One of a kind finds

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Three artists with widely different skills will be the featured artists at Poulsbo’s Verksted Gallery in April. Make that “wildly” different skills.

Kathy Cotey creates angel pins out of antique silver spoon handles, and quilts, while Dan Spence crafts “Typos,” three-dimensional creatures made from stained glass and old typewriter parts. Verksted Gallery founder Mary Heffner balances these artists with her floral and scenic watercolors and calligraphy.

Cotey has been crafting angel pins for nearly a decade, and gives each one a name that reflects its “unique” personality. She has used the names of her children and other family members as well as biblical names. The latter is particularly appropriate as each pin comes with a Bible verse on a card. Two of her recent designs have been directed toward fighting and surviving cancer.

It’s not the first time her angels have helped a worthy cause. Her “Angel of Hope” pin was adopted by the Kitsap County Chapter of the American Diabetes Association and has been featured at national meetings of the organization.

Spence worked for many years in the exacting — and unforgiving — two-dimensional medium of stained glass before he decided to “step out of the box” and work in three dimensions, incorporating parts from old typewriters to create all kinds of creepy crawlies.

“Assembling the typewriter body is a lot of fun because it often changes as it’s being built,” he said in an artist’s statement. “Certain parts give it a personality or character that I may not have seen at first. That’s why every creature is not the same. They are definitely one of a kind.”

The parts may be unique, but his characters are instantly recognizable. A glass jellyfish dangles tentacles made from coiled wire and ending in typewriter keys; a scorpion sports a return key for a stinger.

Spence said it can be a challenge just finding the materials for his art: “Finding the typewriters is an experience in itself. . . . They’re just not a household item that everyone has anymore.”

Heffner’s work has graced the gallery since she co-founded it in 1987 with Elizabeth Haney.

Heffner returned to her childhood love of art after raising her family. She took art classes at Olympic College and attended whatever workshops she could find. She started with oils, then moved to acrylics and watercolors, which she now does almost exclusively.

In 1983 she started another local arts organization, the Poulsbo Artist League.

She augmented her painting with calligraphy in 1984 and said she has made “tons of posters and flyers.”

“The watercolor medium worked well along with cartooning on my ‘whimsies,’” she said.

The three artists will be at the gallery, 18937 Front St., Poulsbo, from noon to 3 p.m. April 1. Their work is on display through April, as well as the works of other members of the cooperative gallery.

Gallery turns 19

The Verksted Gallery artists are hosting a public 19th birthday party for the gallery April 15, with balloons, clowns, prizes, refreshments and fun. The Verksted Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday.