THE WOODS

OPENING RECEPTION Saturday, March 15 1-3 pm

The Woods is a solo show by artist Hannah Salia, featuring her well known, iconic, light-filled forest paintings plus new work exploring illuminated driftwood vistas.

I love the expressive quality of paint in all its forms.  Focusing on the beautiful, spirit-replenishing forests and seas here in the Pacific Northwest, my imagery comes from local settings.  I am drawn to vistas and views through the trees and down to the water, following the flow of color variations and visual rhythms created by this natural environment.   The way that light plays through this landscape, illuminating the inner and outer journey, is the fundamental inspiration for my paintings. 

Each of my paintings begins with an experience of a special place that captures this journey of light through the landscape.  I work from photos I’ve taken in the forest or by the sea, ultimately creating a composition that best expresses the original experience.  Lately, I’ve been coaxed out of the forest and onto the beach by the amazingly expressive driftwood formations that frame the sea beyond.  As a result, the paintings and mixed-media artwork in this show feature the creative synergy between these two quintessential landscapes in our Pacific Northwest – the light-filled moments in the deep forest, and the illuminated imagery by the sea.