The Artist's Reception: Meet Stephen McMillan who will be visiting us in the gallery on November 13th & 14th. He will be giving a printing demonstration from 1-4pm each of those days. Steve was born and lived most of his life in Northern California and he still draws inspiration from the rugged Pacific coastline, rolling coastal hills, old growth oak trees and the Sierras as well as embracing his current landscape in Bellingham, Washington. He studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and for one year at Hornsey College of Art in London, England, where he concentrated on sculpture. It was at Santa Cruz, in 1969, that Steve was first introduced to etching. Since he received his BFA from UCSC in 1975, he has focused on creating aquatint etchings of wilderness landscapes, drawn freehand from photographs he has taken. For nearly 50 years, Stephen McMillan has practiced and perfected his particular technique of aquatint etchings - as gallery owners, it's a pleasure to work with an artist who's so consistent in technique yet willing to try new things. It's also a special bonus that Steve still gets excited about every new piece he finishes - we do too!

The Show: This is our first show since Covid hit and we wanted to put together something that makes sense with the times. Throughout the last two years, there have been so many ups and downs - and like the change of seasons, they all contribute to our own story. So you will see Steve's exuberant spring in the California hills and his autumn in Ashland, Oregon, winter in Bellingham and summer on the Big Sur coast. We hope you'll enjoy the pieces we've selected and that they'll help you reflect on your own lives, and your seasons - and that there is beauty in every one of them.