Posts

Life Is Made for Living — Cat Paintings by Steph Bucci

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by
cat life romance love kiss hug feline steph bucci art watercolor

Life is about relationships with one another. Cat Kisses, original watercolor painting by Steph Bucci.

Some people say life begins after high school. Others insist it really begins after retirement. But life, which goes on whether we choose to jump into it with joy or not, progresses forward when we move, learn, breathe, experience, get out, experiment, turn off the TV, take chances and just plain, well, live. When we wait, and wait, and wait, we don’t get to the things that we really want to do.

And that’s a waste of human creativity.

Artist Steph Bucci discovered this years ago when she found herself repeating the same sentence to her husband, Bud:

“When we retire . . . I want to learn watercolor.

cat dance life joy balance watercolor steph Bucci

Life is a dance that teaches us to balance. Cat Dance, original watercolor painting by West Richland, WA, artist Steph Bucci.

“I don’t know why I relegated the idea to a retirement pastime, or what kept me from pursuing it earlier.”

Why Wait? And Wait, and Wait?

But life, which was moving forward, invited her to join on the journey. With retirement far off in the horizon, she found herself with a home decor project to complete now.

“We felt some existing artwork no longer worked as well in its space.

“When costs for a replacement piece seemed high, Bud — always my great encourager and steady ally — said, ‘I think you can do it!'”

She did some research, bought paint, experimented on 4×6 practice canvases. She made mistakes, learned from those mistakes, and kept at it. Little realizing how different working on mini-canvases is from the 42 x 60 piece she was aiming to create, she refused to give up. Eventually, she finished the project, successfully.

“The painting still hangs in the living room, and my long-term desire to try watercolor was launched.”

A self-motivated student who learns best by reading and imitating, Bucci has worked in watercolor, batik watercolor, mixed media, colored pencils, markers, and acrylics. Describing herself as a minimalist, the West Richland, WA, artist paints out of a studio consisting of a small desk in her guest room, a couple shelves in the closet, and a petite, highly portable pochade box she made from two wooden cigar boxes, which hold her limited paint palette of eight colors, plus a tube of white gouache.

Small Space, Big Living

In this small space she works on big things, including illustrations for two children’s books about a rescued Golden Retriever named Gus. The first book in the series won three awards, including the Royal Dragonfly and Moonbeam, recognizing exemplary work in both editorial content and illustration.

Pinks cat mouse flowers friends feline watercolor art steph bucci

In many of her cat paintings, Steph Bucci incorporates a small mouse with and around the cat. Pinks, original watercolor painting by Steph Bucci.

Bucci approaches each project, each new technique, with an energy that carries her through, up, and over the learning curve. For a year, she focused on stylized cat paintings, experimenting with subject matter and composition, and incorporating, in many of the images, a small mouse.

“My dad’s pet nickname for me as a child (I’m petite) was ‘Mouse,’ or ‘Miss Mouse.” Early on in my painting experience I decided to include a mouse in my cat images as a pointer to that dear memory.

“The Mouse doesn’t make an appearance in 100% of the paintings, and her shape and style vary, but she’s getting more consistent. She embeds a touch of ‘Father’s Love’ in my images in a way I experienced it as a child.”

cat mouse life abstract friends together collage steph bucci watercolor feline art

Cat and mouse in the game of life — Cat Mouse Abstract, original watercolor painting by Steph Bucci.

Indeed, in all her work, the image of a Father’s love is always in the background. It is what inspires her to create, with everything she creates, beautiful things that are to be used and enjoyed.

A Father’s Love, and Creativity

“I believe appreciation of beauty and creativity is placed in all human beings by our Creator . . . and that it pleases Him when we use the abilities He’s given to express His creation in a meaningful way.

“I also think it pleases Him, as it does me, when I try to develop skills of expression. He enjoys my practice and my outcomes, and He’s really the source of all the creativity and skill.”

And no doubt He is also pleased that Bucci has chosen to live her life, as opposed to just waiting things out, as she discovers more about the world she lives in when she continues to explore it.

“Painting has brought me into contact with a wonderful new world of friends, people who have enriched my life, amazed me with their giftings, and encouraged me to branch out,” she reflects.

“I am so glad my husband encouraged me to take the plunge into the art world.”

Wenaha GallerySteph Bucci is the featured Art Event at Wenaha Gallery from March 9 through April 5, 2021.

Contact the gallery, located at 219 East Main Street, Dayton, WA, by phone at 509.382.2124 or e-mail art@wenaha.com. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday, and by appointment. Visit the Wenaha Gallery website online at www.wenaha.com.

 

 

jaguar chill quiet calm animal jungle rainforest daniel smith art

Stay Chill: Emerald Forest by Daniel Smith

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

 

jaguar chill quiet calm animal jungle rainforest daniel smith art

Still, calm, and chill, the jaguar doesn’t aimlessly run about, but rather, reposes in a contemplative fashion. Emerald Forest by Daniel Smith, limited edition giclee print available through Wenaha Gallery.

