The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival has partnered with Artel Gallery to bring you a bead artist and a painter as our Emerging Artists.
Crystal King of Pensacola, describes herself as a jewelry designer and beadwork artist primarily working in bead embroidery and bead weaving using glass seed beads, gemstones and crystals. She says she has collected stones all her life and enjoys finding unique elements to use in her pieces.
“The pieces I make are often comprised of hundreds of seed beads and crystals, which are stitched individually.†King said. She also says that she enjoys creating pieces that reflect the natural environment and cultural life of the Gulf Coast such as a collection she recently did inspired by Mardi Gras.
King will be sharing the Emerging Artists booth with Robert Uniacke of Pensacola Beach. He says the majority of his work is inspired by local area animals such as sea turtles, crabs, fish, pelicans and herons.
“I paint mostly on canvas and I almost exclusively use foam brushes and a vibrant color palette to create movement and energy in a piece,†he said. “My use of foam brushes allows me to not be too focused on the details of the subject, but be able to concentrate on capturing the spirit and soul of the subject.
This is the fourth year for the GGAF Emerging Artist Program, which is designed to introduce two artists to the outdoor festival experience and is sponsored by Artel Gallery.
As part of the Emerging Artist Grant, both King and Uniacke will visit at least one school in either Escambia or Santa Rosa County to discuss their work with students.
For more information, visit www.ggaf.org.
The GGAF is Nov. 1, 2 and 3, 2019 in Seville Square in Historic Downtown Pensacola.