Artist's Statement

Alison Engle

Alison’s new body of work focuses on the graphics that can be found on the weathered hulls of ships transiting the Salish Sea. This series was inspired by a ship named the “Marlin Sardinia.” Alison came across it anchored near Anacortes while working as a naturalist on the Western Explorer II. The beautiful blue and red hull, bright white graphics and loads of rust caught her eye. She quickly snapped a few photos for reference with her zoom lens while everyone else was watching whales!

Alison’s work is rich with color and texture and often borders on the abstract. The layers of texture, shapes and color can bring about the most unexpected results. Her work is inspired by things found in both manmade and natural environments; the weathered side of a building, the peeling bark of a Madrone, or the aged hull of a boat in the harbor or a tanker at sea. What may have once been a perfect surface now tells a story of years of sun, rain and seawater that now crack the surface and reveal a different type of beauty.

“In my work, I prefer palette knives to brushes, loving the effect you get, as you never know where the paint will cover the canvas or where it will skip over the surface. I use a variety of tools to make patterns or scratch away paint adding texture or revealing a secret message. Adding numbers, letters or words - sometimes informs the viewer or can spark the imagination.”

_______________________________W a t e r W o r k s G a l l e r y

315 Argyle Avenue – PO Box 28

Friday Harbor, WA 98250 – 360.378.3060

www.waterworksgallery.com

info@waterworksgallery.com

Paintings by Alison Engle • All Paintings • All Artists