Welcome to River Run Gallery!

Willo Balfrey paints the many changing faces of Northern California and Southern Oregon:
reinterpreting nature’s emotions in dramatic scenes of mountains, meadows,
red-rim rocks, trees, streams, and the beautiful colors of fall.

Capturing the emotional drama from nature and reinterpreting it into my pieces for others to share has led me on my artistic vision.  Early morning and late evening are my favorite painting times – a time to see the light and shadows in a more dramatic setting – just to watch the late evening warm colors become mixed with the cool purple and blue shadows gives me a thrill.  I am a colorist reaching from drama.

I work in two mediums – pastel and oil – with one helping the other to grow. The majority of my work is done in pastel.  I like themes of light and dark and to let unplanned thing happen by using a technique of a loose under painting in both mediums. As often as I can I work “en plein air” on location which has helped me accept these unplanned events and to explore more color.  Plein air also helps me to react rather than paint as a photograph.

I spent my youth in Durango, Colorado surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, red rim rocks, and of course all the beautiful dramatic colors from winter, early spring, and the beautiful fall colors.  These impressions are with me today and are where I receive the inspiration for my landscape paintings.  I now live in Weed, California with the beauty of Mount Shasta in my front window – again surrounded by mountains, lakes, meadows and trees.My hope is to have my art fill a viewers soul and make them want to look again.

See more of Willo's work at www.willobalfrey.com

Gallery Hours ~ Thursday thru Saturday ~ Crack O'Noon til 5:00 pm

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