Artist’s Biography – April Metternich

April inherited a passion for painting from her mother, Rosalie More, who inherited her passion for painting from her mother, Luella Wilson.  All three have been members of the Southern Oregon Society of Artists.  Lue and Rosie painted together and displayed their works in festive summer park shows around the Rogue Valley.  Rosie and April painted together and also became members of the Watercolor Society of Oregon.  At the age of sixteen, April was the youngest member.  It was one of their favorite activities to travel around the state together; entering competitions, attending lectures, painting on location, critiquing the entries, and meeting other watercolorists.  Nationally known jurors selected several of April’s paintings for shows that traveled throughout Oregon.  They were displayed in galleries and public buildings.

April likes beautiful art that is enjoyable to look at and makes her happy (and she’s not ashamed to admit it!)  She uses painting as a form of meditation and relaxation.  Stresses are forgotten when she is involved in a painting.  One of her favorite aspects of watercolor is that it can be unpredictable.  She likes to observe how different colors interact; some blend to form a new color, and some intertwine without mixing. Some artists view backwashes and watermarks as flaws to be avoided, but April embraces them as textural interest.  Although she admires the artistic ability to paint realism, she finds it boring to view.  She appreciates the creativity involved in changing what artists see to suit themselves. 

When she was young, growing up on a forested ranch in Butte Falls, she painted nature: trees, rocks, and water.  She was inspired by Winslow Homer, Brian Froud, and Alan Lee. She lived in a similar landscape and she felt energy in the forest.  Her whimsical paintings of gnarled tree roots, ancient moss covered rocks, dancing water, and cool pools convey her spiritual connection to the earth. 

Her next series of paintings included groups of animals and focused on design.  As she entered her teens, her emotions and passions became stronger and were discernible in the thundering hooves of Wildebeests and wild horses that she painted.  She owned a horse and a motorcycle and she spent a lot of time riding them somewhat recklessly over logging roads, homemade trails, and hay pastures.  She enjoyed the wind in her hair and the freedom of the era.  She began to appreciate the artworks of Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta, imagining herself to be a strong amazon.   

At fourteen, she and her family moved to Ashland where she enjoyed the natural charm and beauty of Lithia Park, quirkiness of the locals, and the artistic aura of the area. Her parents, Bill and Rosie More, owned A Spectrum of Arts Gallery on the Ashland plaza during the 1980s.  April sold many paintings there.  It was a profitable and rewarding sideline for a teenager, and helped her pay for college.  

Her paintings took a domestic tone when she got married: florals and table settings reminiscent of Bon Appetit.  This series lasted about fourteen years.  She took up gardening and landscaping and enjoys painting her own flowers.  None of the rows are straight in the vegetable garden, and the flowers are wildly overgrown.  Her style has transformed from mildly abstract in design, color, and perspective to “charmingly imperfect realism” incorporating enhanced colors and visible brush strokes. 

She began painting Goddess Portraits and Fantasy Art.  Like happy watercolor accidents, she embraces physical “imperfection” as interesting.  Her goal is to depict the true and natural beauty of her subjects, enhance their self-esteem, and rediscover the divine feminine.   Her latest endeavor includes photography and computer graphics along with watercolor, ink, and pastel pencils.  

Now, she and her sister are in "The Faerie Business" together.  They are working on a picture book of Faerie Art and are looking for a publisher and other illustration opportunities.  They are also looking for licensing agreements for distribution of prints, calendars, and greeting cards.    

View April's work at http://www.AprilMetternichArt.com and  http://www.YourGoddessArt.com  You can call her at 541-944-2732, or Contact her by e-mail.