New art gallery opens up in Hoodsport

The Hamma Hamma River, Potlatch State Park and Union are among the spectacular sites that inspire Jan Morris' vibrant watercolor paintings. The flowers come from her imagination.

At her new art gallery in Hoodsport, she and her

mostly local friends and acquaintances showcase and sell their art. And the drinks are also local, produced a couple doors down at the Hardware Distillery owned by her and her husband, Chuck, since 2012.

Flywheel Fine Art & Strong Waters, 24180 U.S. Highway 101, is named after the old-timey device on the block, a heavy disc-like structure that was connected to the output shaft of an engine. Morris said the machine was used in the nearby hills for logging. On Saturday, Hunter Stewart was putting the finishing touches of paint on the steel wheel as weekend tourists browsed through the gallery nearby.

Along with Morris' watercolors, patrons will see serigraphs by Howard Leggett, ink wash on dye by Scott Fife, watercolor and gouache archival prints by Alexandria Enrich, and paintings by April Ferry, Nancy Gannon, Jonelle Johnson and Mary Lampe. Many people will recognize the name and the style of painter Pat Denney of Shelton.

Opening a gallery has been a longtime dream for Morris. Guided by books, she taught herself to create watercolor paintings of flowers and landscapes - now she teaches the art. The site was formerly home to one of the Morris' tenants, Octopus Garden Jewelry.

The gallery offers stickers created by Loren Feldman. Flywheel will present art classes. "People are looking for stuff to do in the winter," Morris said.

The gallery will be among the Hoodsport businesses hosting a holiday event Dec. 14.