Spring Break
Few pieces strike the eye at Murdock Gallery
Small gallery in LaSells Stewart Center features muted works by two local artists
Lauren Dillard
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Diversions
After the long hot walk over to LaSells this week to look at the art up in Murdock Gallery, I was hoping for refreshing, bright landscapes, preferably featuring water. I was somewhat disappointed.
There are two local artists' work up in the gallery: Erik Sandgren from Aberdeen, WA, and Phyllis Towbridge of Ashland, OR. Both artists use nature for their subjects, focusing on slightly abstract rural landscape work.
Sandgren's paintings are done in either watercolors or acrylics, and he seems to be much more successful when he uses watercolors. His acrylic pieces, mostly done on masonite, are overly watery and out-of-focus. The colors seem to run together in a rather haphazard way. Additionally, they are not quite bright enough to be inviting, and not quite dark enough to be interesting. This unfortunately results in the artist muting the natural beauty of his subject, especially in his paintings of flowers.
The watercolors by Sandgren are much better than the acrylics, but are still not all that spectacular. Sandgren focuses on man-made structures, such as barns, but it's the periphery of the watercolor pieces that are really the best part. Sandgren uses vibrant greens, purples, and blues for his backgrounds and foilage, and leaves his barns with muted tans and greys. The trees and rolling hills that are meant to frame the manmade structures actually steal the show, since they are done so much better.
Phyllis Townbridge also chose rural scenes for her pieces, but is somewhat more successful at capturing the essence of her subjects than Sandgren. One of her better pieces, "Ashland Creek in Spring" is very well done, especially when it comes to texture. However, she, like Sandgren, uses too many muted colors and the painting falls flat.
The one piece that was really striking, however, was her "Sandbar in Fog, Klamath River." This painting looks as if it has a haze of fog swirling over the canvas, which creates a very ethereal feel akin to a misty day on the Oregon Coast.
All-in-all, the display at Murdock Gallery in LaSells is not very impactful. The pieces in general are very muddled, with watery colors and hazy shapes in drab hues. A few pieces are worth seeing, but only if you happen to be passing by.
Anna Swain
diversions@dailybarometer.com
There are two local artists' work up in the gallery: Erik Sandgren from Aberdeen, WA, and Phyllis Towbridge of Ashland, OR. Both artists use nature for their subjects, focusing on slightly abstract rural landscape work.
Sandgren's paintings are done in either watercolors or acrylics, and he seems to be much more successful when he uses watercolors. His acrylic pieces, mostly done on masonite, are overly watery and out-of-focus. The colors seem to run together in a rather haphazard way. Additionally, they are not quite bright enough to be inviting, and not quite dark enough to be interesting. This unfortunately results in the artist muting the natural beauty of his subject, especially in his paintings of flowers.
The watercolors by Sandgren are much better than the acrylics, but are still not all that spectacular. Sandgren focuses on man-made structures, such as barns, but it's the periphery of the watercolor pieces that are really the best part. Sandgren uses vibrant greens, purples, and blues for his backgrounds and foilage, and leaves his barns with muted tans and greys. The trees and rolling hills that are meant to frame the manmade structures actually steal the show, since they are done so much better.
Phyllis Townbridge also chose rural scenes for her pieces, but is somewhat more successful at capturing the essence of her subjects than Sandgren. One of her better pieces, "Ashland Creek in Spring" is very well done, especially when it comes to texture. However, she, like Sandgren, uses too many muted colors and the painting falls flat.
The one piece that was really striking, however, was her "Sandbar in Fog, Klamath River." This painting looks as if it has a haze of fog swirling over the canvas, which creates a very ethereal feel akin to a misty day on the Oregon Coast.
All-in-all, the display at Murdock Gallery in LaSells is not very impactful. The pieces in general are very muddled, with watery colors and hazy shapes in drab hues. A few pieces are worth seeing, but only if you happen to be passing by.
Anna Swain
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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