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lael loyd savonnah henderson custom framers wenaha gallery

Update: Hello, Good-bye, Hello — Exciting Life Changes

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update lael loyd savonnah henderson custom framers wenaha gallery

Framers Lael Loyd and Savonnah Henderson work together on a custom framing package

Life is never static.

At Wenaha Gallery, we are privileged to have, on our gallery staff, a professional team of associates who know art, and who love working with clients to bring that art into their homes. One of these associates is Lael Loyd, who has been with us for 12 years out of the 24 years that Wenaha has been in business.

update on lael loyd custom framer wenaha gallery

Custom framer Lael Loyd has graced, and blessed, Wenaha Gallery and its clientele for more than 12 years

We are excited to announce that Lael is entering a new phase of her life, moving to Port Angeles with her husband, Richard, where they are both expecting their first baby in the fall.

We are also happy to announce that Savonnah Henderson, daughter of gallery artist Steve Henderson, is stepping into Lael’s position as framer. Savonnah, who has grown up around art, artwork, and framing, has been apprenticing under Lael, who passes on her knowledge base, commitment to quality, and standards of excellence.

Lael, Savonnah, and Wenaha Gallery all move forward on life’s journey, with each day bringing promised of creativity and joy. We invite you to move forward with us!

We also would like to share with you a personal message from Lael:

Update: A Note from Lael Loyd

“As I write this, my heart overflows with joy and thankfulness. It is past time to give you an update on new adventures for myself and Wenaha Gallery.

update bold innocence girl at beach coast ocean steve henderson art painting

Life and adventure are big things. Lael Loyd heads to the coast to begin a new adventure in her life journey. Bold Innocence, by Steve Henderson

To begin, my husband and I will welcome our first child on October 19 or thereabouts. Baby boy was planned for and is eagerly anticipated and so loved. He moves and grows and has already brought us such joy. As our family grew, my husband took a closer look at his long hours and shift work, bouncing back and forth between night and day shift every 6 weeks, his on call times and supervisor responsibilities as well as the ever important pay and insurance financials.

“He knew he wanted to be a hands-on dad and provide well and found an incredible job with the Department of Natural Resources as a police officer, continuing his 11 1/2 year career in law enforcement. The closest opportunity was in Port Angeles so, we are making a move to the western Washington peninsula by the end of this month.

“Because neither of us are open to a 7 hour commute one way, August 19 will wrap up my 12 1/2 year journey here at the gallery as I begin a lifetime adventure as a full time, stay at home mom. What a privilege! My contact information will be available through the gallery and I’d love to stay in touch via email or text, especially if you would like to see photos of our lil man, once he makes his appearance.

Blessed by Your Friendship

Update Savonnah Henderson professional framer wenaha gallery

Savonnah Henderson takes over as framer at Wenaha Gallery, bringing insight from a lifetime exposure to the fine art world

“As I have talked to many of you these past weeks, I am reminded how incredibly blessed I am to know you and work with you and develop friendships over the years. My time at the gallery has been rich and full and my heart overflows with thankfulness for the opportunity to learn so much in an incredible place and town. I am excited to pass the torch to another who is finding such excitement in her work.

“Savonnah Henderson, daughter of the gallery’s own Steve Henderson, is taking over as custom framer and full time associate. In the time I’ve worked with and trained her, I am fully confident in her abilities and passion for learning. It has helped me to smoothly make this transition, knowing that she is capable, loves to learn, and is excited to be part of the Wenaha team and get to know you better.

“Thank you for your trust in me, your friendship, and the great times. I’ll take our conversations and laughter with me (along with several email addresses and phone numbers) so we can stay in touch. I don’t do goodbyes so I will say, ‘See you next time,’ and look forward to introducing you to the newest addition to our family. Thank you for your support and love. I couldn’t be happier to expand our family, see my guy so content and loving his work, and know that the gallery will continue on with the same incredible values and commitment to excellence since we opened, almost 24 years ago.

update savonnah henderson lael loyd framers at wenaha gallery

The art of life is art itself. Framers Savonnah Henderson and Lael Loyd work together on a project

See you later, my friends. If you ever find yourself near Port Angeles, I’d love to get together and take a walk along the pier.
— Lael Loyd

Say “See ya later to Lael,” and “Hello” to Savonnah

Lael’s last day at the gallery is Saturday, August 19, so please drop in to wish her the best, as well as meet and get to know Savonnah!

 

Conversation fish james christensen wenaha gallery

Seriously Fantastic — The Art of James Christensen

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Waiting Tide Everyman James Christensen Wenaha Gallery

Waiting for the Tide by James Christensen

He was whimsical. He was serious.

He painted religious themes. But his trademark image was a floating or flying fish, often on a leash.

