Gallery 9 in Port Townsend is featuring the artwork of oil painter and cloisonné jeweler Linda Lundell as well as ceramic artist Mike Middlestead during the month of November.

Lundell’s art aims to convey “the essence of nature,” to help preserve our country’s natural beauty for future generations, by capturing “the living abundance” of a rainforest, or the clarity of unpolluted water.

“The sounds of nature are gentle,” Lundell said. “They are in harmony with my spirit.”

Lundell, who has taught at several art schools in California, boasts an impressionistic-yet-realistic style in her oil paintings.

“Her paintings, from a distance, look absolutely real,” said Katy Morse, vice president of Gallery 9. “But up close, one gets lost in abstract dabs of color.”

Lundell also tries to ensure her works of cloisonné jewelry are well-crafted enough to stand the test of time as heirloom pieces, with miniature replicas of hummingbirds, irises and other symbols of nature conveyed through colored enamels in finely powdered glazes.

Lundell’s technique involves several firings, polished to a high gloss.

Middlestead’s ceramic art is likewise currently inspired by the outdoors, even as he makes functional wares such as bowls, mugs and oil decanters, as well as vases, sculptures and other artistic pieces.

After 25 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, Middlestead discovered clay while taking an introduction to art class at Peninsula College.

“I became a ceramic artist because of the feel of the clay,” Middlestead said. “I have a visceral response to the sheer tactile nature of working with clay. I love the feel of it in my hands, and being able to create something amazing. Once I found clay, there was no turning back.”

One of Middlestead’s favorite ways to fire pottery is through the Western version of a Japanese technique called raku. That process involves firing pottery at a relatively low temperature, then moving it while hot to a closed container with combustible materials, such as paper or sawdust, that ignite and cause a reaction, creating colors and patterns in the pottery’s surface.

“When you raku, it requires a constant awareness of every step,” Morse said. “You’re watching the temperature until the pots are ready to be immersed in sawdust, which immediately ignites, creating unique pieces of art.”

Morse deemed each of Middlestead’s ceramics “a unique one-of-a-kind piece,” with his new pieces for November including a sparkling seahorse and earthenware mushroom vase.

“While his skill expands with creating in clay, so do the amazing colors in the glazes he conjures up,” Morse said.

Morse said the Gallery 9 cooperative was started 20 years ago by a group of local artists.

To be featured in its gallery, an artist must become a member of the cooperative through an application process.

If those artists qualify, their work is juried by the other members of the cooperative, and the artists present their experiences, as well as why they want to be part of the cooperative.

“The benefits include having your art on display in a great space in downtown Port Townsend,” Morse said. “The gallery only keeps 20% of the sales, which means the artist gets 80%.”

Gallery 9 is located at 1012 Water St. and is open six days a week, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but is closed on Tuesdays.

It stays open until 8 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month for Art Walk.