Enumclaw artist Kristi Orcutt has pursued painting as her favorite means of expression since she was a small child. Kristi’s watercolor paintings in the Enumclaw Gallery 2012 are a tribute to her effort. Kristi Orcutt’s paintings are inspired creations of paint on paper that express her thoughts through carefully crafted realistic images.
Artist Bio
As a little girl, I watched in awe as my uncle applied paint to canvas, and magically a face appeared that mirrored the image that sat before him. It was wondrous to watch him work. And, I wanted to be able to do what he did, to look at something and make it come alive on paper. Perhaps out of reverence for my uncle or my awareness that I could never achieve what he did as a professional portrait painter, my skills and interests took me in a different direction.
The media that continued to grab my attention was watercolor. I was captivated by its fluidity, its subtleties, its translucency and its creativity within itself. But my admiration was always of the work of others. So far, my art background was black and white, pen and ink, or charcoal. I had never painted until 1995 when the urge and the opportunity presented itself again at GRCC, and I was immediately aware that I’d found my passion.
In my search for creative expression I encountered obstacles along the way from many a college professor who tried in vain to convince me that my bent toward realism was not a marketable avenue to pursue. But marketing wasn’t and isn’t my concern. The satisfaction that I gain through putting paint on paper is its own reward. I chose to make art a simple expression of my vision and let my heart and hands lead the way.
Gallery 2012 is located in the Council Chambers at Enumclaw City Hall. 1339 Griffin Ave. Enumclaw, WA 98022. Hours for the exhibition space are 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Enumclaw City Hall is closed on national holidays. The gallery is closed to the public on Tuesday of each week for municipal court proceedings.
Editor's Note: Information provided by the city of Enumclaw.
