It was love at first bite. When artist Chris Chapman asked former gallery manager John Iwerks to help hang some paintings, Iwerks wanted to make a sweet first impression.
“I baked some chocolate chip cookies for her when we first met at the gallery,” said Iwerks, who was working at Gallery 113 in Santa Barbara when he met Chapman, his wife of more than two decades.
“Shortly after we met, we became friends,” Iwerks, also an artist in his own right, continued. “I think we first painted together on the Mesa in Santa Barbara.”
That was the first of many plein air expeditions the couple took during their relationship, although nowadays both artists tend to prefer starting their paintings outdoors and finishing them indoors, inside their private studio.
While Chapman and Iwerks still enjoy the “sensory aliveness” of painting on location and in the moment, this husband-and-wife duo feels that studio work offers a more meditative approach, allowing them to take their time refining their paintings without having to race the sunlight.
Another perk of painting inside a private space is the freedom to listen to music as loud as you want.
“Music is an inherent part of working in my studio,” Chapman said. “It keeps me happy and gets me in the flow.
“I enjoy a wide blend of genres, from classical to rock,” added the artist, who will put her playlist on shuffle mode while she paints. “The variety keeps me alert.”
Chapman said that her and Iwerks’ love of landscape painting “is the biggest thing we share artistically,” while pointing out their own individual pursuits as artists as well—and a healthy dose of constructive criticism shared back and forth between the two.
“John also has a background in cartoon animation, geologic renderings, museum dioramas, and rock sculpture. I have a detailed eye, especially in botanicals,” Chapman said. “We critique each other’s work, which is a plus.”
While both artists primarily work in watercolors and oils, Chapman frequently adds pastels to the mix. On Oct. 30, Chapman will be leading a pastel demonstration at the Elverhoj Museum, in conjunction with her and Iwerks’ current duo exhibition, Widening Circles: Landscape Portraits of Solvang, which premiered at the end of September.
Both artists will be hosting multiple demos over the next few weeks as part of the exhibit, starting with Oil Painting from Start to Finish, led by Iwerks on Oct. 9. Additional workshops in the limited series will include Iwerks’ Reflections in Watercolor on Nov. 13 and Chapman’s Watermedia Studies on Nov. 20.
As its title suggests, the new Elverhoj exhibition showcases a collection of landscapes by Chapman and Iwerks, who set out to paint pieces that illustrate the essence of Solvang.
“This year marks Solvang’s 110th anniversary,” said Chapman, who credited Esther Jacobsen Bates, Elverhoj Museum’s executive director, for inspiring the duo to celebrate the city’s founding.
Chapman specifically cited The Spirit of Solvang, a history book co-authored by Bates and Ann Dittmer, as a big source of inspiration. Reflecting on Solvang’s 110-year history conjured up many of the images found in the new exhibit—panoramic views of barns, mills, and rolling hills, as well as some intimate still life pieces depicting local plants and wildlife.
“Esther was influential in wisely guiding us toward a theme focusing on the nearly 9,000 acres settled by the Danes in 1911 that encircled the town,” Chapman said.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood would rather be a circle than a square. Send comments to [email protected].
