Sibling harmony
What do wildlife art, abstract art and a trip to the moon have in common?
Find out at the third of five Meet the Artist shows to be held at the Freed Gallery in Lincoln City this Saturday, July 1.
Wife-and-husband artists, Sandra Fraser-Dust and Ken Dust, will be featured. Guests will have the opportunity to view their work and talk about their different styles of wildlife art and abstract art. And, yes, hear about Dust’s connection to the first man to the moon space flight.
Originally from Montana, Fraser-Dust has lived in the world of art since childhood as her mother was a landscape artist.
Her art has a conformity and flow, moving gracefully from realistic wildlife subjects to vibrant precision abstract mixed media art.
“I want the viewer drawn into my painting and once there, I want the painting to take the viewer into a creative state of imagination — emotionally and intellectually,” she said. “I prefer to work intuitively and try to let the paint have its own energy and vibration.”
Her art has been exhibited and received awards and recognition across the country, including in Chicago, Arizona, Montana, Colorado and internationally in Germany.
Dust’s art talent was recognized by the Sisters of Notre Dame at the age of eight. He was the youngest student in the class of mainly adults.
He generates his highly detailed wildlife art creations through the use of colored pencils. Some pieces can take several years to complete.
“Achieving the fine detail with colored pencils is like painting with a needle,” he said.
An abiding passion for nature is seen in his art and leads him to be actively involved in fish and wildlife preservation.
His award-winning work has been displayed in prestigious shows and museums such as the Audubon Artists, North American Wildlife Exhibition.
And about that trip to the moon? At Lockheed Martin, Dust worked on the project that built the first and second stage of the rocket that was used on all the Gemini space launch vehicles. The first spacewalk was done from a Gemini capsule and that technology was used for the Apollo capsule that sent the first men to the moon.
Lee Freed opened the Freed Gallery in 1996, and along with her staff, continues to run the gallery, which features more than 100 artists, including the wind sculptures of Lyman Whitaker that decorate the lawn of the gallery.
Saturday’s demonstration begins at 2 pm at the Freed Gallery, located at 6119 SE Hwy. 101. For more information, including upcoming featured artists in the series, go to FreedGallery.com.