Join the Bainbridge Public Library for the August 2021 First Friday Art Walk, featuring artist Tiffani Buteau

The Bainbridge Public Library is dedicated to spreading the joy of reading and the discovery of ideas with not just our local community, but with visitors from near and afar. In addition, the library is fortunate to house beautiful local works of art both inside and outside the building. Each month the library celebrates a local artist (or artists) with an exhibit, which opens monthly on the Island’s First Friday Art Walk tour, and includes a reception hosted by the featured artist.

The Bainbridge Public Library is proud to present an exhibit by artist Tiffani Buteau 

Tiffani will host a “meet and greet” from 5pm-7pm on Friday, August 6th to open her new exhibit, “Resinscapes” for First Friday Art Walk

Tiffani Buteau grew up in Arizona, and after 15 years of international living she and her husband moved to Washington, where he was born and raised. They settled in Olalla, and as Tiffani said, “that desert environment couldn’t be farther from the PNW’s but I have come to truly love it here heart and soul. My Olalla home and studio are a sanctuary.” Tiffani only does 1 to 2 in-person shows a year and only in her local area, the rest are coordinated online across European galleries.

Tiffani began her artistic career working with inks, creating extensive nebulascapes. She wanted to seal them with resin, and after her first pour, she knew that was an additional medium she wanted to spend more time experimenting with. Her work has gone on to be featured in worldwide galleries and even the Seattle Aquarium’s Splash! Gala.

Resin is a difficult medium as the artist only has about an hour to work with each layer before it begins to set. Tiffani spent a great deal of time learning various techniques to perfect her style. “Resin is a punishing but exhilarating medium. I have learned a thousand hard lessons and will learn more,” she said.

All of her hard work has paid off though, informing her style to become her signature look, producing highly technical, yet fluidly beautiful art. Using poplar wood panels she sources from a company in Oregon, Tiffani applies the epoxy resin, then manipulates it with a knife and heating implements, such as a blowtorch. She then adds more layers and once those cure each piece has a glass-like finish. From there, Tiffani sands and oils the edges creating an infinity pool edge effect.

One of the challenges Tiffani encountered when she began creating her art was the lack of high-quality inks to mix with her resin. This prompted Tiffani and her husband to create a line of high-quality alcohol-based inks, which are available for purchase. Visit T-Rex Alcohol Inks here to learn more.

Tiffani is first and foremost a painter but also creates several different types of art, such as large wall pieces, sculptures, table tops, smaller pieces for the desk, counter or table which are displayed on stands, clocks and whimsical surfboard art upon commission only.

She will be exhibiting three of her collections this month: Ocean seascapes, celestial nebulae, and abstract. To view her other collections, click here.

Tiffani’s exhibit is available for viewing and sale at the Bainbridge Public Library throughout the month of August in the meeting room during regular library hours and on the library website, www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org.  To learn more about Tiffani, visit her resin art website at www.tiffanibuteau.com or her Instagram at @artbytiffa.

As always, thank you for supporting your Bainbridge Public Library and local artists. If you have interest in exhibiting your work, feel free to contact Linda Meier, art coordinator, at lindameier2000@gmail.com

***Library content and images provided by Linda Meier, Bainbridge Public Library and Tiffani Buteau