showcase magazine | winter 08
community
What’s unusual about Julie Thompson’s art is not the subject matter but the medium. Using acrylics, she creates paintings on naturally-molted peacock feathers. Originally from Alaska and now a resident of the Pacific Northwest, it’s only natural that she would paint wildlife—avian, aquatic, and North American mammals. Mallard ducklings paddle through reeds after their mother; a majestic mule deer elk pauses in the afternoon sun; a group of female sockeye salmon make their way upstream. The exposed quills are often meticulously painted—bright geometric designs, pinhead dots, Native American motifs, and sometimes Julie’s signature adorn the hollow shaft. Her feathers were recently used in a video with Gordon Lightfoot’s “Cherokee Bend”. I discovered The White Dove Gallery on a quiet street in Lakewood. Though it looks small from the outside, the building contains three floors of gallery space. The eight rooms, including a converted closet, display pottery, blown glass, country crafts, paintings and designer jewelry. I was enchanted by clay figures formed by Mexican-American artist Maria Rojas. Collectively known as La Mona Gorda (“Big Mama”) or simply Maria, the stout female figures range in height from five to twenty-four inches. Each one is handmade as a tribute to the Indian women in Oaxaca and portrays everyday responsibilities of child rearing, food preparation and flower gathering. La Mona Gorda delivers her simple message in an accompanying brochure: “Hi. My name is Maria... every morning, I go out to collect a few flowers, fruits and vegetables, to sell them sitting on the sidewalk of the street markets. I represent the hard working woman dedicated to my family with love and pride.” Each sculpture is different. Some are painted, some are not. Some wear their dark hair braided; others have angel wings and are accented in gold. Babies rest in the arms of some, bouquets of lilies in others. Some play instruments; others carry baskets of produce or a delicious meal. In Olympia, Debra Van Tuinen’s Fine Art Gallery is open only by appointment. Of her most recent paintings, I was drawn in
artwork randy brown by “Beach Meditation,” a series of oil encaustic abstracts. The same isthmus of shoreline juts out in each piece; what changes are the hues and the lighting. The smoky blue tones in the first imply a misty morning; in another, mauve and violet strokes aside saffron gold are reminiscent of sunset. Several works in her “Paintings from the Garden” collection depict snowy white calla lilies against a deep indigo background. The contrast is startling and the simplicity remarkable. By staying off the beaten path, I was richly rewarded. Fine art galleries abound, not only in the larger cities, but in less obvious locales as well. As Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” w For more information: Arts Alive! | Enumclaw www.plateauartsalive.org Lucas Art & Frame | Graham www.lucasart.net White Dove Gallery | Lakewood www.whitedovegallery.com Van Tuinen Art | Olympia www.vantuinenart.com 13