A year of living creatively
The past year has been weird, wild and largely unpredictable, but for painter Pam Greene and basket maker Kathy Kanas, it was a time of impressive productivity.
View works created by the artists during the pandemic at the July Show from Manzanita’s Hoffman Gallery, running through Sunday, Aug. 1.
Greene’s paintings are from the collection, “Pacific Daydream,” and capture the visual splendor of coastal forests.
“This series of oil paintings aims to capture moments of awe with the vibrant color palette that emerges when the monochromatic rain finally stops,” she said. “It is a record of our coast, reminding us of the persistent, ancient procession beyond our swirling human constructs. Fortunately, nature provides a model of beauty, strength and perseverance, making the world bearable and marvelous.”
Greene described her time during the height of the pandemic as “a year like no other. A year like waves. A year of staying close to home, living a Pacific daydream from my Neahkahnie studio. A year of soaking in the days with king tides, low tides, mist, smoke, fog, hail, spikey Sitka spruce and coral clouds clearing and cleaning the sky.”
Kanas’ newest art pieces were also created with nature as a muse.
“After many years and many baskets, my inspiration continues to come from the beauty and variety of plants and their fibers’ transformation into woven forms,” she said.
“Each basket is a collection of my thoughts at different times under various circumstances. Often, I am asked about the story behind a piece. It may be about trying something new, or it may be about revisiting something tried long ago. I can describe where and how the material was collected and prepared then constructed into something new. But what is not shared is where my mind goes during the process and act of weaving.”
The Hoffman Center for the Arts, located at 594 Laneda Avenue in Manzanita, is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 pm, and until 7 pm on Fridays. For more information, go to hoffmanarts.org.