He knew his Shakespeare. And he celebrated his Everyman, too — the podgy, humpback character who represented the imperfections in all of us.

lawyer adequately attired print james christensen wenaha gallery

A Lawyer More Than Adequately Attired by James Christensen

James Christensen, the renowned fantasy artist inspired by the world’s myths, fables, and tales of imagination, left his mark on the art world, and the world in general, during his long and illustrious career of painting “the land a little to the left of reality.” His passing this January from cancer left collectors and lovers of his work saddened and bereft, as expressed by Todd Fulbright of Redmond, WA, who with his wife Jackie owns nearly 20 of Christensen’s art prints and porcelain figures:

“He will be missed by his family — a great father and husband and grandfather. For my own selfish reasons as an admirer of his work, I always looked forward to his next project.

“What a great imagination, and what fun characters he created!”

Among his many fans, Christensen’s creative genius is undisputed, but for those who had the privilege of meeting the artist in person, the experience has added even more dimension, personality, and warmth to their treasured collections.

“James was brilliant in his humor and intellect as it was ever present in his art,” says Dayton resident Lorrie Bensel, who used to gaze at Christensen’s window display at Wenaha Gallery in Dayton, and dream about some day buying one of the artist’s prints. Little did she foresee that, not only would she own  a number of those prints, but would also meet Christensen in person, during a time when the artist visited the gallery and Bensel worked there.

Pink Ribbon woman in dress james christensen wenaha gallery

Pink Ribbon by James Christensen

“He made you feel like an old friend even upon a first meeting.”

Lael Loyd, present manager of the gallery, agrees, remembering her first meeting with Christensen in 2005, which was also her very first major artist show.

“I was so nervous!” Loyd recalls. “I stayed late to clean the floors the night before the show while Ed and Pat Harri, the owners of the gallery, went to pick up Christensen and his wife Carole at the Walla Walla Airport.” Loyd’s mind raced with Christensen images, embedded through weeks of preparing for the show, and she dreaded — but still hoped for — the possibility that Christensen would pop by that night.

“Sure enough, he did!

“He walked in and immediately put me at ease. The next day, when he came in for the show, it was like we were old friends.”

Shakespeare world is a stage james christensen wenaha gallery

All the World’s a Stage by James Christensen

A talented but regular guy, as Loyd phrases it, Christensen explained to her that he had worked out a system with his wife, Carole, to “rescue” him from being buttonholed in the corner by enthusiastic fans, an occurrence which was not unusual because he didn’t know how to extricate himself without hurting feelings. When he tugged on his ear, Carole was to come over and move things along.

“At one show, James told me, a person was going into great detail telling about a dream he had, and how the artist should create a painting from this dream. After a few minutes, James tugged on his ear. No Carole.

“He tugged harder. Still no Carole.

“Finally, with both hands, he tugged frantically to catch her attention. He wasn’t sure that she hadn’t seen him the first time, but this gave me insight into his sense of humor, their relationship, and his reliance on her to help all go smoothly.”

Conversation fish james christensen wenaha gallery

Conversation Around Fish by James Christensen

Christensen, who began his career as a junior high school art teacher — slipping in freelance illustration and selling at sidewalk art fairs while raising a young family — lived to enjoy international acclaim. From winning all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention can bestow to appearing on an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (in which he created a picture featuring a member of the family), Christensen never lost sight of the ordinary, regular person, and never doubted he was within their ranks.

“Believing is seeing,” was his philosophy, as he sought to teach people to use their imaginations to overcome the problems and stresses of living life. If Everyman could find a way, so could they.

“He will be sorely missed by many, as he touched many lives with his art and soul,” Bensel says.

Loyd agrees. “He helped me see life through a different pair of eyes.

“He will be missed, but more than that, he will be remembered and live on.”

Wenaha Gallery

Wenaha Gallery is holding a special Tribute to James Christensen Saturday, April 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., and invites all Christensen fans, long-time and brand new, to visit and view Christensen’s art. During the Tribute, as well as for Christensen’s month-long Art Event (March 27 – April 22), the Gallery will display every single Christensen artwork, porcelain, book, DVD, and puzzle in its collection, with many being discounted on April 1, only.

Also on April 1 is a special art show for Pamela Claflin of Kennewick, WA. Claflin’s richly colored oil paintings capture the unique landscape of the Pacific Northwest. The artist will be on hand to meet and greet, and free refreshments are provided.

Contact the gallery, located at 219 East Main Street, Dayton, WA, by phone at 509.382.2124 or e-mail art@wenaha.com. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and by appointment. Visit the Wenaha Gallery website online at www.wenaha.com.

Wenaha Gallery is your destination location for Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Prints, professional customized framing, and original fine art paintings and sculpture by notable Pacific Northwest artists.   Books, gifts, note cards, jigsaw puzzles, and more are also available. Visit the gallery today!