In the ever-changing lexicon of cool, trendy language, I don’t know where the world “chill” is. But it’s an apt description of how to stay when external forces pressure us to run about, frenzied.

We’ve all seen this, running about, frenzied. Black Friday sales in box-stores come to mind, as people push each other out of the way so that they can grab whatever purported deal dangles in front of them.

On another front, the children’s story, Chicken Little, perfectly describes this running about, frenzied. A tiny little bird panics, inspiring those around her to join in. How apropos that the main character is a chicken, an animal not known for its ability to be still and contemplative.

Not so, cats, especially big ones. In the Daniel Smith artwork, Emerald Forest, a jaguar reposes — chill indeed — by the banks of a jungle river. Were this animal to move quickly, it would be gracefully, powerfully — a total opposite to running about, frenzied. But this is a moment for stillness, quiet, one could say contemplation.  Where thinking is rarely an action we ascribe to barnyard fowl, it is one we often credit to felines — simply because they seem so chill. Anyone that calm isn’t in a state of panic. It’s far more difficult to ruffle a cat than a chicken.

Step into a place of peace and contemplation with the artwork, Emerald Forest — but be chill about it. If you move too quickly, the jaguar will see, although he may move nothing more than his eyes.

Stay Chill and Contemplative

Wenaha GalleryThe featured image to this article is Emerald Forest by Daniel Smith.  You may purchase the print online at this link. We would be absolutely delighted to frame the work for you, working online and by phone — something we have been doing successfully for many years with out out-of-town clients. Email us at Wenaha.com to start the conversation.

More works by Daniel Smith are at this link.

If this post has encouraged you, please pass it on.

cats can together friends communication braldt bralds

Stay Together: Cats in a Can by Braldt Bralds

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by
cats can together friends communication braldt bralds

Social media “socialization,” which is aptly named, actually, will never approach the value and power of face to face communication. Cats in a Can, fine art print by Braldt Bralds.

Families, friends, people who care about one another — these are a powerful influence in society. It is essential, in a free society, that people can interact, be together, preferably face to face so that we are able to meaningfully communicate. Social media interactions will never approach the honesty, integrity, and safety of being able to directly talk to another person.

So what do we do when congregating, as an option, is removed?

So long as we are allowed to be outside, albeit at a distance, then let us take advantage of this option. Some people, out in their yards, shout out to one another, conversing rather loudly, it’s true — but they’re conversing. Though we cannot physically be as close as the Cats in a Can by artist Braldt Bralds (which, admittedly, looks a little crowded; but then again, cats think differently than humans), we maintain our sense of togetherness, our loyalty to one another as friends, family members, people who care about one another because we are fundamentally human. Staying together, ultimately, is not a matter of physical proximity so much as it is a spiritual connection.

Cats know the value of togetherness. They’re pretty smart creatures.

Add a Sense of Friendship to Your Day

Wenaha GalleryThe featured image to this article is Cats in a Can by Braldt Bralds. This work is already framed with a sleek black frame with gold highlights that interplay with the the glints of light in the image. You may purchase the print online at this link. Should you desire a new custom design frame for your purchase, we would be delighted to work with you, online and by phone — something we have been doing successfully for many years with out out-of-town clients. Email us at Wenaha.com to start the conversation.

More works by Braldt Bralds are at this link.

If this post has encouraged you, please pass it on.

Shake up Your Walls

/4 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

Imagine a wall of James Christensen images, dancing and flying and jumping into your day.

Renovating your living space refreshes the way you think about things, and it doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive, or require that you pull out the paint rollers and drop cloths.

All it takes is a calendar of your favorite licensed artist and one or more quality frames — and we at Wenaha Gallery can help you with both.

“We have an incredible selection of 2014 calendars that are 40 percent off,” Lael Loyd, Wenaha’s fine art and conservation framer, says. “Whether it’s the fanciful art of James Christensen, the farmland scenes of Mort Kunstler, or the playful cats of Charles Wysocki, our calendars are beautifully printed on high quality paper stock.”

Hummingbirds, flowers, religious scenes, and the American Dream — Wenaha has a little bit of everything depending upon the theme you’re looking to focus on your walls. For aficionados of the pacific Northwest, Kennewick photographer John Clement (who will be teaching a photography workshop at the gallery in May — we’ll keep you apprised) highlights the beauty of Southeastern Washington’s Dryland country.

People who love cats can never get enough of their feline fix. Now, that’s not a problem.

Sale prices start at $7.80 — divide that by 12 and you have an unframed wall art piece for less than 70 cents.  Matting and framing by Lael, per piece, starts at as little as $30, giving you the option to exhibit one, three, seven, or all twelve images of the 2014 calendar that catches your eye.

If you’re not in town, but want to take advantage of beautiful sale prices for beautiful calendar artwork, visit us on our Specials page on the Wenaha Gallery website.

Wenaha and you: we do renovation with style!

Wenaha Gallery,  located in historic downtown Dayton, Washington,  is your destination location for Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Prints, original fine art paintings and sculpture by notable Pacific Northwest artists.   Books, gifts, note cards, jigsaw puzzles, and more are also available.