PORT ANGELES — Professional and amateur painters wrapped up a week of artistic activities Sunday at the Paint the Peninsula festival’s final day of events at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center and the The Landing mall.
More than 200 paintings were on display Sunday at the two venues for a final public viewing of works created by local residents and 30 professional artists “en plein air” after the painters fanned out across the North Olympic Peninsula beginning Sept. 8 to capture an outdoor scene.
“It’s a good crowd,” said Anne Dalton, chairwoman of Paint the Peninsula, as visitors streamed into the fine arts center, 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
On Sunday, the painters continued working and chatted with visitors who peered over their shoulders, and visitors also had a chance to try their hand at a “community painting” — a recreation of Claude Monet’s “Woman with a Parasol.”
Katrina and Kalissa Krause, 14- and 12-year-old sisters from Port Angeles, filled in parts of the lower part of the painting, as their uncle, Chris Larsen, 34, of Richland began work on the parasol and sky.
Each considers themselves artists and have distinct style preferences.
“I like my pastels,” Kalissa said, while Katrina said she prefers pencil drawings.
The Paint the Peninsula professional competition’s grand prize of $1,500 for Best of Show went to Eric Jacobsen of Glenwood for his painting “Retired,” a view of an aged fishing boat in dry storage at Port Angeles Boat Haven Marina.
First place and $750 went to Bruce Gomez of Denver, Colo., for “Punto Amada”; second place and $500 to Ned Mueller of Renton for “Nash’s Farm”; and third place and $300 went to Jane Wallis of Poulsbo for “Sol Duc Water Cascade.”
A $250 Artists’ Choice award was won by Jacobsen.
Paintings by Robin Paul Weiss of Seattle, Emiliya Lane of Seattle, and Kat Sowa of Portland, Ore., each received an honorable mention.
Mike Wise of Coupeville, Ken Faulks of Victoria and Susan Ogilvie, an Olympic Peninsula resident, were awarded special sponsor awards.
The Quick Draw contest yielded additional winners for their ability to create a small painting within two hours.
The winner of first price and $300 was Mike Rada of St. Paul, Minn., for “Big Shiny Propellers”; second place and $200 went to Weiss for “The Old Courthouse”; and third place with a $100 prize was awarded to Gomez for “Port Angeles Boat Harbor.”
Wise also received an honorable mention for “Sunnfjord.”
Gretha Lindwood, a professional painter from Portland, Ore., said she was impressed with the list of artists that are attracted to the Port Angeles-based art event, the weather during the event and the quality of reception the artists received from the art center’s volunteers.
“It makes us comfortable to do the best job we can,” Lindwood said.
On Sunday, awards were announced for the Community Paint Out Competition.
Entrants in the Paint Out, which was open to amateur artists, were awarded a total of $700 in cash awards to the top youth, teen and adult painter.
On Sunday, the winners were announced at The Landing mall, where the paintings had been displayed for the public.
Abby Frank of Port Angeles was awarded the People’s Choice Award for her painting “Beach of Dots.”
First place was taken by “I Could Fetch That” by Cheryl Smith of Port Angeles, second place was “Boat Haven” by Lyn Smith of Sequim and third place was “Sunflowers in the Community Gardens” by Belle Nevaril of Port Angeles.
In the youth category, all three paintings were untitled.
The youth winner was Gracie Townsend of Port Angeles, second place went to Zoe Tucker of Port Angeles and third place was awarded to Edun Bailey of Port Angeles.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
