Medrano’s whimsical bird paintings appear on the lower level (first floor) of the Sunriver Lodge Betty Gray Gallery. With bird watching a favorite activity in her youth, she now borrows a few recognizable characteristics of her subject but generally paints imaginary avian beings, telling visual stories based on her emotive experiences in nature.
The artist’s mixed media paintings, amusing and full of color, express traits of her admired feathered subjects but also subtly express conflict between the natural world and humans. In her artwork, the birds represent nature while the collaged torn paper and jagged triangles representing broken glass (often on local hiking trails) represent human litter endangering the birds. The artist paints, draws, pastes and sands to create an idealized environment wherein the imperiled birds rise above danger and reside in safety.
A bachelors of fine arts graduate of Western Michigan University, with certification in graphic design and visual communications from UC Santa Cruz, Medrano’s art appeared in numerous California galleries as well as the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest, California. In 2007, jurors (art critics and historians) also selected her work for the Florence Biennale in Italy.
Rollins presents her florals in both expressionistic and exquisitely detailed watercolor on the upper level of the gallery (second floor). She exhibits realistic cherry blossoms and egg-filled bird nests as well as brilliantly colored, abstracted iris.
The artist notes that watercolor is medium perfect to portray her passion for flowers. With colors transparent and luminous, the medium easily morphs to characterize both the delicacy of the blooms as well as their subtle and bold hues. Her work, described as contemporary naturalism, features heavy underglazing, multi layered washes and other complicated techniques to produce complex paintings often requiring weeks to complete.
Rollins developed her exemplary technique with a bachelors of fine arts from Southern Oregon State University and continued her studies with prominent watercolor artists. A member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon and recipient of its Bronze Award in 2000, the artist’s work has been the subject of many publications including a feature article, Intimate by Nature, in Watercolor magazine and appears in collections throughout the U.S.
Mary Marquiss, Thomas Wanzer Long and other artists join in Spring Quarter Exhibit at the resort. Sunriver Resort invites the public to the exhibition open all hours.
Billye Turner organizes the Sunriver Resort Lodge art exhibits with info at 503-780-2828 or billyeturner@bendnet.com