(Above: A painting titled East McKenzie Street by plein air painter Euphemia Wesley, a member of the Plein Air Painters of Lane County.)
By Randi Bjornstad
Compared with last year, the holiday season this year — and along with it new work by area artists — is literally like night and day. Galleries everywhere are are chock full of bright new work, and the Emerald Art Center is no exception.
For December 2021 and through the first week of the new year, the center has three exhibits on the walls, including one called The World Around Us, consisting of art created in nature by the Plein Air Painters of Lane County.
Al Dobra concentrates on portraying wild birds in a variety of mediums
A second show features pieces by center members Al and Sharon Dobra, and Kathy Paskey. And as always, there’s plenty of artwork by other members of the Emerald Art Center to see, enjoy, and purchase.
Art center director Guy Weese offers a few suggestions for appreciating the displays and also announces extended hours that the center will be open during the holidays.
The term plein air means “out of doors,” Weese said, but he goes on to say that Plein Air Painters of Lane County doesn’t really mean just painters from Lane County. Rather, it includes artists from Multnomah County in the north to Jackson County in the south, “but the majority are here in Lane.”
The pieces in The World Around Us in large part are either fully completed plein air efforts or those started in the outdoors and finished in the studio, and many of them were completed individually during the height of the pandemic. The group — as a group — began painting together again in April, during a session at the McKenzie Orchards B&B, Weese said. New members are always welcome, regardless of experience, and are welcome to sign up to receive news and notices by emailing artist Patti McNutt at patti.mcnutt@gmail.com.
Kathy Paskey’s painting, Barn, is part of her exhibit at the Emerald Art Center
Al and Sharon Dobra’s contribution to the art center’s exhibits is titled Light for the Season and reflects their observations of the world around them, summed up in their joint artists’ statement, “Through this show we hope to add light and color to brighten and enrich your life in this season. May you soak in the light and be surprised by joy.”
In this show, Sharon Dobra offering original pastel works of art for the first time, instead of prints, as she has made her work available in the past. Al Dobra offers images of birds, rendered in mediums including charcoal, colored pencil, pastel, and watercolor.
For Kathy Paskey, who moved to Springfield from Florida several years ago to be closer to family members after a career in education, plein air painting offers a new artistic outlet, but she also does in-studio work. In addition to nature scenes, she enjoys painting pets.
Emerald Art Center
When: Dec. 1, 2021, through Jan. 7, 2022
Where: 500 Main St., Springfield
Extended hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (except closed Dec.25, Dec. 31, and Jan. 1); also open on Tuesdays on Dec. 7, 14, and 21 and from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during downtown Springfield’s Second Friday Art Walk on Dec. 10
A Glorious Day, by artist Sharon Dobra
