November 4, 2024
Story by Joe Vinduska
Courtesy Photos submitted
Those looking for an interactive art experience will get a chance when the Shafer Gallery unveils its “Sunlight and Brushstrokes” exhibit with a come-and-go workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Gallery, and a reception at 6:30 p.m. that evening, which will feature light refreshments and a gallery talk from artist Jessie Rasche.
Gallery Director Alyssa Bliven and said Rasche is a professional painter known for her expressive use of oils and connection to the rural landscape.
“The event will kick off with morning Edge Work workshops focusing on charcoal techniques, followed by afternoon sessions in water-mixable oil paints, generously supplied by Royal Talens North America through their artist sponsorship,” she said. “Jessie will guide participants through her creative process, offering insights from her 17-year journey as a professional artist, including her inspirations from rural South Dakota.”
According to jessierasche.com, “Jessie Rasche is a professional artist who paints in her Brookings home studio, and out on dusty farm roads. Growing up in Seattle as the only child of an artist, Jessie got a lot of encouragement for her creative endeavors, and studied Fine Art at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Even so, a career path as an artist wasn’t clear and Jessie went back to school in Psychology and general sciences before a short career in social work, and then as an illustrator and media developer. Sixteen years ago, with family encouragement, Jessie followed her dreams of becoming a professional artist, and began selling her small paintings online and through galleries. In 2013 she moved to South Dakota with her family. Living in a rural landscape surrounded by cow pastures and flocking birds inspired her to begin a series of paintings about groups of animals and how they connect to each other and the land. Through a painterly use of oils, Jessie expresses a love of the materials as well as the subject matter, and she teaches painting workshops for artists, both online and in person.”
The Shafer Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free. For more information, contact Bliven at [email protected] or (620) 792-9342.