Alison Engle grew up near Seattle, lived in the foothills of Mt. Baker and has now resided on San Juan Island since 1998. After years of converting her artistic outlet from making art to remodeling homes, she was encouraged to pick up a paint brush and see what happened - that was in 2010. She has been painting ever since! Alison’s work is rich with color and texture and often borders on the abstract. Her work is inspired by things found in both man-made 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. 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. In my land and seascapes my goal is not only to share the beauty of this amazing place but the sense of awe I feel when I am in it.” www.alisonengle.com

All work by Alison Engle