Artist Bios
Tony Mills
Tony Mills is a longtime resident of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. He is an outdoor and wildlife enthusiast who loves hiking, fishing, hunting, camping and of course Photography. Tony spends much of his time in the outdoors enjoying all life has to offer and sharing it with others through his images.
Photography holds a special place in his heart and studying his subjects in their habitat is one of his favorite places to be. Tony has a great appreciation and respect for nature and loves to capture it, some in photo's and some meant just for a memory.
It is very important to Tony for the subject to be captured in its best and natural state to display the beauty of not only God's creatures but in God's country.
Tony's passion is bringing the beauty of the outdoors inside to you, so that you too can be in awe and wonder along side of him. He finds great reward in sharing images with those who are not as fortunate to have the opportunity, experience, or equipment to see all life has to offer for themselves.
James Story
James Story was born in Long Beach, California and grew up in a family that relocated to many states throughout most of his life. James discovered he had a creative engineering and mechanical aptitude. His co-creator always said he should've written a book called "Yankee Know How". As a young drummer musician, James has always enjoyed his music. He got his career training from working as an alarm technician which led to his electrical talent. James and Debbie established an electrical contracting service business which would be in operation's for over 30 year's . During this time, James became involved in high performance hot rods and motorcycles which he still enjoys today with his wife. James and Debbie retired in 2018 and turned their retirement into a fun new form of business called "Action Story NiteLites".
Robert Perry
Mr. Perry is a local artist, originally from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and currently pursuing a degree in the Arts at North Idaho College. He is a founding member and president of the North Idaho College Aspiring Artists club, artist instructor at Emerge Gallery/Community Arts Center, photographer, sculpture, visual and ceramic artist. During his lifetime, Mr. Perry has resided in Seattle,Washington, Boise, Idaho, and different parts of Alaska. He has remained active in the arts throughout his life. r.m.perry@picturebox.photograph
Paige Staudohar
She is a second year art student at north Idaho collage , who mainly specializes in charcoal art . Paige moved to Coeur d’Alene a year ago from Butte, MT to pursue art full time. She has always wanted to see where her art would take her. she finds beauty in the small things in life and that helps her express her emotions through her art
Lastly she is Blackwell Gallery’s pick for North Idaho Collage winner as the local up and coming student.
Jason Sanchez
Jason Sanchez, one of our long standing International Award Winning artists here at the Blackwell Gallery, is a disabled American Veteran. We are so proud of him and his service to our country in the Army as well as all Veterans who have given so much.
The 37 year old artist is married with 4 children and lives here in Coeur d’Alene. We love the range of his artistic talent and are proud to showcase his acrylic and oil paintings as well as his steel, bronze, aluminum and wood sculptures.
Adrianne Buckley
Adrianne Buckley is an artist who creates soulful and whimsical images of animals . through her prowess and mastery of acrylic paint. Adrianne communicates her passion for animal kingdom
Anthony Herrera
Anthony has been around art most of his life , with his father being a painter and his mother being a illustrator. Being mentored by major artist through the years he found his home in brush pen and pencil bringing his ideas to life by always putting a new twist on his art. 36 years old now and being a part of Blackwell gallery as the manager it has come full circle for him.
Jessica Bonds
Jessica Bonds was born in Sandpoint Idaho, grew up in the wild forests of the Panhandle area, and lived in Arkansas during some of her teen years. Jessica has been weaving baskets and exploring photography since age 15. She won several gallery awards at age 16. Since then she has sold baskets and photography through art fairs and gift shops.
“Both my parents are very artistic and encouraged me in all of my many interests whether that was photography, sewing, calligraphy, miniature castle building or basket weaving.
My husband has also been a constant support and fellow creator with me. Sometimes he is searching for the best handle or he is dropping a chunk of ice on a rock for the 10th time so I can get that one picture!
Through the years of dabbling and growing I’ve really settled into weaving antler and driftwood baskets. There is something special about taking in God’s creation, working with the colors, textures, and movement, and seeing what He lets me create .
