Cody featured artist at First Friday gathering

Bright colors and intense designs will captivate any and all visitors to the First Friday Artist Reception on Friday, Oct. 5, with featured artist Terri Cody. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and concludes at 7 p.m. at the Ritzville Art Gallery on Main Avenue.

Cody is well known for her figure vases, three legged mugs and fish heads that she has created for the past 20 years. The reception is highlighting some of her newest creations and more elaborate pieces that have not previously been on display at the gallery.

After graduating from high school, Cody attended a commercial art school to learn the trade. It was not until Cody was in her forties that she discovered clay pottery and began taking classes.

Cody’s life has been dedicated to creating art in a variety of mediums, but all of her pieces are filled with color and intrigue.

She took classes and attended workshops throughout the nation and in Canada to help her develop her craft.

For eight years, Cody maintained a gallery called Out of Hand Studio in Seattle. During her time as a business owner, she met a woman from a gallery in New York and expanded her expertise and cliental.

The woman was associated with The Museum of Arts and Design based in Manhattan in New York, NY. For the past 15 years, Cody has been selling the figurine vases through the museum and on their website, helping her to gain national recognition.

After being raised and living on the west side of the state for most of her lifetime, Cody relocated to Ritzville nearly 13 years ago. She now manages her basement art studio and maintains the Ritzville Guest House for visitors in the community.

Cody’s main work of art is her house, colored brightly not only by the paint on the walls but the items that fill each individual room. Cody said she had always wanted to buy a home and make it her own, and moving to Ritzville provided her with that opportunity.

Within the Ritzville community, Cody is recognized for her creative talent in landscaping her yard. With the help of metal artist Annie Trunkle-Smart, Cody added two metal sculptures to the sidewalk next to her house on Adams Street.

The zany characters are a man pushing a lawnmower and a woman riding a bike. As the seasons change, so do the sculptures, as they are dressed to match the current holiday or season.

Cody enjoys bringing happiness and laughter into people’s lives, but she also enjoys the opportunity of preserving important memories to families. The woman on the bike is a tribute to her mother, and after she passed away, Cody dressed the sculpture with her mother’s tennis shoes.

A new venture of Cody’s is taking old photographs and turning them into modern day works of art. She begins by enlarging the photo, cutting out the individuals in the photo and then paints the portraits with vivid colors.

“I’m trying something new,” Cody explained. “It gets those cherished photos out of the album … but there has to be a quality of fun.”

Cody began collecting old photos from friends and acquaintances and said that once she began selling the artwork in the gallery, the photographs sold to people who did not even know the person in the painting. Cody said she has also sold them to individuals who use them as gifts for family members.

The other new addition to Cody’s repertoire is the creation of 3D found-object pieces. Cody uses items she finds to create themed artwork, which ranges from baseball to an Asian cultural piece of art.

Recently Cody has been created more flower artwork and has been painted the flowers before glazing and framing them. The flower artwork is another highlight for Cody during the art reception.

Cody’s main focus is working with clay and using her painting expertise to combine the two mediums. Cody said what she liked least about pottery classes is that everything was always gray, but every customer can be assured that gray or dull artwork is not in Cody’s wheelhouse.

Cody is bringing a variety of art to the reception to showcase her expansive talent and creative design. Most of the artwork is available for purchase, but certain items are for display only.

Alongside of her new artwork she plans to have her more popular pieces, such as decorative bowls and the “disgruntled suit.” Each one of Cody’s pieces is handcrafted and unique in it’s own way, allowing visitors to browse the endless array of art.

For more information about Cody, or to view her collection of artwork for sale, visit her website, http://www.codypottery.com.

Beverages and appetizers are going to be served, courtesy of Cody, during the Friday reception.

The First Friday event is sponsored by the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce and celebrates the talent and success of local artists in the area.

The Ritzville Art Gallery is located at 109 West Main Avenue. For more information about the event, contact the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce at 659-1936.