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Artist Spotlight

Artist Sportlight - Ken Lundemo

Getting acquainted with Ken reminds me of taking the rind off of a weathered rock. The beautiful colors and delightful patterns that emerge are similar to the depth and breadth of his training and interests, and his work speaks for itself.

 

LE: Who are you?

KL: I’m a native here in the Puget Sound area, raised and educated in Bremerton and Tacoma. Learned to fish salmon when I was 4 years old and have had the disease ever since. Art came a few years later. Joined the Navy in 1951 and married my wife Inez on boot leave when I was 20. Got out in 1955 and went back to school on the GI Bill, taking a commercial art oriented program, but concentrated on sculpture. I went to school half time for eight years while working as a lineman for Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co. Inez pretty well raised our son Patrick and daughter Katrine by herself as I was at work or school most of the time. I can’t give her enough credit for the support she gave me. We celebrated our 53rd this year. I don’t know how she put up with me this long.

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Artist Sportlight - Ken Barnes

Ken presents an interesting story of an unexpected entry into the world of art and sculpture. He’s paid close attention to his teachers and has sought out special instructional opportunities to become a productive artist. Along the way, he has volunteered his time on the board of NWSSA and currently serves as our president.

 

LE: To begin, Ken, briefly introduce your self.

KB: I live in Seattle with my wife Adele (a painter) and four cats. I started experimenting in stone about 8 years ago, and was introduced to NWSSA about 7 years ago. I first called myself an artist about 5 years ago.

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Artist Spotlight - Jim Heltsley

Jim could be a “poster child” for the NWSSA symposia and workshops. After acquiring an extensive background in art and graphics, his life has been transformed since he attended his first workshop. He is now a successful and prolific sculptor and a vital member of NWSSA.

 

LE: Briefly introduce yourself and your artistic training.

JH: I am a forty-seven year old Seattle native who is trying to balance my desire to create art with the challenges of everyday life.

 

As far back as memory serves me, art has been a part of my life. In grade school through high school, I was always making drawings for people – from doodles to elaborate pen and ink pieces. Sculpture always fascinated me, but being practical, I turned more towards the craft end of art – making bowls and lamps on the lathe. Later, I made stained glass windows and designed and had fabricated a series of high end lamps constructed out of acrylics, steel and stone.

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Artist Sportlight - Tone Orvik

For years the NWSSA has benefited from our wonderful gift from Norway. Tone’s zest for life has been invigorating our gatherings, large and small, and her willingness to explore new boundaries has been inspirational. Here, she tells us about her interesting background and exciting  work.


LE: To “break the ice,” tell us a little bit about your background.

TO: I grew up in Norway, which is almost all granite and where carving has a strong and long tradition. There are public sculptures on every other street corner; children get to sit in bronze laps and ride fairytale bears. My favorite sculpture park as a child was the Gustav Vigeland Park in Oslo where I climbed around the old, naked granite-people and wondered at the conversation they seemed to be having, and why some of them were so silent. I traveled a lot, being fortunate to grow up in Europe at a time when you could just hop on a train and find yourself eating ice cream in Florence two days later. I got steeped in the European traditions, and the arts, history and cultures have never stopped inspiring me. It’s always at the back of my eyes. Even if we don’t possess the skills of the people who worked in previous centuries, we may have reached the point of clarity, simplicity, to where we allow ourselves to work towards essence and not conventional images.

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Artist Sportlight - Pasha Stinton

As is true for many of our members, “late bloomer” may be applied to Pasha Stinson. Following one career, he applied his energies to sculpture in a very conscientious fashion. His training began with one of our members and has extended to the international realm. The result has been a steady production of beautiful pieces.


LE: Who are you?

PS: Growing up in southern Oregon as the oldest of seven children in a blue-collar family where practical skills were valued necessities, a career in civil engineering was a logical choice. I put myself through Oregon State University by holding down jobs in logging and construction in Oregon, California and Alaska.

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Artist Sportlight - Jan Brown

Jan is a broadly-trained and multi-talented artist, and NWSSA has been most fortunate to have her as a member, teacher, and board member over many years. Her varied contributions have added a great deal to the vitality of the organization. Now, we get a chance to learn about her interesting life.


LE: By way of introduction, was there a key experience in your life that influenced your direction in art?

JB: Before I turned four, my younger sister and I, after losing both our parents in a boating accident, went to live with our grandparents who raised us. Looking back, I realize I found great comfort as well as recognition in my art endeavors which I continued to develop, starting with drawing and painting and soon getting into three dimensional work with clay, which was my favorite.

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