Lakeside artist Wendy Ralston-Burger invites viewers into her world of contradictions at “Figuratively Speaking” a showing of her paintings at Pacific Park Gallery, 1957 Thompson Rd., in Coos Bay, March through April.
The oil painter brings her painterly, gestural style to landscape, figure sketches and animal portraits. Her larger paintings often feature a swimmer moving through water from shade to sunlight.
“I want to create that sense of moving into another world, one in which you can’t quite see your way,” said Ralston-Burger. “You are both in and above, absorbed, but not a part of, exhilarated and calmed, delighted and wary.”
She began her life as an artist at the age of 17 when she discovered self-consciousness dropping away as she rendered figures in her first life drawing class.
“I didn’t want to call attention to myself, so I began to draw as best as I was able,” she said. “And the magic began.”
The “magic” developed into a powerful collection of figurative oil sketches developed over her life-long artistic career.
Plein aire oil paintings of Coos County locations are included in the show. Ralston-Burger is a regular at the Bay Area Artist Association weekly paint-outs.
“Figuratively Speaking” can be viewed 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, now through April. Pacific Park Gallery is located at 1957 Thompson Rd., Coos Bay.
Pacific Park Gallery is a not-for-profit, non-commission sales exhibit space featuring artists experimenting in concepts and techniques.