Vancouver, WA
Aurora Gallery, September 7-29
Linda J. Baker, Window Still Life, oil, 12 x 16.
This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
The empty field may look boring to the average passerby. Seemingly random items heaped on a table in a dark corner might not invite much curiosity. But to artists Gretha Lindwood and Linda J. Baker, these subjects provide a world of challenge and inspiration. In a new show at Aurora Gallery, the two artists offer a variety of works that convey their passion for the innate beauty of simple things. The show opens on Friday, September 7, with an artists’ reception that evening.
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- Linda J. Baker, Two Ginger Jars, oil, 16 x 20.
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- Gretha Lindwood, High Desert Journey, pastel, 13 x 13.
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- Linda J. Baker, Chinese Vase With Blue Flowers, oil, 24 x 18.
Titled Double Visions, the show takes as its theme the number two. “There are two artists, two mediums, two subject matters, and two entirely different motifs in one show,” Lindwood says. “But they all complement each other.” Elizabeth Steinbaugh, owner of the gallery, has represented Lindwood for many years. “I’m really looking forward to a show with her work because she has steadily evolved into a wonderful artist,” Steinbaugh says. While Baker is a guest artist in the show, Steinbaugh is looking forward to having traditional still lifes in the gallery. “We don’t have any work like hers currently, so it will be nice to have something new and different,” she says.
Lindwood brings 14 new pastel works depicting landscapes from the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast. While she has worked with oils in the past, the artist recently returned to pastels on sandpaper because of the richness of color she can achieve with the medium. “The beauty of nature can’t be denied,” Lindwood says. “So I’m trying to give viewers my experience
vicariously—to have them feel and enjoy the beauty that I see.”
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- Linda J. Baker, Porcelain Horse, oil, 12 x 12.
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- Gretha Lindwood, Lyrical Harmony, pastel, 18 x 12.
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- Gretha Lindwood, Trail to the Beach, pastel, 12 x 16.
Baker’s classical still lifes offer a counterpoint to Lindwood’s work. Her compositions focus on the surfaces of objects including flowers, fruit, ceramics, wood, and many different types of metal. One piece, titled TWO GINGER JARS, portrays the interplay between surfaces, as well as Baker’s loosened, traditional techniques. “I like to take objects that could look totally boring just sitting there, but once you put them together, there’s a beauty that comes forth,” she says. “And Gretha is the same way with her landscapes.” —Mackenzie McCreary
contact information
360.696.0449
www.auroragalleryonline.com
This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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