Sisters Art Stroll is a crowd pleaser

Several artists showed for the first time at the fourth annual September in Sisters Art Stroll. The warm weather Saturday evening and the broad marketing coverage throughout Central Oregon brought out a large crowd. Art appreciators strolled through 22 participating galleries and stores and talked with the artists.

Music rang through Sisters Saturday evening from the toe-tapping crowd gathered around the Anvil Blasters to people who enjoyed the soothing sounds of Charles Littleleaf’s flute music.

At High Desert Gallery, most of the artists participating in the show were able to be at the gallery.

“I think they truly enjoyed the collaborative effort,” said High Desert’s Todd Dow of the 15 artists present. “It was a fun energy in the gallery.”

Dow said “the number of people in town was plentiful.I was surprised that our walk-in traffic was so high.”

One artist at High Desert Gallery showed in Sisters for the first time. Grace Bishko’s decades of experience as an artist include living and showing her art in Guatemala and Mexico. Now a Bend resident and avid hiker, she has been inspired by the outdoors to paint a series of juniper tree and raven paintings.

Last Saturday, she showed a painting from her musician series called “La Mer.” In it a dog glides along on a boat while a lady plays the cello. Bishko had been friends with the dog and said her inspiration was that “he deserved a very special way to go over to the other side.”

“I try to create a sense of surreal,” said Bishko.

At Leavitt’s Western Wear Lori Penrod also showed for the first time. First Penrod worked as a photographer and writer until a friend told her, “There’s a painter in you somewhere.”

Penrod doesn’t sell her paintings and friends had to twist her arm to get her to join the stroll. Art appreciators were treated to her varied style including realistic scenes of places she has visited such as Nice, Italy and Gold Beach. She also showed abstracts and a colorful red eye of Jupiter.

“I pretty much do anything,” said Penrod of her painting subjects.

Another first-timer was jeweler Stacey Mackinley who showed her work at Hucklebeary’s. Store owner Keri Wilson said, “She really has an eye for the way she puts stones together.”

Mackinley said she is drawn to beading because of the beautiful colors and textures of the gems. She works a lot with various kinds of pearls. Mackinley said one of her current favorite gems is sliced watermelon tourmaline because it resembles the fruit.

“They’re like my little treasures,” said Mackinley. She has been creating necklaces and earrings for more than 15 years and enjoys the creative process.

At Navigator News, Bend painter Ryan Huff showed his abstracts.

“With abstract work, people see things so differently,” said Huff. He added he enjoys the freedom of that style.

In his large canvas titled “Lightscape,” Huff began thinking of waterfalls and continued the water theme painting by bringing things “in and out of focus.”

“I don’t see the need to spell things out,” said Huff.

The annual event is sponsored by The Sisters Gallery Association.