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Featured Artists

Our Featured Artists for the month of June are Susan Bourdet and Melissa Saylor.  

More from Susan –

Summer in our part of the Willamette Valley comes as a sudden explosion of life that always kind of takes me by surprise! Every year I look forward to the winter-dormant plants bursting into bloom in my garden, and the return of all the migrating songbirds. With the weeds growing tall overnight, the season for me is often about trying to catch up with the gardening and not so much about painting. There is usually dirt under my fingernails instead of paint! This year, I’m celebrating summer, dirt and all, and this collection of paintings features the things I love most about the season.

I paint from my own experience and I like to capture moments that have delighted me in the natural world, whether in my own backyard or on a woodland path. I find that the magic ingredient for me – the thing that really motivates me to paint – is usually light. I can pass by a scene time after time and not notice it, until I happen to see that same spot late in the day, with the sweet evening light silvering the edges of everything. I look for those moments when light transforms things in that mysterious way and then I try to capture that lighting in my paintings. In watercolor, the white paper shines through the transparent or translucent paint and it I’m lucky, it will give the illusion that the light is actually within the painting.

Another area that I’ve loved exploring in watercolor is textures. Trying to carefully copy a texture in paint is usually a fail, while using the side of the brush or even some other tool like a sponge or the edge of a ruler can create marks with a more random, natural feel. I use these methods to paint weathered wood, and I also often use spatter to simulate textures, like the galvanized metal of an old watering can.

For this show, I focused on summer experiences like the woodland wildflowers, the young wrens chattering in the nestbox, and my old watering can, a constant companion when it gets warm. All of the living elements featured in these paintings will be familiar because I found them in our little corner of the world. They will, I hope, remind you of your favorite summer things.

More from Melissa – 

According to her mother, Melissa Babcock Saylor has been drawing or painting since she was a toddler. Truth be told, she probably just liked making a mess.
However, at age 14, her mother did sign her up for watercolor classes at the new community college in Albany, LBCC. Melissa took watercolor classes from watercolor artist George Hamilton, (not the movie star) until she went off to college.
So for many years, Melissa worked strictly in watercolor. But then in 2013 she enrolled in a workshop offered by the Highlights Foundation. The workshop was all about children’s book illustration. It was at this workshop that she was introduced to the art of cut paper. Well, she loved it, and was encouraged to continue down that path by her instructors.
Over the years, Melissa has continued to grow and explore different methods in cut paper. In the beginning, she used scrapbook papers to make her creations. Now, she prefers painting her own paper, using a gel plate.
Melissa starts with a sketch and then translates the sketch idea into finished art and occasionally book illustrations.
For this show, Melissa has no theme. The main goal was to find some time to create some new artwork.

Nancy Anderson will be continuing to show her wonderfully inspirational calligraphy and cut paper artwork at Sybaris for the month of June.
An eclectic Pacific Northwest Bistro, Sybaris is dedicated to bringing the best of Oregon to the table. Located at 442 W 1st Ave in downtown Albany, across from the historic Carousel. 
(541) 928-8157 for reservations (recommended)

Galleries from Salem to Eugene

Take a look at the Art Map of galleries in the Mid-Willamette Valley along the I-5 corridor. You can get a great new paper version of the map at Gallery Calapooia.

Gallery Calapooia Inc. receives support from the Oregon Arts Commission,
a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.