With a love for celebrating nature in art and more than a decade of friendship, local artists Kristin Webster and Rosalie Spahr share “Lakes & Shores” at Pine Center for the Arts this March.
Since she was little, Spahr has been making art using textiles. “When I was 7, my mom taught me how to use a sewing machine. These lessons started life-long love of creating with fabric,” Spahr said. “My love of textiles continued to grow and led me to creating rope baskets. I continue to explore ways of making my creations unique. My latest exploration has led me to experiment with natural dyes and driftwood sculptural elements.”
While Spahr honed her artistic talent with textiles, Webster explored painting, making a career of art. She began her art career teaching elementary and junior high students, moved around in the military with her family, landed in Minnesota, and became a full time working artist 4 years ago.
“There is an energy, emotion, & feeling that I am expressing in each painting of mine and truth that I hope to share. I paint to brighten spaces, uplift spirits, and comfort souls,” Webster said. “I describe my paintings as ‘expressive realism.’ I often begin my paintings with messages, scriptures, words or blessings written on the canvas. I will also paint abstractly to get the feel for the emotion or thoughts that I want to portray. I then draw, collage, or add several layers of paint to the abstract layer – leaving some spots peeking through.”
The pair met when they lived next to each other 13 years ago. When they started doing art festivals, they thought it would be fun to be neighbors there as well. Soon they found themselves taking their art products into each other’s tents to enhance their displays. They found that they worked beautifully together. Where Rosalie’s baskets add texture, Kristin’s paintings add color. “We are inspired by each other and are prompted with new ideas to explore in our respective art forms,” Webster said.
Their March exhibit, “Lakes & Shores” is inspired by their recent trip to Lake Superior, searching for driftwood. “We were inspired by all of the shapes, colors, textures, sights and sounds of the water and shoreline. One trip turned into three, and we were hooked,” Spahr said. “This exhibit brings our joy and love of our natural lake environment to the Art Center.”
“We hope viewers will be inspired to take their own trips out into nature, protect what they love, and feel nourished by the colors and emotions expressed in our work,” Webster added.
Those seeking to be nourished by art can head to the Pine Center for the Arts throughout the month of March, with an opening reception 4-7 pm on Friday, March 12. The gallery is also open Thursdays, 3-5 pm; Fridays, 4-6 pm and Saturdays, 10 am-12 pm beginning March 13.
The gallery exhibit is free and open to the public. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through an operating grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council, thanks to legislative appropriations from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
