With all of the rain that has been falling over the past two weeks, its not surprising that our thoughts have been turning towards Spring and the improving weather. Inspired by that, this blog is focused on works by our members which are inspired by this season of growth, renewal and prospects of even better weather to come.
Many of the pieces that we are showcasing here are, unsurprisingly, landscapes, often of the varied and beautiful Oregon countryside. Sharon Engel and Sandra Pearce have works that showcase this. But it is not just this. We also have the striking floral pieces by Joan Metcalf, filled with color and metallics and Jane Aukshunas’ dreamy landscapes, together with Jani Hoberg’s delicate lithographs of birds and their nests.
As of publishing, all of these beautiful works and more are available in the gallery for either purchase or rental. We look forward to welcoming you here in the very near future, and for the promise of a Spring that will soon be here!
Sharon Engel
A native Oregonian, Sharon’s works are inspired by the French and Italian villages and countrysides she has seen on her travels. She loves to paint on site in the morning light, giving works such as this a beautiful, soft color. Her works are also usually filled with flowers, in many different settings, but all filled with color and beauty.
Joan Metcalf
Joan, inspired by the lush landscapes and flora of her native Oregon, paints shimmering images using oils and composition metal leaf. This results in striking works, which glitter and sparkle. Joan says: “The reflective, shimmering quality of the leaf causes the appearance of the painting to change as I move past it and even seems to affect the value of the oil painted areas.”
Jane Aukshunas
In her use of color, Jane identifies with the early 1900s European artists who were dubbed the Fauves (wild beasts) and whose leading member was Henri Matisse. Yet, her pieces are deeply serene, something she takes great pride in, saying: “I attempt to convey that sense of joy and tranquility, which is so often elusive in our fast-moving electronic culture. That many of my works are displayed in healing environments leads me to believe that I have captured some of that essence and that my art goes forth to soothe the world.”
Angelita Surmon
Angelita’s landscapes dance on the line between representation and abstraction. Most at home when encircled by tangled undergrowth and the flickering light of tall trees, Angelita says, “It provides the opportunity to meditate on branches and grasses making beautiful line work, and I discover unexpected relationships of color and light.”
Jenny Smith
Born in Worcestershire, England, Jenny Smith is an artist who creates beautiful, deeply real-feeling landscapes, which burst forth with color and life. A long-time resident of Oregon, Jenny recently returned to the UK. We continue to showcase her work and are delighted to, especially with these spring-filled pieces available to us at this time of year.
Sandra Pearce
Sandra is another artist who was born in England and she remembers emigrating to the USA about the RMS Queen Mary, winning a children’s drawing competition on the way. From her earliest days, any blank paper was fair game to be drawn upon! Memories and being able to place people into them are a deep source of inspiration to her work. She says: “My desire is to transport you to those special places –you feel as if you are part of that scene, enveloped by the heat of that day, or the cool of that dark passageway. You smell the salt-sea air in the harbor; hear the distant clink of wine glasses and laughter at the outdoor café; wonder at the first light of day or absorb the warm glow of last light. The depth draws you into the frame; you venture in and explore the surroundings.”
Yvonne Branchflower
Yvonne Branchflower creates oil paintings of the Oregon and California landscapes which are rich in feeling. A long-time resident of inland California, her home in northern Oregon inspires her to paint a lusher, greener landscape. These pieces shown here capture two of the attributes that Yvonne strives for in her work: “serenity and a bit of ambiguity”.
Jani Hoberg
Jani describes herself as someone who was born to be a printmaker, with a natural obsessive energy and attraction to problem solving. As she explains about her working process and technique: “I relate to the world in a visual-tactile sense. My images are from nature walks, vacations and bakeries. My intaglio etchings rely on direct observation, drawings and watercolors.”
