Trailside Galleries  is pleased to announce Avian Gatherings, a show of all new works by Oregon based painter Jhenna Quinn Lewis.  The show will feature approximately 15 new studio paintings and will be on exhibit at the gallery from July 6 through July 18.

Acclaimed for her avian and still-life subjects, Lewis’ meditative and detailed compositions blend realism and the tenets of Japanese wabi sabi with a sense of light, much like the old masters. Art has been the driving force in her life and her great love since childhood. From her earliest memories, she has had an inherent fascination to express what she sees in nature and to translate it through her medium, starting first with drawing and photography in her youth, then later with oils.

Lewis did not begin painting full time until her early 40’s.  For two decades now, her paintings of fruit and avian subjects have grown in popularity and recognition among collectors and art enthusiasts, with pieces in corporate, individual, and museum collections across the country. In her work, attention is paid to the smallest details and is balanced with her adherence to austerity and atmosphere. She notes,  “By removing all that is unnecessary in my compositions and exercising restraint and simplicity, I invite the viewer to slow down. Be patient and look. Pay attention to all the necessary details.”

About this newest collection of studio works, she says, “The main focus may ap-pear to be the delightful birds, but much more is stated within these pieces beyond the ornithological creatures' contemplative forms. It is the space around them that is key. It is our environment that supports us, gives us room to breathe, or locks us in. The use of space is integral in my work. The shadowy backgrounds center and calm the viewer, removing distractions. The negative space allows your gaze to relax and find its way through the piece, much like a goldfinch looking for seeds among tall grasses. It is the flow around the subject that draws you in, that allows you to sense what's important.”