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GALLERY HAPPENINGS June 2013

Kenny Slade featured at Savage Spirit

Kenny Slade workshop“I believe art, and especially jewelry is meant to be worn as well as appreciated.”
~ Kenny Slade

Kenny Slade has been involved with arts and creativity since early childhood and has had an appreciation for the creative arts for as long as he can remember.

In 2006, Kenny opened a studio and has been actively making Sterling Silver jewelry since then. After retiring from a 35 year engineering career, Kenny recently began business under the name Slade Silver in order to emphasize his concentration on unique creations and the use of Sterling Silver in most of his work.

Everything Kenny make starts with an inspiration or ‘vision’ of the piece he is about to create. Each piece is unique and one of a kind. He never repeats any creation, although some of the creations may have some elements in common. In some creations, the vision runs through a series of pieces that might have a theme. When that theme completes, Kenny waits for the next vision. Kenny also make creations by request and that is always a challenge as he has to blend his vision with the client’s expectations.

The sterling silver material and findings are sourced from several locations. Kenny prefers to buy his beads and cabochons in person since these inspire the final piece they will wind up in and he needs to connect with them in some way.

All of Kenny’s creations are made with a minimum of power tools and all pieces are hand finished. He believes that distinguishes hand made art from mass produced on a production line.

His silver jewelry has been heat hardened and should provide many years of use and enjoyment.

Kenny’s work is for sale in several galleries and at juried arts shows. He has expanded his business to involve e-commerce and is currently focusing his gallery showings on select galleries and a few art shows, that will showcase the type of work he does.

“While traveling in the Southwest last year, I came across and article about Jim Haas and the Savage Spirit gallery. When in Moab, I made a point of visiting the gallery with my wife Valerie and met Jim’s wife and Savage Spirit owner, Cathya Savage-Haas. We were impressed not only with Jim’s creations but also all of the other work displayed in the gallery. I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet Jim in person as I was inspired by his work. I was particularly impressed not only by the uniqueness but also the sheer volume of work he had created. It is an honor to have my work displayed in the same gallery as Jim’s.”

Kenny will be the featured artist at Savage Spirit! for the Moab Art Walk on June 8th and his work is always available in Moab at Savage Spirit!, 87 N Main. www.facebook.com/savagespirit.moab

Exhibit of Lyrical Landscapes at Big Horn Gallery

Pastel by Thea NordlingThe Moab Pastel Guild will be featured at the Bighorn Gallery at Dead Horse Point State Park from May 2nd to June 29th. The guild is a group of like-minded artists who meet weekly to paint. They all share a deep love of the surrounding landscape and it’s ever changing light and colors.

These artists began learning to paint with pastels under the tutelage of accomplished Moab pastel painter J.C. Borders, and have been working together for years developing their skills. They have enthusiastically embraced opportunities to learn and experiment with different techniques and approaches to composition. Over time each has developed a unique vision and style.

The resulting works range from detailed realism to more loosely rendered impressionism. Art pieces will include our beloved landscape, as well as animals, flowers, and more distant landscapes which have inspired the artists. Works on display will include both paintings created in the studio and en plein air (on location).

The guild members invite you to join them for an opening reception at the Bighorn Gallery on Saturday May 4 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Pastel by Sarah Hammingson

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