Pine Moon gallery features bird exhibit, Steamboat Creates celebrates 50th anniversary for First Friday Artwalk
Shelby Reardon/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Dedi Knox’s paintings go through phases. During the beginning of the pandemic, stuck at her house on a mountain in North Routt, she started painting birds. Her colorful avian-themed show Taking Flight debuts on Friday, Sept. 2, at Pine Moon Gallery as part of First Friday Artwalk.
The show features a collection of birds and their habitats. While the subject of each painting stays steady, the paintings have a surprising variety, with realistic watercolor songbirds perched in one piece, a blue sheep below an abstract tree adorned by birds not even native to Colorado in another.
Her work also features aspen trees and sunflowers and landscapes. She has a few somewhat abstract birds on display as well, but found that her knowledge of birds was a roadblock to painting birds more creatively.
“I was going to abstract them … but I’m so attuned to the natural bird that I’m having such trouble. I couldn’t put them in the show yet. I think they will appear, in fuchsia and in purple and bright colors, but not yet.”
In a past life, Knox worked at the Audubon Society in Wisconsin
The show hints at Knox’s next phase of creativity with three darker, abstract ‘sanctuary’ paintings, that are painted on paper she made herself.
“It took me about two weeks,” Knox said. “It goes around in a big washing machine with sizing and newspapers and rags. You take it out and press it on the screens. Let it dry. Then, you iron it within an inch of its life. And then you have to paint on it. For me, it enhances the image.”
Pine Moon Gallery/Courtesy image
Elsewhere as part of First Friday Artwalk, the Schoonover gallery is featuring Nocona Burgess’ work “Spokane.” He is a Native American artist and a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma.
His work combines firsthand knowledge and research with bright colors and crisp facial features. Featured is an impressionist portrait of a young man from the Spokane people wearing a wide brimmed hat painted from a photograph taken by Frank LaRoche.
Burgess will be in the gallery at 929 Lincoln Ave. painting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3.
At the Depot Art Center, Steamboat Creates is celebrating 50 years with 50 canvases featuring local artists in Bliss Hall.
Tickets for a piece of art from the 50 Canvases show will be available for $125. After the show closes, each ticket holder will be randomly assigned a work of art from the show. If you buy two tickets, you will receive two pieces from the show, and so on. Ticket holders will be contacted with the information about the piece they will receive after the show closes on Oct. 1.
Shelby Reardon is the assistant editor at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach her, call 970-871-4253, email sreardon@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @ByShelbyReardon.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.