BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:395@whatcomartcenter.org DTSTART:20260516T180000Z DTEND:20260518T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260508T235955Z URL:https://whatcomartcenter.org/events/whatcom-artist-studio-tour-spring- show/ SUMMARY:Whatcom Artist Studio Tour - Spring Show DESCRIPTION:Eight amazing local female artists - Anita Merina\, Ceci Lopez\ , Deborah Dole\, Holly Zwolinski\, Kathleen Ball\, Kimberly Wiles\, Roxann e Michael and Sierra James will be showing their art and demonstrating the ir process at the Whatcom Art Center this Spring on the 16th and 17th of M ay! This is part of the Whatcom County Studio Tour! This location is wheel chair accessible and free coffee will be on offer.\n\nWhatcom Artist Studi o Tour\n\n \;\nArtist Bios\nCeci Lopez is an oil painter using mixed m edia layers and oils to convey the history of the creative process. Her ch oice of colors and textures merge expressions of her native Guatemala and her home in the Pacific Northwest. She is inspired by the synergies betwee n the untamable and life sustaining forces of nature.\nHer artistic proces s is a journey of the heart\, transmuting the urgency of our time into vis ions of hope and beauty -a testament to the possibility of a better world. \nHer work centers the beauty and resilience of all of creation threatened by modernity and unrestrained expansion. She seeks to engage the viewer w ith a message of oneness of all that is.\n\n\n Ceci Lopez Art | Discover Artistic Elegance\n Instagram: @CeciLopezArt88\n\n \;\n\nKathleen Bal l tries to include an animal in every painting. Local wildlife is her best subject\, but any animal that will work once the subject matter is consid ered. Kathleen Ball really enjoys including animals that are not very popu lar\, and she takes commissions for pet portraits.\n\nDeborah Dole is a wo man\, mother\, artist\, life partner\, gardener\, writer\, ecologist and m usician. She is a unique one-of-a-kind creation. So are her pieces. She cr eates them to honor the uniqueness in each moment. She paints mostly with acrylics and ink. Her process is intuitive and felt. She starts with no im age of the final painting. First\, she lays down colors\, patterns\, textu res\, drips...whatever draws her at the moment. Then\, she stops and looks \, turning the canvas over and over....waiting\, sometimes days\, until so mething emerges. Something she likes\, something that evokes an image in m e\, a sense of beginning\, a shape... From there the painting continues\, often changing dramatically as she work with what is calling her... She is drawn to glimpses of what previously existed\, layers\, colors and patter ns.\n\n https://eclecticspiritdeb.org\n\n \;\n\nRoxanne Mills Michael enjoys creating art inspired by the beauty of nature. Nature is soothing and exciting at the same time.\n\nRox’s parents met at the Art Institute of Chicago where they also worked. Tom Mills (Dad) later taught Industria l Design there. Art was a part of the family. Rox would take the siblings to the Arboretum to paint and draw. Attending an art show of Uncle Lowell Mills inspired Roxanne at a young age to maybe have one of her own in the future. In rough times\, sketching brought her solace. When she was 20\, s he followed her love of nature to Washington state and has been there sinc e\, even more inspired! After a long career in public safety\, she can now paint! And draw and create more! It really is fun. Try it! If you haven ’t already!\n\nhttps://fineartamerica.com/profiles/roxanne-michael\n\nRo xanneMichaelV@gmail.com\n\n\n\n \;\n\nHolly Zwolinski first learned ph otography in the darkroom during high school in northeast Ohio\, where she grew up. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2018\, she became capti vated by the mountains and began seeking unique viewpoints\, often discove ring obscure places where the peaks reveal themselves. Her current passion s are Milky Way photography and split-level (half underwater) images. Capt uring the Milky Way requires both art and science\, careful timing\, and e xperimentation. She has learned it’s even possible to reveal the night s ky in areas with some light pollution through thoughtful editing. For my s plit-level images\, she uses a waterproof housing that allows her camera t o be partially submerged\, creating perspectives both above and below the water. She aims to offer viewers a new way of seeing the landscape. She al so teaches photography classes and hosts retreats in Whatcom County\, Wash ington.\n\n Home - Holly Z Photography\n Instagram: @holly_z_photography \n Facebook: Holly Zwolinski Photography\n\n \;\n\nSierra James is a mixed media artist and social entrepreneur whose work centers on color\, m ovement\, and creativity. Through vibrant\, fluid compositions\, she explo res the balance between intention and spontaneity. Her practice embraces e xperimentation as both a visual language and a personal philosophy\, celeb rating the freedom that emerges when control is loosened and curiosity lea ds. Equally important to Sierra’s work is her dedication to teaching and creative empowerment. She specializes in fluid art techniques\, breaking down complex processes into approachable\, step by step experiences that i nvite participation rather than intimidation. By fostering an inclusive an d encouraging environment\, she helps individuals reconnect with their inn er artist and discover the joy of creating. Sierra’s goal is for every p erson to feel inspired\, capable\, and proud of what they’ve created.\n\ n SieArts - Art by Sierra James\n Instagram: @sierraejames77\n FB: http s://www.facebook.com/sierrajamespaints/\n\n \;\n\nAnita Merina is an a rtist who works in the medium of glass. She joins the community of artists who dance between the elements of fire\, air and water\, coaxing\, cajoli ng\, challenging the initially hard then molten then hard again medium int o sculpture\, functional and wearable art. She is inspired by my natural s urroundings\, the stories and images of her Philippine heritage and the wo rlds and her journeys\, both real and imagined.\n\n MerinaGlassworks.com\ n Instagram: @merinaglasswork\n FB: facebook.com/amerinaglassworks\n\n&n bsp\;\nKimberly Wiles is the artist behind Bay Muse Studio\, based in Bell ingham\, Washington. Working primarily with resin and mixed media on custo m wood panels\, her work explores movement\, depth\, and the quiet tension between structure and flow.\n\nOriginally from Florida\, Wiles spent year s as a school counselor and educator before transitioning fully into her a rt practice. That background continues to influence her work\, bringing a sense of emotional awareness\, stillness\, and reflection into each piece. Delighted to relocate to the Pacific Northwest in 2024\, she found renewe d inspiration in the region’s shifting skies\, coastal waters\, and laye red landscapes.\n\nWiles constructs each wood panel by hand\, allowing her to control scale\, proportion\, and composition from the ground up. Her p rocess combines acrylic underpainting with multiple layers of resin\, alon g with natural elements such as glass\, stone\, and mineral textures. The resin itself plays a central role. It is treated as a living medium\, high ly responsive to timing\, temperature\, and movement. As light passes thro ugh the layers\, each piece changes subtly depending on angle and environm ent.\nHer work is influenced by the rhythms of the Salish Sea\, the push a nd pull of tides\, and the interplay of wind\, water\, and earth. The resu lt is art that feels both grounded yet fluid.\nWiles’ pieces are held in private collections in Washington and Florida. Through Bay Muse Studio\, she continues to create work that invites one to exhale\, drawing viewers into a moment of depth\, calm\, and connection with the elements in nature .\n\nBay Muse Studio – Bay Muse Studio ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://whatcomartcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2026/04/Green-Modern-Art-Gallery-Exhibition-Invitation-Instagram-Post-1920 -x-1080-px-6.jpg CATEGORIES:Art Exhibit/Show LOCATION:Whatcom Art Center\, 1105 11St\, Bellingham\, Washington\, 98225\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1105 11St\, Bellingham\, Wa shington\, 98225\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Whatcom Art Ce nter:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR