glow with candles that sit on the inside .
She began traditional quilting before
creating her own designs and fabrics. She
usually works on fi ve to 10 pieces at a
time. Waisanen lets her inspiration come to
her as she adds elements to each piece.
She often depicts natural elements in
her work, like trees or snakes and enjoys
experimenting with the human fi gure in her
fabric designs.
Waisanen’s works have been incorpo-
rated at First Lutheran Church in Astoria.
One of her concrete bowls became a new
baptismal font for the church. Large ban-
ners she created are also displayed.
Working on her art is comforting for
Waisanen, especially during the coronavi-
rus pandemic.
“There’s a couple things I can do that
will put me right back in my right space,
and one of them is my art,” she said.
Continued from Page 2
trast of rolling hills draw Smith’s atten-
tion. She also works in black and white to
amplify the work.
Smith, now retired, worked in pub-
lic health and child welfare. She consid-
ers photography to be a release from the
demanding profession.
“I still think like a child health care
worker,” she said.
Smith is known for sharing photos of
the view of Saddle Mountain from her
house early in the morning. Another one of
her favorite places to photograph is Ecola
State Park.
Edward Peterson
Edward Peterson is known for his
acrylic paintings depicting vibrantly col-
ored bison, moose, elk and landscapes.
Peterson began painting nine years ago.
Peterson’s depiction of large animals
in unnatural hues is a display of how he
appreciates their natural beauty.
“When I paint animals’ color I want
them to be honest, fl attering,” he said.
He describes bears as beautiful and
tender.
“I want you to be able to walk by my
painting every day and see something new,
every day,” he said.
Before spending 10 hours a day paint-
ing, Peterson was a band director at Sno-
homish High School near Everett, Wash-
ington. He led the band to perform in
several countries.
Peterson landed a solo show in Jack-
son Hole, Wyoming, last year . His inspi-
ration to begin painting in his style came
from a young artist he met in Jackson Hole
in 2018.
At 88, Peterson says he has no time to
waste. He hopes each piece is better than
the last.
Vicki Baker
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Edward Peterson, left stands with contemporary artist John Nieto, one
of Peterson’s biggest inspirations. Tempo Gallery artist Vicki Baker printmaking. Constance
Waisanen stands in front of her fi ber art piece displayed in Tempo Gallery’s front window.
Constance Waisanen
As a fi ber artist and fabric connoisseur,
Constance Waisanen focuses on quilt mak-
ing that incorporates both commercial fab-
ric and hand-dyed fabric. Colorful patterns
within various fabrics are pulled together
by intricate stitching designs.
Waisanen also makes concrete bowls,
with a natural texture on the outside and a
smooth metallic fi nish on the inside. They
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Vicki Baker began her artistic career as
a printmaker making monotypes. She now
focuses on acrylic painting.
Her work features bright colors and par-
tially abstracted faces and fi gures. Women
in hats are the main subject in both her
acrylic work and her prints.
Baker has been printmaking and paint-
ing for close to 20 years. She began mak-
ing art when she retired from being an
elementary school teacher at the Olney
School.
Baker often fi nds inspiration from mag-
azine or newspaper photographs she comes
across. Other times her inspiration comes
from her imagination.
The important women in Baker’s life
have also contributed to her focus on
women in her art.
Fort Meyers, Florida, is where Baker
spends months painting, away from the
gallery in Astoria. She says the tight-
knit group at Tempo, and a local drawing
group, keep her inspired when she’s not
actively painting.
Baker and her husband have been
involved in the Astoria Music Festival as
volunteers, hosting visiting musicians in
their home each year. She was one of the
original artists at Tempo when it formed in
2012.
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