 

 

A fossil of a fish is one of the more unusual items that framer Lael Loyd has framed at Wenaha Gallery.

When Being Framed Is a Good Thing — The Importance of the Simple (or Ornate) Frame

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A fossil of a fish is one of the more unusual items that framer Lael Loyd has framed at Wenaha Gallery.

A fossil of a fish is one of the more unusual items that framer Lael Loyd has framed at Wenaha Gallery.

The beauty, and frustration, of history are the differing opinions by experts regarding what actually happened. After all, since the parties involved are long gone, it’s difficult to be precise.

So it is with the history of not only painting (with researchers propounding both Europe and Indonesia as sites with the oldest works, and dates ranging initially from 10,000 to a present consensus of 40,000 years ago), but with the frames that surround the paintings. One voice in the framing world, Church Hill Classics, asserts that frames have existed since the second century B.C., when borders were drawn around Etruscan cave paintings, while the UK’s Paul Mitchell Ltd, specializing in antique and reproduction frames, pinpoints framing’s origins to the embellishment of vase and tomb artwork around that same date . . . or a thousand years earlier.

Three dimensional items are a challenge, but not an impossibility, to frame.

Three dimensional items are a challenge, but not an impossibility, to frame.

Technicalities aside, framing artwork has been around for a long time, and as any college student with posters on the wall can attest, a formal outside border makes all the difference in whether the room feels like a dorm, or a home. It enhances, it upgrades, it protects.

“For all practical purposes, it holds the guts of the frame package together, and acts as another barrier to protect the art,” says Lael Loyd, principal framer at Wenaha Gallery in Dayton, WA. “The frame is the last line of defense against the elements from the side.”

While it can be as simple as strips of barn wood (hopefully without the splinters) to the ornately crafted, gold-leaf gilded frames associated with 19th century French landscapes, the final choice, Loyd observes, strongly depends upon the artwork within.

“The frames, like the lamps, floor rugs, couches, and mirrors, should never detract from the room. We encourage each piece to be designed for what it needs, keeping in mind the environment it will live in.”

A Victorian Shadowbox incorporates items from the era.

A Victorian Shadowbox incorporates items from the era.

Like that interior furniture and decor, framing goes “in” and “out” of mode, Loyd says, explaining that the manufacturers of commercial framing keep an alert eye on the home interior market, introducing styles that are trendy without being “faddy.” Some elements, however, are like the little black dress — always perfect, and always timeless:

“Basic black, gold and silver always win . . . Browns, in a variety of tones, mahogany, black and shades of gold, silver and bronze are what I use most.”

Loyd has designed framing packages for everything from what one would expect to frame — a painting, a poster, certificates and diplomas — to the more unusual — a fossilized rock, a piece of the Torah (“No pressure there!”), a softball outfit including the ball and bat, a World War I Service Banner encased in glass on both sides. Her most challenging 3-D framing commission was her first, a Victorian shadow box that included a feather, pair of gloves, book, buttons, pocket watch, and more.

“I was terrified! I took a long time because I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I used techniques I didn’t know existed until, and in the end, it is one of my favorite designs.”

Some frames are works of art in their own right, and within the museum art world, curators are paying increased attention to this fundamental, but easily overlooked, element to the finished art package. In 2015, The National Gallery in London presented a 5-month exhibition entitled Frames in Focus: Sansovino Frames, featuring elaborately designed frames from the 16th century. It is the first in a series of exhibitions that the gallery plans on frames.

For the average person, however, what needs to be framed probably won’t be found in a museum, although this does not mean that the work doesn’t have meaning.

“I love the designs that come with a story,” Loyd says, “like a child’s refrigerator art housed in a basic frame, and the child comes in and clings to the framed piece, or the photo of a prize-winning husky, with ribbon included, and the owner brings out a Kleenex because the beloved dog has passed away and we’re now working to display a memory.

“It’s history, living history, preserved and protected for future generations.”

Wenaha GalleryFraming Extravaganza is the Pacific Northwest Art Event from Monday, March 28 through Saturday, April 23. Both ready-made frames and a select inventory of link molding (from which custom frames are made) will be deeply discounted as the gallery makes room for additional frame styles and colors.

Contact the gallery, located at 219 East Main Street, Dayton, WA, by phone at 509.382.2124 or e-mail art@wenaha.com. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and by appointment. Visit the Wenaha Gallery website online at www.wenaha.com.

Wenaha Gallery is your destination location for Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Prints, professional customized framing, and original fine art paintings and sculpture by notable Pacific Northwest artists.   Books, gifts, note cards, jigsaw puzzles, and more are also available. Visit at 219 East Main, Dayton, WA.

This article was written by Carolyn Henderson.