We've moved! Find us at 238 Bridge st, Northampton
Putting Down the Pieces
June 4-30, 2014
Siovhan Hutcherson and Isabel Margolin both began their journey with mosaics in the same way. Seven years ago, Siovhan took a class in the indirect method of mosaics at the Brookfield Craft Center in Brookfield, CT – three years later Isabel happily stumbled upon the same class. “The Indirect Method of Mosaics” was taught by artist and instructor Cynthia Fisher. Since that time mosaics have permeated their lives.
The Indirect Method uses a reverse technique to create a mosaic. Instead of applying the mosaics face up on a prepared cement surface, the tiles in the indirect method are temporarily affixed face-side-down, posing a more challenging and circuitous process. This allows pieces of different sizes, shapes and textures to be used all in the same piece of work.
Cindy Fisher has been a professional artist for twenty-five years with a focus on mosaics since 2000. She gives workshops and classes at several renowned art and craft centers across the country, as well as her studio in Buckland, MA. Her diverse body of work ranges from illustrative to painterly to non-representational. Her abstract mosaics have received prestigious national and international awards, including the Orsoni Prize Honorable Mention in Venice, Italy in 2011.
Isabel Margolin’s art consists primarily of abstract pieces, with a small mix of representational work. This series of artwork deals with shapes and form, everything from the free fall of pins and needles to the cacophonous Mardi Gras. If there is a consistent theme to Isabel’s work, it is color and movement, and a sense of fun.
Siovhan Hutcherson has always been fascinated by colors and shapes and how they relate, as well as the particular joy of crafting by hand. She is often drawn to themes depicting animals and the beauty of nature, but lately, she has also begun to explore more abstract designs. Siovhan’s designs feel as though they have been “painted with glass”.
These three artists are united by their use of the indirect method for creating mosaics, and the show will showcase their different approaches to the medium.
B.Z. Reily: Full Circle
April 2-28, 2014
B.Z. Reily’s show, “Full Circle“, opening April 2nd at Hope and Feathers in Amherst, includes found-object wall sculptures and prints.
B.Z.‘s work is constructed out of weathered and worn items, antique wood, metal scraps, fabric, gloves, and pieces from the natural world.
This new work includes collagraph plates, embossed prints, and encaustics. The circle has been a reoccurring form throughout her sculptural work but she has made it central to this show and installation. Forty years ago she was a printmaking student in college so you could say she has come full circle.
B.Z. just recently retired from teaching art in the public schools after 33 years. She has shown her work in museums and galleries all over the northeast.
Image: Radial, Mixed media sculpture
Bill Rathbun: Electric Evolution
March 5-29, 2014
Artist William Rathbun’s paintings will be on display beginning Wednesday March 5th. Rathbun has been creating work for over 40 years and has shown his work exclusively in museums in galleries in Massachusetts, most notably the deCordova Museum. Rathbun is continuously experimenting with a variety of styles and mediums that include paintings, sculpture, and neon.
Recently, a visit by the Hope & Feathers staff to Bill’s studio resulted in the resurfacing of a series of watercolors. Captivated by the vibrant and playful nature of these works we set about planning a show. Rathbun’s exploration of neon sculpture is an obvious influence on the creation of this series of paintings. To experience these watercolors is to witness an evolution of “electric” from sculpture to paint and paper.
Image: Our First Snow, Watercolor on paper