"Landscapes of Spokane," a collection of about 40 recent works by painter Christine Druffel, adds a certain vibrancy to the Upper Jewett Exhibition Corridor in the Hopkins Center, where the pieces are presently on display.
Color is definitely Druffel's forte. Brilliant, pure colors illuminate her works and give the viewer a feel for the richness and vitality that light brings to the natural environment.
Druffel's landscapes are a variety of mostly garden and roadside scenes. In works such as "Jeanne's Walkway," "Commellini's Drive" and "Road to Gerlinhouse" the artist paints hints of roads and paths curving sinuously through the hills. The artist's aptitude for composition draws us into her paintings by subtly suggesting where paths lead but leaving the actual destination up to our imaginations.
The paintings in this show are on masonite board in the medium casein, a paint made from skim milk that has been used since the Renaissance as a paint binder. The advantages of casein is that it is highly versatile (application is possible using water color, acrylic and gouache techniques) and very portable, allowing the artist to work location and capture the immediacy of her subject matter.
The intimacy in Druffel's work may result from the fact that Spokane, Wash. is not only the subject of this painting series but is also the artist's home. She has worked and exhibited in the Spokane area for the last twenty years, receiving the "Art in Public Places" purchase award from the city of Spokane in 1982.
Mountains and rolling hills describe the Western landscapes in Druffel's paintings, but the artist doesn't stop at what she sees. The passionate colors and intimacy she creates remind us of the sights, sounds and feelings of our own favorite landscapes well beaten paths.
The Upper Jewett Exhibition Corridor is located across from the Courtyard Cafe. Hundreds of students pass through this area from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week, so it is an appropriate exhibition space for the show of Druffel's lively landscapes, which runs through October 31.
