Central Oregon artist and founding member at Tumalo Art Company creates piece to celebrate the season
The Old Mill District commissioned local artist Susan Luckey Higdon to create its 2018 “winter art” piece, which is featured on the district’s banners, winter guide, kiosks, marketing campaigns and annual holiday collectible ornaments. Higdon created the original piece with acrylic on canvas, seeking to capture the crisp blue of winter sky contrasted with the red berries on the area’s mountain ash trees. In addition, she wanted to illustrate animal or bird life, all combined with her unique perspective.
“It was challenging to capture all the elements I wanted to display in this piece – sky, snow, perspective and birds,” said Higdon. “I like to narrow in on the composition in a way that is unexpected and somewhat abstracted, so I approached it with this mindset. I loved combining all the pieces of this painting together into a celebration of the beautiful winter season in Central Oregon. It was an honor to create this annual piece for the Old Mill District.”
The finished piece shows an expanse of blue Central Oregon sky in which the Old Mill District’s three iconic smoke stacks rise in the background. In the forefront is a snow covered mountain ash tree loaded with berries and providing temporary cover to three brightly colored waxwings, which are commonly seen in the area during the season. In all, it captures the essence of winter in the region. The finished piece is on display at Tumalo Art Co. until January 7. A limited supply of the signature glass ornaments are on sale at the gallery and SantaLand.
Susan Luckey Higdon is known for her landscapes of iconic Central Oregon scenes, especially water, fish and birds in their natural habitat. She is drawn to unusual and dramatic composition, pattern and color. Her work has been featured in Italian fly fishing magazine H2O, Bend Magazine and on Oregon Art Beat. Her paintings are in corporate and private art collections across the country. Susan is a founding member of Tumalo Art Company a collective gallery in the Old Mill District, and has been the signature artist for Deschutes River Conservancy’s RiverFeast event for 11 years. More about her work can be found at susanluckeyhigdon.com
About the Old Mill District
One of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive and dynamic mixed-use developments, the Old Mill District is located on 270 acres that formerly housed one of the largest sawmill operations in the world. The rich history of the land is coupled with spectacular mountain views, scenic river vistas and an extensive trail system to enjoy the outdoors. More than 55 local, regional and national retailers and businesses call the Old Mill District home. The Old Mill District – Bend’s most unique shopping, dining, living, and entertainment experience. www.oldmilldistrict.com