Opening March 7 and running through June 2, the San Juan Island Museum of art ushers in its spring exhibit featuring the luminous oils of Andy Eccleshall, street art-inspired acrylics of Kenda Francis and the mesmerizing sculptures of Niki Keenan.

Since they were young, the writing was on the wall for all three of them that they would in some fashion become artists.

“I’ve always been into art. I was always drawing and painting as a child and never really stopped. Making a living at it is a different matter, so I began my career as an illustrator. I did all kinds of illustration but specialized in architectural illustration.” Eccleshall replied when asked how he originally was drawn to art.

“I was always drawing. When I was little, it was usually unicorns and Garfield,” Francis laughed, adding that as she grew older, in high school, she was lucky enough to have a supportive art teacher.

Keenan, too, can’t remember a time when she wasn’t making things, always into the arts ard crafts.

Eccleshall grew up in England and says, “Just like the Pacific Northwest, weather is always a topic of conversation. The weather is quite similar. I love spending time in the Skagit Valley as it offers such great open skies. I find the minimal nature of the landscape really helps to enhance the drama of the skies. With such open vistas, the sky can be the true showstopper. The landscape is similar in some ways to where I grew up. Fairly flat, lots of rain, mist, fog. It’s kind of magical and I never get tired of it.”

To capture the show-stopping skies, he found oils more suitable than other mediums, like watercolor. ”Oil gave me the ability to truly finesse the work, create soft blends and atmospheres and I’ve loved working in oil for many years now,” Eccleshall said.

His goal with any painting, he continued, is to try to get the viewer to feel the scene, “to place themselves in their minds, in the location. If I hear someone say ‘I know what that day feels like,’ I know I’ve captured what I’m aiming for.”

Francis’ exhibit “Crush” will be displayed in the North Gallery. Her work highlights the pressure humans are putting on wildlife around the world.

“I try to show the pressure but also their resilience,” Keenan said, pointing out the struggles. on a good day, wildlife has to find food, shelter and outwit predators. Humans add additional weight by destroying habitat, food or over hunting the animal itself.

Francis has traveled around the world working with various wildlife organizations and photographing, gaining inspiration for her work.

“In South Africa, people are giving their lives to save the rhinos,” She said, adding the future looks bleak, but the rhinos there are holding on. “In the Cape, most are now on private reserves, and people are doing things like dehorning them in order to protect them.”

She paints in a graphite-inspired way, Francis explained, to illustrate that all these animals are impacted, touched, by humans. “They are not hanging out in perfect land; it has all been touched by us,” Francis said. “I hope [through her work] people will see the strength of these animals and make a difference on their behalf.”

Keenan’s sculptures are big, bold and play with light, making them perfect for the Atrium.

“I think about light coming through the sculptures when I’m creating them, and in the Atrium, it will actually change throughout the day, as the light changes.”

The sculptures are new to Keenan, normally a 2-dimensional artist. “Sculptures offer me a way to fill space differently and allow the viewers to be fully surrounded while experiencing the work.

It took a year for her to compile the work, painted conical figures one hanging from above, the other coming up from the floor. Titled Meeting Places, referencing that spot between the two cones. “It’s also about being in the present, like when two people meet, and a recognition of that time and taking a moment to pause,” She explained.

Without SJIMA approaching her and giving her the opportunity to push the creative envelope in a way that will influence her future work, and for that she is grateful.

“There is a whole group of people that are passionate about art, and they provide guidance, time and space for artists to push the envelope and grow,” She said of SJIMA and small art museums across the county.”

To learn more about Ecchleshall, visit the website www.andyeccleshall.com, Francis at https://www.kendafrancis.com/ Keenan at https://www.nikikeenan.com/

The museum’s hours are currently Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.sjima.org

Contributed photo “Tokitae” by Kenda Francis