Linda West

Walking among giants

Linda West — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:29:45 +0000

Jim and I spent the last few days in the Santa Cruz mountains of California to attend a friend’s wedding. We took time to go to Big Basin State Park to hike among the redwoods. I almost can’t find the words to describe their beauty. My heartbeat slows down and I just feel better when I’m out in the woods among the tall trees. It was a beautiful day–about 70 degrees and sunny–and we took our time meandering a couple of the many trails. It’s a great thing to do with your best buddy!

Painting at the edge of the river

Linda West — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:01:37 +0000

There is nothing more replenishing to my artist’s soul than a retreat in a beautiful setting with an inspired facilitator/teacher and fun, curious, and courageous participants. And good food! I had all of it earlier this month at Andie Thrams’ Spring Retreat on the American River in Lotus, California. We stayed at the beautiful Camp Lotus. We’d meet in the morning for a delicious breakfast, do an art exercise, then hike together to the banks of the river and set up our supplies. We’d paint, wander, and paint some more. We played with watercolor, mark making, painting with twigs (my favorite!), and sometimes just sit and watch the river run. We’d gather in the evening in Andie’s spacious cabin, have dinner and talk, then display our work and talk about that.

Andie has a gift for creating sacred, open space for everyone to feel comfortable and inspired. The mix of participants was fantastic. Artists, scientists, photographers, jam makers, former river guides, and a woman who was back in the United States after having lived abroad for 16 years. The conversations were lively and fun, and my new geologist friends taught me a new appreciation for “cleavage!”

I hope we do it again next year.

Seeds

Linda West — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:16:43 +0000

Title: Seeds
Artist: Linda West
Dimensions: 15 x 30 inches
Materials: Acrylic, inks, plaster, seed pods on wood
Photos:

A Show About Blue

Linda West — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:52:00 +0000

Click here for directions to Venti’s on Court Street in Salem, Oregon.

Evacuation Route

Linda West — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:04:57 +0000

Title: Evacuation Route
Artist: Linda West
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Materials: Image transfer, ink, dry pigment on wood
Photos:

Repose in Red

Linda West — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:03:17 +0000

Title: Repose in Red
Artist: Linda West
Dimensions: 24 x 24 inches
Materials: Acrylic and plaster on wood
Photos:

Birches

Linda West — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:00:16 +0000

Title: Birches
Artist: Linda West
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches
Materials: Acrylic and plaster on wood substrate
Photos:

John Frame

Linda West — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:11:07 +0000

John Frame suffered artist’s block for a period of about five years. Discouraged, he almost gave up making art, when he had an experience that changed his life. He had a waking dream in which he saw characters and plot lines clearly. He knew the work that came out of the dream would be the work he would do for the rest of his life.

If you haven’t seen John’s work, you owe it to yourself to do so. Go to PAM or visit John’s website. It might change the way you look at the world. Here is one of my favorite sculptures of John’s.

Field trip: Portland Art Museum

Linda West — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:34:53 +0000

The Salem Art Group took a field trip to the Portland Art Museum to see the Mark Rothko retrospective. It was an amazing experience. Thrilling to see his work progress from a more representational style to his later color block work. I had seen Rothko paintings in books before and didn’t really appreciate them until this show. The color work is beautiful and very soulful. I felt as if I had a glimpse into the artist’s heart.

The work that really captured my heart that day was by the sculptor John Frame. I can barely find words to describe the world he created. To see more of John’s work at PAM, click here.

Maxine at 20

Linda West — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:43:27 +0000

Title: Maxine at 20
Artist: Linda West
Dimensions: 10 inches X 10 inches
Materials: Image transfer, inks, pencil on birch cradle
Photos: