Towne Square to showcase art by Whitworth, Gettlein

WASILLA — Work by Valley artists Karen Whitworth and Holly Gettlein will hang at Towne Square Art Gallery, 591 E. Parks Hwy. No. 406, this month.

An opening reception is from 1 to 5 p.m., July 14 at the gallery, which features works by a number of popular Alaskan artists, including Shane Lamb, Byron Birdsall, Bev Doolittle, Charles Gause and many others.

Whitworth is an oil artist with a lifelong love of the arts. When Whitworth was a teenager, her grandparents signed her up for art classes taught by local artist Lamb.

Whitworth said she went on to be hired as Lamb’s assistant, where she saw behind the scenes what it meant to be a professional artist. She said this experience gave her valuable insight that helped her later with her own business.

Whitworth’s oils eloquently capture the wonderfully soft and fleeting moments of perfect light. Light is an important element to Whitworth. She said she strives to freeze light in time, a moment of dramatic glowing colors. Intrigued by the relationship between objects and light, Whitworth said she finds inspiration specifically in nature. Recently, Whitworth has been focusing on bringing warmth into her paintings as well as light.

Recently, Whitworth was selected to have the honor of participating in a yearly art event hosted by Pacific Northwest Plein Air. This year, the artists will paint in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. At the end of the event, the resulting paintings will be entered in a juried show. Last year, Whitworth won first place in the marine category.

Gettlein is a metal artist who was raised amidst creativity and the arts. Her family has a history as machinists and ironworkers and Gettlein grew up familiar with metal and the tools associated with metal work. Inspired by a family friend’s homemade lawn ornaments, she started experimenting. With a degree in biology, Gettlein has a special interest in nature. This is reflected in her work. A number of her pieces incorporate fish or other natural elements. Finding a balance between art and her biology career, Gettlein makes time for one while taking a break from the other.

She said she finds inspiration in nature, human potential and traditional art of ancient cultures. She has a special appreciation for traditional South Pacific art and an admiration for Salvador Dali.

In September and October, Gettlein will be in Fiskars, Finland with 200 other professional artists around the world. She is the only one attending from the United States. Now that Asian markets have out-competed the foundry that has supported the town since 1749, it serves as Finland’s center for culture and the arts.

Towne Square Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays.