Author: Joanne Dence

Categories
Celebration of Artists

Rose Bradley Watercolor Artist

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the “Scenes of Michigan”, Winter Art Exhibition. All new watercolor, oil, pastels, and woodcuts, by a variety of local artists are now being exhibited and are for sale in the gallery.

Meet this week’s featured artist, Rose Bradley. Rose is a life-long Michigander who has been painting her light-filled watercolors for over 20 years. Her work can be seen in shows throughout the State. She is a member of multiple local painter’s guilds.

We are thrilled to have two of Rose’s watercolors titled, “Snowbirds” and “Gulls Aflutter”.

Snowbirds – The Dark Eyed Junco enjoys Michigan winters. Michiganders will often see these birds at their feeders in a beautiful backdrop of snow.

Gulls Aflutter – Herring Gulls can be found all throughout the Great Lakes. Rose captures the graceful dance of these birds on a sandy Lake Michigan beach.

  • Snowbirds
  • Gulls Aflutter

Relax, Renew, Refocus

How can the meditative practices of Art and Sound create a space for you to unwind, refocus, and become an integral part of your journey to good health in 2022.

What are the benefits of Sound and Art:

Sound – Relaxation and meditative states have been shown to increase the threshold for emotional response. Like other kinds of meditation, Sound Therapy can help us be more internally aware and more present in the moment allowing us to connect with our surroundings.

Art – Self-expression through art can relieve stress and boost overall happiness in other aspects of our lives. It stimulates thought as one draws on their own emotions. The sense of sight and touch are stimulated and active in the creative process.

Join Whitepine Studios and 7 Notes Natural Health on Saturday, January 22 for an evening of Art and Sound!

Categories
Celebration of Artists

Featured Artist

Kaili Dence is Whitepine Studios Creative Director. Kaili  was born in Utah but Saline has been her home for the past 18 years. She began drawing and painting at an early age and always knew she would be an artist. The focus on technique demonstrated in classical art led her to develop a realistic style in her work. She often gains inspiration from the natural beauty she observes in nature, people and animals both large and small. She earned a BFA, with a concentration in painting and drawing, from the University of Michigan and studied figure drawing and fresco painting at SACI College of Art and Design in Florence, Italy. Some of her favorite mediums are oil and watercolor paint, colored pencils and charcoal. She loves sharing her passion for the arts, exploring new mediums and styles and helping her students grow as artists and creative thinkers.

Kaili’s animal portrait series is created with charcoal on toned paper. She uses colored pencil to selectively highlight her pieces. Kaili shares “I love working with charcoal as it allows me to create with the precision that defines my animal compositions. This medium allows me to explore a range of values and mark making.

Kaili can be commissioned for pet portraits in this medium or in oil.

Husky
Cougar – SOLD
Eagle Owl
Wolverine Go Blue – SOLD

               

Categories
Celebration of Artists

Art as an Investment?

Why Invest in Original Art.  Is it Worth It?

Have you ever fallen in love with a piece of artwork at a gallery and wondered why the piece is so expensive? Here’s why original art is absolutely worth the higher cost. 

Artists are influenced by the the local culture and colors of the region. The art they create will often reflect the region in which they live. Their artwork is one of a kind, made by the hand of the artist. You will not find it in another home or gallery. There is a connection to the artistic process and the artist’s inspiration. The original expresses the colors the artist chose versus a print where the original colors may be compromised. You can observe the brushwork and textures and subtleties not visible on a print. The original gives you the full visual experience that the artist labored over for many hours. Your purchase supports the arts. Artists need you to observe, interact, and buy their work so they can continue to produce magnificent art. 

Stop by the gallery and see the beautiful work of local artists. Let’s support our local art community!

Opening Art Exhibition – Saline Painters Guild
Categories
Studio Events

Grand Opening

We continue planning and working toward the Grand Opening of our studio in downtown Saline, MI on Thursday, July 15th.

