Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Art Walk will feature colorful Pearlene Gavlik
By JUDY HOYLE
The Featured Artist for
Second Friday Art Walk on
July 11 in Cave Junction
takes multitasking to a whole
new level.
Pearlene Gavlik is an
award-winning artist as well
as a volunteer firefighter with
Illinois Valley Fire District
(IVFD). A grandmother of
eight -- with one on the way,
she also has been honored
with IVFD Rookie of the
Year and Volunteer Fire-
fighter of the Year awards.
Born in Lowell, Mass.,
this self-taught artist began
her career as a teen-ager,
drawing people’s facial fea-
tures and gestures. Following
her marriage to Ken Gavlik,
her art career was on hold
while she raised four chil-
dren. In 1984, Ken and
Pearlene created a business
crafting wooden folk art ob-
jects, which they painted,
then sold at art fairs through-
out New England.
Her first wall paintings
were in acrylic in the
“Americana Primitive” style
made famous by Grandma
Moses. Pearlene’s favorite
subject at the time was a
barnyard scene, depicting
families working and playing
together.
After completing ap-
proximately 80 paintings in
this style, she began experi-
menting in other media. She
tried oil painting, but didn’t
like having to wait for each
color to dry before she could
proceed. She then discovered
watercolor and the freedom to
blend and merge colors as the
painting developed.
“I’ve always loved
color,” said Pearlene. “Even
when I was a little kid, I re-
member looking at my Cray-
ons for hours.
“Color is my main moti-
vation for painting. That’s
why I love to paint flowers.
The beauty of all those jewel-
like colors and the delicate
petals is very visually excit-
ing to me.”
Her love of flowers has
led to her planting many
Siskiyou Field Institute (SFI)
A Rivers to Peaks Week-
end is planned at Deer Creek
Center in Selma from Friday,
July 25 to Sunday, July 27.
Numerous field courses
are offered. There are fees. The
program will include the an-
nual dinner July 25 with prices
on a sliding scale; and on the
26th: Outdoor Explorer (just
for kids); The Science of
Caves; Conifers; and Follow-
ing Whittaker: Monitoring
Environmental Change in the
Siskiyous.
On the 27th: Forests: The
Complexities and Conflicts;
Salmon Snorkeling; and Wild
& Scenic Geology of the Smith
River Gorge.
Space is limited. Phone,
email or visit the Website: 597-
8530, www.thesfi.org, and
institute@thesfi.org.
Siskiyou Project
Rich Nawa, an ecologist,
and botanist Jennifer Kalt will
lead a leisurely 4-mile hike to
Mt. Elijah and Bigelow Lakes
on Saturday, July 12.
It will be an all-day mod-
erate hike with a 900-foot ele-
vation gain. A car pool will
leave Illinois Valley Visitor
Center at 201 Caves Hwy. in
Cave Junction at 9 a.m. Hikers
should bring lunch, snacks and
plenty of water.
For more information,
phone 476-6648, or visit
www.Siskiyou.org and click on
the “Events” link.
Lovejoy Hospice
Lyn Stanger, of Hull &
Hull Funeral Directors, will
speak during a “Conversations
with …” program on Monday,
July 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1
p.m. at the hospice facility in
Grants Pass.
She will speak about
choices, expenses and preplan-
ning for cremations, funerals,
burials, celebrations of life, and
memorials.
RSVP to 474-1193 or for
more information.
Reach your audience.
band in his cabinet-making
business, “Mr. G’s Wood-
working.” They share a sec-
ond business: Lakeshore Im-
ages, which produces large
giclee’ prints for Pearlene and
other artists. They bought the
expensive digital equipment
after being disappointed by
Pearlene Gavlik at home (Photo provided)
flowerbeds at her sunny home
in Selma, where she raises
flowers from seed in her own
greenhouse. She also has de-
veloped a line of beaded jew-
elry, which she sells in order
to support this fun hobby.
Pearlene has a great love
for the sea reaching to her
early years in New England.
The Gavliks moved to Illinois
Valley following a visit with
their oldest daughter, Sherry,
who had moved here for a
job. Attracted by the prox-
imity to the Pacific Ocean
and the beauty of Illinois Val-
ley, they actually put a down
payment on their house be-
fore the end of the visit.
Besides her own art ca-
reer, Pearlene assists her hus-
the results from other offset
printers.
Many members of the
Gavlik family are firefighters
besides Pearlene. Ken is an
IVFD battalion chief; and
son, Jeff, is IVFD deputy
chief. Another son, Michael,
is a firefighter in Rogue
River. This outstanding Illi-
nois Valley family now has
branched out in new ways, as
Jeff and his wife, Joanna,
have opened “Heritage Mo-
ments,” a scrapbook supply
store near Michelle’s Family
Restaurant at Redwood and
Caves highways.
The Gavliks also are ac-
tive members of Wonder
Bible Chapel, which was
damaged by fire during the
winter. They’re been helping
with clean up and preparation
for major repairs scheduled
for this summer.
Pearlene Gavlik’s water-
colors of flowers and cats, as
well as printed cards of her
paintings, will be featured at
Changes Art Gallery, 144 S.
Redwood Hwy., beginning
Friday, July 11 from 5 to 8
p.m. during Second Friday Art
Walk and throughout July.
Her watercolors also are
exhibited at the Redwood
Coast Art Association gallery
in Crescent City. Her jewelry
is at Second Street Gallery in
Bandon. She is represented in
both media at the Oregon
Caves Chateau Gift Gallery.
Her work can be seen at
pearlenesoriginalart.com.
For further information
on Second Friday Art Walk,
sponsored by the Illinois
River Valley Arts Council,
visit www.irvac.com.
July 4 & 5
Bring your legal fireworks, set them off in the green at the Treehouses.
Festivities open at 1 p.m. Friday with a softball game.
Music starts at 4 p.m. with Moon & the Lunatics, Rusty Starz,
and State of Jefferson.
Saturday music starts at 2 p.m., starring Dandelion Jo, End of Eden,
State of Jefferson, and Frankie Hernandez Band.
Illinois Valley News
592-2541
$10 per day entry 12 & younger $5
www.treehouses.com 592-2208
Camping $5
Zips & Tarzan Swings $5
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