Carolyn Henderson: Talk About Art

Anyone who has driven Highway 101 on the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts knows that it's not something you rush through. The road winds and wends, there are few places to pass, and your speed is often dictated by the driver in front of you.

But for Yakima artist Paul Henderson, that's okay. The acrylic painter and his wife decided that life was too short to rush, and focused on doing something they had always wanted to do: drive Highway 101, slowly.

"We took a 16-day trip on Highway 101 starting in Astoria, OR, to Eureka, CA," Henderson says.

"We wanted to take our time enjoying all the wonderful scenes of ocean, old farms, old communities, forest, gift shops, galleries, boat harbors, and lighthouses."

And so they did, with Henderson snapping 1200 reference photos of the trip. Upon returning to his studio, Henderson began a series he calls, "Moods of Highway 101," which will eventually consist of 40-60 small paintings of different scenes of the coast. He has completed 14 so far, and has another 10 in progress.

"I'm really enjoying the process of 'munching' on all these little scenes of sunshine, rain, storms, and fog," Henderson says. "The entire coast is beautiful, with a variety of moods from stormy to soft rain to the sun breaking through to beautiful sunsets."

Henderson, who has been painting professionally for 46 years, is eclectic in both approach and subject matter, creating both representational and abstract artworks. He achieved national recognition in the 1980s when he was the first painter in the U.S. to seriously paint with coffee.

Through November 2, Wenaha Gallery (219 E. Main, Dayton) is showcasing Henderson's representational Highway 101 paintings, focusing upon scenes in Northern Oregon. The gallery also hosts some of his abstract acrylic pours.

Wenaha Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and by appointment.