Shelli Walters —SunGarden
August 3, 2023 at 3:00 pm - August 29, 2023 at 7:00 pm
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Tumalo Art Company’s August exhibit, SunGarden, features new mixed media paintings and paper mache sculpture by Shelli Walters. The opening reception takes place August 4, during the First Friday Gallery Walk from 3-7pm in the Old Mill District.
Visitors to the gallery in August will be treated to an uplifting stroll through Shelli Walters whimsical imagined gardens. Steal a few moments for yourself to feel warm sunlight, hear chirping birdsong and tap into the abundant buzzing life in Shelli’s SunGarden series. Allow nature to melt away your thoughts and worries, restoring peace and positive energy. Shelli says this body of work flowed out over the past year in response to the loss of her Mom. Her grief and muddling through the complex estate management process had her craving moments of peace and simplicity.
“Stepping into the garden to catch a breath and unplug from the fray is a healing salve and personal refuge — a powerful way to appreciate the wonder of nature and our blessings.”
Shelli brings this experience into the studio where it spills out in acrylic paint, collage, graphite and crayon on 24”x12” canvas panels creating a mural-like impression of a blissful day in the garden. The panels became part of the creative process as Shelli played with stitching them together into diptychs and triptychs as they evolved to reveal ideas and compositions that contribute to the whimsical nature of the work. A playful color palette, organic shapes and textures weave through the pieces bursting with dreamy summer vibes.
Sauntering through the garden are paper mache sculptures of deer and birds on bicycles, complementing the two-dimensional work. Shelli enjoys repurposing materials to forge these whimsical creations giving what would otherwise end up in the trash or recycle bin a joyful new place in the world. She is especially delighted to transform the never-ending stream of her Mom’s junk mail into art.
SunGarden celebrates life, joy and sunshine. Visit the gallery, feel your spirits lift and take a piece of Shelli’s Sun Garden home with you to brighten your space year-round.
Tumalo Art Co. is an artist-run gallery in the heart of the Old Mill District open 7 days a week. tumaloartco.com; 541-385-9144.