I am honored to be a guest artist at the 301 Gallery in Hood River Oregon this August. Come and see my latest work.
Gone
I went to the meeting proposing the Polallie Cooper Timber Sale on Mt. Hood. The Forest Service says: Fire suppression, buffer zones, thinning. On their maps, I see: Logging. Roads. Three thousand acres. Through hiking, biking, and ski trails. The wild and scenic East Fork Corridor. Northern Spotted Owl habitat. Watershed.
The trees in question didn't show up to the meeting. Maybe they don't care. Or maybe... Maybe they didn't come because they are rooted to the ground, their root systems reaching deep into the earth, interconnected with each other, and with the fungal mycelia with whom they share nutrients. Roots holding the soil, holding water, holding the mountain. Roots taking nourishment into their tree bodies, through their veins, all the way up to their needles, their branch fingers reaching into the sky, landing pads for flying squirrels. Their branches home to the spotted owls who eat the squirrels. The undisturbed vastness of the canopy the only reason the owls and other creatures can thrive here. The trees, their solid bodies taking up space on this planet. On this mountain. Next to this river. Giving shade, giving shelter, giving oxygen, giving, giving, giving... Gone.
Ancient Wilderness
September 10 - October 31
Northwest Woodworkers Gallery is pleased to present Ancient Wilderness by Venka Payne. Using traditional transparent watercolors in an original method, Venka gives glimpses into the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. These works bring the wilderness into the home by making the forest emerge onto paper, as if you were walking through the woods experiencing the complexity of light filtering through the forest canopy.
Hood River Mountain Elegy
This is a poem I wrote to express my sadness at the logging of Hood River Mountain, my favorite local hike. It will be missed by many.
These trees aren’t worth much
We would say, climbing up through
The dark tree tunnel.
They won’t cut them.
Second growth Fir and Ponderosa, some Oak
Some diversity here, some habitat, some peace.
Sometimes, glimpsed through the weave of branches,
An Old One, gnarled and strong, around which
The undergrowth keeps a respectful distance.
Emerging from the dark trees, a bright ridge.
At the top, a grassy resting spot
With lichen covered stones.
Either way you look from here, there is a volcano.
The ridge runs south to the foot of Wy’East, the Lonely Mountain.
Across the river to the north, the bulging Pahto.
And low down in the valley between them
The town where we live.
Our habitat is safe
But just up there, the sacred stones are gone.
In their place, a leveled dirt platform for the machines.
And the trees lie as they were cut
No longer holding their dark spaces.
The complexity of light filtering through branches
Gives way to the harsh sun.
My Artwork on Democracy Now!
A month ago, as I was working toward the Art of the Wild show, I was watching Democracy Now! as I often do when I paint in the studio. I looked up to see my "Forest" painting on the screen. I had sent it to Julian Assange last fall as a token of gratitude for his work, not knowing if it would ever get to him. I am so honored that it now graces the wall of the Ecuadorian Embassy, between two of my heroes, Julian Assange and Amy Goodman, in this interview. May my work speak to the world as theirs has.
Above is the first segment of the interview, via a poor quality YouTube video. For the full interview, which is worth watching, please copy and paste the following link in your browser: http://www.democracynow.org/2014/7/7/exclusive_inside_embassy_refuge_julian_assange
Art of the Wild at Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River
Come see my latest artwork, on display at the Columbia Art Gallery, starting THIS FRIDAY!
Art of the Wild
Columbia Art Gallery, Hood River
Opening Reception Friday, August 1st, 6-8 pm
Try to get there early because there will be lots of art to see!
The Art of the Wild show celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Participating artists from near and far will be displaying works that express their unique experience in one of six different wilderness areas of the Columbia Gorge. I have the honor of representing Trapper Creek, my favorite wilderness.
This show is so much more than the opening night! See the Art of the Wild August Events below for a description of all the other events that will be happening at the gallery throughout the month.
I will be at opening night this Friday, and I hope to make it to most of the other events as well.
This is going to be a great show. Come celebrate wilderness!
“The idea of Wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.”
Trout Lake Art Festival 2012
July 2012 marks my fifth year participating in the Trout Lake Art Festival in the beautiful Trout Lake valley, under the shadow of the great Klickitat (Mt. Adams). This event seems to get better every year!
32nd Annual Artists of the Gorge Juried Art Show, 2011
At the Stevenson library, exhibition on display through October. Reception Thursday, October 6th, 2011.
FOREST won 1st place at the competition! It was a fitting tribute to some of the last pockets of Old Growth forest, located right in Skamania County.
"Trees" at the Columbia Art Gallery, Hood River, OR, October 2011
"Trees" showcases art that emphasizes the individuality, emotional tone, and characteristics of a tree or small group of trees, something about the tree that fascinated and inspired the artist. Media will include drawing, painting, pastel, fabric, metal, clay, enamel, photography, and watercolor. Curated by Sarah Burr Arnold.
Opening Reception, Friday October 7th, 6:00 pm, Columbia Art Gallery, Hood River, Oregon.
Participating Artists Dave & Boni Deal, Rhonda Harris, Rachel Harvey, Tory Herford, Darryl Lloyd, Amirra Malak, Venka Payne, Kathy Watne, Karen Watson, Christine Colasurdo, Sarah Burr Arnold