October 2020 Treasure Valley Artist Alliance presents
October 2nd-October 30th
Voyage & Vehicle
Consider the physical, metaphorical or metaphysical. Which is the path taken or not taken? What to pack for the trip? Birth, death and the strange trip in between. How far can we go and what kind of craft will take us there? Capture imaginary journeys or your real adventures – humor, calamity or triumph. Sharing “travel journals,” “fantasy vehicle poems” and other musings.
“Our mission is to forge connections among visual artists in the Treasure Valley, to create opportunities for creative collaboration, and to support the artistic community.”
The Treasure Valley Artists Alliance makes connections among visual artists throughout Idaho’s Treasure Valley, including Boise, Eagle, Meridian, and beyond. TVAA’s members represent an incredibly diverse set of talents, abilities, and experience.
The majority of items have been returned to the artist and may still be available for purchase. Please reach out to Crystal at 541-523-5369 or email crystal@crossroads-arts.org to check availability. Click here to purchase artwork
Mary Gardiner, The Simple Life-My Ride, Watercolor, 12"X16", $100
When I learned to ride a paddle board as an older adult I felt free and a sense of wonder that I could balance and enjoy the ride. This "My Ride" painting is meant to share that joy and exhilaration (with myself as the frog who is a natural in a water adventure) and is part of my series "The Simple Life" which I painted during Covid 19 in 2020.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Mary Gardiner
An Australian-American who came to the USA in 1987 and has lived in the states of Virginia, Washington, and Idaho, I draw and paint plein air to express feeling using watercolor, acrylic or oil. In 2019 my original painting was selected for the Eagle Historical and Preservation Park. For 2020 my second cover painting was selected for the Boise Weekly, Titled – “Riding My Bike”, May 20-26, 2020, and “Wild Sunflowers” exhibited in the online Idaho Watercolor Society Capitol Rotunda show on Facebook. I am grateful to share my experiences and vision for an interconnected humanity through art. https://www.facebook.com/mary.gardiner1 https://treasurevalleyartistsalliance.org/Gallery/mary-gardiner
Gary McCall, Tree Friends, Watercolor, 11"X15", $200
Mary and I are going to the Oregon coast, take a salt wash for our souls. Road trips are the best, even on hot days you can roll down the window and let the breeze soothe your tired soul. Watch the trains pull their burdens down the tracks. Always on the lookout for wildlife, whom make us happy, when spotted and named. Like the idea of the ocean cleansing our soul. Nature and her wonders help our spirits soar. When I experienced this copse of trees they made me happy. I tried to convey my feelings with these tree friends.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Gary McCall
I celebrate humanity through painting plein air daily life in the treasure valley and beyond. I was juried into the St. Alphonsus Art Wall, four Boise Weekly art covers (2016-2019), exhibited in the IWS online capitol rotunda show, 32 paintings in the "Curating Curiosity" exhibit at JUMP, Boise (Nov-Dec 2019), the TVAA Red Door Exhibit at the Initial Point gallery in Meridian, Spring exhibit at the Gem Center for the Arts, Boise, and the Art and Soul of the Magic Valley event, Twin Falls, amongst other juried exhibits. Grateful for the opportunity to make every day a good day. https://treasurevalleyartistsalliance.org/Gallery/gary-don-mccall/
Laurel Macdonald, Mountain Biker, Hand-colored hand-printed linocut, 16x16, $150
My son and his girlfriend biked across the US. It was such a feat. They had a vision, they accomplished this goal, and they bonded over those few months in a way that most of us will never experience. To work daily to accomplish a long-term goal is really admirable. For most of us, just getting through the day, the week, the month, the year is enough. But to have a goal that transcends the day-to-day living and to commit yourself to it is a difficult but wonderful task!
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Laurel Macdonald
I love a road trip. And I've taken many. My favorite landscape is the desert, but I have very specific memories of mountain drives. The images I've drawn are about memories and fantasies. Sometimes, these things are interchangeable.
