Merry Christmas! We have a new artist in the gallery!

We are excited to announce a new artist here at Paint Metal & Mud Art Gallery!

Francine Brown-fiber artist!

Her beautiful hand-woven tapestries and pillows are beautiful and creative.  

She creates gorgeous landscapes as well as more contemporary works 

and even explores weaving inside barbed wire frames and dried kelp.

 

Want some art you can wear? 

Francine also paints beautiful scarves and bandanas!

If you have any last minute shopping to do, 

or if you'd like to bring some your holiday visitors to come view 

some great art made here in the Flathead, we are open 

Monday December 23 10-6 and Tuesday (Christmas Eve) from 10-4.

We hope you will have Merry Christmas 

and a Happy New Year.

As always, thank you for shopping from your local artists!

Small Business Saturday - November 30th!

While "Black Friday" is all about big box stores, the following "Small Business Saturday" (on November 30th) is all about supporting the local businesses that, in turn, support your community. The Paint Metal & Mud artists' co-operative is a perfect example. Because we are 12 local northwestern Montana artists, 100% of your artwork and gift purchases stays right here in our community.

Thank you for supporting the arts, and for supporting the neighborhood where you live by "shopping small!"

You are Invited

 To The Tenth Annual Art Show of

Rebecca Evins and Lois Sturgis

 

16 First Street West

Paint Medal & Mud Gallery

 Saturday, November 30^th

2:00 – 7:00

Refreshments and Drink will be served

15% Discount on Original Watercolors

and 2/$5.00 Lois’ Cards

Hope you can Attend

And Bring a Friend

Happy Halloween, everyone! This piece by Michaela Eaves, The Tooth Fairy, will be winging its way to the shop in the next week or so. The original is watercolor and gouache on heavy hot press cotton paper. Originally started in a workshop, this piece ended up taking about 30 hours to complete.

Monique Kleinhas is featured artist for the month of October!

Monique Kleinhans' “Back Roads” exhibit opens First Friday, Oct 4th Artist’s reception, open to the public on First Friday, October 4th 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Monique's work includes traditional quilts and textile art – realistic and abstract works created with layers of thread and hand-painted fabrics.

Born and raised in the Flathead, Monique spent much of her childhood riding her bike on our valley’s many back roads. Her love of exploration and ability to see beauty everywhere are evident in her latest collection.

“I love the adventure traveling down even a familiar road brings. Every day is full of potential to see something new, or to see something familiar in a new way. Some of my favorite subjects are old barns and abandoned buildings; I want to explore and hear their stories. Montana's history is visible not only in its landscape and geology, but in the old homesteads still standing under the wide open skies.  While the wood and structure of these old buildings decay, the spirit and desire to live off of the land will never die in the hearts of those who see them."

Monique's wall quilts are unique. She uses layers of thread as paint, creating realistic portraits of our gorgeous local landscapes and historic sites. Her three-dimensional art invites viewers to wander into the pieces – either to imagine the possibilities ahead, or to preserve memories of a visit.
And her signature quilted greeting cards are a fun, unique way to send greetings to those you care about.

"Back Roads" will be on display through the month of October. 

An artist reception is scheduled for First Friday, October 4th, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Paint, Metal, and Mud Gallery at 16 First Street, Kalispell. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Featured Artist - RAETTE MEREDITH

KALISPELL’S PAINT, METAL, AND MUD GALLERY features new artist, Raette Meredith


'Off the Hidden Lake Trail' by Raette Meredith

Raette Meredith’s “Glacier Park Series” exhibit opens on September 6th, during the First Friday events in downtown Kalispell. Raette will be at the gallery that evening for an artist’s reception from 5:30 PM until 8:00 PM. Raette will be doing a demonstration painting between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Paint, Metal and Mud, an artist cooperative located in Kalispell features 12 artists’ work. Raette Meredith is the most recent addition to the gallery, where she exhibits vibrant palette knife oil paintings.