Brad Mcdonald
Brad has a background in welding/fabricating adding accuracy and craftsmanship to tables, frames, etc. His work is primarily devoted to the creation of metal sculptures and a myriad of functional art for residences and office spaces.
His particular style of esoteric art is dedicated to adding an original and unique one of a kind decoration to his clients’ collections.
Ezekiel Fee
Ezekiel Fee is a 20 year old local, self-taught artist. Picking up a brush in 2014, at age 14, he began his journey.
Ezekiel's watercolor captured simple beauty in the everyday. Movement emanates from a rainy street. A flash of color and you feel the storm. With a striking use of contrast and the softest hues, his work brings crisp definition and subtle suggestion. His watercolors capture a moment we can slip into... and feel. While more recently exploring charcoal, he's able to catch the same feeling in a completely different medium.
Ezekiel designed the winning poster art for 2019 Art on the Green, while also getting 2nd place in the Juried Painting category.
Will Bullas
Born in Ohio and raised in the Southwest, Will Bullas enrolled at Arizona State University and was majoring in fine arts with a minor in dramatic arts when he was drafted. In Vietnam, his first professional pieces were pencil portraits of fellow soldiers, which were sent to loved ones back home. Returning from military duty, he enrolled in the Brooks Institute of Fine Art in Santa Barbara, California and graduated with a degree in oil painting.
Peggy Ann Thomson
Peggy has a passion for art and her paintings are inspired by natures treasures, intuition, light and imagination. She has been painting since early childhood. Her mother was an amazing artist and she had a profound effect on her life as a painter. She was born and raised in the south and lived in Hawaii for 25 years before moving to Idaho in 2008. The dramatic changes and having the opportunity to experience the four seasons has helped her to evolve as an artist. She is self taught and inspired by impressionist masters Monet, Van Gogh and Degas. Peggy has studied their compositions, light and emotion. She paints in oils using a palette knife ... layering to build interest, depth and magnetism. It is a unique impasto process using a large amount of paint.
Blackwell Gallery Originals
Local coasters and new series to share a little taste of the northwest and some history of Blackwell Gallery and Blackwell Hotel.
Kate Walker
Kate seeks out beauty and detail in everything from a fresh snowfall to a medieval manuscript. Since completing a BA in Studio Arts, she has developed her artistic interests through art gallery work, museums, art administration, and art conservation. For the last few years she and her husband lived in the Bay Area, where she worked at the Stanford Art Museum as well as privately owned art conservation practices. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in historical bindings and book conservation at the American Academy of Bookbinding.
Having returned to the Northwest, Kate is focusing on her private studio practice, through which she explores historical media and processes. Her latest body of work consists of handmade maps, rendered in metal leaf, ink, and watercolor paints. She enjoys working in an enduring, understated style, which merges contemporary interests with old world techniques.
Dan Droz
Our world exists in three dimensions; but there is a fourth, non-discursive realm: The Fourth Vortex. I create three dimensional works from salvaged items, especially abandoned musical instruments. I like used things; they capture the energy of those that have handled them before. Musical instruments are especially infused with effort, emotion and creativity and yet they are eventually abandoned. There is an existential message in this as items that once held “meaning” have been allowed to become dilapidated and discarded. The goal of my mixed media sculptures is to initially appear as sound but be revealed as shadows and light as in the instant eternity between lighting and thunder.
Stephen Shortridge
Stephen Charles Shortridge, the artist may be more familiar to you as an actor. During the seventies and eighties, Shortridge built an enviable career appearing in such well-known television series as "Welcome Back Kotter" and "The Love Boat". He co-starred with Debbie Reynolds on the ABC show "Aloha Paradise". He spent the year of 1987 playing the role of David Reed as part of the original cast on the CBS daytime soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful". Stephen also worked regularly as a model and appeared in over fifty TV commercials.
Stephen enjoyed acting but found painting much more creatively satisfying and explains, "In acting a large part of the creative process had taken place by the time I was involved. In contrast, painting gives me complete control from start to finish, which is good and bad. Good when the work is good, ... bad, when there is no one else to blame for bad but me."