Laurel Macdonald, Raven in the Desert, Hand-colored hand-printed linocut, 16x16, $150
My favorite place to be is the Sonoran Desert. I love saguaro cacti. I love the openness of the desert, the heat and dryness. In this image, I drew a raven with its beak open, talking...as they do. And the arid desert behind her. A place I like to be.
Rena Vandewater, Corfu, Oil & Gold Acrylic/Box Canvas, 36x30", $2,400
Recently I have created paintings of memories recalling favorite places in the world I've traveled and spent time. My husband Chet and I have been all over Europe and in fifty of the United States including Alaska. We rented a car in France, rode the trains and bicycles in Holland and Greece and took a boat ride down the Danube from Prague to Budapest. To tour the United States we rode together on our Harley Davidson motorcycle, me mounted behind Chet on the leather seat. Traveling by oil paint is a fun way to revisit these memories.
Rena Vandewater, Paris, Oil & Gold Acrylic/Box Canvas, 30x36", $2,400
Recently I have created paintings of memories recalling favorite places in the world I've traveled and spent time. My husband Chet and I have been all over Europe and in fifty of the United States including Alaska. We rented a car in France, rode the trains and bicycles in Holland and Greece and took a boat ride down the Danube from Prague to Budapest. To tour the United States we rode together on our Harley Davidson motorcycle, me mounted behind Chet on the leather seat. Traveling by oil paint is a fun way to revisit these memories.
Mark McGinnis, The Voyage Begins, acrylic and media on panel,24 1/4" x 36 1/4", $5,000
This work is from a five year series of paintings in the tradition of Mid-20th century modernism. The artist invites the viewer to a voyage into the world of color, texture and shape.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Mark McGinnis
This work is from a five year series of paintings in the tradition of Mid-20th century modernism. The artist invites the viewer to a voyage into the world of color, texture and shape.
Mark McGinnis, The Voyage Ends, acrylic and media on panel, 24 1/4" x 36 1/4", $5,000
This work is from a five year series of paintings in the tradition of Mid-20th century modernism. The artist invites the viewer to a voyage into the world of color, texture and shape.
Matt Ciranni, The Markhouri Ghramarkhis, Pencil/Ink drawing, 12" x 9", $275
Ah yes... the classic American land yacht. It's sad; they just don't build cars like this anymore. Nowadays, you either drive a small compact... or a big SUV or crossover. But big, long, classic American cars like Dad's old Mercury Grand Marquis- you just never see them anymore. This car took us on many long road trips, took me to school and back, and was the first car I learned to drive. Here it is, hovering over an undisclosed rural Western town- blotting out the sky. Well defended against hostile flying toasters.
Jerry Orban, Italian Way, Acrylic, 16x20, $245
The city of Bergamo became my place of residence for several years. I enjoyed walking along the narrow socially exciting streets. To drive a vehicle within the city was challenging with sidewalks and street merged, entrances directly on the road, and walking was the norm for daily market supplies. The immersion of sounds, senses, and relationships was a pleasant experience. The artist enjoys creating expressionist and intuitive art. His artwork uniquely encourages viewers to share expression, meet a need, or mood.
Kerri Silvernell, View South from Nugget Point Lighthouse, oil on canvas, mounted on board, 8.5" x 11", $450
Watching the waves of the Pacific Ocean meeting the churning waters of the Tazman Sea conjures the idea of floating on the waters endlessly, travelling across the southern hemisphere.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Kerri Silvernell
Travel, whether on foot or in vehicle, has remained one constant in finding sources to paint. Sometimes the subject can be found close by while walking or hiking; camping and daytrips are always provide a vast source of material, and images from lengthy trips also appear in my works. My preliminary processes include drawings in my sketchbook, usually a watercolor study, plein-air, and possibly a photograph. I visualize my surroundings by limiting my viewpoint: boundless stimuli are examined through the analysis of light, color, ambiance and form –a perceptual, spiritual and emotional response to subject or environment.
Kerri Silvernell, Foothills at Dusk, oil on canvas, mounted on board, 7.5" x 12", $325
Broad open skies make me feel like anything is possible. The clouds are like vehicles, transporting my thoughts across miles.
