PAINTING
I make abstract paintings. My painting process is based on observations of Nature combined with a formal structure and improvisational practice.
I recognize that Nature generates new life through rhythmic cycles of elemental interaction. I see this in biologic life cycles, geologic and hydrodynamic events, and in the astronomic elements that affect the seasons. 
My second observation of Nature is that basic designs repeat themselves from one form to the next structurally; matter organizes itself in predictable and repetitive ways. 
Informed by the first observation, I follow a formal structure in my painting practice. I combine color field painting, gesture drawing, and color theory. These three elements represent a natural system, a rhythmic cycle.
Through combining these elements, I am seeking my second observation. As I create a visual noise through this improvisation I am looking for basic forms from nature to emerge. When something elemental shows itself to me, I refine the picture plane to support that event. 
My hope is that in the same way we receive an energetic charge from contact with the land, other animals or a natural event, these paintings will affect the viewer. 

ARTIST BIO

Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos and American, 1976-) is a master artist from the Umpqua River Valley in the South Coast of Oregon. Her studio work is multi-disciplinary. Her primary language is painting, but she also works in photography, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, video, and traditional Indigenous weaving. Her art practice branches into education and institutional reform. She comes from a family of professional artists and educators, her training began in the home. Siestreem graduated Phi Kappa Phi with a BS from PSU in 2005. She earned an MFA with distinction from Pratt Art Institute in 2007.  She is represented by Augen Gallery. Her work has been shown in museums, universities, and galleries and figures in prestigious private and public collections around the world. She lives and works exclusively in the arts in Portland, Oregon.