Geometry & Whimsy

Myrna Anderson and Charlene Rivers are two well-known Oregon landscape painters of the mid-Columbia area.

 

Rivers is from Parkdale and Anderson lives in Mosier. They have known each other or each other’s work for years. Chance brought them to exhibit together in the summer of 2021 at the invitation of the Cathedral Ridge Winery Gallery. What they discovered by showing their work in tandem is that, although very different in execution, both are fascinated by the geometric forms of the Columbia River Gorge landscape. Rivers simplifies the shapes into whimsical circles, lines and dots, and Anderson fractures the space into tiny squares and rectangles. Their complementary approaches inspired them to seek out an opportunity at The Dalles Art Center to exhibit together again.

CHARLENE RIVERS

“Bold, bright and whimsical are words I use to describe my paintings. The landscapes around Parkdale and the Hood River Valley have been my inspiration for many years. I use photos and drawings to begin a painting, but the final composition is imaginary. I begin with a chalk drawing on a black canvas. I simplify shapes with the intent of making them flat and opaque. I prefer working on large canvases but typically start by making several small paintings and continue to the larger ones. I am always told by viewers that my work makes them smile.

“My paintings can be seen at Columbia Art Gallery, The Gorge White House, Cathedral Ridge Winery, The Pines Winery tasting room in Hood River, and Lady Fern Gallery in Parkdale. I also participate in Gorge Artists Open Studio in April each year. I have created children’s books as well as art instruction books available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Blurb. Canvas prints, cards and more items are available online at Zazzle.com. I welcome visitors to my studio year-round by appointment.”

MYRNA ANDERSON

“Making my home in the Columbia River Gorge, I draw inspiration for my paintings from the landscape which surrounds me. I spend a lot of time in this great outdoors taking photographs which I then turn into my paintings. My acrylic paintings are done in what I call my “stained glass style.” I begin by taking a photograph of a landscape and then breaking that photo down into little cells. This process is done first in pencil and then I go over the pencil lines with a Sharpie.

“I then fill each of these little cells with layers of color. It can take an average of 7 layers. I first start with a wash of bright transparent color and then instead of just mixing a color on my palette and applying it, I put on layers of color and let them mix on the canvas. That way all my colors show through. I start out light to dark and then light again. I add any opaque or white last.”