PORT TOWNSEND — Art inspired by love and other adventures will fill up local galleries through February, and a first opportunity to see it all comes this Saturday night. The free downtown Gallery Walk brings newly unveiled shows, artist sightings and refreshments together from 5:30 p.m. till 8 p.m. Saturday, while other art programming comes a little later in the month. Here’s a cross-section of activities.
■ At Gallery 9, the artists’ cooperative at 1012 Water St., watercolor illustrator Marcy Gordon is showing her creations. Gordon will also teach free classes in her illustration technique during February at Gallery 9, and information can be found at www.Gallery-9.com and 360-379-8881.
■ At the Port Townsend Gallery, 715 Water St., Shelley Brown will show paintings from her heart.
“It was so appropriate that I was chosen as Artist of the Month for February, the month of Valentine’s Day,” she said. “I am a newlywed and have definitely had love in mind.”
Also featured in February are Stephanie Oliveira’s raku masks, fired in an oven whose temperature hits 1,850 degrees.
“You never know exactly what the outcome will be,” said Oliveira, “but the results can be spectacular.”
■ At the Northwind Arts Center, 2409 Jefferson St., travel is the theme. Images of Greece, Mexico, Spain and other lands constitute “Travel Sketches,” a showcase of art by JoAnne Heron, Miriam Lansdon, Barbara MacLean, Sandra Offutt, Sandra Smith-Poling and Kathleen Snow.
A reception will be part of Saturday’s Gallery Walk, and then the artists will give a free talk at 1 p.m. this Sunday. The show will stay on display through Feb. 23.
Also at the Northwind Arts Center, artist Sandra Smith-Poling will teach a travel journal workshop for artists of all levels from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. The cost is $60, and participants can find out more via Spoling@olympus.net or 360-379-1178.