From the Pine Center for the Arts:
With a love for celebrating nature in art and more than a decade of
friendship, local artists Kristin Webster and Rosalie Spahr share “Lakes &
Shores” at Pine Center for the Arts this March.
Since she was little, Spahr has been making art using textiles. “When I was
7, my mom taught me how to use a sewing machine. These lessons started
a life-long love of creating with fabric,” Spahr said. “My love of textiles
continued to grow and led me to creating rope baskets. I continue to explore
ways of making my creations unique. My latest exploration has led me to
experiment with natural dyes and driftwood sculptural elements.”
While Spahr honed her artistic talent with textiles, Webster explored
painting, making a career of art. She began her art career teaching
elementary and junior high students, moved around in the military with her
family, landed in Minnesota, and became a full time working artist 4 years
ago.
“There is an energy, emotion, & feeling that I am expressing in each
painting of mine and truth that I hope to share. I paint to brighten spaces,
uplift spirits, and comfort souls,” Webster said. “I describe my paintings as
‘expressive realism.’ I often begin my paintings with messages, scriptures,
words, or blessings written on the canvas. I will also paint abstractly to get
the feel for the emotion or thoughts that I want to portray. I then draw,
collage, or add several layers of paint to the abstract layer - leaving some
spots peeking through.”
The pair met when they lived next to each other 13 years ago. When they
started doing art festivals, they thought it would be fun to be neighbors
there as well. Soon they found themselves taking their art products into
each other’s tents to enhance their displays. They found that they worked
beautifully together. Where Rosalie's baskets add texture, Kristin's paintings
add color. “We are inspired by each other and are prompted with new ideas
to explore in our respective art forms,” Webster said.
Their March exhibit, “Lakes & Shores” is inspired by their recent trip to Lake
Superior, searching for driftwood. “We were inspired by all of the shapes,
colors, textures, sights, and sounds of the water and shoreline. One trip
turned into three, and we were hooked,” Spahr said. “This exhibit brings our
joy and love of our natural lake environment to the Art Center.”
“We hope viewers will be inspired to take their own trips out into nature,
protect what they love, and feel nourished by the colors and emotions
expressed in our work,” Webster added.
Those seeking to be nourished by art can head to the Pine Center for the
Arts throughout the month of March, with an opening reception 4-7 pm on
Friday, March 12. The gallery is also open Thursdays, 3-5 pm; Fridays, 4-6
pm and Saturdays, 10 am-12 pm beginning March 13.
The gallery exhibit is free and open to the public. This activity is made
possible by the voters of Minnesota through an operating grant from the
East Central Regional Arts Council, thanks to legislative appropriations from
the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
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