DECEMBER GUEST ARTISTS

The Hirdie Girdie Gallery welcomes guest artists Michelle Geller & Jan Butler for the month of December. On Thursday, December 4th the Gallery will have a ‘meet and greet’ reception from 5 - 8 PM. At this time you will be able to meet and speak with the guest artists and many of the artists who make Hirdie Girdie so special.

Michele Geller is an acrylic artist who is drawn to landscapes and nature. She sometimes begins her painting with a pour painting background for added interest. She admits that ‘Creating art is a lifelong passion and my studio is my happy place.’

Jan Butler describes herself as a lifelong art medium sampler. After working for years in many different mediums she discovered fused glass and that is where she decided to stay. She says she is still excited to be experimenting and learning.

Also during the month of December, the gallery will feature beautiful holiday ornaments created by Gerri Zoppa . She decorates glass ornaments with a substance called ‘mud’ which was specifically created for this purpose. The ‘mud’ is created with a textured substance and pulverized glass which is applied with pastry decorating techniques making each ornament its own work of art.

Michele, Jan, and Gerri’s work will be on display for the entire month of December so make sure to take time to visit Hirdie Girdie and enjoy their work and the work of all our amazing artists.

JANUARY GUEST ARTISTS

Hirdie Girdie welcomes 2 guest artists for the month of January: oil painter Martha Dodd & clay sculptor Stan Dzedzy. Be sure to attend our “meet and greet” during our extended hours on Thursday January 9 from 5-8 pm. Check the website https://hirdiegirdiegallery.com/ for any changes.

Martha Dodd is a renowned local artist and she finds inspiration all around her in Florida. The bountiful local natural wildlife, horses, birds, and fish were the frequent subjects of her best-known murals. Her diverse work encompasses murals, portraits, faux finishing and landscapes and is noted for its photorealism, detail and passion.

Martha's background and her love of art history helped her recognize the importance of art in the home to create a mood and enhance the beauty of the surroundings. Not only does art have a role of adding interest in the home, but it must live in harmony with its surroundings and the people who live there. Martha love challenges, and loves to have fun with her art as well. It has come to define her as a person–she can't imagine life without it!

She is a noted portrait artist and a member of the Portrait and Figure Painters Society of SW Florida and has been actively involved in the statewide art-scene.

Stan Dzedzy's dragons, imaginative creatures, and whimsical figures have come to characterize his handcrafted stoneware. Stan became interested in clay in college and was particularly fascinated by the fact that clay, with no shape or form of its own, can be turned into just about anything with a little bit of skill and creativity.

Using a variety of stoneware and porcelain clays, most of Stan's work begins on the pottery wheel by forming a basic shape and then adding hand sculpted forms to create his individually handmade pieces. A variety of colored stoneware clay combined with a variety of self-formulated glazes stains and metal oxides are used to complement and enhance his finished work

His personal interest in both the mystical and whimsical aspects of this world are his inspiration for his pieces.

DECEMBER GUEST ARTISTS

December Guest Artists Jim Crawford, Stacy Moody and Gerri Zoppa. A meet and greet is scheduled during our extended hours on Thursday December 5 from 5-8 pm.

We will be open for the Sanibel Luminary Holiday Stroll, Friday, Dec 6, from 5:30-9:00 pm! Be sure to check our website at https://hirdiegirdiegallery.com/ for any changes in hours. Don't forget to visit during the Sanibel Luminary Holiday Stroll. We will be expecting you.

Jim Crawford is a self-taught sculptor; his techniques and finished works are very unique. Now a retired professor, marine biologist, and SCUBA instructor, Jim uses his underwater photos and experiences to create life-like sculptures of his ocean friends. Many of his sculptures are first carved in wood. He then makes a rubber mold of the original, and by using the lost wax method, he casts the piece in bronze. The bronze sculpture is then sanded smooth and finished with an acid patina, which gives it a unique look and color. Most of Jim’s sculptures are one-of-a-kind.

Stacy Moody began her glass creations as a fun hobby and has turned it into a passion for creating artwork using nature as her muse. She loves birds and all things from nature and tries to create visually exciting 2 dimensional pieces with stained glass. She cuts and shapes tiny pieces of broken glass to transform them into a beautiful mosaic.

Gerri Zoppa will be at the gallery for the month of December with her beautiful Holiday Ornaments. She decorates glass ornaments with a substance called “mud” which was specially created for this purpose. The mud is created with a textured substance and pulverized glass which is applied with pastry decorating techniques.

NOVEMBER GUEST ARTISTS

Guest Artists Jan Butler and Rebecca Christopher are at the Hirdie Girdie Gallery for the month of November,

Glass artist Jan Butler describes herself as a lifelong art medium sampler.  “I tried every painting class I found, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, even silk scarf painting; nothing felt just right, and honestly, I am not a good painter!  When I moved onto pottery I knew I found the art form for me.  Then, about 15 years into pottery, a group of pottery friends and I all heard about and tried fused glass.  A few years into glass I knew I had to pick between pottery and glass, there are only so many hours in a day!  I chose fused glass.  Fused glass is as much science as it is art, with a lot of excitement thrown in each time one opens the kiln. There are so many techniques and so many types of glass, that for someone who is willing to keep learning and experimenting, there is no end to the journey.”

Rebecca Christopher started creating art at an early age but her art took a back seat after giving birth to twins She assumed that this would be the end of her art career but she re-acquainted herself with her acrylic paints and brushes.

Her greatest inspiration is nature’s glorious beauty, whether she is painting a scene of the dunes, a array of flowers, or a sea animal, she tries to include her technique of blowing the colors into place. She has always admired impressionist art, and she feels that term best suits her style. Instead of just painting what she sees, she prefers to let the colors drive her creation.