2023 Fun with 5×7 Show
November 3 @ 5:00 pm - December 20 @ 5:00 pm
Fun with 5×7
A small works show for the whole community
Homer Council on the Arts is proud to announce the sixth annual Fun with 5 x 7 exhibition on display in the gallery for the months of November and December.
Passionate about the creative process and the results that emerge when you let your creativity flow, former HCOA board member Cindy Nelson founded the Fun with 5×7 show in 2018. “I love encouraging people to push their comfort zone and take a chance with a new medium or idea. Five by seven art is a size that most of us are not intimidated by. I can’t wait to see what comes in the door every year!”-Cindy Nelson
This small works show is about challenging artists to think inside the box. It’s an opportunity to experiment and try something new while encouraging comradery among the South Peninsula arts community. The show is open to all ages, abilities, mediums, and subjects. The diversity and affordability of the art produced by a myriad of artists and creators generates an exhibit that is always one of a kind. This year, we are proud to display 78 unique works by 37 talented artists.
On display in the HCOA gallery
November 3rd through December 20th
Online Gallery
(If interested in making a purchase, please call the HCOA office at 907-235-4286)

Daisies
Amanda Kelly
Oil on Canvas Paper
$100.00

September on the Hill
Amanda Kelly
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

Studies in Fishskins #1: Schools
Adele Person
Salmon Skin on Glass
SOLD

Studies in Fishskins #2: Valleys
Adele Person
Salmon Skin on Glass
$225.00

Studies in Fishskins #3: Patchwork
Adele Person
Salmon Skin on Glass
$225.00
“I worked at the Saltry Restaurant years ago and wanted very much to find a use for the salmon skins leftover from making gallons and gallons of pickled salmon. I began learning what was possible by watching Indigenous teachers on Youtube videos. I made wallets, then bracelets and small sculptures. A tanning class with Suqpiaq elder June Pardue at HCOA has led to new curiosities and explorations. I created a piece for Bunnell’s 10×10 show which sold to my great surprise. I know I am fascinated by fish skin, and was delighted to discover others are also. These 5x7s are small studies of what the material can do, how I might ‘compose’ a canvas with skin pieces, and what I might learn from exploration and play.”
-Adele Person

Shed View
Dianne Spence-Chorman
Oil on Canvas
$150.00

Sun Pallet
Dianne Spence-Chorman
Oil on Canvas
$100.00

Reaching Withing
Dianne Spence-Chorman
Oil on Canvas
$200.00

Sage
Brianna Lee
Bass Relief Plaster Cast
SOLD

Yarrow
Brianna Lee
Bass Relief Plaster Cast
SOLD
‘Capturing a beautiful moment with mother nature amidst this fleeting time.”
-Brianna Lee

Homer Sunset
Cindy Nelson
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

Kachemak Bay
Cindy Nelson
Oil on Canvas
$115.00

K-Bay
Cindy Nelson
Oil on Canvas
$90.00
“I have been a landscape painter for 8 years. I have recently been painting with a pallet knife. I have more pieces at Ptarmigan Arts and online at www.purplecranedesigns.com .”
-Cindy Nelson

Sentry
Beverly Snyder
Iphone image on gloss paper
$40.00

The Bay
Beverly Snyder
Iphone image on gloss paper
$40.00

Puffin
Beverly Snyder
Photograph on gloss paper
$40.00
Barbara Bigelow realized creative interest as a young child influenced by her maternal grandmother who introduced her to Haiku and Japanese form drawing at age 12. Thus, the written word inspired a muse that became a lifelong passion for creative expression. From early beginnings; Barbara’s works have included poetry, black & white darkroom/digital photography, traditional sculpture, cross-forms, and mixed media. Passions include landscaping, interior art-display design, original, sacred, and iconic art. Recent expressions include cut-tin art and copper collage. Barbara has shown at various Alaska community art councils and community galleries in Alaska and elsewhere. Many of her pieces were purchased, commissioned, and in private collection in Alaska and the US.

Horizon
Barbara Bigelow
Acrylic on Canvas and Wood
$75.00

Rostro
Barbara Bigelow
Acrylic on Canvas and Wood
$125.00

Moon Dance
Carol Comfort
Collage/Mixed Media
$55.00

Surely Shirley
Carol Comfort
Collage
$55.00

Poppy Head
Carol Comfort
Mixed Media Collage
SOLD

Dipnet
Mia Barrett
Linoleum Block Print on Paper
SOLD
Mia Barrett is an artist who works in many medium including linoleum block print. For her, nature is the sacred life force that connects us all. In Alaska, nowhere is that more apparent than with the waters and the salmon.
“I am inspired by the beauty of Homer and absolutly love pictures of the moon-so I thought I’d paint it”
-Lorna “Bee” Branzuela

Super Moon
Lorna “Bee” Branzuela
Watercolor and Pastels on Paper
$40.00

Barnacle Goose
Dee Wilmeth
Colored Pencil
$20.00

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
Dee Wilmeth
Colored Pencil
$20.00

