Show celebrates region's artists

Art enthusiasts browsed through an eclectic display of fine art Friday evening at the juried art show and silent auction that kicked off the 22nd Country Fair, held at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration.

Patrons mingled with the artists while tasting wine and munching on hors d'oeuvres. Guests enthusiastically bid on items that showcased the entryway that lead into the art show. The auction - with items donated by artists and local businesses - was run by Jennifer Rambo.

"It's going really well for my first year here. I'm really excited about all the donations," Rambo said. "We have more donations this year, totaling 149 items for the two auctions tonight and two tomorrow. A lot of the parishioners have also brought in donations for the auction."

This year the selected juror was pastel artist JoAnn Burgess, a partner/owner at Hood Avenue Art Gallery in Sisters.

"There were those that really popped out and I knew immediately what I wanted and then there were others that were tough to choose from," Burgess told The Nugget. "Of course, I was looking at technique and composition, but I was really looking for that aha moment of something that really stood out."

Volunteer Jan Shaver, coordinator/chairman for the juried art show, was busy mingling among the huge crowd of artists and visitors.

"Although we have a few less artists this year we have more art items because each artist brought more pieces than normal," Shaver said.

Austin James Jackson, a 19-year-old landscape photographer who enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, won Best Photography for "Night Sky Over the Sisters."

Judy McKenzie, Jackson's grandmother, represented him at the art show.

"Austin is not here tonight because he's out doing photography for a company in Nevada," McKenzie said. "We just moved to Sisters last November and Austin lives part-time here with us and part-time in Portland."

Jackson is a second-year student at Portland State University studying graphic design and advertising. And in honor of the eclipse and his eye for the night sky, Sisters Art Works is featuring Jackson's photography through September 22.

Last year's winner for Best of Show, Charles Chamberlain, was on hand with his dog, Rowdy Yates, and for a moment or two folks forgot about his art to ask about his handsome golden retriever named after Clint Eastwood's character in the TV series "Rawhide."

Chamberlain has been painting for nearly 50 years and this year won Director's Choice for his acrylic painting "Steelhead Falls," and is the 2017 featured artist.

"Steelhead Falls is near Crooked River Ranch and is part of the Deschutes River and I went out there and took a photo," Chamberlain said. "There are several waterfalls, so I walked around to get just the right angle. I didn't want it straight on because it wouldn't have the depth that I was looking for."

"Evening Glow" by Lise Hoffman-McCabe from Bend won Best Pastel. For most of her life she expressed herself through varied art forms.

"Pastels have been my medium for the past eight years now and I really enjoy them," Hoffman-McCabe said.

Hoffman-McCabe is part owner of Red Chair Gallery in Bend, and she and her husband live part of the time in Paris, France.

Last year Randall Tillery was selected as the featured artist. And this year he picked up Best Oil or Acrylic for "Broken Top Evening Sky."

"Broken Top Evening Sky is a painting that had been brewing in my mind for a while. I'm always fascinated and inspired by how lighting affects landscape; and the warm evening light. I had seen this type of dramatic sky over Broken Top before and decided to spend a few evenings with my camera and paints in hand to try and capture a field sketch and reference photos. I got back to my art studio and this dramatic 24-by-48-inch painting is the result."

"Night Watch," by Jennifer Hartwig-Klingbiel won Best Mixed Media.

"I always wanted to do a scratchboard piece with backgrounds," Hartwig-Klingbiel said. "And I've always wanted to paint a beautiful sunset, and I've never done a heron before. So, I just used a paintbrush and dabbed the paint on using blues and yellows for the sunset."

Jim Holmdahl won Best of Show for "Night Photo," a mixed-media photography piece.

Best watercolor went to Don Zylius for "Neadow Landing" and Best Three Dimensional by Alan Higinbotham for "Wavy Handle Bowl."

Proceeds from the fair and art show are dispersed throughout the community of Sisters.