Jan Oberholtzer came into Garry Oak Gallery Thursday looking for a special gift for her nephew.

Oberholtzer, who lives in Oak Harbor, prefers to shop locally whenever possible and figured the cooperative art gallery in the city’s historic downtown might carry something unique that would appeal to the owner of an Alaskan sport-fishing company.

She spotted a shiny metallic salmon on the wall created by Oak Harbor metalworks artist Steve Nowicki and found her answer.

“It just spoke to me for him for his house,” Oberholtzer said.

For many people, the holiday season is a time for gift shopping in anticipation of Christmas.

For working artists, the season is a big opportunity to sell their art and improve their bottom line as they close out the year.

Some artists prepare for the Christmas season by increasing their inventories in the months leading up to the holidays, while others even customize their works to reflect the season.

“We do ramp up for the holidays,” said Ron Apgar, a fused-glass artist from Oak Harbor whose works appear at Garry Oak Gallery on Pioneer Way.

Apgar’s pieces such as sushi plates and table decor shift from landscapes and other designs to snowmen and poinsettias.

“I sell more of them this time of year,” Apgar said.

Christmas cards, Christmas tree ornaments and holiday stained glass creations made by Whidbey Island artists can be found at Garry Oak Gallery and Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville.

“Where else are you going to find a goat Christmas card or crab Christmas card with holly in its pinchers?” asked Coupeville printmaker Diane Tompkinson, who’s made both and sells her art at Penn Cove Gallery and is the featured artist at Whidbey Art Gallery in Langley this month.

“People like to find the ‘one of a kind.’ They have more appeal.”

There are other custom Christmas cards that rival Tompkinson’s creativity, but none probably more so than the dragon boat-themed ones made by Coupeville watercolor artist Pennie Allison Rees.

This year, her cards show Santa commanding a team of bright green-clad elves on a dragon boat with a Seahawks’ 12 flag hanging from the dragon’s antlers.

Rees’s card, which is sold at Garry Oak Gallery, reflects the season and her passion for dragon boat racing more than any wintry landscape.

“The problem is, we don’t have enough snow scenes here,” she said.

Many artists travel to shows to sell their work. One show, the Whidbey Allied Artists Art &Gift Show, is taking place at the Coupeville Recreation Hall Saturday and Sunday.

Opportunities to shop for local art exist up and down the island, including galleries in Greenbank and Langley. The Langley Artwalk is taking place from 5-7 p.m. Saturday.

Margaret Livermore, a watercolor artist and president of Garry Oak Gallery, said the holidays help the bottom line for many artists.

“December is a pretty good month for the galleries,” said Livermore, also a founding member of Penn Cove Gallery. “The summer time are really good months, then it slows down and picks up in late November and December and then slows down for the winter time. It’s kind of a chance to get the last sales for the year.”