Western Tanager
Dee Wilmeth
Colored Pencil
$20.00
“As a novice, who hasn’t picked up a brush in four years, the experience of painting feels brand new with each piece in my incredibly small portfolio. Without knowing any rules to follow, I feel free to experiment while I find my style as a self-taught acrylic painter. Born and raised in Homer, I’m inspired by the natural beauty, interplay of colors, and unexpected perspectives of everyday life in Alaska.”
-Holly Brennan

Cove Boardwalk Stoll
Holly Brennan
Acrylic on Pinewood
SOLD

In the Chert Cracks
Holly Brennan
Acrylic on Pinewood
$120.00

Smells Like Coconuts
Eric Struben
Acrylic
$40.00

L8 Ball
Eric Struben
Acrylic
$30.00

Cup Stack Cowboy
Eric Struben
Acrylic
$50.00

Iris
Sharlene Cline
Watercolor and Iridescent Gel Medium
$100.00

Specific Gravity
Michael Armstrong
Found Objects Sculpture
$117.00
“For more than 30 years I have walked the beaches of Homer and collected marine debris. I’m particularly drawn to the objects that don’t float and have been washed up by storms and tides. Often these objects become assemblages of faces. I’m inspired by facial images from diverse cultures, from Inuit and African masks to the masonry of Roslyn Chapel in Scotland.”
-Michael Armstrong
“Through the intricate detailing of stippling and the versatile medium of gouache, I aim to capture the intricacies and playfulness of the natural world. Find me on instagram at ruhnayv.art.”
-Renee Veldman

Katchemak Bay Bathymetry
Renee Veldman
Gouache
$90.00

The Persistence of Homer
Renee Veldman
Gouache and Ink
$90.00

Sealscape
Renee Veldman
Gouache and Ink
$90.00

Purple Dusk
Susan Welsh-Smith
Acrylic on Wood
$135.00
“I am a retired Educator with a BA degree in Art Education and a M.Ed. degree in Special Education. I love teaching and learning ! Since retirement I spend much time in my Art Studio called “Pacem in Terri’s” ( Latin translation “Peace on Earth). The studio overlooks beautiful Cook Inlet in Ninilchik, Alaska. The views are awesome and inspire my work! I am enamored with “Light Play”! I have taught in many Multi -Cultural settings, including, with the Peace Corps in Africa. Working with people of all cultures brings me great joy and inspiration. Writing is another interest and one of my children’s books, ANDY, AN ALASKAN TALE was published and distributed worldwide by Cambridge University Press in Great Britain. I also love creating delectables in my kitchen. My husband, Jeff enjoys the results immensely! I share my art work with you in a spirit of heartfelt humility, gratitude and peace. Thank you !”
-Susan Welsh-Smith

Sun Kissed Colors of Liberty Maine
Beth Graber
Photography
$48.00

October Sunset on Pleasant Pond
Beth Graber
Photography
$48.00

Power #7
Jenna Gerrety
Acrylic
$100.00

Decomposing Felt (Top)
Jenna Gerrety
Wool Felting
$405.00

Decomposing Felt (Bottom)
Jenna Gerrety
Wool Felting
$405.00

Power #8
Jenna Gerrety
Acrylic
$135.00
” “broadly speaking, mycelial networks, fungi and their mycelial state, they’re weaving themselves into relation with themselves. So you can think about them as felting themselves, as weaving themselves.”- Merlin Sheldrake, Mycologyst
Like mycelium networks transfer water and nutrients between root systems, powerlines connect us with each other. I am facinated by the systems nature constructs to connect organisms.”
-Jenna Gerrety

Autumn is Coming
J. Piotreck Pawlikowski
Acrylic
SOLD

Sockeye Salmon Run
J. Piotreck Pawlikowski
Acrylic
SOLD

Beautiful Blooming
J. Piotreck Pawlikowski
Acrylic
SOLD

A Home by the Sea
Kim Schuster
Mixed Media
SOLD

A Home by the Sea
Kim Schuster
Mixed Media
SOLD
Kim Schuster has been fascinated with the ocean as long as she can remember. Growing up near the ocean in North Carolina sparked her passion, and she eventually earned a Masters in marine biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she fell in love with Alaska. She moved to Homer after graduating, and now works for the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Working in the field in polar regions has given her a rich array of experiences to draw inspiration from. Woodworking has been Kim’s medium of choice since first discovering the art in middle school. However, she recently has become fascinated with making miniature scenes using ordinary objects, and hopes to showcase her love for living in a rustic, rural, and beautiful location.

