SEQUIM — Award-winning painter Deborah Sterk and noted watercolorist Margo Hankel are the featured artists of the month of July at the Blue Whole Gallery.
This Friday during the First Friday Artwalk, the gallery, located at 129 W. Washington St., will be open to the public for viewing of Sterk’s and Hankel’s works.
The gallery will be open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sterk’s work starts with creating collage papers, then using those to make compositions in collage and paint.
“It’s a joy to let surprising and interesting things happen and then letting the muse take over,” Sterk said.
Hankel paints primarily in watercolors.
“Painting is the one thing I lose myself in,” she said. “What I wish to share through my paintings is a sense of peacefulness and harmony. It is my hope that my paintings will increase peace and harmony of the space where they are hung.”
For more information, phone www.bluewholegallery.com.
Library system to offer free online tech courses
The North Olympic Library System is offering free online introductory classes that cover everything from sending and receiving emails to navigating the Web.
Hundreds of online courses and resources are available through the Microsoft IT Academy Program.
Popular courses cover the basics of Office 2010 and 2013, Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
For more practiced users and IT professionals, the academy offers courses tackling advanced subjects such as SQL Server, ASP.NET, Visual Studio and Microsoft Dynamics.
All courses are conducted in one-on-one virtual sessions and are free of charge with a personal library card.
Free certificates of completion can be downloaded at the conclusion of each course, and official Microsoft Certification and testing is also available (fees apply).
To get started, visit www.nols.org and click on “Free online IT training.”
Once enrolled, explore the catalog of courses and continue the self-paced coursework on any computer at the library or at home from a personal computer.
Forest Service seeks volunteers for trail council
PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Forest Service is seeking volunteers to serve on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council.
The council, established under the National Trails System Act, will provide recommendations to the secretary of agriculture about matters relating to the administration and management of the Pacific Northwest Trail, specifically advising on trail uses, establishing a trail corridor and prioritizing future projects.
Designated by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 2009, the Pacific Northwest Trail connects people and communities along a 1,200-mile route in Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Interested candidates should have a desire to perpetuate and protect the characteristics and values of the trail while taking into consideration other public interests along the trail corridor.
Members will serve a two-year term and can serve consecutive terms.
The first council meeting is tentatively scheduled for April and will meet about twice a year for three years.
For more information on eligibility and applying, visit http://tinyurl.com/pntadvisorycouncil.
Interested parties also can contact Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Program Manager Matt McGrath at 425-783-6199 or mtmcgrath@fs.fed.us.
Nominations must be received by Sept. 30.