"I think the most important aspect of creating is staying true to your heart and trying to share that passion. I think too often we pursue knowledge rather than experience or relationship. Knowledge never creates anything, but intimate experience of the heart does.“
"Romantic Impressionism is what I do... I think the term best expresses how and why I paint. I appreciate, or try to appreciate, all forms of art, but the one that first stirred me was Impressionism. To me it was bold, and full of life and color. It was uninhibited and had a magic quality to it. Rather than attempt to tell you something accurately, it just made you feel it! That's why I set out to interpret life through this style of art; it invites the viewers' emotions to take part.“
"Over the last several years the two artists that I most admire are, Josquin Sorolla, and John singer Sargent. Sorolla, for his passionate expression, and Sargent, for his simple mastery. However, what I am most passionate about, as an artist, is holding on to MY expression of what I paint. I think Richard Schmidt, an excellent contemporary artist, put it best, "it's not WHAT do you see! . . .It's what do YOU see!.“
"I thank God for everything, the least of which is to be creative, and to paraphrase a famous line from "Chariots of Fire", ' ... when I paint I feel His pleasure' ... this I certainly do!"
Wood Lab
"Tree to table sustainable" handcrafted custom furniture, river tables & household goods + wood slab and @EcoPoxy sales from our shop in Eagle, ID https://woodlab.co/
Lon Hyatt
Lon Hyatt is excited to share some of his inner thoughts and expressions through his canvas works. Lon’s creative style has evolved over his life and experience, and he has found influence through travel, colors, nature, and the curves and shadows we encounter in life.
In June of 2019, Lon had an awakening as he was traveling in Israel. That trip changed his life, and he returned home a different person. His value was no longer on chasing a career that was not feeding his soul. He had a deep yearning for his artistic expression that was only beginning to surface.
Lon now thrives on technical challenges of different painting styles and techniques, and you can see that in the various projects he has done. Lon’s current body of work is abstract, with a hint of surrealism sprinkled in for fun.
Lon desires to share overtures of color and expression through his creative projects. He is never surprised by what people see or feel, which keeps him going down his artistic journey. We hope you find some meaning and joy in his creative expression.
I have also included a better photo for my bio which is attached.
Catharine Grace
Catherine “Katie” Malone has been interested in all forms of art from the time she was little, but photography was always the one type of art that interested her the most. Being a graduate of Spokane Falls Community College, Katie earned a degree in Photography and Digital Media Production, which only intensified her love of art even more. She discovered her unique style of photography, which she calls “Abstract Urban Landscapes” in her second quarter at Spokane Falls and instantly fell in love with it. From there, she has been creating more and more prints of the same style, and discovering new processes along the way. Most of her art is based in Spokane, with some of the other prints being from Coeur d’Alene, Portland, and Vancouver. She focuses most of her pieces on architecture, but if it has solid lines, it will usually work to help create an abstract piece.
Greg Chapelski
Greg recently moved to Coeur d’Alene after having lived in Colorado over 50 years, a major part of which he free-lanced as a writer and illustrator in the world of advertising. He is a graduate of Rocky Mountain School of Art and Design in Denver.
Outside of a few formal watercolor classes during his school years, he is mostly self-taught. Now retired, Greg has devoted himself to mastering the medium of watercolor and teaching it to others. He often drives his pick-up truck on back-roads, with camera in hand, to photograph reference material such as old structures, steam engines, rusty pick-ups, or anything with scenic or nostalgic value…. Click, click!
Being a craftsman in all he does, Greg makes almost all of the frames for his paintings, along with cutting mats, fitting glass and installing the hangers. As he says’ “It’s a part of the process”. Enjoy!
Tim Jones
an Army Veteran that enjoys working with wood. For 7 years he owned a business making wholesale signs for retail sign shops. During that time he started creating wood art on his laser. He and his wife decided he needed a change so he closed the business. Now, instead of managing a shop full of employees, he creates art. Art inspires Tim and hopes some of his art brings a little joy to others.
