Inspired by Nature

“Blooming Dogwood” by Martha Fieber.

Exhibit II will open at Fine Line Designs Gallery on June 6 with an artist reception to follow on June 7, 4 to 7 pm. Fiber artist Martha Fieber and her husband, furniture artist Leonard Fieber will join painters Steve Gerhartz and Richard Patt as well as ceramic artist Jude Ryan Reiling for the evening. The Fiebers will also conduct artist demonstrations on June 8, 11 am to 2 pm.

Self-taught in embroidery and weaving, Fieber says she’s been working with fiber “since I was old enough to handle a needle.” Working with all kinds of threads, fibers, and colors, Fieber uses layers and layers of hand stitching to create the incredible depth and perspective that can be seen in her work.

Leonard Fieber is enamored with the outdoors and the materials found in nature. This connection is how he began using beaver sticks—the wood a beaver leaves when it is finished chewing its bark off—for his series of functional furniture. His collection is of contemporary, rustic furniture constructed from aspen, maple, and pine.

Oil painter Gerhartz is a quiet and easygoing nature enthusiast. His first landscape painting experience took place during a November snow squall with his brother Dan, and proved to be so invigorating that it became the starting point for his love of painting outdoors.

“Tribute to Diebenkorn” by Richard Patt.

Self-taught painter Patt focuses on painting landscapes—and in particular, Wisconsin barns. Patt often begins a landscape farm scene relying only on his memories, impressions, and emotions—and what comes to fruition are colorful works with a strong horizontal linear quality.

Reiling came to the medium of clay through the study of drawing, painting and photography. Never one to shy away from a new artistic direction, Reiling’s body of work includes everything from functional carved porcelain and wood-fired vessels decorated in Chinese characters to her current work, a series of sculptural sketches of robed figures, often holding birds and vessels.

Exhibit II will run through July 7. For more information visit finelinedesignsgallery.com.