GALLERY: KAST Showcases Amazing Variety of Local Artists

Each Mother's Day weekend, artists throw open their studio doors during the Kirkland Artists Studio Tour (KAST), and this year as usual it was amazing to see the variety of mediums and styles, from painters to jewelry makers to glass sculptors.

Many artists share a space for the weekend, making it not a true studio tour, but more like an impromptu gallery exhibition. In the spirit of Mother's Day, my mom and sister joined me on the tour that we began at the Kirkland Arts Center (KAC). We picked up a map of all the studio spaces featured around Kirkland, including some as far out as Finn Hill. Most were clustered near the downtown corridor.

Upstairs in the KAC turret room, painter Sue Robertson and jewelry maker Mary Freiburger shared a space to display their work. Robertson, who lives in Edmonds, calls her work "paintings of joy," partly because of the bright colors and patterns she adores using.

"It makes me happy to make this work," she says, and her joy comes through. Images of women with hands raised as if dancing, vessels richly textured, and brilliant color dominate her work.

Other artists, including a printmaker and more painters, displayed their work throughout KAC. On the second floor, several ceramicists showed their collections. One demonstrated a pottery resist technique. Ceramics ranged from functional dinnerware to purely decorative and even humorous, in the case of the "Slug Pub," a dish that when filled with beer becomes a trap for the slimy garden pests.

We strolled through Gallery Wine, taking in the stained glass flowers, large scale paintings and recycled bottle chandeliers before driving up to a small house where Allied Seahorse studio filled the open garage. Again, there was a combination of jewelry, ceramics and paintings. Artist Nina O'Neil's landscapes had the feel of a lively van Gogh, brushstrokes dancing across the canvas.

Downtown, studios gave way to galleries participating in KAST. Parklane Gallery is currently hosting a miniatures show. Hundreds of tiny, meticulously created paintings and drawings covered the gallery walls. Some were so impressively detailed that it was hard to fathom the size of brush or one's patience that the work demanded.

In front of , an artist had set up her easel to capture the fountain on canvas. Inside, artist Lynn Geib demonstrated her technique using pastels to create bright floral compositions. Several other mother/daughter pairs seemed to be enjoying the surprisingly pleasant afternoon together.

As we rested on a bench, we three women decided that KAST was a perfectly lovely way to spend Mother's Day; enjoying beauty, innovation and good company.

Please enjoy the tour as well in the photo gallery here.