April is special for Backstreet artists, Jane Rincon and Geraldine McMahan whose theme, “The Sea”, offers a collection of expressive watercolor paintings, shell art and classic hand built pottery. Their reception will be held during the Second Saturday Gallery Tour, April 13th, 3-5PM at Backstreet Gallery, 1421 Bay St.
Jane’s studio, The Crows Nest, sits high overlooking the ocean. Her masterful watercolors illustrate windswept beaches and shorebirds that capture her attention on beach strolls with her two labs. Magic abounds when Jane mixes the traditional colors of Prussian Blue, Payne’s Gray, Burnt Sienna and Umber with Mayan yellow creating her award-winning watercolors.
Rincon’s exhibit focuses on shore birds that inhabit the Oregon coast. She alternates blending loose washes where she combines rich color, collage texture, and careful composition in scenes, with fine detailing in her feathered subjects. Watch for her new painting, “Kingfisher.” Living seaside offers opportunities to collect shells she’s woven into shell wreaths and cards.
A member of Watercolor Society of Oregon, Jane was awarded Best of Show in Celebrate Arts 2012. She enjoys her book club, gardening, walking, swimming, hiking and sharing it with her dogs. In support of the arts, she has been active in the Seacoast Entertainment Association.
Jane will be taking an acrylic class that will send her talents in a new direction.
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful perfection of Geraldine McMahan’s white and red clay stoneware cylinders and pumpkin pots. Each piece is hand-built without using a wheel. “I most often use oxides and under glazes so that the look and feel of the clay itself is the decoration.” Experimenting with a matte black glaze and red-gold glaze results in a mottled look blending reds, greens and golds in the finished piece. With these subtle tones her work is classic. Geraldine rarely uses shiny glazes. With her applied textures, the clay takes center stage. For interest, she applies texture by pressing items into the clay, incising, or sculpting.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” applies to Geraldine’s latest creations, ceramic quilts. Noticing the pillars that run through the center of the new gallery, she developed her new ceramic quilts. These unique wall-hangings are rectangles or squares pieced together much like a quilt and then adhered to beautiful, oil-finished, hard wood blocks from her husband’s remnants left from larger projects. Look for pieces entitled, “Quilt with a Tiny Face” or “Quilt with a bird.”
Geraldine introduced collaboration between artists resulting in exciting final projects plus bringing the membership into closer relationships.
Both Jane and Geraldine are original Backstreet members and have been strong leaders in bringing the gallery to its present level of organization and quality
Find out more about their art with a reception for Jane and Geraldine. April 13th, 3-5PM at Backstreet Gallery. During this time our resident authors will be having a special book signing event as well. You can read all about that here. Great refreshments will be served.
Karen Nichols found her writing voice after taking a class, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. Karen’s latest, 
