the whole equals more

'Birds of a Feather'  11x15" linocut;  Kathleen Faulkner

Skagit Women Print
"The purpose of this project is to generate a suite of prints created by these women responding to the experience of living and creating here. In Skagit Valley, it is easy to be seduced by the incredible beauty, and overlook the intrusions of how human habitation has manipulated that beauty to suit our needs. In a part wild, part artificial landscape, the temptation is to put blinders on and only see the blue heron in flight, while ignoring the diked and dammed river. We love Skagit Valley, both the wild and the man made. This suite of prints will explore those contradictions and complex pressures through the eyes of women who live here."   Natalie Niblack

August of last year found Natalie Niblack conspiring with Jules Faye to produce a collaborative suite of prints by women artists living in Skagit Valley.  At that time,  the artists were invited to participate in this project.
Meetings were held at the beautiful Harmony Fields in the midst of the Magic Skagit.  Such a beautiful destination added to the enjoyment and inspiration of it all.
We were instructed to create an edition of 25 prints.  18 of these to be distributed among the participants so, in the end, we'd each head home with our own suite of prints.  Number one of the edition would be framed for shows.  The remaining 6 suites would be for sale.  Since we all worked independently we didn't see the other work until the last meeting.

They say that the whole equals more than the sum of it's parts. This is especially true in that each and every print is strong and can hold it's own.  We worked well as a group and the artwork created shows that.  It's going to be a great show!

The work will be on view at Anchor Art Space in Anacortes, Washington from July 11th through August 10th, 2014 and Shoreline Community College Art Gallery in Shoreline, Washington from January 5th through January 30th, 2015.  

The participants include:  Natalie Niblack, Jules Faye, Kris Molesworth, Heidi Epstein, Kathryn Glowen, Jean Behnke, Twila Tate, Theo Jonnson, Ann Reid,  Eve Deisher,  Jane Alynn, Jessica Gigot, Ellen Michael, Nicolette Harrington, Sue Roberts, Kristin Theiss, Stella Spring and myself. 

Natalie Nyblack and Ann Reid laying their editions;
photo: Kathleen Faulkner

Nicolette Harrington and Kristen Theis
laying their prints.  Natalie, Theo Jonnson
and Eve Deisher observing;
photo: Kathleen Faulkner

from left to right:  Theo, Kristen, Natalie, Nicolette, Eve and Jean
Behnke;   photo: Kathleen Faulkner

Skagit Women Artists
left to right:  Kathryn Glowen, Jane Alynn, Stella Spring, Sue Roberts,
Heidi Epstein, Kris Molesworth, Theo Jonnson, Nicolette Harrington,
Jules Faye, Jean Behnke, Natalie Niblack, Eve Deisher, Anne Reid,
Kristen Theiss, Jessica Gigot,  Ellen Michael and Twila Tate;
photo:  Kathleen Faulkner