Waitsburg Artist Displays Talents

WAITSBURG - When Imbert Mathee, former publisher of The Times, interviewed artist Gail Gwinn last August, Gwinn wasn't yet ready to display her art publicly. The move from Whidbey Island to Waitsburg, followed by home renovations and the building a studio left her needing time to ease back into her art. Time must have done its restorative work because Gwinn's works are now on display at both the Coppei Café and Treasure Artists Cooperative next door.

Gwinn once painted photorealistic watercolors, but now specializes in copperplate prints using a portable Takach printing press. She began showing her work in galleries in the mid 1980s. In 1996 she took an etching workshop and fell in love with the medium and technique. Gwinn told Mathee that etching gave her work the look she had been searching for, "a medium that combines the precision of drawing, the transparency of water color and the richness of oil paint."

Last year, Gwinn's art was darker and more abstract, reflecting her grief at the death of her sister. "It was a very healing thing to do," she had said.

The pieces on display in Waitsburg today are quite different. The florals on display at Coppei Café are soft and gentle. The etchings are printed largely in shades of grey with a focus on texture, reflection and light. The few splashes of color are soft, and muted.

"They are absolutely gorgeous!" says former Coppei Café owner Allison Bond whose favorite depicts a moonbeam illuminating a tulip bloom. Bond says the prints have been very popular and that two have already sold. The prints hanging on the other side of the wall at Treasure showcase a variety of styles including some abstracts.

The café will be closed for a short time until the new owners, Emry and Sandy Kleck get up and running, but Bond anticipates that the display will run through July. Treasure Artists Cooperative is open Thursday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.