Making a splash

Celebrated Northwest painter Earl Hamilton will be the first artist featured in the Freed Gallery’s Meet the Artist series, beginning this Saturday, May 27, in Lincoln City.

With his canvas laid out on the floor, Hamilton will demonstrate his painting technique and answer questions about how he creates vibrant abstract works of art.

Hamilton began his painting career when, as a young boy, he realized how beautiful the vibrant green of a jade plant looked when he rubbed in on a white fence. His father and mother, both esteemed artists, gave him a paint brush when he was five and he hasn’t stopped painting since.

When asked where he gets his ideas, he said: “They flow, just flow. I don’t try. I try to let go and allow the inspiration to take over. It’s tapping into this source and allowing the source to come through. It’s more a yielding thing and inspirational thing.”

There will be four Meet the Artist shows throughout the summer.

Lee Freed opened her Lincoln City gallery in 1996, and continues to run it to this day, assisted by an able team of staff. The gallery features more than 90 artists, including the wind sculptures of Lyman Whitaker that decorate the front lawn.

The demonstration begins at 2 pm. The Freed Gallery is located at 6119 SE Hwy. 101. For more information, including upcoming featured artists in the series, go to FreedGallery.com.