PORT TOWNSEND — Step outside and breathe in the scent of the sea or the fragrance of the forest. On this path, you’re having a sensual experience, a blending of sights that “tumble around in our brains,” artist Darwin Nordin said.
That’s how Nordin paints nature: in layers, mixing wild creatures and sense memories. He uses charcoal, pencils and paint washes to render artworks such as “Constellation,” a piece that will appear in Northwind Art’s new show.
Titled “Confluence,” the exhibition pairs Nordin’s art with that of sculptor Kristin Tollefson, who also finds rushes of inspiration in the natural world.
“Confluence” is now open at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St., and will stay on view through March 16. The show opens concurrently with “Showcase 2026,” Northwind’s year-long exhibition of Northwest artists, in the gallery’s inner room.
The public is invited to the opening celebration with all of the artists during the First Saturday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 7.
Regular gallery hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. More information about “Confluence” and other activities offered by the nonprofit Northwind Art can found at https://northwindart.org.
“This is a vivid show to warm up the gallery. We’ve been closed for a winter maintenance break, so we are so happy to welcome these two artists and their luminous work,” Northwind spokesperson Diane Urbani said.
She noted that “Confluence” is supported by a sponsorship from artist Sylvia White of Port Townsend.
Nordin’s “Constellation” piece grew from a walk out to the shoreline at low tide. There were herons, those majestic birds, and there also were sea stars. Later, the artist made a magic-realist scene of them together.
“I started by sketching herons; I wanted to work in this whole experiential thing,” he said.
Like his other mixed-media pieces, “Constellation” is awash in shades Nordin blends and chooses while the art is taking shape on the canvas.
“Color has always been my seductress. I can get carried away,” he said.
Nordin, a naturalist and teacher who has lived in Seattle since 1988, invites viewers to take it slow and take a second look, whether they are walking outdoors or experiencing art.
Back in 2007, Nordin and Tollefson had a show together in Seattle, “and it was a magical pairing of work,” Nordin said, adding he is delighted to be in “Confluence” with Tollefson. They came up with the show’s name together.
“My sculptures and wearable art elicit memories of being in specific places,” Tollefson said.
They “capture light and cast shadows … expressing connections and feelings that go beyond words.”
In the “Confluence” exhibition, Tollefson is showing works that include “Where to Find Me,” “Selvedge” and “Birchwood,” which are hand-built interpretations of nature.
Tollefson shapes industrial materials — salvaged steel, copper electrical wire — and found objects into her pieces.
The artist added that her travels are a powerful influence on her work. Tollefson has received Fulbright grants to Slovakia and Iceland and completed artist residencies in Wyoming and Chile.
With a master of fine arts degree in metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan and a bachelor’s in art history and sociology/anthropology from Minnesota’s Carleton College, Tollefson now teaches art at Olympic College and Renton Technical College. She also leads a gallery program for people with memory loss at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
Nordin also has a wide-ranging career in art and teaching. He earned his art degrees at the University of Wisconsin and in Claremont, Calif., and has taught in art programs around the Northwest, including Centrum at Fort Worden State Park.
Through it all, his own art practice is a daily one.
“I always make,” Nordin said. “It’s a way of living, really.”