Late September Zoomies through Dead Pushki
Xochiyollotl
Gouache, Ink, and Colored Pencil
$120.00

Here is where my past and present converge
Xochiyollotl
Acrylic on Canvas Board
$135.00

Dysphoric Harmony
Xochiyollotl
Gouache, Ink, and Colored Pencil
$120.00
“I moved into my family’s dry cabin on Dimond Ridge in May and spent the summer settling into a new life in an old place I’ve always wanted to call home. This transitional time has been hard because it’s the longest I’ve spent without a ceramics studio in 10 years. I really enjoyed working on pieces for the 5×7 show because it allowed me to experiment with new materials and more whimsical subjects. These three pieces explore my feelings of joy, fear, and comfort I experienced moving to Homer.”
-Xochiyollotl
@xochiyollotl
Xochiyollotl is a ceramic artist who graduated with an MFA from UAF in December 2022

Ripple Mark Right
Susan Johnson
Ink Jet on Board
$45.00

Ripple Mark Left
Susan Johnson
Ink Jet on Board
$45.00
“Finding the beautiful body of a Varied Thrush solidified the theme of my three paintings. Abstractly connected by the phrase Down to Earth, they evoke falling, grounding, being held.”
-Oceana Wills

Down to Earth I
Oceana Wills
Acrylic on Gesso Board
$100.00

Down to Earth II
Oceana Wills
Acrylic on Gesso Board
SOLD

Down to Earth III
Oceana Wills
Acrylic on Gesso Board
SOLD

Ocean Beauty
Janice Payton
Acrylic Paint
$135.00

Feeding Time
Janice Payton
Acrylic Paint
$135.00

What’s Up Mom
Janice Payton
Acrylic Paint
$135.00
“The natural world inspires me as it does so many artists. I simply paint what I love and what I’m familiar with.”
-Janice Payton
“Now retired, I can enjoyed multiple passions which are painting in watercolor and my two puppies, Laci and Ginger.”
-Lynda Reed

Puppy Eyes Ginger
Lynda Reed
Watercolor
$129.00

Puppy Eyes Laci
Lynda Reed
Watercolor
$129.00

Beach Walk
Krista Etzwiler
Watercolor
$80.00

No Xtra Tuffs Here
Freya Bartlett
Acrylic
$35.00

Autumn Birch
Karen Wuestenfeld
Oil on Canvas
$100.00
“The landscapes I live within are a constant joy and source of inspiration. Autumn is the most ephemeral of seasons – each day brings a change in color and mood. Birches are our autumn hallmark tree with their golden sparks against a cerulean sky, or their faded yellow leaves on a damp forest floor. I’m a beginning painter, learning how to express my love of our landscape onto a canvas. This is my first experiment in adding lots of dimensionality to my work. I’m grateful for the Homer teachers, mentors, and peers who have coached and encouraged me!”
-Karen Wuestenfeld
“I manipulate the images around me Combining my love for photography painting , graphic arts & plants I translate these passions onto paper.”
-Keevan Lane Miller

One
Keevan Lane Miller
Mixed Media
$100.00

Two
Keevan Lane Miller
Mixed Media
$100.00

Three
Keevan Lane Miller
Mixed Media
$100.00

Heading to Sand Island
Leah Dunn
Acrylic on Canvas
$50.00

Solitary
Leah Dunn
Acrylic on Canvas
$50.00
Megan Henry is an artist and educator in Anchorage, Alaska

Eklutna Rose
Megan Henry
Wool Needle Felting
SOLD

Autumn in the Chugach
Susan Watkins
Oil on Canvas
$95.00

Last Summer Birch
Susan Watkins
Sculpted Acrylic on Birch Panel
SOLD

End of Journey
Susan Watkins
Sculpted Acrylic on Birch Panel
SOLD

Does it Grow Corn? (1/3)
Lynn Marie Naden
Corn Husks
$25.00

Does it Grow Corn? (2/3)
Lynn Marie Naden
Ornamental Corn Kernels
$100.00

Does it Grow Corn? (3/3)
Lynn Marie Naden
Corn Husks
$25.00
“Does it grow Corn? is a phrase based on Native American philosophy. It means that if what you are doing isn’t making your life and the lives of others around you better, then why do it? Corn is sustenance and survival. Ask yourself, when you are about to do something if it “grows corn”. Is what you are doing going to contribute in someway? “is it growing corn?”is a question you can ask yourself about any aspect of your life. If the answer is “yes”, continue. If it “doesn’t grow corn”, don’t do it. My grandmother (non-native), used this saying and not exactly knowing it’s origins, but Instinctively picked up on it’s meaning. After a little research on that saying , it all made sense, my grandparents were one of the few of many farmers in their area that hired native Americans to work on their ranch. They were considered family and as the years went by frequently visited each other, after the ranch sold.Perhaps that’s where my Grandmother picked up the phrase.”
-Lynn Marie Naden

Earthy Stuff (Front)
Yvonne Leutwyler
Mixed Media
$50.00

Earthy Stuff (Left)
Yvonne Leutwyler
Mixed Media
$50.00

Stolen Summer (Right)
Yvonne Leutwyler
Mixed Media
$50.00

Stolen Summer (Left)
Yvonne Leutwyler
Mixed Media
$50.00

Patsy’s Poppy
Kimberly Perkins
COE 90 Glass
SOLD

Destiny
Jean Steele
Collage/Mixed Media on Canvas
$95.00
“Using collage and gellie prints has helped me become more spontaneous. And the dragonfly is a symbol of change. For me it is joyous!”
-Jean Steele
Thank You for Viewing Our Online Gallery
(If interested in making a purchase, please call the HCOA office at 907-235-4286)