Landscapes at ground level

WAITSBURG - Landscape drawings and paintings by Barb Jaksa will be exhibited at WAG in Waitsburg from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Jaksa creates landscapes from a road-level view, making them feel intimate and familiar.

"I am a contemporary artist inspired by the Western landscape I have extensively traveled. I first visited the area in 2016 and recently returned to Waitsburg. I was drawn to the expansive and inspirational Palouse of southeastern Washington," said Jaksa.

The artist documented roads on her many cross-country bike trips in past exhibits. Her accuracy in abstractions describing road cuts and grades would make the routes recognizable to anyone who has ridden them.

The charcoal drawings in this show were recently done, representing roads Jaksa has walked since returning to Waitsburg.

"While taking walks outside of town, the surrounding loess dunes and early morning sun provide a play of light and shadows spread across the manicured wheat fields," she said.

Through Main Street alleys and up rural roads, these images are specific and beautiful.

Describing her process, "I take photographs, using them as reference in my studio to enhance my memory and vision."

This body of work consists of 30 charcoal sketches and drawings based on the local landscape, complimenting five paintings inspired by the geography of the Pacific Northwest.