THE ARTISTS
Nancy Frances, Heidi Hoelting, Gail Liston, Liesel Lund, Janet McGregor, and Ginny O'Neill.
GALLERY HOURS
Mon-Fri | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat-Sun | one hour prior to performance start time
See the Calendar for details.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Nancy Frances
“Creating art gives my soul a voice. As a self-taught intuitive painter, I delight in making abstract marks. When creating, whatever choices I may make with color, line, or design, I aim to convey a visual language without physical form, to avoid literal translations, and speak directly to the viewer's heart abstractly with passion and intensity. Once I release my art, I can't wait to see what it brings back.”
Heidi Wahler Hoelting
“Photography helps me see and brings me joy. The photos in this show were taken with a modest Fujifilm Fine Pix camera in automatic ‘natural’ mode. I use the built-in zoom and macro settings as needed. I love the simplicity of my tool and the contemplative nature of my process. My passion for photography snuck up on me over a period of 10 years. It began when I borrowed my husband’s pocket digital camera and took a few pictures of mushrooms along the road. The photographs revealed physical details of these organisms that astounded me. These early mushroom photos led to deepening interest in fungi and natural science, in the nature of light and color, and in photographic storytelling and documentation. Gradually, my point-and-shoot camera became one of my most important tools for making sense of the world and trying to capture the beauty that is all around us.
I am a musician and educator by profession and have developed skills in many arts throughout my life. I never had formal training in visual art or photography, however, and look forward to learning more in the years ahead. I hope that my simple pictures offer fresh insights into the beauty and mystery of our world.”
Gail Liston
“I love drama. I love mystery. I love color and costumes and shadow and light. I love stories and all the myriad ways of telling them. I have been an actor and designer most of my life, and when I started painting it seemed a logical extension of this love of theater. To me, a painting is all about the subtext, the conflict, the emotions conveyed by people and places. What is happening? What is about to happen? Who is this person and what does she want?
Theatre is ever present in my art. My goal as a painter is to create a magical world for the viewer, to pull you in, and like a good play, engage your imagination and emotions. Let the play begin!”
Liesel Lund
Liesel studied fine art, natural history and scientific illustration at The Evergreen State College, The University of Washington, and Gage Academy of Art.
Over the years she has worn many creative hats. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand she created a nature education center at a Doi Luang National Park. Later she designed graphics for Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo's Butterflies and Blooms exhibit, children’s books for McGraw-Hill, and textile prints for Tommy Bahama's tropically inspired clothing. In 2009, she left the design field to be a full time artist and workshop instructor.
In winter of 2018, she opened Studio 106 Gallery, a shared art studio and gallery, in Langley, with two other artists. She paints and teaches art workshops at her studio and does plein air painting around the island.
Janet McGregor
Janet is a painter and mixed media visual artist and craftsperson. She grew up in the Mississippi Delta and has lived in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle, before moving to Whidbey Island in 2009. She studied art and art history at Mississippi University for Women (BFA) and Tulane University (MA) and did doctoral work in art history at University of California Berkeley before returning to studio work. She’s since also taken classes at CA College of Arts & Crafts, Pratt Fine Arts, and University of Washington. Her work (paintings and artist’s books) has been shown in solo and group shows nationally and in Japan. Her work is in the collections of individuals throughout the country.
“These paintings were completed in 2018 – 2020. Usually, I begin a painting not really knowing what I want to paint, but opening a dialogue and continuing the process until some image or narrative appears that allow a resolution. In these paintings though, certain themes or ideas have come up repeatedly – watery places, housing issues, phantom trees, and the idea of ‘Home,’ for all beings that live here. This makes some of the pictures a bit more literal. It’s interesting to me how painting always tells stories that reflect what is going on inside.”
Ginny O’Neill
“I am a representational artist. I consider my art a kind of portraiture, whether I’m painting a beach, a barn or an animal.
I work in watercolor on 300 lb hot press paper and on Aquabord (a hardboard panel made for watercolor paints). I paint in watercolor because I absolutely love the process. I love the way the pigments react with each other — the way they mix, mingle and separate creating patterns and pathways.
I enjoy painting landscapes and animals as well as commissioned pet portraits.
My intent is always to capture the unique character of my chosen subject. For the animals in this show, it’s often through the eyes. I want the viewer to feel an emotional connection the way I do.
You can find my work at Studio 106 in Langley and on my website.”
