NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, Nov. 27.
PORT TOWNSEND — Painter and wood-turner Helga Winter invites her neighbors, their Thanksgiving guests — anyone who’s curious about art, for that matter — to her annual open studio event today through Sunday at 506 Lawrence St.
She’ll have a variety of creations for sale at her uptown studio, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday and finally from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
As is her tradition, 25 percent of proceeds from art sales will benefit a local nonprofit organization, and this time it’s the Centrum foundation at Fort Worden State Park, where Winter did an artist residency in January 2010.
“I make objects with materials that I respectfully harvested, utilizing the trunk of the tree, branches and roots as well as seaweed,” Winter writes on her website.
“I make use of trees that have been felled because of storms, disease or construction. People leave salvaged, local woods in my driveway and share stories about their tree.”
She notes too that she uses dyes and patterns on the wood, to invite a closer look.
Born in Germany, Winter came to America as a young woman to study education, and received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas in Austin in 1978 plus a graduate degree at Vanderbilt Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn., in 1982.
Wood carver
Also that year, she apprenticed herself with furniture maker and wood carver Paul Pitts; two years later she studied with wood turners Rude Osolnik and David Ellsworth.
After Winter moved to Port Townsend in 1987, she discovered madrone as a wood for turning, and began exploring what she calls its “orneryness.”
She sought to turn the material’s instability to her advantage, turning and dyeing the roots, trunks and branches.
These days, Winter pursues both wood turning and painting, while her work can be seen at helgawinter.com.
Those who can’t make it to her open studio this weekend can reach the artist at 360-385-3722.
