Sammamish Arts Fair to feature 32 artists, variety of mediums

Sammamish is bursting at the seams with talented artists.

Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, 32 artists will showcase their talents at the Fifth Annual Sammamish Arts Fair at Sammamish City Hall.

Some of the artists will be doing demonstrations and all of the art shown is available for sale, so you can start your early Christmas shopping.

Although the event is sponsored by the City of Sammamish, the show is put together entirely by the artists. Expect to see jewelry, oil and watercolor paintings, ceramic art, photography and more.

Janet Gadallah, a 10-year resident of Sammamish, will be showing her ceramics for the second year in a row. All of her work is created on porcelain tiles, which she makes. Gadallah said she has been working with ceramic for 15 years, converting her two-car garage into a studio.

"Everything is handmade," Gadallah said. "I use a slab roller which allows me to roll out slabs of clay."

She said she does a great deal of press work, for example using leaves to create a form.

"You press it in and have an outline," she said. "If you use a celadon glaze it shows the entire pattern."

At the show Gadallah will have dog leash holders depicting various breeds available, along with key holders, Christmas ornaments and fired ceramic boxes for sale, at price points between $5 to $35. Her online gallery is at www.jlgpottery.com. Gadallah also does custom tile installations.

For glass artist Paula Wickersham, this is her first show of her glass art. A nine-year resident of Sammamish, she started by learning to make lampwork beads, which evolved into her interest in making more functional items such as sushi plates and large platters.

"I've had creative pursuits all along," Wickersham said.

Although relatively new at glass art, she started drawing and painting as a child, and has been a free-lance photographer and writer. She was drawn to glass by living in the Northwest and being inspired by the plethora of glass artists who thrive here.

At the show, her smaller pieces will be in the $25 range, while some of the larger pieces are in the $300 - $350 range.

Betsy Dahlstrom has been painting with watercolors since she was nine. With a degree in art from the University of Tennessee, she had her first show was when she was in graduate school. She and her husband moved to Issaquah from Atlanta four years ago. This is her second year at the Sammamish Arts Fair.

"It's a great show, focused on the artists and the art," Dahlstrom said.

Most of the work she'll be showing will be framed. Prices will range from $100 to $200 for unframed paintings, up to $900 framed. She also will have some limited edition prints available, at a lower price point. Her subject matter ranges from landscapes, animals and some people.

"I do quite a wide range of subject matter, mostly in series," she said.

Artist Carol Ross, a 30-year resident of Sammamish, uses a medium called encaustic painting. Ross also served on the Sammamish Arts Commission for three years.

"Encaustic painting is an ancient method of painting using wax mixed with damar resin to increase its melting point," Ross said. "Encaustic means using 'heat or flame' in Latin. I paint with oil, coat with wax, fuse the wax with a torch, paint some more layers and fuse again and rub in oil paint as a finish with carving as the last step."

She said it is very time consuming, but rewarding with the texture and translucency of the wax.

Admission and parking are free and the fair will be held inside. Live music and light refreshments will be available.

Sammamish City Hall is located at the intersection of 228th Avenue Southeast and Southeast Eighth Street.

 

Linda Ball can be reached at 206-232-1215 ext. 5052.

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