Colville Together Artist Showcase Highlights Local Oil Painter

Colville Together announced on Nov. 2 that their November Art Exhibition, entitled “Chapters,” will feature local artist Linda Hyatt Cancel at Crossroads Event Center, located at 145 S. Main Street in Colville. The exhibit is scheduled for public viewing on Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., throughout the month, and Cancel is scheduled to appear on Saturday, Nov. 14, answering questions and speaking about her work, as well as giving insight to those unfamiliar with her paintings.

The Crossroads Event Center, which was taken over by Colville Together in June, has become a place for artists to share their work, connect with the community, and introduce people to new experiences, according to Colville Together Executive Director Rosemary Shaw. Featuring 20 oil paintings, “Chapters” marks one of Cancel’s largest exhibitions to date. Shaw said, “We were excited to have the opportunity to bring Linda’s work home to Colville. She has had an extensive career as a professional artist, and while her journey has taken her across the country, her roots are here in Stevens County. We felt this was a wonderful opportunity to showcase not only her talent but also her story and connection to our community.” Since local artists change monthly at Crossroads Event Center, Shaw said the committee has an approach that has proved “successful,” adding that, “Creating a flexible gallery space allows each artist to bring their own vision to the presentation of their work.” Shaw said that the artists are responsible for installing their own artwork and arranging the display, which gives them the opportunity to create a setting that best represents their collection and artistic style. Following this specific approach allows the art gallery to “remain fresh, flexible, and continually changing, while giving artists ownership on how their work is presented.”

Cancel said some of her earliest memories have inspired her art, sharing that she remembers watching fireworks over the Snake River at just 15 months old. These memories sparked Cancel’s fascination with light and shadow. “I still feel exhilaration when the light on the landscape is particularly beautiful, even though it’s fleeting, and depends on a great photo to capture the moment. As I translate into oils, the experience is revisited in my mind and soul to share an accurate account with the viewer.” During her art career, Cancel said she has also studied visual merchandising and display design, which she says has enhanced her understanding of what it means to create impactful dialogue between the art and what compels and attracts the patron.

As a resident in eastern Washington, specifically by Lake Roosevelt, Cancel noted how the four distinct seasons offer a variety of inspiration for her art. She said she has also lived in the San Juan Islands, adding that she has channeled her creativity from the landscapes of her immediate environments to the canvas. A well-traveled artist, she has spent time in both North and South Carolina and the Inland Pacific Northwest, where she said she noticed major differences between the regions that have impacted her paintings. “Deciduous hardwood forests, humidity, and the color of the soil create a more tonal, mysterious palette. It was like playing music in a different key.”

Beyond sweeping landscapes, Cancel’s portfolio includes focuses on nature, still life, and portraits. Cancel said, “Being an artist, one must learn to diversify. The theme of eggs and nests started with art festivals as smaller pieces that could be easily transported by the customers, and I enjoyed seeing the delight on their faces. My favorite challenge is painting the textural appearance of fabric.” One painting that may resonate with Stevens County residents is Cancel’s “I Just Wanted to See the Show.” When Cancel was a young child, Highway 395 ran behind the Auto Vue Drive-In Theatre, before the stretch of highway that exists now. The painting is the scene she remembers from childhood. She noted, “The title is more of a metaphor for life, and the cedar is now tall enough to ‘see the show.’ The three white objects – the sign, the screen, and the building – create a desirable arrangement of three in the composition. The architecture is so unique – it has a transportive quality to it.”

This is Cancel’s fourth exhibition this year, and she said the invitation to exhibit at Crossroads Event Center came at the perfect time. She said the recent acquisition of a new hanging system at the venue made it possible to accommodate 20 of her oil paintings at once. “This is the opportunity I had hoped for – to share my life’s work and passion with the community,” Cancel said. “I look forward to greeting the public, answering questions about art, seeing friends, and meeting new ones.”