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Len Eisenhood: “Blue Therapy” and Bloedel Preserve Paintings
Painter and paper marbler Len Eisenhood will exhibit a group of his marbled paper paintings at Jeffrey Moose Gallery on Bainbridge Island for the months of March and April. A reception will be held on First Friday, March 7th from 6 to 8 PM. A Facebook Livestream will be broadcast from approximately 5:20 to 5:40 with the artist providing a walk-through commentary on works in the show. A second reception, with a paper marbeling demo, will happen First Friday, April 4th, 6-8 PM.
While Mr. Eisenhood studied briefly with artist Wayne Thiebaud in college, it was not until his exposure to paper marbling by local legend Don Guyot in 1980 that a fire started to burn and he began art-making seriously. This show consists of acrylic paintings on marbled paper with collage several of which were made as part of Eisenhood’s “Blue Therapy” series, created from Plein Air sessions on Fay Bainbridge Park last fall/winter when the artist and his wife bundled themselves into sleeping bags to sit and work at the frigid waterfront. Others were created last spring and summer at Bloedel Reserve, where Eisenhood did a residency in 2023.
Marbled paper has a long history in both Asia and Europe. In the words of Mr. Eisenhood: “The traditional technique involves the preparation of a gelatinous bath of size onto which water colors, mixed with ox gall, are sprinkled or dropped. A stylus or comb are drawn through the colors until a desired pattern is achieved. Then paper, sprayed with a solution of water and alum salts, is laid on the surface of the bath and carefully drawn off. A thin layer of the gelatinous size will cling to the paper and must be washed off. Because the paper was made mordant with an alum solution the colors adhere, giving a marbled or veined effect.
Mr. Eisenhood was raised in an apple orchard in California, has worked as an orchardist and studied horticulture and international agriculture development at University of California, Davis.
His early career was spent in the Peace Corps as both a volunteer and, later, as a trainer. Education became a later career focus and Mr. Eisenhood received a Master’s in Education from the University of Massachusetts in 1972. He has primarily worked as a kindergarten and elementary school instructor since then. In the late 90’s he studied Scientific Illustration in a Certificate program at the University of Washington, where he studied with Tony Angell, Kathy Barker and Chuck Wood. Besides Mr. Guyot, Eisenhood has also studied with well-known paper marbler Pietro Accardi.
Please refer questions to Jeffrey Moose, 360 598 4479 or jmoose@jeffreymoosegallery.com.