"Cascadia: Art & Chemistry"
by Tarra Hall-Ward
The Palace Gallery welcomes Tarra Hall-Ward in September! Her exhibit includes paintings and drawings translating the chemistry and science of the Pacific Northwest into nuanced visual documentation of her research and practice. Join us for the opening of this exhibit First Friday September 5th from 5-9pm. Join us again the last Saturday September 27th, from 1pm-4pm for a closing reception with conversations with the artist! Read on below to learn more about the artist and their artwork.
About Tarra Hall-Ward
Tarra is a Central Washington artist and her oil paintings and mixed media drawings are inspired by the chemistry and science surrounding her. She held a dual interest as a child; driven to both the exploration of the natural world and the art supplies splayed out through her home. She attended Big Bend Community College, expanding on a dual interest between the arts and the sciences. Tarra studied further at Central Washington University, double majoring in art and chemistry. Her first research project, supported by the Ronald E. McNair scholars program, focused on the artistic representation of general chemical reactions through oil paintings and mixed media drawings. Since then, she completed several self-driven projects, ranging in inspiration from the science of pigments, color theory, flavors and aromas. She was most recently the recipient of the 2023 GAP for Artist Progress, distributed by Artist Trust, to support this exhibition focusing on chemistry and science local to the PNW and the artistic interpretation of those concepts.
Tarra currently lives in Ellensburg, WA, where she is a resident artist at Gallery-One. She facilitates workshops focusing on the foundations of color theory and oil painting, sharing not only artistic knowledge but the chemistry that can affect one's artistic practice. In between work, she enjoys local hikes and camping trips, and experiments with recipes to share with family and friends.
Learn more here:
[email protected] TarraHallWard.com
Tarra is a Central Washington artist and her oil paintings and mixed media drawings are inspired by the chemistry and science surrounding her. She held a dual interest as a child; driven to both the exploration of the natural world and the art supplies splayed out through her home. She attended Big Bend Community College, expanding on a dual interest between the arts and the sciences. Tarra studied further at Central Washington University, double majoring in art and chemistry. Her first research project, supported by the Ronald E. McNair scholars program, focused on the artistic representation of general chemical reactions through oil paintings and mixed media drawings. Since then, she completed several self-driven projects, ranging in inspiration from the science of pigments, color theory, flavors and aromas. She was most recently the recipient of the 2023 GAP for Artist Progress, distributed by Artist Trust, to support this exhibition focusing on chemistry and science local to the PNW and the artistic interpretation of those concepts.
Tarra currently lives in Ellensburg, WA, where she is a resident artist at Gallery-One. She facilitates workshops focusing on the foundations of color theory and oil painting, sharing not only artistic knowledge but the chemistry that can affect one's artistic practice. In between work, she enjoys local hikes and camping trips, and experiments with recipes to share with family and friends.
Learn more here:
[email protected] TarraHallWard.com
Cascadia: Art & Chemistry
Tarra Hall-Ward | Artist Statement
Tarra Hall-Ward | Artist Statement
There are many stories science can tell us; and they are often lost in the graphs, technical language and data of professional papers. As a painter and mixed media artist inspired by chemistry and science, my work explores ways to artistically translate these concepts otherwise not applicable outside technical applications into physical pieces of art. Oil paint, watercolor, and pencil are used to present technical information into a different view. As with all fields of study, focus can be narrowed into specific areas of interest: from the chemical structure of local gemstones, geological formations, the aromatic chemistry of native plants, to the color chemistry of birds, rocks and fauna. Utilizing the innate properties of the media and intuitive mark making, my work ranges ambiguously between abstract and realistic forms, reflecting how some concepts are observable with the naked eye and others only through theory.
Cascadia represents focus on science closer to my home, building a body of artwork encapsulating research into local science present within Washington state and the surrounding Pacific Northwest region. Each piece explores a chemical or scientific concept related to the environment, history, culture and geography of the PNW, along with personal observations and inspirations. This interest began with the piece Aroma of Sagebrush: Camphor-l, inspired by hikes through the Cowiche Canyon area, my childhood growing up in Central Washington, and research into aroma chemistry (the pictured molecule is one of half-a-dozen responsible for the aroma of sagebrush). Initial research into the science of the natural grassland brought on a rabbit hole of questions related to other aspects of science occurring in the PNW. This exhibition explores that research, intertwining the study and interactions of atoms, molecules and energy transformation with the delicate line work of pencil, the interactions of watercolor, and the transparent glazes of oil paints.
The seemingly spontaneous patterns, colors, and behaviors driven by principle theories and complex concepts are the foundation of my inspiration. The true challenge is finding ways to communicate this onto the surface of canvas or paper. The compositions range from still life studies to non-objective colors and textures, allowing viewers an opportunity to see this ambiguous nature, and sometimes complicated information, in a different perspective. Connections between information can be vague and abstract, sometimes overlooked in the rush of everyday bias. As an artist, I can be an intersection between viewers and information they may not consider in their everyday lives. In the end, the result is the same: to capture the beauty in the fundamental, to take formalized concepts and abstract them with an artistic lens, to connect two fields I find absolutely captivating, is what drives my passion.
Cascadia represents focus on science closer to my home, building a body of artwork encapsulating research into local science present within Washington state and the surrounding Pacific Northwest region. Each piece explores a chemical or scientific concept related to the environment, history, culture and geography of the PNW, along with personal observations and inspirations. This interest began with the piece Aroma of Sagebrush: Camphor-l, inspired by hikes through the Cowiche Canyon area, my childhood growing up in Central Washington, and research into aroma chemistry (the pictured molecule is one of half-a-dozen responsible for the aroma of sagebrush). Initial research into the science of the natural grassland brought on a rabbit hole of questions related to other aspects of science occurring in the PNW. This exhibition explores that research, intertwining the study and interactions of atoms, molecules and energy transformation with the delicate line work of pencil, the interactions of watercolor, and the transparent glazes of oil paints.
The seemingly spontaneous patterns, colors, and behaviors driven by principle theories and complex concepts are the foundation of my inspiration. The true challenge is finding ways to communicate this onto the surface of canvas or paper. The compositions range from still life studies to non-objective colors and textures, allowing viewers an opportunity to see this ambiguous nature, and sometimes complicated information, in a different perspective. Connections between information can be vague and abstract, sometimes overlooked in the rush of everyday bias. As an artist, I can be an intersection between viewers and information they may not consider in their everyday lives. In the end, the result is the same: to capture the beauty in the fundamental, to take formalized concepts and abstract them with an artistic lens, to connect two fields I find absolutely captivating, is what drives my passion.
