After a lifetime of creating and teaching art, a Coupeville fiber artist finally has her first show.

After a lifetime of creating and teaching art, a Coupeville fiber artist finally has her first show.

Fifty of Barbara Kuznetz's embroidered landscapes and abstract pieces are currently on display at the Bayview Cash Store's Hub Gallery. Fittingly titled "Island Journey," the works in her show depict familiar scenes on Whidbey - tall grasses waving, water swirling, clouds scudding by.

"Being here, there's lots of inspiration," she said from her West Beach home, which has a breathtaking view of the Salish Sea and the Olympic Mountains on a clear winter day.

"Around here, you look out and you see kind of dead grass, but it's not really just dead grass," she observed. "There's all different colors in there."

While recovering from a traumatic injury, Kuznetz found solace in designing and stitching embroidery art. Previously, she had made rugs, so it was a matter of moving down to a smaller, more manageable scale of art.

Working with a group of North Whidbey artists on a shared project helped get her brain going again. She started doing embroideries on her own, and during the COVID pandemic, she accumulated over 50 different pieces.

"I notice a lot more," she said. "One of the things that my accident has done is made me see things a little more closely."

Different stitches allow her to create a variety of textures with cotton embroidery floss on weaver's cloth.

Before moving to Central Whidbey, Kuznetz was an art teacher for 32 years, teaching students at alternative schools around the Seattle area.

Art has always been a part of her life.

"I wanted to get an art degree, and my parents weren't supportive about that," she said with a laugh.

Now her mother is proudly organizing a field trip for her retirement community to come see Kuznetz's work at the Bayview gallery.

Kuznetz does not often make it down to the South End and has been amazed by the reception her work has received, especially during this slow time of year.

"Made me look at embroidery in a whole new light," one person wrote in the exhibit's guest book. "Great mix of color, texture, patterns, representation and abstract."

"What an incredible artistic journey you have had," another wrote. "Such beautiful work and a true labor of love."

Kuznetz's most recent project captures the view from her studio's window. The piece took her a total of 105 hours to complete.

"You never really make any money on doing this because it's slow, time-consuming," she said. "But I like that pace. I hate having them done. I want to keep working on them."

"Island Journey" is on display until March 3 at the Bayview Cash Store. Visit barbarakuznetz.com to see more of her work. To contact the artist, email [email protected].