Susan Bourdet’s newest watercolors will be offered during the month of October at Gallery Calapooia, alongside the fine porcelain pottery of Dennis Johanson. Please join us for a reception for the artists on Friday, Oct. 2, 6 - 8 p.m., live music and refreshments provided. The show will hang Sept. 29 through Oct. 25.

Here are Susan’s thoughts about her work:

“Like a well-told story, I believe a painting has to have enough interesting information to tell a convincing and captivating tale. My goal is to make paintings that aren’t just portraits of bird and animal subjects, but go a little further, offering the viewer an insight into that creature’s life, a window into a wilder world.

“Over many years of wandering, I’ve collected volumes of information for paintings in the form of photos, notes and sketches. Sometimes I find inspiration in the big stuff — an amazing wild place that I just have to paint — but often it’s a small feature, like an interesting rock or a colorful patch of wildflowers. In many cases, the magic I’m trying to capture is a fleeting experience like a shaft of sunlight turning a leaf to gold or a little warm light on fur or feathers.

“Much of the time I spend on a painting is in the development of the idea, trying on bits of setting and various subjects until the concept falls together. The composition is drawn onto the paper and carefully masked so that the detailed parts can be saved with crisp edges. Watercolor demands that you think backwards, beginning with the background and building forward to create the image. I begin painting with the soft- edged, washy background, then dry that layer, remove the mask and paint the defined foreground shapes. Fine details are added last.

“The ongoing, never-ending excitement for me is that every watercolor, even after 40 years, is a new experience, and every image presents its own unique risks and challenges. There is always the possibility that a new painting might be the best thing I’ve ever done, or it’s just as possible that it could be a complete flop! Nature provides such incredible variation — colors, textures and little moments to inspire me! With every new painting, there’s the hope that, this time, I’ll succeed in capturing a truly wild moment.”