Love of the landscape
Shelly Wierzba, Beautiful Days, oil, 18 x 41.
Artists cannot conceal their true feelings for their subject matter. In fact, their admiration and appreciation for what they see are often what compel them to paint in the first place. That is certainly the case for Oregon-based artist Shelly Wierzba, whose wonder and reverence for creation are written all over her landscape-covered canvases.
Wierzba’s creative process begins with spending time in nature, closely observing, listening, and pondering. This reflective time is recorded in plein-air sketches, the information-gathering stage in preparation for her studio work. “To capture the likeness of what I find in nature, there must be more than just visual information,” she says. “By painting on site, I am able to feed all of my senses. Back in the studio, I can remember the feel of the breeze, the scent of a river or field, and the sounds of the birds and the wind. My challenge is to paint those sensory feelings into each piece.”
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- Shelly Wierzba, Last Warmth, oil, 30 x 24.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Calling Softly, oil, 40 x 30.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Early Morning, oil, 30 x 24.
When she heads back to the studio, Wierzba transitions from contemplative observer to energetic creator. “I love to make a huge mess when I’m painting!” she admits. “I lay the canvas on the floor and use a caulking gun filled with oil paints to squirt several different colors onto it. On my hands and knees with gloved hands, I start moving the paint around with my fingers. I then bring the canvas to the easel to see what transpired, and then I move the paint around some more with palette knives and brayers, aiming to create unity and harmony. It’s an additive and subtractive, push-and-pull method that gives me that broken color my work is known for.”
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- Shelly Wierzba, Cause to Pause, oil, 20 x 24.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Twenty Seven Degrees, oil, 18 x 18.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Carpe Diem, oil, 16 x 20.
An active member of the Plein Air Painters of Oregon and the American Impressionist Society, among other groups, Wierzba has participated in juried exhibitions and won awards for her nuanced observations of nature. “Landscape painting makes me more attuned to God’s gifts in creation and increases my appreciation for the beauty around me,” she says. “We only have to still the static and engage our senses to appreciate that beauty.” –Allison Malafronte
representation
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- Shelly Wierzba, Winter Day’s End, oil, 24 x 48.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Poetic Quiet, oil, 24 x 30.
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- Shelly Wierzba, February, oil, 12 x 19.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Enclosed, oil, 33 x 14.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Above Bend, oil, 24 x 18.
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- Shelly Wierzba, Fall Color, oil, 30 x 24.