By Leader Staff

Art can give solace — to the artists and the viewers. This is what five women explore in “A Warm Embrace,” the exhibition opening this weekend at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend. These artists come from across the country and around the globe to show their works, which range from color-drenched abstract paintings to wood mosaics. 

“A Warm Embrace” will be unveiled at the gallery, 701 Water St., this Saturday, March 2, in time for Port Townsend’s First Saturday Art Walk, and then remain on display through April 28. Regular gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays.

During the March 2 art walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., refreshments and conversation will flow. Admission is free to that event and throughout the show.

All five participating artists currently live in the Seattle metro area, while hailing from cultures outside the Pacific Northwest.

Abstract painter Soo Hong seeks to capture moments and phenomena invisible to the naked eye through her paintings, which “just vibrate with color," said Northwind Art spokesperson Diane Urbani.

Seattle mixed-media artist Jody Joldersma has a studio in Pioneer Square. Educated at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, she’s an alumna of the Feminist Intensive program at Soapbox Inc., and a co-founder of Feminist Camp Seattle.

Naoko Morisawa was born in Tokyo and studied at Japan’s Tama Art University. She has worked as a designer for Godiva Chocolate and Twining Tea, and had works selected for public art projects in Seattle and surrounding communities. Her art is hand-made of hundreds of very small slices of wood and paper.

Neha Panicker is an architect-turned-artist originally from India. Making art, she said, is how she embraces herself, her musings, and her dreams. Her display will include the “Aura” series, featuring paintings of individuals' auras.

Xin Xin was born in Beijing and grew up in Seattle. She worked in the corporate world for years, and then set out on an extended solo sojourn around the world. Upon returning to the Puget Sound region, Xin went to work for a local art school. She has since developed her art practice, exhibited abstract creations across the region, and found joy in teaching art to children and seniors.

“When I paint, I get into this meditative zone,” Xin said. “There are no thoughts or chatter in my mind, and I simply focus on the tip of the brush.”

Each of these artists is offering classes at Northwind Art School at Fort Worden State Park. Coming up are Xin's two online courses in abstract art on April 20, and Panicker's in-person workshop "Intentional Mark Making: A Dialogue with the Self" on April 28. More information can be found at Northwindart.org.