The visual arts abound in Coburg at the Alder Gallery where two local artists are showing their new work. The show features Mike Pease’s watercolor and colored-pencil works and Christine Sundt’s unique art jewelry.
Pease has been creating this art since his departure from commercial architecture almost 20 years ago. His work is almost entirely open landscape scenes, and they are all made by observing photographs or by physically observing a natural scene. He has gained the most notoriety for his colored-pencil drawings, not only for their craft, but for their concepts.
In his colored-pencil works, Pease only uses the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Much like a computer printer overlaps the three colors to create others, so does he to portray his chosen image.
“It’s always interesting to get people to understand how much they can do with just primary colors,” Pease said. “The fewer colors you have in your pallet, the more likely you are to look at the object for the real color.”
Pease teaches workshops in his three-color technique. He actually developed the concept while trying to teach design students how to think about using color.
“Drawing is first and foremost a tool for seeing,” Pease said.
His use of the watercolors, which represent much of his newer work, is another attempt to teach himself. Because of the nature of the different media, he has to learn how to use them differently. He said pencil is a very forgiving medium that is well suited to detail, whereas watercolor is the exact opposite.
“You really have to have a concept of the whole thing instead of the details,” Pease said. “I tend to use the watercolor as a way to help me understand what the overall meaning of the image is.”
Often, Pease will recreate a scene using different media to make sure that he gets everything he can out of it.
Sundt, on the other hand, is more concerned with a different type of versatility in her jewelry. Many of her pieces have parts that can be added or subtracted or moved in some way to turn one piece of jewelry into many.
“I travel a lot, so I’m interested in jewelry that can change,” Sundt said.
Sundt got her start at the University through the Craft Center about 10 years ago. After taking classes and workshops for a number of years, she began coming into her own as a jeweler. Her first gallery show was in 1996, and she has since been featured in galleries all over the country including Eugene, Texas and New York.
For now, Sundt is content to stay near home instead of dealing with the hustle and bustle of getting shows all over the country. Calmness is a value that is also seen in her work.
“You’re always going to find an understatement in my work,” Sundt said. “I can create power without bigness.”
Smallness is something that is running rampant now at the Alder Gallery. The show featuring the two artists coincides with an annual show at the gallery called “La Petite VIII,” which contains 109 pieces selected from work sent in from all over the nation. The only requirement for entry in the competition is the piece be no bigger than 10 inches by 10 inches.
The show was conceived eight years ago by gallery owner Candy Moffett.
“In Eugene, I needed something for the holidays that would be fun,” Moffett said.
The pieces in this show are a mix of media showing the versatility and attraction of small art.
“Small pieces really demand your attention,” Moffett said.
The Pease and Sundt show ends Dec. 24, and “La Petite VIII,” which began earlier this month, ends Jan. 20. The Alder Gallery, 55 W. Broadway, can be reached at 342-6411.