by ASHLEY MILLER
for the Sequim Gazette
 
The Blue Whole Gallery has a fresh new look. The walls glisten with a clean coat of off-white paint, the old carpet is replaced with vinyl and fiberglass hardwood flooring and every nook and cranny has been thoroughly cleaned.

“It was due time for a remodel and total update,” said Larry McCaffrey, gallery member and renovation project manager. “The white walls will really accentuate the colored pictures hanging on the walls.”

The gallery was closed Feb. 16-27 for reconstruction and cleaning and reopened Monday, Feb. 28. A grand reopening celebration is scheduled during the monthly First Friday Art Walk on March 4.

The featured artists of the month are watercolorist Reggie Consani, one of the founding members of the gallery, and Janine Hegy, a new and multitalented member.

Artists of the month
Consani describes her watercolor paintings as “free.”

“My work is not representational like photography; it’s much looser,” she explained. “It’s my own interpretations of things.”

Her work on display at the gallery includes pictures of active children, local scenes such as Lake Crescent and barns.

She encourages people to attend the upcoming First Friday and grand reopening event to see the newly renovated gallery themselves.

“I really enjoy being in the Blue Whole,” she said. “It’s such a fun group.”

Consani attended the Art Institute of Seattle and went on to work as a commercial artist for several years. Her award-winning original watercolors are included in private and public collections throughout the country and have been displayed in numerous juried shows.

Hegy may be one of the newest additions to the gallery but she is by no means a new face in the community. A mason, sculptor, jewelry maker, painter and more, evidence of Hegy’s creativity spans the county.

Hegy continues to expand her horizons. She creates unique pieces from stone, metal, wood, paper and other nontraditional materials. Using two methods of working with rock, she hand-chisels letters, numbers and pictures into stone and finishes work with a mobile sandblasting unit.

Abroad, Hegy has traveled to villages in Thailand and Indonesia to learn toolmaking skills from noted masters.

“As my work grows, I hope the community continues to enjoy my creations,” she said.