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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com News February 28, 2018 A7 Firm’s art show features 93-year-old’s paintings Four of Raines’ paintings to hang at Grain Growers center By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain Barbara Raines of Wallowa is low-key about her art — but she’s got some long-term admirers. At 93, Raines has been winning accolades for her drawing since childhood. “I don’t know how long I’ve been painting,” she said. “The first art I ever did was drawing the cabin that Snow White and the Seven Dwarves lived in on any scrap of paper I could find when I was a kid at home. I sketch a lot, and my imagination just takes over.” Her penchant for recre- ating cabins remains, but she’s moved on to paint- ing and added several medi- ums and styles over the years: from a historical depiction of a Native American camp to a study of Cypress trees in a swamp. Those paintings are still Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Barbara Raines, 93,of Wallowa poses next to a few of the paintings she has enjoyed creating. Her paintings, along with paintings by Wallowa artists Therese Heinke and Den- nis Reinke adorn the walls of the new Grain Growers Propane and Wood Heat storefront at 804 Depot Street. The paintings are also for sale. winning fans, and Caleb Samples, heating and cool- ing technician for Wallowa County Grain Growers Pro- pane and Wood Stove Center, is a new one. Samples serviced Raines’ propane heater recently and was so taken with the paint- ings he saw in her home that he arranged for her work to be featured along with the work of fellow Wallowa artists Theresa Henke and Dennis Reinke in the new showroom for the propane and wood stove center at 804 Depot Street in Enterprise. The showroom is now graced with four of Raines’ paintings, including the most recent of a small brown cabin in a rural setting. The solitude, combined with the welcom- ing light shining out of the tiny window of the cabin fills viewers with a sense of peace. Most of her paintings come directly out of her imag- ination, and she finds a great deal of pleasure in seeing how she can create what she has dreamed up in her mind. But painting was never a career goal, she said. Barbara, daughter of Way- man and Millie Larkin of Wallowa, was born on Bridge Island in Canyon County, Idaho, and she attended Nyssa Elementary for a time. The family moved to Wallowa County when she was in the third grade. She led what she consid- ered an ordinary life in ‘20s Wallowa and met and mar- ried Paul Raines while cook- ing for the Minam Highway construction crew back in the ‘40s. She had two sons: John, who lives in Wallowa; and Ken, who lives in Lewiston, Idaho. She still lives in her own home in Wallowa and her son, John, “takes such good care of me,” she said. She kept up her hobby over the years and gave a few pic- tures away as gifts, sold more, had some featured on the walls of The Hydrant in Joseph, took up painting crosscut saws for folks who requested them and did commissions. After a lifetime of that, just how many paintings she made and where they ended up is a list that’s beginning to blur. “All in all, I can’t recall,” Barbara says when asked about it. What’s almost as remark- able as the length of her cre- ative journey is the fact that Raines is almost entirely self- taught, having only taken a few lessons with La Grande painter Jan Clark back in the mid-80s. Clark, who became interested in watercolors at about that time, introduced Raines to the medium. Clark still teaches at Art Center East in La Grande. That class was a fun endeavor, Raines recalled, though it started from sad- ness. When husband Paul died in 1987, she had to have something to occupy her mind, she said, so she decided to improve her natural paint- ing skills with lessons from Clark — held in her home. Several other ladies from the county also attended. Barbara has outlived most of those friends. “I still run into Jan at Walmart once in a while and get a Christmas card from Jan every year,” she said. One of the benefits of being self-taught is there are no rules. One of her paintings on display at Grain Growers was painted, in part, with a basting brush. Participating in a show- ing late in life is a pleasure, Raines said, though she’s sur- prised at all the fuss. “It’s just something I enjoy,” she said. You can pick up a Raines’ painting for around $325. March Big Read looks at comic books Enterprise native Mike Lawrence to speak March 8 Movie night fundraiser planned March 3 The Faith in the Field Movie Night Tour will stop in Enterprise 5 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at Enterprise Christian Church, 285035 Joseph Hwy., Enterprise. The event is designed for hunters, nonhunters, families and friends. A shoulder mount display featuring animals from Wallowa County will be included, as well as raffle prizes, silent auction and live auction. Auction items will include firearms, hunting gear and optics as well as other donations provided by the community. The highlight of the evening will be a four- piece film featuring two local mountain goat hunts and two local elk hunts. Free pie and ice cream will be served following the movie. