Portrait of Paula, Watercolorist

This is a portrait in oil on linen of my friend, neighbor, and coop gallery buddy, Paula Christian. When I moved to the Methow Valley 10 years ago, I walked around my new neighborhood in the small, rural town where I now lived and saw a metal outbuilding with the sign "P. Christian, Watercolorist." I was thrilled. I had begun oil painting just one year before moving and couldn't believe my luck that I had an artist neighbor. Little did I know that the Methow Valley in Washington State is a thriving art community. Paula and I became friends. We plein air paint together and talk regularly about our work, Paula suggested me to join the cooperative Winthrop Gallery where she was a long-time member and where I now show my work along with 22 other regional and local artists. She has been an inspiration and guide for me. I painted this portrait of Paula with one of her watercolors in the back ground. It seemed the right thing to do. I was inspired by reading a book about Cezanne's portraits. I had painted two other portraits of creative women who live nearby--a poet and a Emmy-award-winning musician. But Paul's portrait was specifically inspired by looking at Cezanne's portraits. I closed the book, walked down the street and asked her if I could paint her portrait. She readily agreed and when I presented it to her, she loved it. I think this work illustrates that in 2020, there are pockets of thriving art communities even in rural mountain towns where artists inspire one another and develop their art together. This portrait testifies to that art reality.