By the time the opening-night reception for “Artists from the Pacific Northwest” got underway on Thursday, Sept. 1, eight bright-red “sold” stickers were already affixed to a number of paintings placed throughout the spacious environs of Gallery Syre.
A quick perusal of the works on display revealed a breadth of talent from the four participating artists, so it wasn’t a surprise that people were eager to make the works their own — although they’ll have to wait until late January to take them home.
From Bellingham legend Frances Xavier Donovan’s burnished wood sculptures and intricate folk paintings, to Bonnie Smerdon’s light-filled renderings of familiar places both wild and industrial, artist and architect Anita H. Lehmann’s abstract oil landscapes, and an array of paintings and sculptures by gallery namesake David Syre, there was a lot to take in. Even the participating artists — who were seeing the collection of works exhibited for the first time that night — were spending serious time sussing out the works of their fellow creatives.
With a thoughtful gaze, sculptor and painter Francis Xavier Donovan (far right) looks at fellow painter Anita Lehmann’s paintings during an opening reception for “Artists from the Pacific Northwest” on Thursday, Sept. 1. The exhibit will be on display at Gallery Syre through January. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
A press release about the exhibit noted the quartet of artists each exemplifies the rich creative heritage of the Pacific Northwest in their own way, and it was an apt description.
Smerdon captures light in ways both ethereal and rock solid in her paintings of PNW places — so much so that, from afar, some of them appear to be photographs. Among the regional landscapes and familiar urban scenes, “Fountain District” shows a scene from the Bellingham neighborhood that is extraordinary in its ordinariness. Among the light sources are street lights, the final vestiges of sunset and illumination from the windows of nearby structures.
“Light sources are kind of the guides of what I want to paint,” Smerdon said in front of “Waterfront View,” which merges the realism of what is now Waypoint Park with an abstract view of State Street and a large disco ball. “I like to mix natural light with synthetic light. Whether it’s stage lighting or street lights, I introduce that into the work.”
“The Fountain District” by Bonnie Smerdon is one of the works of familiar places on display at Gallery Syre. Smerdon said light sources are the guides of she wants to paint, mixing natural light with synthetic light. “Whether it’s stage lighting or street lamps, I like to introduce that into the work,” she said. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Donovan, who at 79 has given up sculpting wood due to ongoing shoulder pain and an adverse reaction to wood dust, hasn’t given up on his art. He said he remains curious about the world, and his paintings from the last few years are both playful and personal. “Seascape at Waypoint Park,” “God is the Sun” and “Bird in the Subway” — an intricate collection of marbleized squares that reveal a large avian head and the words “Polly want a cracker” — show why Donovan’s reputation as one of Bellingham’s most inventive artists is intact.
“I don’t show that often,” Donovan said on Thursday night. “I put paintings up at coffee shops and restaurants with no prices, no signs. It’s a privilege to put them in here.”
Donovan’s invitation to join “Artists from the Pacific Northwest” came about due to a serendipitous meeting between the gallery’s publicist and Donovan’s son in New York City. Anita Lehmann’s introduction to the gallery came equally by chance, involving a “thank you” note to an exhibit reviewer and a number of art cards that eventually ended up in the hands of gallery manager Casey Curtis.
“It’s really nice to meet fellow artists and to see all the different interpretations of the Pacific Northwest that go with it,” Lehmann said.
“Road Trip 2” by Seattle-based artist Anita Lehmann is one of the first works that sold during opening day of the exhibit “Artists From the Pacific Northwest.” Lehmann, who’s also an architect, brings a geometric sense of space to her abstract landscape paintings. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Nearby, a short video featuring the four artists in their home studios played. Watching it gave further insight into how angles, nature and creativity combine to give Lehmann her singular visions. A favorite, “Ocean Dance,” looked nothing like water, but still conveyed a sense of seeing large creatures moving through the waters with a sense of purpose.
“Alone in the studio, perhaps the music is playing, and [I] just let go,” she said of her process. “I start moving the brush as if it’s moving itself. Those are the best kinds of paintings — the ones that come from the heart. That’s what I’m really after.”
Syre, who arrived at the reception fashionably late and instantly immersed himself in the exhibit, wasn’t sure which of his works would be on display that night. But he approved of his mix of watercolors, pastels, clay sculptures and other works shown, like “A Nooksack Spring Storm” and “Noon Time Lightning.”
Another weather-related piece that stood out, “Here Comes the Storm,” was painted soon after he returned from a trip to Tucson, Arizona, and is reminiscent of a coming squall. One could practically smell the coming showers.
“I was doing watercolor techniques with acrylics,” Syre said of the painting. “I like the movement in it. It has good energy.”
See “Artists from the Pacific Northwest” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment, through January at Gallery Syre, 465 W. Stuart Rd. Info: gallerysyre.com.
Editor’s note: Syre is the sole owner of Cascadia Daily News.
