Art Colors Life at Artists’ Gallery Sunriver Village

Although it is exciting to walk through a gallery and enjoy the beautiful and remarkable pieces of art, it is almost as interesting to gain some insight into how creating art “colors” the lives of the artists. The Second Saturday Reception March 9 at the Artists’ Gallery Sunriver provides an opportunity to get to know the gallery’s artists. It is always fascinating to hear the unique life circumstances that brought each artist to his particular art medium and the inspiration behind his art.

Marily Badger is new to the Artists’ Gallery. She is not, however, new to the medium of art glass. A glass artist for over thirty years, Marily started her art career by studying and creating stained glass art during her junior year in college. Over the years, she has transitioned from stained glass to both etched and fused glass art even combining the two later art forms. Marily’s art is truly colored by one really important fact of life. She is a fourth generation Hawaiian who details the beauty of Hawaii in each of her pieces. He art includes tropical scenes, hula dancers, and other traditional Hawaiian designs. The saturated colors in her pieces speak beautifully to the lush landscape of Hawaii. “Meticulous attention to detail is a trademark of my work.” Come by the Gallery, meet Marily, and be transported to Hawaii.

Another new artist at the Gallery is Joe Kendall. Joe’s art also colors his life, and it has been doing so since he was eight years old when he began drawing. The artist had a long and successful career in advertising Design, owner of multiple advertising agencies over the last thirty years. In college, he was trained in fine art, illustration, graphic design, typography, photography, life drawing, and color theory. Even after retiring from advertising in 2000, moving to Bend and beginning another successful career in real estate, Joe’s life continues to be colored by art. What better inspiration for his work than the beauty of Oregon landscapes. His chosen medium is pastel, a medium that really lends itself to capturing his favorite subjects of water illusions and luminous light effects. Joe’s Oregon scenes with colorful water, sky, and foliage capture a special luminous magic. “I am more interested in special small scenes to be discovered than the classic cliché vistas. Visitors to Oregon seem to be particularly drawn to my paintings for reminders of their Oregon experience.” After viewing Joe’s art, you may just wish to have his art color your life.

The stained glass art of Gene Thomas has been a staple at the Artists’ Gallery since the gallery’s inception. However, many of the gallery fans may not know that Gene’s art inspiration was colored by his time as a child being raised on the east coast. “I always enjoyed the beauty and grandeur of the grand cathedrals with their immense stained glass windows.” Gene dabbled in stained glass in his younger days, but he had to put his art passion on the back burner for years because of family and career. Since his retirement, the artist has again taken up the tools to create and enjoy the craft of stained glass. Some of Gene’s most popular pieces are designed to capture natural light and allow it to color life in your home. Stop by the gallery and decide which piece is just right for your home or the home of a friend.

Greg Cotton is also a “gallery old timer.” His woodworking pieces have been extremely popular since the gallery opened its doors. Art has colored Greg’s life in an interesting way. He is a retired math teacher and cross country coach which doesn’t seem all that artistic at first glance. But as a geometry teacher for many years, he was intrigued by angles and the many different designs created when joining them together. A longtime fan of M C Escher and his three dimensional drawings, Greg often taught his students how to draw “EscherOs”, interlocking figures or tessellations. “I love the problem solving and logistics necessary to create a piece of art. I spend many days visualizing and planning out the building process before making the first cut.” The feel of the finished art piece brings a smile to everyone’s face. Visit the Artists’ Gallery and let Greg’s art bring a smile to your face.