said.
Mix has continued to expand on her plein air painting repertoire. She’s been out and about on the North Olympic Peninsula two to three days a week painting mountains, barns and other scenes.
Doing more plein art has led her to reduce the details and be more “painterly,” which she says means looking more at the big picture.
She’s participated in three juried shows this year including Art Port Townsend and the Plein Art Roundup in Zion National Park in Utah.
Mix will have several unmatted pieces available from her plein art work along with pieces she’s translated from photographs in a 2016 trip to Utah.
Peetz, known for her driftwood art, said she’s been exploring rare and unique found wood for her art such as twisted juniper from Oregon and a 100-year-old grapevine.
While Peetz continues to teach driftwood and work with it, she said she’s gone beyond that medium because only about 5 percent of her woodwork comes from the beach.
She continues to experiment with new carving/sanding techniques, too, while adding other materials such as rusty metal to her wood sculptures.
This year, Peetz pledges half of her sales to expanding the Dungeness River Audubon Center.
Bryant makes her first appearance at ARTfusion despite being chosen for the show last year. She was unable to participate in 2016, but she’s eager to join this year’s show.
Her work, she said, fuses her love of geology with art, and visitors at ARTfusion can see her vision of the Olympic Peninsula’s geology.
Mundy’s work can be seen at several places in Port Angeles such as the Feiro Marine Life Center, the Lower Elwha Heritage Center, The Landing mall and the Clallam County Courthouse.
The self-taught copper sculptor specializes in portraying wild salmon and native marine life.
“He’ll bring a whole new dimension with kinetic sculptures in the garden,” Mix said.
All of the artists will perform demonstrations through the weekend. Mundy plans to bring a stump and hammer to demonstrate his copper artwork technique.
For more information on ARTfusion, visit www.art fusionsequim.com.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
“FourWinds Weathervane” by Clark Mundy will be on display during ARTFusion.
“Lilacs and Pink Dogwood” by Catherine Mix
“Northwest Tiki” by Tuttie Peetz
“Polychrome Jasper-wrapped necklace” by Paulette Hill
“What Lies Beneath” by Jinx Bryant
