Gallery North Welcomes 'Color and Light' During September

"Color and Light" is the featured exhibit at in Edmonds in September.

Colored-pencil artist Paula Parks and fused-glass artist Gayle Franklin have combined their skills to create an colorful and diverse exhibition. Each artist has created a number of original pieces for the show, bringing together a  partnership of 2-D and 3-D works.

Parks, a longtime member of Gallery North, is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and its national exhibition director for the past six years.

She has been creating art her whole life and is proficient in a number of different art media. After attending a colored pencil exhibition she decided that she wanted to specialize in working with colored pencils.

“When I saw the possibilities of the rich vivid colors and the fine details that are available with colored pencils,” she says. “I knew this media was meant for me.”

In comparison to art created in more traditional media, the art of colored pencil is still in its infancy, and only recently has found its way into galleries, museums, and exhibitions.

Franklin is a fused-glass artist who enjoys creating both functional and sculptural work,  everything from sun catchers, dishes and wine-bottle stoppers to paintings she creates with glass.

She has been a member of Gallery North for more than six years and has many loyal customers. On a recent trip to Kauai, she received her inspiration for this show while snorkeling among the vibrant coral reefs, and watching the colorful fish as they darted their way through the gently waving seaweed.

“It was an amazingly rich experience,” says Franklin.

People often are surprised when she describes fused glass as a serendipitous medium.

“I sketch my design, cut and grind the glass, use micas, glass paints, metals, and powders, and then I put it in the kiln,” Franklin explains. “Fifteen hours later, I open the kiln to discover whether the resultant piece is as I had envisioned it in the design stage. Sometimes it is, sometimes it is not, but it is always exciting and serendipitous!”

The public is invited to meet the artists at two special events at Gallery North during September: the artists’ reception on Sept. 8 from 1-4 p.m., and a reception during the Edmonds Third Thursday Art Walk on Sept. 20 from 5-8 p.m. Refreshments will be served at both events.

For more information, go the the Gallery North Web site or call 425-774-0946. The gallery celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.