April—Sarah B. Hansen

Above: Dancing Light

Plein Air to Studio

Tumalo Art Co. presents Sarah B. Hansen’s, Rising Air—Plein Air to Studio, opening April 5, from 3-7 pm during the Old Mill District’s First Friday Gallery Walk. The exhibit encompasses a collection of plein air paintings created in some of Sarah’s favorite locations in Central Oregon, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest, alongside large studio works inspired by of the plein air pieces.

“I copy out mountains, rivers, clouds. I take my pen from my pocket.
I note down a bird in its rising or a spider in its little silkworks.
Nothing else crosses my mind. I am air, clear air, where a wheat is waving, where a bird’s flight moves me…”

– from Pablo Neruda, Pastoral

“When I am immersed in nature, painting what is before me, I absorb joy and peaceful energy. Surrounded by the sounds of birds, wind, animals, insects…my shoulders relax and my mind goes blank. Hours can pass of sheer bliss. I notice a sense of floating on air, right next to the bees. The abundance of life works its way into my paintings, becoming a statement on place; a relief from modern life.”

“In painting outdoors, I begin to examine my relationship with natural landscape elements and the abundance life in the forests, meadows, rolling hills and canyons I explore. Later, I take those relationships to an interior space, both figuratively and literally, to create studio pieces. The larger studio pieces reflect a deeper dive into my connections to the earth, and an expression of the joy I feel in those outdoor spaces.”

Visit us during the First Friday Gallery Walk and throughout the month to see this enlightening and spirit-lifting exhibit. Get a glimpse of Sarah B. Hansen’s process of exploring the natural world in her art. We are open 7 days a week.