Dave Somers is an artist who creates beautiful clay engravings from his original sketches and photographs. He does this using a computer, Adobe Photoshop software, and a laser cutter. His engravings can be seen at local craft fairs and at Artworks Gallery in Langley, WA. Dave loves to share the lengthy process he goes through to create his unique works of art.
 
Dave Describes his Process
After I choose the photo I want to engrave, I use various tools in Adobe Photoshop and Topaz Photo to strip the image of color and unwanted details that do not work well when engraving. The result is a simple black-and-white image. Then I use a variety of tools to further refine the image to a black-and-white line drawing suitable for my engraving process. This editing stage requires the most time and effort in the whole creative process.
 
Once I have the image as I want it, I take it to my big CO2 laser cutter and use the laser to recreate the line art on a commercial product called Claybord. The laser ablates (removes) the thin layer of Kaolin Clay on the top of the board, exposing the dark Masonite layer below. Watching it run is quite boring, like watching a slow dot matrix printer in operation, but the machine requires constant monitoring. A 12” x 16” engraving takes about 5 or 6 hours to run, followed by cleaning and drying, and, if appropriate, painting. Lastly, I make a custom float frame.

Last year, Dave brought an engraved clay piece called “White Raven” to hang at Artworks Gallery, which has since attracted considerable interest. Created from an image he captured of a large leucistic raven, it shows a great deal of detail in this unusual bird.​

Because the photographs were low resolution with a soft focus, I almost did not work with either photo. But the images were compelling to me, so I came back to them. After producing the image of the single white raven, I decided to tackle the pair perched together. This image was the hardest to work with because of the huge contrast between their coloring and the background. It took multiple editing attempts for me to get a good representation of the black and white ravens together.
 
Working with the Photograph to Produce a Usable Image
Because they were positioned in front of a tree trunk, the separation of the black raven from the background was a challenge for Dave. He abandoned fussing with the image and used Adobe Photoshop to eliminate the background entirely, leaving it white.  Then he dealt with the soft focus and low resolution of the image to get details from the black raven’s feathers. He says, “The huge contrast between the two birds just never came out right.  The black raven always came out as mud.”

Final Clay Engraving - Leucistic and Black Ravens

Please come to Artworks Gallery to see Dave Somers’ engraved images! Please feel free to touch them. They are engraved in clay, and the surface has been coated with an artist’s fixative, which provides an acrylic coating. You won’t hurt the images. Dave shares, “I even had a little child who left some chocolate prints on an image, and the parents were horrified until I showed that I could easily wipe them off with no harm. Please touch them. Some of the engravings have a lot of relief to them and are very tactile.”
 
For Dave Somers, the creation of a clay engraving is an evolutionary process that takes place during many stages: the initial sketch or photograph, the inspiration that motivates him to see this work engraved in clay, considering and working out the details of the composition within the Photoshop software, trying different techniques as he described, utilizing the Photoshop layers, and finally reaching a created image that satisfies his senses and perception of beauty. Dave states: “This process is why I tell interested people that often the engraved image has no bearing on the original photo.  It is a long process and takes a lot to go from the photo to something that comes out well on the Claybord. Thanks for your interest in my process. Feel free to ask any questions or come by my shop in Honeymoon Lake to see how the laser works."

Contact Dave: Email: dave@turnedwooddesign.com or Phone: 805-751-9663
 
Curious about Albinism and Leucism in the Animal World?
A white creature like this raven is known as leucistic rather than as an albino. They are not common, and Dave shares that albinos and leucistic animals typically don't survive long because they are often not accepted by their extended families and flocks. Furthermore, they lack natural camouflage and can be more easily seen by predators. However, this one seems to have done well and perhaps found a mate in the black raven.
 
Both leucism and albinism are inherited conditions, and both are rare. You can tell an albino because its eyes and other exposed skin will be pink. The pink is due to the skin or eyes being transparent. The color of the blood vessels shows through, making the tissue look pink. They lack the pigments and melanin that would normally give them color. Leucistic animals only partially miss the pigments and melanin, so they are truly white rather than transparent. Their eyes and skin have pigment, so you don't see the color of their blood vessels showing like you would with an albino. And leucistic animals may not be completely white; they can have patches of white or lighter areas of fur, skin, or feathers. Also interesting is that humans can be albinos, but they are never leucistic.

Birdtober is a month-long art challenge that has occurred every October since 2019, sponsored by the Andrea Holmes Art Studio online at aholmesartstudio.com/birdtober, and inspired by the original "Inktober." Participants create a piece of art - drawing, painting, digital art, or another medium - for each day of the month, based on a daily bird prompt. The goal is to practice creativity, improve art habits, and learn about different bird species.

​Sarah describes her process and experience: “Each day in October, I painted a bird based on the prompts. On some days, I painted multiple birds because I fell behind. It was a challenge balancing the research of all the bird species, most of which I'd never heard of, with the need to make time to paint each one. Once, I got so far behind that I had to paint 6 birds in one day! I’m sending out a big thank you to @aholmesartstudio for the list of prompts for #birdtober2025!”

Each bird is painted as a 5" x 7” card on watercolor paper, using @winsorandnewton Cotman paints and @danielsmithartistsmaterials black squirrel brushes. The cards with envelopes are for sale at Artworks Gallery in Langley for $20 each. Sarah also does commissions, and if you are interested in a specific bird species, you can reach Sarah through this website's Contact Page.

​Sarah also created prints of her bird watercolors and compiled them into a Bird Box. Each box contains 31 bird cards, sized at 4.25” x 5.5”, printed on 110# acid-free cardstock with archival inks, and includes envelopes and a little sheet with info about each bird for $90. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from each box set sold will be donated to the Audubon Society in appreciation for the inspiration and reference material.

​Come into Artworks Gallery to see Sarah’s charming collection of watercolor birds, or contact the gallery to order a card, Bird Box, or to request a commission!

​Many years ago, I had a profound experience that truly changed my life. While I was sitting in my room meditating, sun rays bathing me with light and my eyes in soft focus, I was suddenly transported. I experienced my consciousness looking down upon this planet Earth. I could see and feel the struggle and pain of every single person on this journey through life here.
 
Then my heart broke. It broke open with love and compassion for all of humanity. In that moment, I knew without any doubt that I was One with every soul on this planet. 
 
Each heart affecting all other hearts, each life affecting all other lives.  We are One…One Heart, One Soul, One Life, One Consciousness. I saw that our Heart is a pathway to opening and connecting to our One Soul. This awareness truly changed my outlook on life.
 
When I learned that there is a star-birthing area in the constellation Cassiopeia, wherein lie the Heart and Soul Nebula, I knew exactly what my artistic vision would be: A spirit in meditation experiencing that birth of star light. As Joni Mitchell wrote, “We are star dust, we are golden.” This is who we truly are. One Heart, One Soul, One Life, One Consciousness. 

The Heart and Soul Nebula is a vast star-forming region in the constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 7500 light years from Earth. The meditating Buddha figure is symbolic of peace, compassion and the search for enlightenment. The combination of the meditating Buddha figure and the Heart and Soul Nebula symbolizes enlightenment through the birthing of stars. As we open our hearts and connect with our eternal souls, we can be a conduit for manifesting light, love, compassion, and understanding.

​Recently a stranger came into the gallery and asked if anybody would be interested in monkey puzzle. I was. Here is what I did with one piece.

​Monkey Puzzle has nasty spiked leaves and copious sticky sap, but the branches are on a circle around the trunk and turn up a nice contrasting red color. To highlight the circle of knots, the wood is turned with the pith or center of the tree running vertical. For a change I decided to make a vase.

​5. I don't have the patience for deep end grain hollowing so I cut the top off. ​

See more of Jim's artistry on his Artist Page here.
Contact Jim: morshort@comcast.net - ​360-969-3044

​Sarah Silverman-Pucci is an “Artist and Illustrator of the Scientific and Fanciful.” Here she shares with us her process for creating her paintings of highly detailed flora and animated animals.
 
For the ecosystem pieces Puget Sound, Arctic Circle, Amazon, and the 3 for Africa, I was commissioned to illustrate a children's book on ecosystems of the world and the animals that inhabit them. The book was not published, but I kept the art and have considered publishing it on my own. These are the steps for all 6 ecosystem pieces, but the photos specifically shown are for the "Sahara” (Desert) piece which is the left side of the Africa panorama.

​Step 3
I used tracing paper to refine the line art and anatomy of the animals. I also started adding more, relying heavily on my reference materials. In those days, I had several fabulous animal encyclopedias to utilize. This was long before Google and Wikipedia were common resources.

​Step 4
I blew that image up to the final size of 8.5x15.5" (my printer at the time could print up to 13" wide so being able to print on 11x17" sheets of paper was very helpful for this process).

​Step 6
I scanned the last image in and printed it in sepia tone, doing adjustments. Then I was able to print directly onto the watercolor paper with oil/dye-based inks and paint directly onto the line art.

​Step 7
I didn't take photos of my work in progress for the Africa pieces, so this image shows the progress on the Arctic piece. To finish the paintings, I brought them and my travel palette to my daily job and worked on them during my lunch hour. I started with basic washes, gradually building up color. Eventually I used blue masking fluid to block off areas I didn't want paint on. I used painter's tape for large areas. Cutting the tape to size and shape by scoring the paper was a challenge. Once I was happy with the color of those areas, I removed the masking and continued by building up layers, colors, and textures in the watercolor. Sometimes I would take a stiff brush and use water to scumble or scrub out highlights. I know that traditional watercolor is about saving the white of the paper, but I used that technique as well as white gouache and acrylic paint to add highlights. The best part was always pulling the tape off the pieces to expose the clean white edge. For the Arctic piece I did a digitally painted one as well.

I still use many of these techniques in my other watercolors, though they are much less intensive. I like the clean lines and the negative space of a simple background, which can be seen in my botanical pieces. I'm very inspired by the traditional style of 18th and 19th century naturalists in the way they draw and paint plants and animals. Sometimes I add the scientific name and common name of the species. When I paint plants, I always add a water drop (or a few) since I feel that adds realism. It's also kind of become "my thing."

For the lilies, I relied heavily on my reference photo, which was of a 6-foot-tall lily, a volunteer in my husband's garden. I sketched the line art directly on the sheet of watercolor paper and then pressed a kneaded eraser to it to lighten the lines. Then I did a simple loose wash of blue to represent the sky. After that, I built up layers of green for the stems. and leaves, starting lighter first. I also did some scumbling out of the highlights using yellow to add brightness and adding purple and brown to the shadows. At this point it almost looked as though I was painting white lilies. Adding the pink was fun as it's a color I seldom use. Using reds, violets, and bits of brown, I built up the layers and tried to give each petal dimension. Lastly, I scumbled out little circles for the water drops, using white paint for the highlights. ​

See the finished products on Sarah’s Artist Page.
Sarah Silverman-Pucci
@s.s.pucci_creative
sarahs2748@gmail.com

Spring is such an enlivening time of year! Observing and photographing wildlife in the Spring is especially fun and heart-warming with animal parents caring for their adorable young. I’m sharing three series of photographs from my springtime experiences on and around Whidbey Island. 

This sweet fawn was born on April 28th in my backyard on Whidbey Island and the photographs show its first wobbly steps and the doting care of its beautiful mother. Whidbey has a healthy population of Blacktail Deer, and they add to the sense of tranquility on this wonderful island.
These images can be ordered as prints or cards through Artworks Gallery.

​Tufted Puffins can be seen in the waters around these islands beginning in June. They come to breed and build their nests in burrows dug up to 5’ deep into the cliffsides. They hatch their eggs and raise their young, teaching them to swim and fish, during the summer. Then they are off to spend the rest of the year living at sea in the Pacific Ocean. The young birds return to land only when they are 3 years old to breed on the nesting cliff where they hatched.
“Here’s Looking at You” and “Stretching Wings” are available as 12” x 8” prints on canvas through Artworks Gallery or the online store.

​Decades ago, San Juan Island imported Red Foxes to help control the wild rabbit population on the island. They have thrived due to the abundant food supply and lack of predators. When the kits are born in the spring, they are a joy to behold!
The series of 10 images is available as a set of boxed cards. The print “Beautiful Vixen” is available as an 18” x 12” print on metal through Artworks Gallery or the online store.

​I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I started drawing in pencil as a very young child. I began painting over 40 years ago. Many people see me as an extrovert, but I love solitude.
 
As an intuitive painter, I delight in making abstract marks.  When creating, my aim is to convey a visual language to speak directly to the viewer's heart abstractly with passion, feeling, and respect. I enjoy sharing my point of view and expressing myself, and the way I view the world, through my art.
​

​The Diversity series has been the longest-running series of my career.  I started the series in the fall of 2017 when our country, it seemed, was falling apart, and tolerance was at an all-time low.  Being a daughter of an immigrant father from Sicily, Italy, the series was my attempt to express my personal perspective on the definition and the many nuances of the word "Diversity" using abstract visuals.  

Nancy Frances is a working artist who lives in a 100-year-old farmhouse on Whidbey Island. She spends most of her time writing, painting and spending time in her garden.  She enjoys working in all mediums, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, graphite, paper, and canvas.

