April Bederman and Katy Morse will be the featured artists for February at Gallery-9, the home of the North Olympic Artist Cooperative.

Bederman is a fiber artist who is interested in functional art.

She grew up in a home of makers, and enjoys and appreciates handmade, functional beauty.

“When knowing how a thing is made and who made it, then it becomes a treasure,” Bederman noted.

Bederman was introduced to felt while working summers in Alaska, and took to making hats.

Felting is a simple yet time-consuming process which involves applying layers of carded wool to a form or pattern, establishing the color and design sequence. From there comes water, soap, agitation, and elbow grease, shaping the final product. 

When visiting friends in Port Townsend, she was introduced to “nuno” felting (felting fine wool into lightweight silk fabric) and developed her silk scarves of eco-printing while in Austin, Texas.

Morse is a creative spirit who works with acrylic paints on canvas. Her paintings are drawn from inspired connections with the divine and feisty feminine. As a student of Feminine Mysticism, her archetypal images tell stories of redemption and empowerment.

“These are medicine paintings. Each one tells a different story,” the artist explained. 

“They invoke an inner source of reflection, and through the act of painting, reveal new understandings. Taking risks on the canvas is a safe space for shifting old patterns,” Morse said. 

Her recent work is devoted to her Medicine Woman, her inner healer, and her pieces on display include “Elder Deer Sister,” “Younger Deer Sister,” and “Cosmic Mama Deer.” 

“We are in transformative times and these paintings are my prayers of hope and transformation, my way to Awaken Healing Through Creativity,” Morse said.

The gallery is located at 1012 Water St. Gallery-9 is open from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday; masks are optional. 

For more information, visit gallery-9.com.