New Paths and different Journeys

Blue Whole Artist Deb Sterk has recently been experimenting and studying new ways to loosen up her work  and interpret the abstract qualities of the world she observes around her. Deb explains the photo of her recent work "Fall Interval", size 16 X 20 and an acrylic.


"This painting is a interpretive painting, and suggests my sensory perceptions of that interval between late summer fall.  Abstracting from nature, I’ve used my love of gesture, immersion in process, and love of color to suggest an interval in the changing of the season."

"Fall Interval"

Born and raised In Wisconsin, Deborah has been drawing all her life. Deborah is a past member of the prestigious Palette and Chisel Club in Chicago and has done freelance commercial artwork for Dryden  Press in Chicago Ill.  After retiring on 2005 her lessons came from Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting and Edgar Payne’s Composition of Outdoor Painting.  She continued to enhance her knowledge and skills by taking workshops with master artists Robert Hoffman, Gay Faukenberry, Ken Auster, Scott Burdick, Scott Christensen and Robert Burridge. Deborah recently received “Peoples Choice” at the “Small Expressions IV” exhibit presented by Northwind Arts Center.

You can view Deb's work at the Blue Whole Gallery and at http://dsterk.blogspot.com.

Blue Whole Sculptor to be featured in March

First Friday in March, Mike McCollum will be the Blue Whole Featured Artist. Mike's show of work will consist of wood and resin works a swell as pastel drawings and mixed media drawings.  

Cabinet of various Hard Woods and Resins

McCollum was born in Hoquiam , WA but developed many of his artistic sensibilities from the San Francisco Bay Area. At UC Berkeley while completing MA and MFA degrees he apprenticed with Peter Voulkos, assisting him with construction and installation of 3 major outdoor sculptures.

For 26 years Mike was a professor of art at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas and ended his academic career as dean at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle . He was nationally recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1980 with an individual fellowship grant. He continues to exhibit, next in a show in Las Vegas entitled, “Skull.” More of his work can be viewed at deepwoodsart.com.

Mike will give a talk on his recent work on Wednesday, March 13 at the gallery at 6 pm. The public is invited. 

"Orange", Pastel

“I work in a variety of mediums from drawing, painting, printmaking, wood and resin. This exhibit will involve recent wood and resin works, pastel drawings and mixed media drawings. I will also exhibit some playful wood cabinets. All of the work in this exhibit was done from 2012 to the present. Abstract Expressionism is one of my influences even though I include recognizable images within the work. I am interested in “arriving at” rather than “aiming at” with my work, which is another way of saying I enjoy being surprised when the work is finished. I see art as a process of reduction, getting rid of the chaff to reveal the essence of the idea.”  Mike McCollum can be contacted at 681-3748 and welcomes interviews.

"Tubers", Pastel

Cabinet of various Hard Woods and Resins