Three Sisters Wall Art

I don't even have three sisters...

After trying my first couple pieces of wall art, one of which you can read about here, I wanted to try something a little different. My work is usually non-pictorial, but in this case, I wanted to make an exception. My sister-in-law lives in Oregon, and when we went to visit, we were able to see the Three Sisters Mountains from a distance. I thought it might be nice to create a piece to remember that event.

I wanted it to represent some of the character of Oregon, like expansive skies, layered landscape, elevation, and rugged terrain. Using smooth pieces in the sky and rough-cut pieces for the mountains created separation between the two, despite them using mostly the same species of woods. Of course, the angle also sets them apart, and accentuates the steepness of the peaks.

Despite the extra work it took, I was intentional to continue strips of wood in the sky across where the mountains interrupted them. In other words, when a strip of wood ran into a mountain, I usually continued the same piece of wood on the other side of the mountain. This gives a sense of foreground and background, and also makes the sky feel more horizontal and expansive.

Lastly, by using increasingly darker species of wood near the horizon, it begins to feel like a natural landscape, and grounds the mountains at the base.

The frame is Black Walnut with figured Maple splines. I like that the entire work is wooden, even the mounting mechanism, which feels akin to the natural and pure wilderness of Oregon.

The piece is roughly 40" wide and 20" high.

I did attempt to sell it for several years at some shows and in a local art gallery, but with no success. It's a piece I've always been fond of (since making it in 2021), and I'm glad its home is now on our wall downstairs.