February and March 2019    ​Creative Spirits Gallery

Creative Spirits Art Gallery welcomes three new artists. Vldn Taylor is a photographer; Beate Scheller works with prints and lithography; Kate Ingram is a painter. Be sure to check out the artists’ statements below with regard to how their art relates to our theme of “Earth:Home”. 
February 24th, 9:00-11:00am : Vldn Taylor and Kate Ingram   

 Vldyn Taylor

One of the debates in photography is how much editing a photographer should do. Some have the opinion that photography should only be documentary and no editing should be done other than picking the manufactures predetermined edit for the type of photo being taken, picking the lens and focal length for the photo. Others think of their photos as more like a Mixed Media Art project or in this case a mixed photo art project. They use photos that were captured from many different places and days, then blend them together to make one artistic photo.

​Somewhere in the middle is where I fall. I often create photos that go beyond the capabilities of the camera. When I am out photographing I take as many photos as I need for the scene. Cameras can only capture a certain range of light. Some have a greater range than others. I take as many photos as I need so I don’t have any areas that are so dark that they are black and so bright that they are white. I may also take several photos over a period of time to capture the mood or experience of the scene in front of me. Sometimes I take several photos so every thing can be in focus.

​Sometimes it only takes a single photo to capture what I need to make that final artistic photo that I am looking for. My goal is for the viewer to enjoy the beautiful place before them. If they can tell which of my photos are a single photo and which have been blended, then I haven’t done my job as a photographer and an artist.

Beate Scheller

Being a Printmaker contains my interest in craftsmanship and design, influenced by elements of architecture, and nature. My ideas how to develop an art piece is not limited to one technique or one typical style.  In the last several years I worked with Lithography stones to create my art piece, but etching and dry point are also techniques I prefer. 

The contrast of architecture and landscapes, geometrical shapes, lines, pattern and organic forms tempts, and excites me to create my images. On the other hand combining these patterns with fantasy elements into a print is not the end of the printing process. In my prints I want to describe critters, landscapes, and architectural elements. And often I combine these patterns with fantasy and oddness. These kinds of variations inspire me to new ideas and leading to new work.

I see myself with this years theme "Earth: Home" at West Linn Lutheran Church Galleries, even with the use of materials, and my imagery, it showcases Earth as well as home. Through my Etchings and Stone-Lithography I want to invite the viewer's imagination, so they can use their own imagination to wander through it virtually, and get connected into it with their own discoveries and stories.  Seeing spectators looking twice, observing and discovering different details than at the first glimpse, makes me smile.

​It encourages me to develop my ideas into images, where viewers can experience new elements and see it in a different perspective.

Kate Ingram

Lucky for me, I live in the Pacific Northwest. This environment is rich with natural experiences, the coast, the mountains, even in the song of a bird outside my window. My artwork is my expression of this present love. It is a transference of my moments. I find myself feeling more connected to the divine through the great outdoors. I feel a connection to something much bigger than life.

There are several pieces in this collection that express my time at Camassia Nature Preserve. This is a treasure right here in West Linn. for a short period of time, usually in May, this acreage owned by the Nature Conservancy blooms blue and purple with camas flowers. This is a sight that should not be missed. I am a sucker for flowers. The bees and I are easy marks. Two of my paintings are an expression of love for these attention seekers, flowers.

The rest of my artworks are scenes from hikes I have taken, in the Gorge, at the beach, in the Cascades, and at Smith Rock. There is also a scene from the Oregon Wine Country. I don't like painting on a white canvas. I cover the painting surface with red. I find it more inspiring. I then proceed to paint my subject covering the red. Sometimes there are still bits of red coming through to the painting. Thank you for taking the time to view my pieces. I am honored to share my artwork with you.