Blue Whole Gallery announces its September exhibition, “Travel the World thru Art,” featuring gourd artist Jane Smith and mixed-media artist Dee Cantlon. Both artists draw inspiration from the places they have lived and traveled, and their collective work spans nearly every shade of blue found on a world map — echoing the oceans, skies, and landscapes that shaped their art.
Jane Smith’s early years in Hawaii shaped her color palette and beach-themed subjects, beginning with hula instrument gourds.
Thirty-four years in Arizona expanded her access to gourds and broadened her subject matter, while twenty-four years in rural Washington introduced pine needles as a recurring material and chickens as a favorite motif. Her travels to Africa, Russia, Sweden, and beyond — along with places found only in daydreams — continue to inform her work. Gourds remain Jane’s preferred canvas, transformed into musical instruments, masks, vessels, and sculptural art.
Dee Cantlon, raised on the West Coast, has long held a deep affinity for the ocean. Her scuba diving adventures through the Caribbean and the temperate Pacific fostered a fascination with marine life that infuses her vividly colored artwork. Additional travels to Ireland, Scotland, Central America, and Greece, as well as hiking the Inca Trail, continue to inspire her nature-based acrylic paintings and pyrography pieces.
Together, Jane and Dee invite visitors on a visual journey around the globe, with artwork ranging from African- inspired figures and Southwestern-themed pieces to sea turtles and tropical reef scenes.
“Travel the World thru Art” will be on display throughout September at Blue Whole Gallery.
Blue Whole Gallery is open daily Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sundays 11am to 3pm.