Skaneateles Winterfest Attracts Noted Fiber/Collage Artist To Gallery 54

The 2020 edition of Winter-fest, here, not only celebrates winter, it highlights the talents of many local artists as diverse as those who create the ice sculptures that annually decorate storefronts in the village for the celebration as well as local artists such as Sharon Bottle Souva whose artistic creations with fabric, needle and thread have been celebrated and appreciated throughout the Central New York region for years.

Fabric artist Sharon Bottle Souva

Bottle Souva will demonstrate her creative and colorful fabric collage technique from noon to 3 pm at Gallery 54 on Saturday, January 25.

Sharon describes herself as a “process artist.” “I work with my hands to create my art work,” she said recently, noting “I find that this process adds to my love for fabric and sewing allows me to pursue the endless possibilities inherent within this medium.” As one of the local artists whose work has been featured at Gallery 54 for years, she notes that the tactile nature of fabric “sends my imagination off into a creative space. Texture and pattern are inherent in fabric, she notes adding “. . . since I have been sewing most of my life, I know its nature and can push the materials. I'm always searching for ways to give fabric a voice through my creations.”

Goddess Moon Tree

It's not uncommon for guests at Gallery 54 to think they are viewing a painting when they initially encounter a Bottle Souva creation. Through her demonstration she will showcase not only her creative process but artwork that presents itself as predominantly non-traditional/contemporary wall quilts and collage. In addition to her demonstration she will exhibit a wide variety of images and sizes including small landscape design quilts that are made in much the same way as collage only with the addition of the quilting stitch.

All of Sharon's creations are original with a strong sense of color and design. With a keen eye for picking interesting fabrics, she also custom dyes some of the fabrics she uses. The end product is always ready for display and the small nature of her pieces allows them to fit into any room or décor.

Marsh Meditation Collage

During her demonstration or just while viewing her completed pieces visitors to the gallery are likely to be moved by her love of fabric. “I love to buy it, dye it, iron it, cut it, sew it and (of course) sell the finished work,” she says.

Bottle Souva's creativity has been recognized with many awards over the years ranging from art festivals around the state, to work commissioned by the Gallisano Childrens' Hospital for display in their spiritual chapel, to the recognition of having her creations represented in the permanent collections of both Onondaga Community College and SUNY Brockport.

Mountain Sunset Collage

Sharon earned an Associates of Applied Art degree at Onondaga Community College before continuing her education and earning both a Bachelors of Fine Art and a Master of Arts from SUNY Oswego.

Everything you could want in a rainbow

All I could think when Liz Micho showed me her new stained glass creation was, "everything you could want in a rainbow." The photo here doesn't really do it justice because of the gyrations I had to go through to photograph it without incorporating glare and reflections from the light flowing through Gallery 54's window as well as the overhead lights in the gallery.

Every color in this rainbow is waiting for your Valentine

At Gallery 54 we are often thinking of Liz's stained glass pieces as garden art because so much of it (not all, for sure) is designed and constructed specifically to add beauty and color to any garden. Certainly, this new piece will star in a garden if that's where someone wants to showcase it. But, her design will also garner a lot of compliments displayed in a picture window or maybe in your sunroom as well.

When we look at Liz's designs, they show off so well backlit in front of the gallery's window that overlooks Skaneateles Lake, we're able to focus our attention of her art and we just mentally block out the distractions that a camera records.

So, I guess you'll just have to come into the gallery and take a look for yourself. And, at the price she's put on it for February, I'm guessing you ought to come sooner rather than later. After all, the first one to claim it is going to be the one taking it home. Anyone want to make any bets whether stays in the Gallery until Valentine's Day?

Gallery 54 is open from 10 to 5 everyday except Tuesday, through-out February.