New ‘calm, tranquil’ paintings come to Puyallup City Hall

Every year, artist Anne Doane enters various pieces of work into the art show at the Washington State Fair.

Now, many of those pieces are hanging on the walls on the fifth floor of Puyallup City Hall — 39 paintings in all.

Doane, 59, is starting off the year as Puyallup’s newest visiting artist. The city rotates new artists every quarter at its public art gallery.

While she works mostly with oil paints, Doane experiments with a variety of mediums — including alcohol painting, watercolors and other mixed media — to depict scenes of nature from all over the Pacific Northwest.

“I try to capture the mood of whatever scene I’m painting ... I hope that calm and tranquility transfers to (viewers),” Doane said of her work.

At the beginning of a new piece, Doane usually starts with a photo.

Doane and her husband often go on walks. Having grown up in Seattle and Tacoma, she developed a love for nature. While outside, she takes photos she uses later for her art, looking for wildlife and scenes that depict movement, color and contrast.

“I like to take photographs with physical drama,” Doane said.

At her home in Parkland, Doane creates her art at her kitchen table. Doane creates a sketch using the photo she took, then does an initial “underpainting” before returning to fill in more layers of paint. It can take roughly two to three weeks to finish a piece, depending on the medium and the amount of time she has.

“Each medium gives a different effect,” Doane said.

At City Hall, pieces feature nature scenes from places like Chambers Bay, Wapato Lake and Point Defiance. Doane said she enjoys public galleries because it engages viewers with the world.

“I think they just spread joy so people can take a break,” she said.

Doane attended the University of Puget sound and the University of Washington. She studied art there, but graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math. While Doane has loved painting all her life — she remembers her first experience painting in kindergarten — she started getting serious about painting the last few years, after she joined art clubs.

“I wanted to be able to show my work and meet other artists,” Doane said. “They encourage you to put out pieces. I feel I’ve grown a lot.”

The clubs are also where she learned new techniques. Doane is a two-year member of the Rainier League of Arts and a two-year member of Pacific Gallery Artists in Tacoma.

Pat Emlet, a board member of Puyallup’s Arts Downtown, found Doane’s work in a Rainier League of Art show at the Puyallup Activity Center, and once more while browsing art at the Washington State Fair. She asked Doane to be the next artist to show in City Hall.

“Anne is a self taught painter but has explored many areas of painting through workshops and classes,” Emlet said. “She has been fearless in attempting any medium to convey her message and feelings in her paintings.”

Doane also paints commissioned pieces, but after years in the graphic design and insurance industry, considers art to be her well-loved hobby.

Doane’s work will be available to the public through March at Puyallup City Hall, 333 S Meridian, Puyallup. Those who wish to view the gallery can ring the buzzer at the door.

An artist reception is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 18) at City Hall for the public to meet Doane and view her work.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 3:02 PM with the headline "New ‘calm, tranquil’ paintings come to Puyallup City Hall."