Blaine artist to demonstrate collage techniques at art market

Blaine artist Kay Dee Powell.

By Gwen Roley

The public is invited to a make and take collage technique demonstration at the Whatcom Art Market on Saturday, February 16 at 12 p.m. The course will be taught by featured artist Kay Dee Powell of Blaine.

At the free demonstration, attendees will learn how to perform image transfers and other techniques using tissue paper and found objects to create collage and décollage. Participants will also be given the opportunity to create their own collages with provided material, which they can take home.

“You don’t need to have a lot of previous art knowledge, people can just come and see what they can do,” Powell said.

The Whatcom Art Market was founded 14 years ago and has been at its current location at 1103 11th Street in Bellingham since 2009. It is a co-op of Whatcom Art Guild artists who organize events and exhibits for the works of its 40-plus members.

“It’s a group of very encouraging and supportive artists and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Powell said.

The market has a gallery for exhibitions and a store where one can buy handcrafted pieces. They have paintings and sculptures, as well as jewelry, mosaics, and glasswork. Each week the Whatcom Art Market features one of their artists who is invited to teach courses like Powell’s.

“Kay Dee is very unusual because her preferred medium is silk,” said JoAnn Wyatt, one of the founders of the Whatcom Art Market. “She paints scarves and uses a lot of color in her work.”

Powell has taught many silk painting courses at the Whatcom Art Market in the past, so this time she wanted to try something different with the collage demonstration. Being a self-described lifelong learner, Powell said she fell into collage accidentally.

“Painting is my thing so this is a little bit outside of my comfort zone,” she said.

Powell said she enjoys the idea of collage because it is a form of recycling that is translated into art.

Powell feels a connection to nature and often depicts natural scenes in her silk paintings.

Wyatt said she can see the inspiration Powell draws from the Blaine waterfront and Semiahmoo culture in her work. Blaine’s growing art scene is also of importance to Powell.

“I love that Blaine is trying to promote art and it’s artists,” Powell said. “We have so many artists in the area that deserve to be showcased.”

Powell is currently working with BeLEAF, a collaborative project by Whatcom County artists. The finished piece will be a representation of a tree with leaves from different artists from all over the area. Her pieces and scarves are on display and for sale at the Whatcom Art Market. Patrons can check back each week to see who will be the next featured artists and what kind of classes they will be offering.