There’s a certain air to the Pacific Northwest that can’t really be replicated elsewhere; the expansive evergreen forests, rolling hills, bodies of water, jagged peaks all around, all housing creatures that themselves are veritable troves of artistic admiration. It makes sense, then, that there are artists abound taking advantage of our surroundings — as demonstrated by the turnout at the most recent Bellevue Art Fair, this past August.

Two such artists spoke to this sentiment: Sandy Tweed, a Port Townsend resident and acrylic painter, and Phil McCrain of McCrain Photography. 

Ms. Tweed specializes in acrylic painting, a career she took on after spending a decade teaching high school science and another as a building contractor. She explained that “I was always drawn to nature and critters,” citing when she brought home a baby razer clam as a child to keep as a pet — “that my mother then fed to my father, which was kind of heartbreaking,” — all the way into college when she regularly fed a squirrel that once urinated on her organic chemistry textbook, mirroring how she felt about it in the moment. This fascination led to a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Washington. After becoming a parent, “teaching seemed like a logical choice, but it turned out to be more about managing students’ behavior than teaching subject matter and that wasn’t what I signed up for.” Nine years at the job proved to be enough, so she moved to building contracting before switching to an art career.

As for art, Ms. Tweed did profess to painting in childhood, but was purportedly “lousy at art … [when] I got to junior high, other kids were good and I was not, so like most people I stopped doing it.” At 27, she experienced postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, and thought of her grandmother, who at age 65 had picked up painting. “I needed something, just for me. I thought if she could do that at 65, there’s no reason I can’t go get some paints and see if it’s fun for me.” Despite not expecting to have any talent for painting — citing a complete lack of artistic education — she surprised herself and spent a year painting and selling before putting down the brush to care for her daughter.

Ms. Tweed returned once more to art after her daughter had finished college and found work, having sold her house and decided to embark on a career change. “I got out my watercolors and it was enjoyable, but I found that I had lost most of my skills over the years. It wasn’t as inspiring to do.” Thus, she made the switch to acrylic painting — “it’s always inspiring to me,” she said of her decision, “learning something new.” 

One unifying theme I could see upon approaching her booth was a focus on animals. She brought up birds as a favorite subject, specifically character birds since “they seem to express so much … [especially] straight on, straight at the viewer, people really engage with them.” Her other focus has been marine invertebrates, because “they’re so alien, so different, their natural history … I’m just in love with that difference.”

Another booth at the Arts Fair was McCrain Photography, which as it sounds, sold prints of photos, mainly of birds. Phil McCrain, with his wife Jody, make up McCrain Photography, combined out of a shared passion for birding — picked up from his mother, who raised birds — and Mr. McCrain’s love of photography — started around 50 years ago from a trip through the American Southwest. Based in Kirkland, his photos range from all over the American West, though with five grandchildren he doubts the prospect of ever moving out.