In March of 2013 Raette, her husband Robert, three children: Tristan, Alexis and Raechel, three dogs, cat and two fish returned to her husband’s home state of Montana. The open spaces and numerous trails open for exploration that Montana offers inspires Raette more than ever to connect with nature the best way she knows how, by painting.

“I first found satisfaction with creating art when I was a young child. I don’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t drawing or building something. As an adult, I find painting with oils and a palette knife is the most challenging, and has held my attention longer than any other medium. When painting, time stops, I am completely focused on the subject I am painting. This focus keeps me grounded. Painting is not an option for me, it is something that I simply must do to feel complete."



'Avalanche Gorge' by Raette Meredith

"I try to capture the impermanence in nature in my paintings, moving my knife across the canvas in the same manner the subject was formed. As I work through the painting, colors begin to vividly emerge and my eyes become more sensitive to the changes of color in light and shadow. Upon completion of a painting I feel refreshed as if given a new day. It is my hope that the viewer also feels nature’s impermanence, inspiration and refreshment when looking on these paintings."

"Inspiration is everywhere here, no matter which way you look, there is so much to paint and I have never felt more alive as an artist. I finally feel like I have found my home.”

Raette’s most recent series of paintings feature popular views from spectacular Glacier National Park and Going to the Sun Road. The paintings are done with a palette knife and oil paint, are thick with texture, movement and color. She paints both on location and in her home studio. When not painting she enjoys hiking and thinking about the next painting she will be working on. "

Raette's artist's reception on September 6, 2013, will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the gallery, located at 16 First Street, Kalispell. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Montana M stickers!

These stickers have just arrived! Pick them up at the shop for $3 each. They are 6"x4" high quality vinyl stickers can show your Montana pride in all kinds of places -- your car, your fridge, your kayak, your rocket...what, you don't put stickers on your rocket? Well, okay then, but surely you have a friend or relative that's moved from Montana and misses it. Designed by Michaela Eaves! (PS: The actual stickers don't have the artist's name on them -- it's just for internet sharing info.)

Featured Artist: Cheryl Ross Ellingson

Cheryl Ross Ellingson is the featured artist this month at 

Paint, Metal & Mud.  

Cheryl's stoneware and raku jars are showcased in our window 

and in the gallery.  

The stoneware glazes reflect the orange and gold hues found in the Flathead summer sunsets and raku glazes shimmer with green and turquoise hues reflecting in waterways found through our beautiful valley.

 

 

Stop in and meet Cheryl August 7th or 13th from 10 am to 6 pm!

Hey, mudders! Michaela here! I got a great opportunity in Tacoma, Washington to do some live painting at the annual Art on the Ave event. There were about 20,000 people there, and I went in with a 48" x 48' piece of wood that I'd only prepped with a coat of dark purple paint. I didn't even know what I was going to paint! I worked from 11am until 7pm, and here's the painting I came up with. It was so much fun working with people stopping by. The festival organizers were great, and they thoughtfully set up an interactive area right next to mine where kids *and* adults got to do some painting of their own. Genius!

Awards - LOIS STURGIS

"Leaves, Snow and Flagstone" watercolor by Lois Sturgis

Lois Sturgis' painting, "Leaves, Snow and Flagstone" was accepted into the Montana Watercolor Society's "Watermedia 2013" national juried art exhibition.   Because this is Lois' third painting to be accepted into the Watermedia show, she has now qualified at a Montana Watercolor Society "Signature Artist." Congratulations Lois!

The opening reception for "Watermedia 2013" is 5-7pm on Friday, October 5th, at the Bigfork Museum of Art and History located at 525 Electric Avenue in the center of Bigfork Village. The show runs throughout the month of October.

NEW WORK - John Ashley

Stop by the Paint Metal & Mud gallery to see John's newest photograph, "Dream Catcher." In this macro photograph, the early morning dew drops on a delicate spider web refract the image of a nearby sunflower. You can check this one out in person at the gallery, or come see John and Tracy's booth at the Hockaday Museum's "Arts in the Park" this weekend, at Depot Park in downtown Kalispell. Show hours are 9-6 Friday and Saturday, 10-5 on Sunday.

