Artist’s Statement

The root of Lynn Louise's organic pieces evolved from summers spent herding sheep on the Colville Indian Reservation near Nespelem, WA. Those months of freedom provided her the opportunity to observe and study nature's forms in seed pods, gnarled sagebrush roots, twisted evergreen limbs, tulip-shaped sego lilies, and wheat stubble fields in the Chiliwist Valley.

Her first three-dimensional class was in clay at Wenatchee Valley College. From there, she quickly moved to carving in both soapstone and wood. Before long, she had fully immersed herself in the ancient process of lost wax bronze and aluminum casting. She also learned to transform sheets of steel into organic and geometric shapes. During this period, she built a backyard foundry which consisted of a catenary arch burnout kiln with a rolling cart on rails and a melt furnace.

And then there is wood! She focused on laminating, bending, and carving wood to form flowing sculptural pieces and functional furniture designs. She primarily used birch because it is native to the northern regions of North America and therefore a renewable resource. She took advantage of salvaging wood from a friend's black walnut tree when it needed to be removed.

“Working with intellectual concepts and themes, I see and feel my ideas take substance, which is my major source of satisfaction. The material dictates how I manipulate it.”

 Education:

    A.A. Wenatchee Valley College

    B.A.  Central Washington University

     Apprenticeship in Bronze Casting with sculptor James E. Stafford

     Post-graduate work at Central Washington University

Selected Shows:

     The 9th Annual Drawing and Small Sculpture Show, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA,  Juried

     Exhibited in a two-person show at the Little Art Gallery, Wenatchee, WA

     Exhibited in a two-person show at the Thomas Mansfield Gallery, Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA

     Festival of the '70s, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Juried

     Exhibited at the Loudonbergh Gallerie, East Wenatchee, WA

     Exhibited at Gallery '76 Invitational, Wenatchee, WA

     Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA, Juried

     The 19th Annual Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival, Anacortes, WA

     Honorable Mention 16th   November Annual Exhibit of Non-functional Art

     Honorable Mention Coos Bay Museum, Coos Bay, OR

     Selections 19th Wood, juried by Sam Maloff, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

     Fiber Art, Sculpture, and Prints, Gallery '76, Wenatchee, WA

     Exhibited at North Central Washington Museum, Wenatchee, WA

     Exhibited in two-person show A Modest Proposal Gallery, Seattle, WA

     Exhibited in a two-person show Hoodsport Winery Tasting Room and Art Gallery, Tacoma, WA

 Publication:

     Work included in “Fine Woodworking's” Design Book Two, The Taunton Press, Newtown, CT

Collections:

      Lee Unger

      Yvonne Unger

      Jeff Owens

      Marilyn Whitehorse

      Drew Shirk

      Pat Haase