This week in Viz City, I invite you to explore “Journeys in Oregon,” a stunning exhibition of reduction linocut prints by Connie Mueller at the White Lotus Gallery. Connie is a master at evoking a palpable sense of place, whether it’s the vast sky over Peoria Road before a storm or the crystalline Willamette River. Her art radiates a warmth, grace, and tranquility, celebrating the natural beauty of her hometown, Eugene, and Oregon’s diverse landscapes.
What makes Connie’s work so compelling, beyond its beauty, is the impressively challenging reduction linocut process. Imagine using a single linoleum block: she cuts away areas, inks it, prints, then cuts more away, inks again, and prints in successive colors, building the image layer by layer. Each cut preserves the previous colors, allowing the final image to emerge with incredible depth and precision.
I was particularly drawn to “PRanch, Frenchglen, Oregon,” a brightly lit path along tall willows that felt so familiar, probably because I was just there. Another favorite is “Hood River, Oregon,” a close-up of an apple-laden tree with snowy Mt. Hood in the background—a true note of home for all Oregonians.
And if you're traveling, don't miss the Maude Kerns Art Center's Airport Show, all about the many moods of Oregon “Rain or Shine.” Steve Mangold has a stunning sunset over a vineyard with the setting sun catching the sparkling ruby jewel of a hummingbird feeder.
Patricia McConnell’s "Only in Oregon," an encaustic in glowing pastel pinks and a windy sky drew me deep into a Master Garden; and don’t miss Levi Whittier's "Speck in the Rain," with its mesmerizing raven against a yellow sky.
