Photo courtesy of Karen Rust

Artist Karen Rust cuts glass for the handmade jewelry she makes, including pendants, earrings, bracelets and tie tacks.  Rust has a booth at the Mukilteo Holiday Art Mart on Saturday.

 

Photo courtesy of Angela Hopkins

Artist Angela Hoskins, not pictured, is going to be painting river rocks at the Holiday Art Mart on Saturday with colorful images of birds, flowers, trees as well as house numbers, like the rock shown.

 

Artist Karen Rust loves selling her art at Mukilteo festivals because, she said, the community here understands art and the work that goes into making art.

 

She likes that she doesn’t need to explain that her art is one-of-a-kind and that, no, you can’t get something just like it at Wal-Mart.

 

“They really appreciate it,” she said.  “Maybe they’ve tried art, they’ve done art, and it’s not like that everywhere.”

 

Rust first sold her work at the last Mukilteo Waterfront Art Festival, and now she’ll be at this year’s Mukilteo Holiday Art Mart.

 

The Mukilteo Arts Guild and the city of Mukilteo are sponsoring the third annual Mukilteo Holiday Art Mart from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Rosehill Community Center.

 

At the market, shoppers can browse the original artwork of 40 artists and artisans from Western Washington, including paintings, glass, jewelry, pottery, quilts, greeting cards and sculptures.

 

“We encourage people to shop to get quality items for less,” said Christine Schmalz, co-chair of the market.  “They’re cheap compared to the mall.  It makes a big difference in giving gifts to friends and family.”

 

The market benefits the Arts Guild Student Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors from the Mukilteo School District pursuing art in college.

 

Schmalz said the market not only raises funds for scholarships, it also promotes local artists.  

 

And, with 40 booths, up from 34 last year, there’s even more of a variety of art and handmade gifts, she said.

 

Artist Angela Hoskins, new to the market, is selling painted rocks that she and her son gathered from the river at Gold Bar.  She said she’ll be painting colorful images of birds, flowers, trees and some abstracts on the rocks.

 

“I focus a lot on color and composition, and when placed in the garden, the rocks add such a pop of color and vibrancy,” she said.  “It’s just a really fun little piece of original art that doesn’t have to go on the walls of your home.”

 

Hoskins said she’ll also be painting house numbers on rocks for interested shoppers.

 

Members of the Mukilteo Lighthouse Quilters and Mukilteo Way Garden Club are also going to be at the market, promoting the Mukilteo Garden and Quilt Tour set for July 16.  They are selling planters, terrariums and $1 raffle tickets for a quilt.

 

“The planters are going to be very interesting,” said Alice Rhodes of the Mukilteo Lighthouse Quilters.  “Some are actually planted in old shoes and purses, and others are planted in glass terrariums and dish gardens.”

 

Members of the Snohomish County Master Gardeners are also selling 2011 calendars at their booth.

 

Rust is selling jewelry made from hand-etched glass with her own designs.  She makes mostly pendants, but she also makes earrings, bracelets and tie tacks.   She makes custom jewelry as well.

 

“If somebody has a certain symbol or a certain look that they like, I can make a piece for them based on the colors that I use in my other jewelry,” she said.

 

Schmalz said she does all of her Christmas shopping at the market.  

 

“I seriously do all my shopping here because I’m sending things that mean a lot to me and mean a lot to the person getting them,” she said.  “All of my family lives on the East Coast, so it’s a novelty for them to get original art from Washington.”

 

Free parking is available during the market at Rosehill and on the side streets, Schmalz said.

 

The Mukilteo Arts Guild supports the arts and artists in Mukilteo by hosting annual art, literature and music festivals.

 

For more information on the market call Christine Schmalz at 425-423-0450 or visit www.mukilteoartsguild.org.