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Riggs Family. Several members have battled cancer in recent years. Faith in the Field is devoted to spending qual- ity time in the outdoors with God cultivating a relationship with Him in raw creation itself, a spokesman for the orga- nization said. Fishtrap’s Big Read dives into the genre of comics and graphic storytelling with Mike Lawrence, an Enterprise High School graduate and award winning illustrator, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at Enter- prise High School. Admission is free. There is a curious and key connection to comics in the novel, “Station Eleven,” according to Mike Midlo, pro- gram manager for Fishtrap. “The book’s title comes from a mysterious graphic novel that the main character carries with her like a sacred artifact from the past and becomes an important part of her future,” he said. Lawrence will reveal how the ancient art of graphic sto- rytelling fires the imagination and inspires creative think- ing through drawing. Those attending can watch Mike cre- ate a comic and learn why graphic storytelling is consid- ered an important part of the literary tradition. Lawrence is the award-win- ning illustrator of “Muddy Max: The Mystery of Marsh Creek,” and the novel, “The Incredible Adventures of Cin- namon Girl.” The Star Scouts series is his debut as a solo graphic novelist. In addition to making com- ics, he has created several pieces of public art in Portland. The event is part of Fish- trap’s Big Read celebration of the novel, “Station Eleven,” by Emily St. John Mandel. The novel is set 20 years after a devastating flu pandemic destroys civilization and fol- lows a traveling troupe of actors and musicians dedicated to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive through their performances. “The Big Read broad- ens our understanding of the world, our communities and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book,” Midlo said. Lawerence Josephy plans month-long women’s art emphasis March at Josephy Cen- ter for Arts and Culture will be devoted to art created by women. An art show will run March 3 to April 3, with an opening event 7 p.m. March 9. Goodies prepared by Lynne Curry and drinks will be available. Several additional events are planned: • Abstract painting work- shop with Jennifer Klimsza 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 10. No experience needed. Regis- This photo by Dawna VanKomen is part of an exhibit of wom- en’s art at Josephy Center. tration required. • Horse sculpting work- shop with Terri Malec will held 1-4 p.m. each Tuesday in March. Registration required. • Brown Bag “lunch and learn” events will be held at noon each Tuesday of March. Coffee provided, bring your lunch. • A women’s tea, featur- ing readings by Mary Emer- ick and Pam Royes will be 4 p.m. March 18. Gail Swart will perform on the piano. • Women, Words and Music Concert with Wallowa Valley Music Alliance will be 7 p.m. March 31. It is a show- case of women musicians and writers. Admission $10. Info: Josephy.org. ALPINE HOUSE Assisted Living Celebrating 66 Years! Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm • Saturday 8am to 5pm 802 NW 1st St. • Enterprise 541- 426-3139 CELEBRATING 101 YEARS! Celebrating 23 Years JENNIFER PEPPERS, ADMINISTRATOR ALPINEHOUSEJOSEPH.COM f 204 NORTH PARK STREET • JOSEPH, OR 97846 541؏432؏7402 • alpinejp@yahoo.com 67 years of always Picking Up! 418 SE Alamo St., Enterprise, OR 97828 • (541) 426-3492 42 YEARS! 401 N Main Street in Joseph, OR (541) 432-4363 • sportscorral@eoni.com Enterprise 3 Br 1 Ba Utility room Near Park $900 Month 541-398-0308 Planning a get-away? PASSPORT PHOTOS in my Joseph studio. 24-hour turn-around for prints. December-January Special: $35 for two different images, sized and printed to meet U.S. Passport requirements. Call for appointment! 209 NW First St., Enterprise • 541-426-4567 SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINES for weekly display advertising is 5pm Friday for the following week. Ad copy is due on Monday at 10am. Ads must be approved by Tuesday at 12pm. --------------------------------- Contact Jennifer today for all your advertising needs! Large Grant Award - $1,000-$5.000 Supporting Local Community Projects Applications available at Bookloft, Wallowa Public Library, BeeCrowBee and Thrift Shop ELLEN MORRIS BISHOP NATURE’S LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHICS 103 N. Main Street, Ste 5, Joseph * 541 398-1810 (voice or text) paleobishop@gmail.com www.natureslightphotographics.com ANNUAL jpowell@wallowa.com 541-805-9630 Application deadline March 15, 2018 Soroptimist, P.O. Box 127, Enterprise, OR 97828 For More Information call 541-398- 0189