"Dream Catcher" macro photograph by John Ashley

We Have a Winner!

Stephany Westhusin of Louisville, Colorado, is the winner in our "name the photograph" contest. Her suggested title, "Heaven on Earth," was chosen from almost 200 entries originating from at least five different states. Stephany wins a 28" x 9" limited-edition canvas print of the image that finally has a permanent name.

Many thanks to everyone who entered title suggestions. Remember to visit the gallery from time to time, as you never know what entertaining and enlightening treasures you might find. Our next "First Friday" event will be on August 2nd. See you there!

July Artist of the Month

Let's see if you can guess who the Artist-of-the-Month is for July, based on just a few hints. There are 12 artist members so you only get 11 guesses.

This shy fellow's personality began showing up early, and he was reprimanded in kindergarten for mooning his friends on the playground. While in high school he wore a cheerleader outfit in a skit before the entire student body, but he refused to wear blue jeans until after graduation because jeans were just too popular (he always aligns himself with the underdogs). He's got college credit in sailing and bowling, and he once refused to take a mid-term exam as a protest to get a biology professor to teach less rote memorization and more hands-on. It worked, the teacher later thanked him, and he was chosen as "Student of the Year" by the college president.

 

Think you know him?

He has been arrested once, for spearfishing without a license, getting hauled into the judge's chambers at midnight where he pled ignorance (the truth). He escaped with only a small fine due to a lack of fishy evidence. He hit the bull's eye on his first parachute jump, but landed further and further away on each successive jump, soon quitting when it got to be too far to walk back to the airport. This mysterious fellow checked off one of his many bucket list items early on when he flew his hang glider in a thermal above two Turkey Vultures. Camera in hand, he has swum with dolphins and sharks but is still waiting and hoping to meet a cooperative humpback whale.

Any ideas?

He is the only red-headed photographer who has held in his hands a California Condor, Common Loon and Harlequin Duck. At least, the only one he knows of. As a newspaper photographer he has experienced an adult panther leaping into his arms, been chased by a hammer-wielding train worker who apparently didn't want his picture taken, and he has chased after a number of hurricanes and tornadoes. He's photographed governors and presidents, NFL and college football games, beauty queens and the homeless. He once got food poisoning from pork chops served to the press during a Gator Bowl game between Florida and Iowa. He also managed to upset a number of newspaper readers who cancelled their subscriptions after he ran a photo essay on male strippers in the Sunday edition - in the heart of Florida's bible belt.

Give up yet?

This quiet fellow has given presentations on photography and biology to high school and college classes, bird biology lessons to a "superfluity of nuns," and a dazzling Harlequin Duck program to most every Audubon group in western Montana. His work has been published in magazines like American Photographer, American Biology Teacher and National Wildlife but, sadly, he has never seen his face on the cover of the Rolling Stone. He is still waiting to buy five copies for his mother.

If you think you know who the strange boring July Artist-of-the-Month is, then write his name on the back of a $20 bill and deliver it to the Paint Metal & Mud gallery, care of John Ashley. And if you make it to the gallery on Friday July 5th, during the artist's reception from 5-8pm, you can watch this person disappoint literally hundreds of kind people when he picks one winner for his name-the-photograph contest, at 7pm (information in previous post, below).

Name That Photograph!

What name comes to mind when you look at this photograph? Send it to us and you could win a limited-edition print!

John Ashley has a new photograph that's in need of a elegant title. What comes to mind when you look at this breathtaking image? Send your ideas our way via Facebook (click on the logo at right) or email (Ashley@BigSky.net) and you could win a limited-edition 28"x9" canvas print (retail value $155) signed by John! The first person to suggest the winning title claims the canvas print. To keep this manageable, please limit your entries to five per person.

John made the image from a mountain top at dawn last Sunday, after climbing up the prior evening. This view shows the Livingston Mountain Range and North Fork Valley, on the west side of Glacier National Park. At 7pm, John will announce the winner during his Artist's Reception (between 5-8pm) on July 5, 2013, at the Paint Metal & Mud Art Gallery during the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Kalispell.

