Stumptown Art Studio is featuring the work of artist Alan Satterlee with an opening reception on Thursday, August 2 from 6-9 during Whitefish Gallery Night.  He will be showing a display of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional pieces in a variety of materials, far beyond his familiar drawings and paintings, resulting in Whimsy.

Currently the director of the North Valley Hospital Foundation and formerly the Glacier Orchestra and Chorale, Alan Satterlee started “doodling” in 2006 to relieve stress.  “Now art has turned into one of the most important influences in my life, he says.  Initially he drew trees, which eventually became part of cityscapes featuring tiny  windows juxtaposed against nature.  When he turned to acrylics, his art got much more detailed.  “Nature and plants have crept into the progression.  Swirls came next,” Alan explains.

Satterlee’s training as a geologist and love for the outdoors have influenced his work, as did a trip to Africa.  In 2013 he was chosen for an Artist-Wilderness-Connection residency through the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and spent 17 days at Granite Cabin in the Great Bear Wilderness.  “This experience was transformative for me on many levels,” he notes.  Alan continues to experiment with paper sculpture and other 3-dimensional work, and has created a line of fabric available on Spoonflower.com.  He also embroiders and quilts his fabric to create rich textures using a technique called trapunto.

Whimsy is on display through September 3 at Stumptown Art Studio, a non-profit community art center in Whitefish, located at 145 Central Avenue.  People of all ages and art abilities can participate in the many art programs and events offered through the center.  During regular open hours, Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from noon-5 p.m., walk-in art projects such as painting pottery, glass fusing and creating embellished canvases are available.  For more details please call 406-862-5929 or visit http://www.stumptownartstudio.org