Sheila M. Evans

 Here, as in many cities, we have an arts tour on the first Friday of each month. Galleries stay open late, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get together with friends, walk around town, have a few drinks, eat too much, and oh, yeah, look at art. My photographer friend Amy and I have made this a tradition lately, hitting a happy hour then taking off to see who’s showing. This month we are pushing our tour back a week to coincide with a local gallery’s show opening. But to celebrate 2009′s first First Friday, I’m posting a little tour of my own right here. The following are some favorite artists, mostly local, friends and acquaintances.  

Starting here in Spokane, Gina Freuen and Kay O’Rourke are amazing artists and sisters who share apparently limitless creativity. Last fall Gina invited me to show in a studio tour as a guest artist, and along with Kay, I got to set up in the amazing garden of Hulda Bridgeman, whose garden is eclipsed only by her stunning wearable art. Kay also shares a gallery with Ryan Hardesty, a museum curator and oil painter whose quiet abstract pieces have beautiful subtle depths, and Kathleen Cavender, an oil and pastel painter who layers her canvases with brilliant translucent color. 

Heading north of town, we’ll find a new gallery owned by Gay Waldman, whose stunning photographs shared a calendar with my own work a few years ago. Continuing west about 25 miles, we’ll find Casey Klahn, fellow pastelist and art fair participant, and blogging inspiration. I see Casey at least once a year at an art fair, but we first met years ago at a workshop  given by Jennifer Evenhus, a PSA Master Pastelist and fellow Washingtonian whose work blows me away.

Enough of this cold climate, though. Last stop, Eureka, California, to see the gorgeous pastels of Victoria Ryan, art fair veteran, endless source of moral support, and great friend. Vicky has been branching out into another medium this year, too. I can’t wait to see what she’s been up to. One of my favorites of her work, Snow Patterns 2, is shown above. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Let’s go again next month!