July 3 – September 25 Artist Reception: Saturday, July 11, 2:00–4:00pm (light refreshments served)
Beginning July 3 and running through September 25, the Scotts Valley Branch Library will showcase the work of two local artists, Donna Thompson and Evelyn Drew, in an exhibit that brings the warmth of the season indoors.
Donna works in chalk pastel, while Evelyn paints in acrylic — two very different mediums that come together in a shared love of landscape and light.
Join us for an artist reception on Saturday, July 11, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, where you can meet Donna and Evelyn, hear about their creative processes, and enjoy some light refreshments. The community is warmly invited.
About the Artists
Evelyn Drew
Evelyn Drew is a fifth-generation California artist who paints local and tropical scenes in acrylic. For many years, she has shown her work at the Capitola Art and Wine Festival and the Santa Cruz Open Studios Tour each October.
Her art has been licensed for posters, giclée prints, metal signs, flags, and tile murals, among other products. As Evelyn puts it, she hopes her art “makes you smile and helps you to remember good times or to picture places you would like to be.”
Her pieces in this exhibit include A Moment in Time, Seacliff Overlook, and Peaceful Easy Feeling — each an 18″x24″ acrylic painting.
Learn more about Evelyn’s work at ejd-design.com.
Donna Thompson
Donna Thompson holds a BFA from Newark State College in New Jersey and an MA in Art Education from San Jose State University. Though she first learned pastel technique in high school back in the 1960s, she returned to the medium in the 1980s, heading outdoors to paint plein air.
Donna lives surrounded by ocean and redwood forest, and her plein air work celebrates the beauty of her coastal town. Over the years she’s even learned to make her own pastels — mixing precipitated chalk, pigment, and a glue binder, then rolling, cutting, and air-drying the mixture into custom colors. She paints on sanded paper, a textured surface that helps the chalk adhere and gives her pieces a subtle dimension, without the need for a spray fixative that can dull color.
Her process typically begins in the field around 11am, where she sketches the composition in charcoal and builds up layers of color, capturing the sky first since it changes so quickly. She often works in a soft “aura” of pink between land and sky, especially near tree-lined horizons. While she occasionally finishes a piece on location, she usually takes a reference photo and completes the work later in the studio — a process she describes as both a personal expression of her love for a scene and a quiet documentation of the day, time, and place.
Donna’s pieces in this show include Betty’s Gate (38″x29″) and Westcliff Drive (24″x30″), both chalk pastel.
Learn more about Donna’s work at donnarthompsonartist.com.
Visit the Exhibit
The exhibit runs July 3 through September 25 during regular Scotts Valley Library hours. Stop by anytime to take in the paintings, and don’t miss the artist reception on July 11 from 2:00–4:00pm for a chance to meet Donna and Evelyn in person.
The exhibit is hosted by the Scotts Valley Library Friends. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/FriendsSCPL
