Please join us on November 15, 2011, for our Seventh Annual Banquet at the Triple Door (216 Union Street, Seattle, WA) starting at 5:00 pm.   VABAW showcases traditional and unique works of art each year at our Annual Banquet during our Silent Auction.  Proceeds from the Silent  Auction fund VABAW's various events.   

Auction Item 1: Slumped Wine Bottle and Cheese Knife, by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 2: Confetti Sushi Dish with Chopsticks by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 3: Black and Amber Square Bowl by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 4: Small Hand Painted Bowl by Margaret van Duine 

Auction Item 5: Large Hand Painted Platter by Margaret van Duine

Auction Item 6: Hammered Copper Leaf with Gem Stones by Deb Harvey

Auction Item 7: Painting of Young Girl Custom Framed by Sally Hudak-Logan

Auction Item 8: Three Glass Slumped Hearts by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 9: Orange Swirl Fused and Slumped Bowl by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 10: Fused and Slumped Polka Dot Bowl with Coasters by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 11: Artistically Altered Framed Photo by Ravenstone Artists

Auction Item 12: Artistically Altered Framed Photo by Ravenstone Artists

Auction Item 13: Hand Painted Box by Ravenstone Artists

Auction Item 14: Hand Painted Box by Ravenstone Artists

Auction Item 15: Limited Edition Giclée by Jill Drllevich

Auction Item 16: Hanging Dancing Ladies

About the artists .  . . 

Jill Drllevich has been plagued my entire life with an inquiring mind. Every passion, desire, and interest I pursued led me down a multitude of diverse paths.  I have come to learn that my curse is also my gift and that I possess the soul of a “Renaissance person.” When I am creating, my mind wanders to the “what would happen if...” which is why I have a glass studio, metal shop, painting and ceramics spaces. I am a collector of the unusual. Every place I travel, I leave my belongings behind and fill my bags with rusty metal, dump site finds and beach wash up. My majors in school were Sociology and Education. All my pieces reflect that. I like to imagine what it would be like if humanity and nature could dissolve the walls that separate them. What if life was a dance, not a struggle? What would happen if we could embrace empathy and walk in the minds of others? That one thought is the ultimate inspiration for my art.  I call myself an abstract realist because I create realistic forms and morph them in various ways to depict either, emergence, unity, or a transformation.   My life dream is to be able to travel to as many different places as possible and to disappear into the artistic fabric that each culture weaves and to know when I leave that I have left something of me behind and replaced it with something of them, to continue on this journey until there is only US.

A long time artist, Deby Harvey began formal art studies in the late 1970s at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She has worked in a number of mediums through the years, all with a common theme – nature. Her varied art career includes diverse work in pottery, fibers, jewelry and most recently hollowware, which is forged copper combined into organic sculptural pieces. Her recent series of sculptural copper leaves are a combination of the real and imagined worlds which offer nature's movement and grace into a familiar shape. According to Deby, "Nature is astounding in its ability to make the complex look simple. For me, that contradiction holds a parallel to every day of life. It's that same interplay of simple to complex that directs my approach to art." Deby's diverse work career leveraged her creative talents which included high-end floral arrangement, estate-sized waterfall construction, landscape architecture, and commercial showroom design. Deby is a founding member of artEAST a thriving co-op of artists in and around Issaquah Washington and currently serves on their board of directors. In addition, Deby is the current President of UP Front Art Gallery in Issaquah a for profit gallery affiliated with ArtEast. In 2005 Deby was the chairman of the first ArtEast fundraising auction which raised over $25,000 for local art projects. She is a past art docent for the Issaquah school district where she was honored a Golden Acorn award for her contributions.

As a non-profit organization, Ravenstone Arts aims to inspire the individual and the community through arts and networking. Acting as a hub for artists and the community, they create new connections, new exposure, and new appreciation.  They are committed to growing a network of artists and art supporters so that they may learn from one another in all aspects of life. Ravenstone Arts aims to create environments and connections that spark inspiration and innovation. A common thread that they incorporate into everything they do is to maintain an awareness of their environmental impacts and to always stay on the lookout for ways of being more sustainable in their practices.

Margaret van Duine is a native of England and grew up surrounded by some of the best quality china and crystal producers in the world, which “has a lot to do with it,” she says. Margaret strives to maintain the highest quality in the pieces she offers. She believes the quality of things these days is just not what it used to be since so many things are mass-produced. If she’s not happy with the way something has turned out then she will not sell it. Her friends will often tell her there’s nothing wrong with a piece that she has cast aside, but she will respond, “if I’m not happy with it, then it stays put!” Much of the stemware she paints is also French crystal which in itself sets the quality of the product aside from many others.  The environment is also of great importance to Margaret. "We are a nation of great waste and so I try to do my part by using recycled glass products for some of my artwork."