COEUR d'ALENE - The multiform, multidimensional work of Harold Balazs will hang from the walls.

Robert Grimes' psychedelic wood paintings will be on display.

And the fanciful geometric creations of Timothy C. Ely will warrant attention.

Featuring three popular artists from the Inland Northwest, "Illuminating the Subconscious," the spring show at The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene begins Friday and runs through April 2. The gallery will display close to 100 pieces of one-of-a-kind artwork.

"I think it's going to be a great show," said Steve Gibbs, owner of the Art Spirit. "These three artists all are really at the top of their game, and they are always pushing outside the box. They have their own unique vision, and they're constantly pushing and experimenting and trying new things."

Gallery-goers can meet the artists at an opening reception at 5 p.m. Friday. On Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., Grimes will discuss his artwork at an informal presentation.

"I'm really excited about showing with these two guys," said the 70-year-old Grimes, of Spokane.

Some of Grimes' best work is made from wood. He engraves plywood and paints over the top, or carves relief pieces that jut out from the wall.

To boost the creative process, he'll often employ "automatic drawing" - no plan or blueprint, just spontaneity.

"He likes to sit down with an ink pen, and start making marks on a piece of paper," Gibbs said. "He tries to come up with things that he doesn't preconceive. He likes to be surprised during the process."

Stylistically and materially, Balazs' artwork is very different. He'll use wood, but also metal, enamel, stones, concrete, rope and anything else that might be lying around.

His final products are equally diverse: everything from wall-hangers to small sculptures.

"I just try to keep doing something different all the time," said Balazs, 82, of Mead, Wash. "I like to put things out of context. Years ago I came across the Islamic philosophy that God expects more of us than replicating the known universe. And I kind of liked that."

Ely, who lives in Colfax, Wash., will unveil a series of wall works at the spring show. The drawings, Gibbs explained, combine architectural, geometrical, mechanical and anatomical elements, etched into a handsome scratchboard.

He has also developed individual characters, like the alphabet of a distant language, that he incorporates into his work.

"The three of us, I think, are from some other planet or something," Balazs said, joking about the idiosyncrasies of the artists.

The Art Spirit Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. As always, all pieces are for sale.

"We've heard a lot of times from clients, 'Boy, I'd like to spend an hour in his mind,'" Gibbs said. "They really are deep thinkers."