At the opening reception for the Fairweather exhibition THIS PLACE, en plein air artist Barbara Bacon Folawn is pictured with her art. In the background are musicians Chelsea LaFey and Richard Thomasian and artist Paul Brent Painting Seaside LIVE ™ during the July 2 Seaside First Saturday Art Walk. Also, in the image are artworks by Melissa Jander, Lieta Gratteri, Tedd Chilless, and Peg Wells.
I find it satisfying to visit the quiet rural areas of the Willamette Valley or the Oregon coast with pencil and paintbrush to capture the light and colors of our natural environment. When I paint on location, I lose myself in the moment and use all my senses to learn about and interpret what I see in front of me. I treasure the process and results of en plein air painting, which often inspires larger works in the studio. As I look back, I remember very clearly the feeling of the day, the light, the fragrances, the sounds, and the colors of each scene that I captured.” Barbara Bacon Folawn
Impressionistic oil painter Victoria Brooks happily engaged with Seaside First Saturday Art Walk patrons at the opening reception of THIS PLACE on July 2, 2022, at Fairweather Gallery. Victoria Brooks recently celebrated her 12th anniversary of offering Seaside Painting LIVE ™ events at Fairweather’s. In the background are more artworks by Victoria Brooks and Bev Drew Kindley.
It is all about the light and how it illuminates the landscape, figure, or portrait. I am always chasing the light and trying to capture that effect in oils. Most people don’t realize how much of painting is done in the mind first. I love the vibrant energy and painterly quality of impressionism. I love oil painting because of the texture and richness it has.” Victoria Brooks
Painter Paul Brent explored the language of Seaside Painting LIVE ™ in a landscape of the Seaside shore and Tillamook Head. He started with a blank canvas and completed a quick finish painting during the opening reception of THIS PLACE at Fairweather’s on July 2, 2022. In the background are sculptures by Chas Martin, glass by Fedor Zubanov, and a significant buoy oil painting by Brent.
If the meaning of art is to impart emotion visually then I think the message of all of my art is to create the emotions of relaxation. This is the appeal of my artwork as it often takes one away to a fond memory of a beach or the simple pleasure of a summertime moment.. Most of the time, I have a mental image of the piece before I begin to work. I am continually comparing the painting to the image I have in my head as I go along. I often comment that the painting I like best is the one I just finished.” Paul Brent
Bev Drew Kindley builds her impressionistic paintings from memories of idyllic places. The painter entertained Seaside First Saturday Art Walk patrons with her gentle insights on the philosophy of art.
Observing and painting is a meditation, an active appreciation, a way to connect intuitively with nature. When I turn to the peace of beaches, the inner strength found in the shadows of the mind, and the spirited persistence of flickering light on water, I feel refreshed exhilarated, enriched. I absorb a scene, focus on the mood, simplify the important features and begin to visualize a way to suggest
feelings, ideas,and create a sense of time in a place.” Bev Drew Kindley
Textile painter Cicely Gilman is wearing her art and showing her framed art. The pattern was inspired by personal guardian angels found within the mind and heart for THIS PLACE, an exhibition, on display through July 25 at Fairweather’s. In the background are artworks by Bev Drew Kindley and Victoria Brooks, art glass by Christine Downs, and pottery by Marilyn Cohn.
Cicely Gilman fills lively painterly silk with a mix of colorful interactions, literally building her images from photo collages, painted silk, and found materials. Often sewn together by hand and machine, leaving delicate ridges and tracks, the construction is repeated until the eye can swing from edge to edge in a blur of color. Her work evokes the energy of the inner workings of the mind, zigzaging back and forth from histories past, present, and possibly in the future.” Artist review/ FH&G
Neal Maine, pictured with his most recent photograph, “The Old becomes the New,” offered a unique habitat lecture at Fairweather’s on July 2, 2022, during the opening reception of THIS PLACE. He spoke about the importance of the nurse logs, fallen wind-blown trees that naturally shelter new forest seedlings. Also shown is art by JoAnn Pari-Mueller and furniture by Stuaru Dittbrenner.
Neal Maine was a biology teacher for 30 years with the Seaside School District. After retiring from teaching, he served on the founding board for the North Coast Land Conservancy and as its director for 12 years. Maine currently spends most of his time prowling the coastal edge as a wildlife photographer and helping others appreciate “living in paradise” on the North Coast through presentations and exhibits.
A nurse log is a fallen, decaying tree upon which other trees are growing. The saplings growing on a nurse log take nutrients from it, feeding upon it long before it has had time to rot and turn to soil. Nurse logs also provide a safe haven from soil fungi that can harm seedlings.
Decaying logs retain moisture and nutrients that benefit new plant growth and support soil organisms. A nurse log serves as a ground cover, reducing soil erosion and preventing animals from over-browsing seedlings.” The Old Becomes the New takeaway.
Fairweather House and Gallery
612 Broadway
Seaside, Oregon
Art on display and for sale through July 25
Painters, artists, and photographers explore the language of landscape
THIS PLACE, a special exhibition with selected original works by regional artists Paul Brent, Victoria Brooks, Nick Brakel, Barbara Bacon Folawn, Cicely Gilman, Bev Drew Kindley, JoAnn Pari-Mueller, Jan Rimerman, and more.
Please read more about our Seaside gallery, our commitment to N.W. artists, and our products made by N.W. artists.
https://fairweatherhouseandgallery.com
THIS PLACE photos by P. Brent, K. Bowman, and R. Brooks for Linda Fenton-Mendenhall/ Seaside First Saturday Art Walk.
In gratitude. FH&G