Kathleen Otley - Artist of the Month

We are delighted to be presenting Kathleen Otley as our first Artist of the Month!  Her willow pieces are ever-popular and her bird-themed encaustics herald in springtime!

Born in Los Angeles and a graduate of California State University at Long Beach, Kathleen Otley spent most of her 42-year art career in Northern California before moving to Whidbey Island, Washington in 2005.

Kathleen works in 3D mixed media, including willow sculpture, painting and, most recently encaustics. Her willow sculptures are created from farmed willow that she peels and dyes before joining with ropes, metals, leather and wire to transform into wall sculptures.  The encaustics are wax, resin, and pigment applied in layers on board and heated to bond each successive step achieving an ancient-looking surface supporting complex symbology, ancient language, birds, stones, willows, hearts and other found objects . Techniques include scraping, carving, painting, transfers, burning, weaving metal, wire work and imprinting patterns.  This body of work is described by the artist as “contemporary primitive”.  The art is a bridge for the artist and the viewer to connect to the past–to a time when the spiritual journey was the measure of a life, when the human presence was a part of the natural flow of the universe, when our spirit and the spirit of nature were in balance–striving to find a sense of harmony that continues to live in our collective conscious.

Kathleen was selected by a national jury of gallery owners, craft promoters, museum curators, and fine art and craft professionals to include her biography in the publication “Profiles: Who’s Who in American Crafts,” registered in the Library of Congress.

For Christmas, 1993, Ms. Otley was invited by the White House and the Smithsonian to create an ornament for the White House tree.  She wrapped fine white branches with silver and gold threads in a “horn of plenty” shape. These ornaments were later put on display in a New York museum and now are part of the Smithsonian collection of contemporary crafts.

Ms. Otley was one of 10 women artists chosen to exhibit past and present work in the 20th Anniversary Retrospective Art Show, a part of the 1994 National Women’s Music Festival. Kathleen’s work is part of corporate art collections at ABC Television, Apple Computer, AT&T, Pac Bell, Stanford Medical Center, Los Angeles County Courthouse, City of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, and San Francisco Federal Savings.

Since moving to Washington, the three Whidbey Island newspapers have featured articles on at least 10 occessions and newspapers in surrounding areas have promoted their local art shows by featuring Ms. Otley’s profile and work, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

She now has work in the public collection of the City of Portland and Skagit Valley Hospital in Mt. Vernon.

We are honored to display Kathleen Otley's work at Two Moons Gallery in La Conner, Washington.  Please stop by the gallery to see it for yourself!  

Two Moons is a different kind of gallery with a truly unprecedented mix of fine crafts and contemporary art with elegant yet practical gift items, many of which feature a serious touch of whimsy.  Find us online at www.twomoonsgallery.com.  Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/twomoonsgallery.