Bennett Vadnais

Mill Houses

2019

Artist Comments
This painting was inspired by the landscape of Central Oregon near Mount Bachelor. The mountain stands proud against the rocky foothills that surround it.

About the Artist
Nancy Merkle;s process begins with a glimpse of color, a flicker of light, a pattern, or a texture. Elements swirl in her mind for hours, sometimes days, sometimes weeks before a design clicks and is transferred to canvas. With the canvas in front of her, she works intuitively -- a mark here, a mark there, a little touch of color, a bit of texture -- until she is satisfied and declares the work finished. Currently Nancy;s work leans toward abstraction; she doesn't paint the world as it is, but as she wishes it were. Bold colors and loose brush strokes are her goal. When she;s not making art, Nancy travels the Pacific Coast with a bicycle strapped to the car and curiosity in my back pocket. Fun Fact: Nancy lived in Alaska until she was five. She had bison in the backyard, bears at the landfill, and a moose who stopped by once in a while to look for sweet grass...

Artist Comments
This is one of artist Heather Foster's favorite local hiking paths. "The intriguing part of aspens is that the groves are connected via their root system," expl...