Local artist finds inspiration in national park

When the air is crisp and leaves begin to turn, Becky Fletcher knows it’s time to head to the mountains.

The Sedro-Woolley artist can be found in the North Cascades National Park this fall as she participates in the park’s Artist-in-Residence program through October.

Each spring and fall an artist is selected to spend four to six weeks in the national park where he or she can focus on their medium.

The program’s intention is to use art to connect park visitors, staff and neighbors to view the national park in unique ways, said Charles Beall, North Cascades National Park interpreter.

The program is in its fifth year and has hosted photographers, painters, musicians, sculptors and writers.

So far Fletcher has spent about a week in the residence.

She said she chose to participate in the program to “focus on the mountains I love best.”

There’s a clarity that comes with being in the mountains, she said. It feels so powerful up there.

“I love the mountains in the fall,” Fletcher said. “I thought this might focus me.”

Fletcher is using oil paints to create her images while in the program.

She originally majored in illustration while attending the Art Institute of Boston. She later took to stained glass and most recently oil painting in 2005.

“I never thought I would find any medium that could approach the saturation of color ... like glass,” she said. “And oils did it. I can do whatever I want with oils, and it’s immediate.”

Inspiration for her work is drawn from natural forms, whether they are landscapes, a bowl of fruit rinds or the layering of a bird’s wing.

Fletcher has lived in the Skagit Valley for 22 years. In the spring, she finds herself collecting images of the lowlands. She said some of her favorite images include the agricultural landscapes of the valley and Padilla Bay.

Many artists who have participated in the program come from across the country. It’s another way to bring broader perspectives to the local community, Beall said.

But hosting a local artist is a great way to create a longer lasting relationship with the artist, he said. He hopes it builds more support with the local artist community, museums and galleries and connects more people with the park.

The bright colors and simple vividness of Fletcher’s paintings will allow people to see the park through her eyes, Beall said. It will possibly inspire them to look for a similar view or find a special view of their own, he said.

While participating in the program, Fletcher said she looks forward to communicating her experiences and interpretations of the national park’s landscapes to others.

She said she is aiming not to create just another painting on the wall, but something that “knocks (viewers’) socks off” and draws attention to the location of the landscape.

“I’d like my piece to draw something new out of people they didn’t expect,” Fletcher said. “That’s the ultimate satisfaction ... To hit that nerve is like hitting a string on an instrument.”