Pam Demo, All Roads Lead to the Ranch, Mixed media, 24” x 24” x 1.5”, $375
Idaho crop and ranch lands are irrigated acreage, un-irrigated dry-land, or combinations of both. Isolated farmsteads and ranches sit among the fields and pastures that transform the desert that surrounds or intrudes on them. While most fields lead to a ranch, there is only one road.
Pam Demo, Left on 23E28S, Then N for 3 Miles, Oil, 16” x 20” x 1.5”, $425
"Left on 23E28S, then north for 3 miles" is how we're told to get there by the locals living south of the Snake River. There are few or no signs to show us the way. We city-slickers will pay attention to the directions and our odometers or we'll wander the back-roads until we happen upon a mail-deliverer who'll blink in disbelief and say, "Why Honey, you're 5 miles south of where you need to be."
Greg Jowyk, Love Car, photography, 32” x 40.5”, $1,200
Wandering the streets of Portland I came across this Land Rover sitting in a garage looking lonely, in disrepair, and needing some “love.” Then I noticed the windshield, and realized that it was advertising for some love. We are all alone out there in the world at times and, I think, we could all use a little love. Hopefully this photo accomplishes that end.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Greg Jowyk
I have worked as an Art Director for 35 years (retired). I am now rediscovering how much I missed "hands-on" creation of art. I have started painting larger scale acrylic abstracts as well as photographing things that catch my eye. As friends and neighbors have discovered what I enjoy, they have encouraged me to pursue my hobby as well as exhibit, and in some cases, sell my art. It truly is fun when you rediscover a passion and pursue it!
Bonnie McDermott, Along the Way, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 48", $1,350
As I travel with my husband, I always have a camera at hand to capture inspirational scenes that appear out the window before they are lost behind us. This painting depicts a bridge across the Columbia River on a calm morning as we traveled to Oregon to visit my dad.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Bonnie McDermott
The focus of the paintings I selected for this show is inspired by the journeys I have taken with husband. Most of the collection concentrates on roadside scenes with a sprinkling of cruising the Alaskan inside passage. My photography supplies me with the concepts for the painting and in the studio my brush brings the idea to life through a marriage of classical techniques with contemporary flair. https://bonniemcdermott.com info@bonniemcdermott.com bonnie@bonniemcdermott.com https://www.facebook.com/bonniemcdermottstudios
Bonnie McDermott, Montana Side Road, Oil on Canvas, 30"x40", $1,350
As I travel with my husband, I always have a camera at hand to capture inspirational scenes that appear out the window before they are lost behind us. I captured the inspirational photo for this painting one evening as we were traveling in Montana and I saw a car traveling on a long deserted side road. Using artistic license, I replaced the original vehicle with our Jeep.
Jessie Swimeley, Once Upon a Drive, Photograph, 14" X 11", $300
Our love affair with the car was born of desire. We see potential in vehicles to take us away from the mundane and ordinary life we lead. We want to feel the wind in our hair as we drive into the sunset. Our love is fickle; we are easily distracted by shinier and faster. We leave our love to rust, replaced by a newer model with so much more potential.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Jessie Swimeley
Jessie Swimeley finds great joy uncovering beauty and significance in the insignificant. Her passion for photography started at the age of six when her father handed her a camera. Jessie uses digital and alternative process photography to create works that show vulnerability and strength. Jessie is a member of Boise Open Studio Collective Organization and is President of the Treasure Valley Artists Alliance. Jessie’s work is shown regularly throughout the Treasure Valley in curated and juried exhibitions. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho with her partner Joel and Inky the cat.
Jessie Swimeley, What Happens in the Desert, Photograph, 14" x 11", $200
Come one, come all! Let's take a trip! Let's brave the burning sun and voyage deep into the heart of the desert. A paradise for all who want to be unfettered by convention. We are who we want to be no questions asked. Sand and scrub don't judge. Won't you join us?
Jessie Swimeley, Final Journey Home, Cyanotype Photograph, 20" x 16", $400
Birds make incredible journeys. They fly long distances and don’t seem to ever need a map. Birds are thought to be the keepers of the souls of the dead. They become the last vehicle that carefully shepherds the souls on their final voyage home.
