Featured artists Hank Izley and Sheri Cox Whetstine offer their unique perspectives on the world through their art at the Blue Whole Gallery’s April 2023 exhibit, “Eye of the Beholder.”
Izley, a photographer, and Whetstine, a kiln-formed glass artist, will be on hand for a “Meet the Artists” event to kick off the exhibit during the First Friday Art Walk Sequim from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, April 7, at the gallery, 129 W. Washington St.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, visit bluewholegallery.com.
About the artists
“I do not claim to have a well-trained eye for the photos I capture,” said Izley, a Washington state native. “I truly believe it is a gift. It is my honor and privilege to share them.”
Lately, Izley said, he invented a new way of presenting his photos: he prints them on metal, then creates end frames made from exotic wood with artistic sculpting he does with a computer numerical control (CNC) router.
“This has never been done before to my knowledge,” he said. “Now, instead of hanging these photos on the wall, they can be placed on the fireplace mantle or a tabletop.”
Since 2006, Whetstine has been exploring the possibilities art glass offers.
“I love how a solid, flat piece of glass can be, merely by adding heat, transformed into a thing of beauty, either by intent or chance. I love the predictable unpredictability of warm glass,” she said.
“I can have an idea in mind and create specifically for the desired effect, but there are sometimes things that happen in the kiln which simply cannot be controlled. I can cut pieces of glass and arrange them with a specific design in mind, or I can put lots of random pieces together and let fate decide the outcome.”
Whetstine said she loves to tackle new ideas, trying new techniques and learning something daily.
“I continue to take classes and draw upon the expertise of others willing to share their knowledge,” she said.
Most of her pieces, large or small, have as many as 80 hours invested in their creation. Each individual fusing process takes about 24 hours and reaches a peak temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the process.
Learn more about Whetstine’s art at glassicdesign.net.
Submitted photo / “Fleur de Lis” by Hank Izley, a featured artist at the Blue Whole Gallery in April.
Submitted photo / “Portal” by Sheri Whetstine, a featured artist at the Blue Whole Gallery in April.
Photos courtesy of Blue Whole Gallery “Night Lights” by Hank Izley, a featured artist at the Blue Whole Gallery in April.
Submitted photo / “Ascension” by Sheri Whetstine, a featured artist at the Blue Whole Gallery in April.
“Perfect Imperfection” by Hank Izley, a featured artist at the Blue Whole Gallery in April.