Chelsea Nirk
Chelsea Nirk was born and raised in North Idaho. She is a dreamer, a creator, and a true life “live-in-the-moment” photographer.
Her passion for travel and photography is one of kind. She is a photographer trying to capture life’s most precious moments threw the lens of her camera wanting to make the view feal like they are right there in the picture with her.
Why photography some might ask? Photography for her is not a hobby that stays a hidden dream more like a true dedication, warmth in her bones, and a real passion that will one day take her all the way.
Chelsea Mclintrie
Chelsea is a 26-year-old artist who has been painting since high school. She went to Easter Washington University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in in art history and minored in studio art. Chelsea is passionate about color and experimenting with new techniques with acrylic paint in abstract contemporary art.
Chelsea loves paining with line work and the female body. She enjoys expressing the beauty of the human form while also showcasing emotion. She takes inspiration from her personal experiences and the world around her.
virgia west
Having lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest, it’s no surprise that Virgia’s paintings tell the story of how she views the beautiful life that surrounds her. Virgia West is an award winning artist, and has painted all of her life. Self-taught, her passion is to create a visual story with her colors and paintbrush. Never satisfied with good enough, Virgia finds inspiration everywhere. Nature in all it’s forms is her model. She strives to capture the emotion that led her to paint a particular scene in a realistic manner and counts it as pure joy when viewers respond to the story she is telling. A member of OPA (Oil Painters of America and NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society) Virgia’s work is a part of Idaho Artists website, as well as the Ebay storefront www.kellyscollectiblesmt.com which originates in Montana, ID Virgia has been juried into international shows and chosen as a finalist in many of them. Most recently in 2022 she won 3rd place for 2D art for her painting “Packin’ In to Sawtooth Lake” in the Art and Soul Festival in Twin Falls, ID. The previous year, 2021, Virgia won 1st place in oils for her painting “Blue Chair #2.” Both of these paintings, may be seen at Blackwell Gallery, Coeur d’alene, ID along with many of her other paintings. Her work may also be seen on her website at www.rainbowart-online.com
Robert west
is a self-taught artist. His realistic paintings are done in oils. Bob’s focus in his art is to share the beauty of the Northwest, and whatever strikes his artistic heart. He loves mountain scenery and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, seascapes and moving water of waterfalls and lakes – always striving to convey the sense of movement. The competitions Bob enters – some of which are international – have brought many awards and publications. 2020 saw his win in oils of 2nd place for his painting “Jerome” at the Art and Soul festival in Twin Falls, ID. His work has been published in Southwest Art and numerous times in American Art Collector Magazine. Bob is a member of OPA (Oil Painters of America) and NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society). He is also a member of AAPL (The American Artists Professional League) All of his work may be viewed online at www.rainbowart-online.com. He is part of the Idaho Artists website, as well as FaceBook, Alignable, Twitter and various other social websites. Bob shows his beautiful art at Blackwell Gallery, Coeur d’alene, Idaho. His work may be viewed at Stoecker Jewelers in Mountain Home, Idaho. Robert is also part ot the Ebay storefront: www.kellyscollectiblesmt.com This originates in White Fish, Montana.
John Watson
His style in experience working with local wood is sought after for the fact that he knows how the look of natural wood should express itself into functional pieces to use throughout peoples homes. he enjoys the fact that nature is in someone’s home becoming a stable of the northwest wildlife.
Corey Coffey
After re-gearing an axle years ago, I found myself unable to throw the old gears and parts out. They were just to cool to throw away and i knew i had to make something out of them. After a short time on the internet trying to find a bulb more exciting than your average incandescent, I stumbled upon two things that made my imagination race. The first was Edison bulbs and the second was steampunk. I found myself suddenly scavenging metal junk bins at my work place as well as anywhere else that would allow me to do so. Since the first few lamps i have made countless lamps that are now in various parts of the country. My goal is to create art that feels functional and almost alive. My hope is that my art will bring smiles and inspire creativity.