Claire Remsberg, Oil on birch panel, 8"x 10", $235
A steep evening hike and paint-out at an iconic Ancestral Pueblo grain storage site above the Colorado River. Painted on location in September, Grand Canyon, Arizona.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Claire Remsberg
A float trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 2015 began my love affair with this place, the desert, the unique water and light and the man who took me there. I have returned there since, with no less wonder. My paints are already packed for the next visit, whenever I should be so lucky again. My choice of vehicle – a kayak.
Andrew Groth, Everybody Thinks, Acrylic on Canvas, 36”x36”x2”, $1,000
From mediocre minds to the geniuses of our time, everyone who has ever lived has taken this occasion to think, at least partially, about an idea. A difficult speech, an upcoming presentation, or debate, solving mathematical formulas, or coping with death. In tackling any of the complexities of life, we inevitably take this opportunity to ponder. Not only is this moment a strong example of the many things humanity shares, you might say that the sum of all that wonder creates our perceived universe. The vehicle is your mind. The voyage is anywhere in the universe you want to go.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Andrew Groth
Andrew Groth is a painter, sculptor, portraitist and musician, living and working in the Treasure Valley. Influenced by 80’s pop culture, Andrew uses relatable, iconic imagery to create content which is dynamic, mostly humorous and sometimes unsettling. His subject matter includes the people, pets and places around him and, being a true narcissistic product of the 80’s, Andrew most often places himself as the focus. His work, “Everybody Thinks” was inspired by the common links between us and how our creative minds can still take us anywhere.
Paula Sinclair, Into the Deep, vitreous enamel on copper/glass beads, 2.5 in diameter, $120
Vitreous enamel powders in ultramarine blue and clear with silver foil all kiln fired and fused to pure copper at 1500°F. or more invite the eye as if gazing into the ocean's blue depths.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Paula Sinclair
At 12 years in a hotplate on the kitchen table Paula Sinclair learned to fuse glass to copper. Largely self-taught and long past middle age, she now designs statement necklaces. By kiln-firing colored glass at 1500̊ F. into a gooey orange-hot mass, she surrenders to the unexpectedness of the heat effects. Subtle or exuberant, her style is abstract. Light plays through to the copper. Many of her designs are mounted with elegantly mismatched hand-strung beads. Paula Sinclair continues to practice law in Twin Falls. Her work can be seen at Full Moon Gallery there and in TVAA exhibits.
Paula Sinclair, Ridin' the Wake,vitreous enamel on copper/glass beads, 2.5 in diameter, $120
Vitreous enamels in transparent and opaque blues combine with silver foil and opalescent lumps fused to pure copper at 1500 ̊F. to depict the waterskier's playground.
Tony Morse, photograph, 20" x 24", $250
Sometimes we need to stop and consider the mystery of how we got to where we are.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Tony Morse
I am a photographer based in Boise. Most of my work is about southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon. While I am particularly interested in the structure and form of high desert landscapes, I find interesting images almost everywhere.
Tony Morse, Dancing Toward the Light, photograph, 20" x 24", $250
It's a joyful feeling to leave darkness for sunlight.
Cindi Walton, Take A Whirl With The Devil, Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10, $100
For the past year my work has been centered around my Artist in Residence for the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. Recently I wrote a song about the sagebrush steppe that has one of my favorite lines: "Let me whirl with the devil in dust the wind kept." What a trip!
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Cindi Walton
The past year I have had the honor of being the Artist-In-Residence for the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. I have enjoyed hiking through beautiful landscapes and creating a body of work that I hope will inspire the public to explore and appreciate the Sagebrush Steppe that covers southern Idaho. Primarily, I paint with acrylics on canvas or watercolor on paper. I also create digital paintings on my iPad and Apple Pencil. Most of the time my compositions and illustrations begin with a piece of charcoal or a good ol’ sharpened pencil.
