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Wood carver
the new
featured artist
at Art Loft
ASTORIA — Jim Unwin, a master sculp-
tor and wood carver from the Long Beach
Peninsula, will be the featured artist at the
Astoria Art Loft (106 3rd St.) Friday, March
2, through Tuesday, April 3. Meet Unwin
and view his carvings 1 to 3 p.m. during
this month’s Second Saturday Art Walk in
Astoria.
Unwin turns chunks of wood into sculp-
tures of rare beauty. For him, wood carving
is not just a skill but a personal and spiritu-
al journey. The wood, once a living thing,
“communicates” with the sculptor and often
determines the direction it wants the artist to
go.
“Driftwood comes with shapes that tell a
story and define who they are, with little or
no alteration,” he said. He believes carving is
a lesson in life, “to learn the balance between
pushing in to make the right cut or pulling
back.”
Unwin’s favorite subjects come from
nature, especially ravens. “Ravens,” Unwin
said, “are very intelligent and adaptable and
have a special place in many cultures and
their mythology.”
Unwin admires the Northwest Native
style with its intricacies and tie-ins with
nature. Understanding First Americans’
sensitivity about people copying their work,
he said, “even though I am using that style
and I borrow from the legends, I do my own
thing. I try to make each piece a connection
with the inner world — the place where the
Spirit dwells within all of us and makes us
connected.”
For more information, call 502-325-4442
or email atoriaartloft@gmail.com.
COURTESY ASTORIA ART LOFT
Jim Unwin’s carving, “Logo Mar”
Bee part of a
special exhibition
ASTORIA — The Astoria
Art Loft is concerned
about the future of bees —
and the future of humanity.
To call attention to the con-
tributions of bees and the
dangers they face, the Art
Loft is featuring a special
exhibition devoted to bees.
Artists — including
children, emerging artists
and professional artists
— are invited to produce
artwork celebrating the
insects. The pieces should
be ready to hang and
turned in to the Art Loft
by Wednesday, March 28,
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
or other times by special
arrangement.
There are about 20,000
bee species in the world
and 4,000 in Oregon. Some
live in hives, some in wood
and some in the ground.
Some live together in large
groups, others by them-
selves. Although nearly
all bees collect pollen and
nectar, only honeybees,
bumblebees and a few
others produce honey,
beeswax, royal jelly and
other products.
Bees are very busy!
THINKSTOCKPHOTOS.COM
A bumblebee flies to a flower.
On a given day, a bee may
make 10 trips to 100 dif-
ferent flowers and bring its
body weight in pollen back
to the hive. It can fly at 15
mph and cover 5 miles.
These busy creatures make
6,000 tons of honey and
contribute approximately
$1 billion to the economy
each year.
Over the past decade,
thousands of bees have
died from various causes,
and some people believe
that man has played a role
in this tragedy. If we wish
to continue our present
way of life, we must
become more dedicated to
keeping bees healthy and
thriving.
For more information
about the exhibition,
contact the Art Loft at 503-
325-4442 or astoriaart-
loft@gmail.com.
A marble to behold
ASTORIA — The Asto-
ria Art Loft is hosting a
marbling class 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday, March 2; 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Saturday, March
3; and 6 to 9 p.m. Friday,
March 9.
Marbling is the creation
of patterns resembling
smooth marble or oth-
er stones. It is done by
floating color on a liquid
and placing paper on the
surface to create patterns.
Marbling began in Japan
in the 12th century, spread
to Persia and Turkey, and
then to Europe.
The techniques to
create the colorful patterns
were kept secret for
hundreds of years. When
bookbinding became pop-
ular and marbled papers
decorated the end papers
in books, the secret came
out. Interest in marbling
waned in the 1900s but
was revived in the 1970s.
It is popular once again.
For more information,
please call 503-325-4442
or email astoriaartloft@
gmail.com.