For a week in January, five of my close artist buddies gathered again at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA, for another artists’ residency. We were privileged to be awarded a week’s time there again, with freedom to work, create, think, walk, and enjoy the camaraderie of our buddies. Once again, we were quite lucky with the weather. January in northern Washington State, on the Puget Sound? We saw very little rain, only one day of big wind, and otherwise dry walking all around the state park, town, and the beaches. It was a real gift to have this time. A great way to kick-start another creative year!

Activity in the studio

Richard gets right to work!

Mark taking pics of this work in progress, while Karen works in clay.

Karen’s work, lovely hand decorated with underglaze on greenware.

Bread and Butter Studios

Richard had an ambitious agenda, and he just about accomplished everything he set out to in a week.

Mark took these days to work on a new thing: burning and staining wood.

Mark Brody Art

Burning and sanding exposes lovely grain.

Joanne in her cozy corner, working on studies based on the environment of Fort Worden.

Nature sketches transforming into mosaic sketches.

Landscape sketch: in color pencil and translating into mosaic.

Joanne Daschel

A bit of Jenn’s work, peeking out.

Working at a new stitching technique.

My assemblage representing "Sense of Place."

A happy artist!

Richard Davis Mosaics

Around Fort Worden and Port Townsend

Beautiful bark of the madrona tree

Our daily view walking from apartment to studio.
The signature Madrona tree was always a joy to see.

Alexander’s Castle. This is available as a vacation rental. The oldest building on the grounds.

There are more deer than humans here! One afternoon, I spotted some relaxing and grooming!

Interesting history plaques accompany the fort structures all around the park.

One of the abandoned batteries.

I almost lost it! So busy taking pictures, but I realized it was missing after I took the previous photo.

Sunday sunrise on the Salish Sea.

Early morning walk, view of the North Cascades.
photo by Jennifer.

A beach find! We surmised they washed up from a burial at sea. Richard brought back 5 the day before.

The rose added a nice touch to my lighthouse landscape.

Found object impromptu still life.

Row of former officers’ residences from the back.

Downtown Port Townsend. Lovely town filled with Victorian commercial and residential buildings.

field trip to see new public art

Not far from Port Townsend, in Port Hadlock, there’s a brand new playground with wonderful interactive art surrounded by bright colors and cool play equipment. Joanne’s friend Rebecca Welti, a sculptor who lives in PT, has recently completed a large project. The ceramic insets into a bench and large sculptures are designed to honor natural sea life that live in the nearby Salish Sea.

Rebecca talks to Mark, Karen and Joanne about the artwork.

Mark having fun on a giant plankton.

It’s cold!

Fun swinging. Would have been more fun if it wasn’t so cold!

Looking like a little kid… but not quite!

For more information on Rebecca’s art, check out her website.

Jennifer’s Port Townsend Community public art project

Jenn has a commission to create a mural at a childcare center being built in Port Townsend. There is a component where kids help make sea star and sea urchin mosaics to go in the mural. She arranged four sessions at the PT YMCA after school program, and Mark, Joanne and I assisted her on three of the afternoons. It was a lot of fun working with kids on mosaics again. It’s been a long time for me!
JKMosaic