​Emails: nancy@nfrancesart.com
Instagram: @nfrancesart 

This new glass passion came about by accident! People give me glass windows, shelves, and doors to use as up recycled raw material. A couple of years ago I had a piece of glass that I planned to use to create a bird bath. As I tried to cut the glass, it shattered into tiny bits. This is when I discovered it was tempered glass, also known as safety glass. Tempered glass is made by progressively heating and flash-cooling glass to create inner stresses. This allows the glass, if broken, to break into little pieces rather than long, sharp shards.
As I was sweeping up the shattered pieces, I realized the glass had an amazingly beautiful ice blue/aqua color when the small pieces were grouped together. I knew I had to find a way to use this beautiful substance. Always mindful of the transparent nature of raw glass, I thought a lamp might be the perfect design. However I faced a problem: How could I stick together these tiny glass pieces to form the large piece I imagined? In the kiln, glass starts to adhere to itself when fired to 1200 degrees. The heat softens the surface of the glass in order to fuse it together. In the case of my lamps, fusing the glass in the kiln would make a big blob as the edges softened and rounded. So I started experimenting with alternate “cold fusion” methods to preserve the beautiful crystalline appearance of the shattered glass. I tried various art mediums and glues until I finally settled on an epoxy resin for the best results.
The initial process is like the sand candles many of us have made, by using gravity to create the piece upside down. After the glass window or door has been cleaned and shattered, I collect the pieces in a large container. Prepared epoxy resin is then poured into the bucket and gravity takes over, creating various spires and shapes. The size and design of the lamp is influenced by both the preparation and the pouring method of the epoxy into the broken glass. After hardening, the lamp is lifted out of the bucket and its shape is further refined by hand sculpting. After the shape is sculpted and the sharpest pieces are removed, the lamp gets an extra layer of the resin to protect against glass cuts. The larger pieces become lamps and the smaller ones become candle holders. The finished products look like little crystal glaciers. The natural glass color ranges from very pale turquoise to darker blue-green, depending on the manufacturing formula of the original glass. I primarily work with this natural color because it’s so beautiful but can happily make customized colors. The turquoise lamp is the natural color, and the gold lamp has added color.
~ Morgan Bell

I woke up this morning wondering about the nature of art, and making art. After a cup litre of coffee, I felt better, but still wondered, so I warmed up my Google and went looking. It appears that humans are not the only creators of interesting things.

First up: The BBC (Who else?) diverted my attention to the male Vogelkop Gardener bowerbird, who builds decorated structures with the intention of luring an attractive female into…nest. (This is a plan I understand wholeheartedly, as I’ve used it myself…just not with bowerbirds). The resultant “bower” is a decorated structure make of local ‘found’ materials such as shells, moss, acorns, and attractive rocks. It has been observed that the individual bowerbirds show very individual taste in these constructions, that some would defined as “style”.

Next: There are chimpanzees who have been given the opportunity to play with pencils, and have used the opportunity to create objects of interest. As humanity’s closest relative living in the wild, in captivity some of these animals have graduated to the use of paint and paintbrushes, with results that have been exhibited at facilities like London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts. (That exposure is far more avant garde and prestigious than anything I can claim, other than display at our gallery.)

Also of interest are the painted creations of elephants. I guess it is not wildly surprising that elephants, which are fairly intelligent and have significant social and emotional ties to others in their societies, could display creativity in 2D mediums, as they have shown creativity in problem solving in their everyday lives in the wild. However, elephants that paint have only been observed making their art in situations of captivity. (Perhaps good quality paints and brushes with long handles are hard to find in the savannah, not to mention stretched canvasses on sturdy easels.)

Cows!! This was a surprise to me. I knew that cattle ranchers (I have relatives in that business in spite of the unlikelihood of that fact) place salt blocks out for the cattle to supplement their diets. (New book coming this fall: “The Guernsey 7 day diet plan.”) Apparently the cows (or goats, or deer, or other bovines) are inclined to lick the salt blocks into shapes that are considered pleasing by many. In fact, a man named Whit Deschner has gone so far as to initiate “The Great Salt Lick Contest” where all the entered exhibits are blocks of salt that have been attractively licked by cows. Having said that, I’ve watched my wife work over a Dairy Queen medium swirl ice cream cone in some very interesting ways…  And…there is even a town named “Salt Lick” in Kentucky. The downside of this art form, is that many of the artists end up…eaten. (It may be that the salt enhances their flavor…as a result I will now be avoiding Cheetos for the rest of my life.)