Jill Storey, End of the Line, Pastel, 19 x 28 (framed), $375
She was a beauty, sleek and jaunty with her bright yellow paint and rich trim. Through her lovely arched windows, her passengers could watch the river cascade over the rocks as they headed up the canyon and back. Year after year, she carried her travelers safely back and forth between stations. Then the company went bust and soon there was nobody left to ride. She was put out to pasture. Ravaged by sun and snow and neglect, her once-straight back sagged and broke, and her paint peeled away. Her beauty had gone but her grace remained still.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Jill Storey
Jill Storey is continually fascinated by the way a drawing first rises up from its paper, then settles back down and pulls her with it. She works primarily in pastel and draws a variety of subjects, including portraits, landscapes and urban scenes. Her work has been included in numerous juried and curated exhibitions and is held in private collections across the country. Jill earned her BFA from Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN. She lives with her husband, Pat, in Boise, Idaho.
Becka Watkins, Driving Beyond, Acrylic on wood, 24x24, $260
”Driving Beyond,” by Becka Watkins
I’m not gonna pass away or move beyond.
I’m not gonna move up or go on.
I’m not gonna do the things I used to do, or go to the places that I knew. I’m not going to know the people I met, the happy days or the days of fret. So what I’m going to do, is go out with a bang, but not like the one that caused me a lot of pain. Instead I’m going to drive, a big giant car, that has a turtle head and a DJ bar. It will have a giant seat and steering wheel, and big fat tires made of steel. It will have speakers, music and lights, it will play the music that everyone likes. I’ll take my car to where I am supposed to go, and I’ll let go of this time I no longer know.
Heather Haley, Oliver 1800, Ink on paper, 7.5” x 11”, $228
This tractor model ran from 1960-1964. It used a 6-cylinder gas, diesel, or LP engine. It was completely restyled from the previous 880 model and redesigned with a heavy cast iron grill and squared off hood.
ARTIST GENERAL STATEMENT: Heather Haley
Heather Haley is an artist from Boise, Idaho. She began drawing and painting before she could speak in full sentences; art was her first language. As an Idaho native, Heather spent much of her childhood in the fields and mountains of Idaho. Prevalent throughout her work, she has been inspired by the landscapes and heritage of the West. She began illustrating tractors a number of years ago, and has participated in adult coloring books, illustrations, private art commissions, as well numerous group and solo art exhibitions in galleries in Idaho, and across the US. www.HeatherMarieHaley.com
Heather Haley, In the Barn, Ink on paper, 7.5” x 11”, $195
This drawing was created as a commission for an adult coloring book.
Marina Dery
Marina Dery, I remember when..., Digital Photography, 18x24, $150
No, it is not an easy Journey. The bumpy roads, No pocket full of crispy notes.. Oh yes, so many slimy toads. No, it isn't all sublime And yet, We do get strong and learn to climb. So, when my tears run down like rivers, I remember my victories over the fears and When I look at the brilliance of sky, I know that I'm finally going to fly... Higher and higher... Because my home is where the clouds of pearls Kiss the sky of sapphire.
Marina Dery
Marina Dery, What's next?, Digital Photography, 18x24, $150
No, it is not an easy Journey. The bumpy roads, No pocket full of crispy notes.. Oh yes, so many slimy toads. No, it isn't all sublime And yet, We do get strong and learn to climb. So, when my tears run down like rivers, I remember my victories over the fears and When I look at the brilliance of sky, I know that I'm finally going to fly... Higher and higher... Because my home is where the clouds of pearls Kiss the sky of sapphire.
Leslie Jay Bosch, Catalyst Tread, Mixed media sculpture; wood from a 111 year old fallen tree, ceramics, pyrography, watercolor paint. 30"H x 27"W x15"D $1,100
The moment of catalyzing totality flipped her world upside down and inside out. From that pain was born a gift, the ability to listen to the mystical, long forsaken voice howling from the depths. When the words came echoing back they were the cries of a young girl; “Father please tread lightly upon our Mother”. This artwork aims to transform grief into forgiveness and unconditional love. My process is one of following divine signposts on the path of a healing journey. The final destination is my transformation. It is my hope that this artwork also be a catalyst for viewers.
The majority of items have been returned to the artist and may still be available for purchase. Please reach out to Crystal at 541-523-5369 or email crystal@crossroads-arts.org to check availability. Click here to purchase artwork
