Women Painters of Washington Gallery
Columbia Center
Seattle, WA

"Painting Out Loud"

August 5 - October 31, 2008

EXHIBITORS

Mary Anderson
Carole Barrer
Marilyn Berstrom
Ann Breckon
Julie Creighton
Betty Jo Fitzgerald
Tracy Kay Fraker
Christine Gedye
Esperanza Grundy
Pat Hitchens
Colette Laico
Ruth Little
Diane McClary
Irina Milton
Barbara Noonan
Ilze Reimnitz
Cheryl Richey
Barbara Walker
Fara Mazzola Wexler
Irene Yesley

Twenty regional artists are participating in Painting Out Loud, the newest exhibition at Women Painters of Washington Gallery in the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle. This group exhibit showcases the diverse talents of women artists from the greater Puget Sound area whose media include watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, collage, colored pencil, and pastel. The theme of the show, Painting Out Loud, underscores the enduring contribution these creative and productive women are making to the rich cultural history of the Northwest. Founded over 75 years ago, Women Painters of Washington jury in members throughout the state and mount exhibitions in the Puget Sound area as well as throughout the U.S. and abroad.

The current organizers of Painting Out Loud, Julie Creighton and Diane McClary, both award-winning artists, are fine examples of the range of locales and media represented in this exhibit. Creighton, a watercolorist and native of the Pacific Northwest, divides her time between Bellevue and Stretch Island. Her style of impressionistic realism allows her to utilize watercolor’s characteristic fluidity to respond passionately and spontaneously to fleeting, special moments. Creighton states, “Whether painting locally or while traveling in the U.S., Asia, Australia, or Europe, I find a region’s scenic beauty a constant source of inspiration as I attempt to capture the essence of color and light specific to particular places and seasons.”

McClary lives in Federal Way during the summer months and the Palm Springs area in California during the winter. As a plein-air (outdoor) painter, she strives to capture the effects of light using brush marks and oil-painting techniques characteristic of the Russian Impressionist School. McClary explains, “When I paint in the desert or in my garden, I am always exploring new ways to convey the emotional tones of the scene on canvas, including the sounds of nature around me and how the fresh air smells and feels.”

The variety of images, perspectives, and techniques by participating artists in the Painting Out Loud show make this a “must see” exhibition.