The Pine Center for the Arts is excited to welcome renowned wildlife artist Don Walvatne to the gallery in June. Walvatne’s exhibit, “Images of the Natural World,” collection of original oil paintings will be featured in the gallery June 3-26.
With more than 50 years of experience, Walvatne’s keen eye and deft hand bring brings scenes of nature and the outdoors to life on masonite board. As an avid outdoorsman, Walvatne is inspired by the bird and animal life of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the western U.S.
“I take great satisfaction in depicting animals and plants in a realistic and detailed style of painting,” Walvatne said. “There is so much beauty in our natural world when we just slow down and observe it. As an outdoorsman, I have experienced a chickadee lighting on my shoulder while I stood motionless in my deer stand. And a ruffed grouse lifting up in surprise at my approach through a wooded thicket. Even the bees in my urban backyard, buzzing in and out of the coneflowers and bergamot while a cardinal calls from its pine perch, are things that inspire me to paint. I also feel a deep responsibility to preserve and protect the natural areas of our state and region.”
The public is invited to an opening reception, 4-7 p.m. on Friday, June 3. The gallery will continue throughout the month of June. Regular gallery hours are 10 am-5 pm, Thursday-Sunday. The reception and gallery are free and open to the public.
