Hailey residents and artists Nate Galpin and Jen Galpin-Mikesh are married but their careers and art are their own. As a master printmaker, Jen is one of the valley's central figures to other artists who live in the area. She works with artists to make original monotypes and etchings at her Hailey studio, in addition to creating her own original works. Her husband, Nate, pursues his career in media ranging from photography to metal sculpture.
An opening reception for Nate and Jen will take place on Friday, April 30, for an exhibition at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Hailey. Drinks and appetizers will be served from 5:30-7 p.m. The artists will give a talk on their work at 6 p.m.
Nate and Jen share a belief in the importance of drawing, an excellent complement to The Center's upcoming exhibition, "Northwest Artists Draw," which will open in Ketchum on Friday, May 7. Nate and Jen's show at The Center in Hailey will exhibit through June 25.
Nate's unique process is drawing without drawing because he drops ink onto paper, which is attached to a board, and then he tilts and spins the board so the ink will run across the paper, leaving a trail of fluid and lyrical marks.
"The idea behind my ink drawings is that I never touch the paper," Nate said. "I let the ink go where gravity, viscosity and momentum make it go. There's no way to cheat it, and that's what I like so much about the process. I have thousands of these drawings, but only a few dozen that are successful."
Nate said his work evolved from putting his hands on the paper less and less until he stopped altogether. In addition, Nate will show a group of bent wire sculptures. He said the sculptures are essentially three-dimensional line drawings.
Nate's main business is making furniture, which can be seen at establishments such as the Powerhouse restaurant and bike shop in Hailey.
The other half of the couple, Jen, creates prints and drawings inspired by nature.
"Plants and flowers feel like small landscapes to me," Jen said. "I tend to think my drawings evolve like maps—I'm interested in the way that light and shadows describe the topography and underlying structure of the plant."
Jen observes her subjects and draws them with a light pencil drawing to establish the spatial relationships and adds contour lines and hatching to indicate volume. She fills in the drawing with watercolor pencil then wets the paper to bring out the brilliance of the pigments. After the paint has dried, Jen will go back in with pencil to sharpen details and build contrast. The final step is to mount the drawings on panels and seal them with wax.
"I have created a new body of work for the show," she said. "I have been working incorporating plants, which is fascinating to me because I feel like I am working on a small-scale landscape."
Jen's last show in the valley was at the Ochi Gallery and she has also had a show in Tacoma, Wash. The couple has had six shows together and enjoy incorporating their ideas together.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Hailey is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For details, call 726-9491 or visit sunvalleycenter.org.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
“Orange Tulip” by Jen Galpin-Mikesh. Watercolor and pencil drawing on paper at Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Hailey.