Linda Sole - Artist of the Month

This Friday, June 8th, is the First Friday Artwalk in downtown Kalispell. And as always, refreshments will be served at the Paint Metal and Mud gallery and gift shop.

Our featured artist for June, Linda Sole, will be on hand from 5-7 p.m. to showcase some of her newest work, featuring unique jewelery pieces for spring and summer.


Mixed metal cuff (left) and silver flowers cuff by PM&M artist of the month, Linda Sole

NEW ARTIST! Please welcome oil painter, Raette Meredith

Join us in welcoming our newest artist, Raette Meredith, to the Paint Metal & Mud family. Raette recently moved to the valley with her husband, son and two daughters, and she's eager to get her palette knives and paints out into western Montana's bounty of beautiful landscapes. Stop by the gallery and say "hi" to Raette, and check out her beautiful paintings.


"I first found satisfaction with creating art when I was a young child. I don’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t drawing or building something. As an adult, I find that painting with oils and a palette knife is the most challenging, and has held my attention longer than any other medium."

"When painting, time stops, I am completely focused on the subject I am painting. This focus keeps me grounded. Painting is not an option for me, it is something that I simply must do."      - Raette Meredith


"Aspens and Spring Grasses" by Raette Meredith (20"x16")

Featured Artist for May: Josh and Mary Inabnit of Montana Rock Creations

Known for their unique and functional rock works, Mary and Josh (and daughters too!) enjoy finding the best pieces of our Montana landscape to create their artworks.
 

 

Stop in to see their candle holders, freestanding lamps, business cards holders, salt and pepper shaker stands, doorbells and even custom door knobs to name a few!

Featured Artist: Lana O'Myer

Featured this month at Paint Metal & Mud is Lana O'Myer.  Her beautiful oil paintings hang in the main room of the gallery, but she is also well loved for her unique Tree Spirit sculptures.  

"I’ve always loved to create things and my usual artistic outlet is oil painting and clay.  I received my first set of oil paints around the age of 12 and was instantly in love.    It was 5^th grade art class where I had my first experience with clay sculpture and the potter’s wheel.  Through the years I’ve gained much knowledge in each medium.  I’ve taken several workshops,  but most of my art education has been self taught through my own trial and error.

I find it incredibly exciting and fulfilling to make something out of nothing.  To have a vision in your head and make it a reality is a wonderful experience. 

I’ve learned through the years that life is what you make of it--your own  personal  artistic creation.  Make your life a great work of art."


We hope you will come visit us during the month of April, so you can see Lana's work (and the work of all our other local artists) first hand.

Lucky Tree Spirit

Legend of the Tree Spirit

15th Century Europeans believed trees maintained good and the most powerful of all spirits. Before entering the forest, they would knock on the trees to wake up the sleeping spirit to protect them. This is where the saying, "knock on wood," originated from. Tree spirits have a great sense of humor, gentle wisdom, and will bring good luck to your home.

Each "Lucky Tree Spirit" is individually sculpted using 100% Montana stoneware clay. Each piece is bisque-fired in a kiln for 16 hours and then a final firing in an outdoor pit with a variety of organic materials. This gives each Tree Spirit it's unique, earthy colors and markings. No two pieces will ever be alike.

Lois Sturgis - March Artist of the Month

Watercolor artist Lois Sturgis is PM&M's artist of the month. Don't miss her reception this evening at the co-op gallery. You can also read about Lois here, in today's local newspaper.

 

 

Did you guess?

The answer to last week's trivia post is none other than our lovely Mary Inabnit! 

Mary (and her husband Josh) have been a great addition to our gallery family, and we're thrilled that the public has enjoyed their rock creations as much as we do!

The designs for their custom door handles and even doorbells never cease to make people in the gallery reach out and place their hands on the beautiful rocks used.

It isn't surprising that the rocks they use are beautiful--they come from our beautiful Flathead Valley, and Josh and Mary have their strict quality control department in their two amazing daughters who love helping picking out just the 'right' ones.