We are excited to announce our first featured artist will be Hellen Bennett, a local watercolor artist. Hellen’s creative inspiration comes from her adventures in far-off destinations, as well as her surroundings in and around her “up North ” cabin. Helen takes pleasure in spending time in nature. Her work is inspired by the beauty of flora and fauna found in colorful and natural landscapes. Her beautiful, expressive watercolor paintings explore the visual elements of both representational and organic shapes, color, texture, and lighting. Meet and greet Hellen at the opening; her artwork will be exhibited and for sale at the studio.

We value unique, talented, and creative individuals and we hope our Featured Artist Program will provide both emerging and established artists a higher profile in their communities driving future sales for their business.

Categories
Holidays

World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day seeks to inform the public about the impact of human activity on the ocean. In the past 30 years, more than 20 million bottle caps have been collected during beach cleaning activities. These caps degrade very slowly and are a danger to sea life who mistake them for food. Whitepine Studios offers workshops for young children that transform them into socially engaged artists. They learn the importance of conservation and use recycled materials to create unique works of art.

Categories
Studio Events

Homeschooling and the Arts

As a former educator, Whitepine’s Managing Director enjoyed the opportunity to homeschool her children for a few years. Her youngest was a budding artist. Art workshops offered to students outside their home was a wonderful resource and learning experience for her daughter who is now the Creative Director and co-owner of Whitepine Studios!

Whitepine Studios will offer children an opportunity to explore, experiment, collaborate and experience the visual arts by enrolling in studio workshops. Our goal is to provide your child with a quality art education.

For younger students, we adhere to process art that is child-directed and celebrates the experience of discovery. The final artwork is always unique and there is no outside the lines or inside the lines. Classes are organized by age groups with targeted goals for development in the visual arts. Content is developed to encourage creativity, problem solving and social skills. We seek to build confidence in a supportive and fun environment.

Contact our studio for more information about our upcoming workshops.

Categories
Holidays

Memorial Day

We remember and honor all of the brave men and women of the military who have given their lives to serve and protect the United States of America.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
Categories
Celebration of Artists

Happy Birthday Dali!

Salvador Dali was born on May 11, 1904, and remains one of the most famous surrealists. His paintings, sculptures and films were inspired by his dreams. Surrealism was an art movement that tapped into the unconscious mind. One type of surrealism combined reality with dream-like images. Artists like Dali combined subjects that would you would not expect to be together as can be observed in one of his most famous works, Persistence of Memory. Melting clocks, a monstrous face, and red ants on a gold watch are juxtaposed with the realistic images of the sea and cliffs in the background. Another type of surrealism focuses on the spontaneity of creation without the need for conscious reasoning. With randomness and intuition, Hans (Jean) Arp, a fellow surrealist, created organic abstract paintings. We offer a workshop for middle school and high school students called Arp and Intuition. Students will create an abstract piece of art by chance and intuition! Happy Birthday Salvador Dali and thank you for your contributions to the Surrealism Movement and its continued influence on Modern Surrealism.

  • Persistence of Memory
  • Arp – Intuition and Art
Categories
Holidays

Earth Day 2021

Whitepine Studios marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. Our Creative Director Kaili, was raised in the mountains of Utah and gained an early appreciation for wildlife and natural habitats. In her senior year of college her final project and thesis focused on de-extinction, the process of generating species that resemble extinct animals. She spent several months painting three 7 foot by 7 foot oil paintings. The triptych lays out a compelling visual narrative that returns us back to a place in the past where mammoths freely roamed in pristine landscapes, to present day zoos that seek to reproduce endangered species in captive unnatural environments, to her view of a future dystopian landscape resulting from limited conservation resources being redirected to an unpredictable, unproven science. It is primarily painted in the style of realism but employs elements of fantasy and symbolism. She used a variety of tools which allowed her to create interesting textures. Her intention was to inspire individuals to become engaged conservation stakeholders and to help save precious wildlife before they become extinct. What will you do to make our world a healthier, cleaner, happier place to live for future generations to come?

  • The Past
  • The Present