Art is a natural expression for Woodland couple
By Greg Johnson
Tom and Andrea Traphagen gaze out from their Woodland home at a palette of green forested hills and the blue Lewis River in the valley below. The view helps inspire their beautiful paintings and photos of majestic Pacific Northwest landscapes.
The Traphagens have lived in Southwest Washington for more than 30 years, including a stint in the coastal town of Ocean Park before moving back to Woodland. While living on the coast, Andrea received numerous awards for her artistic endeavors from the Peninsula Arts Association. She has also received awards from various art associations in Oregon and Washington.
Andrea paints in watercolor, acrylics and mixed media, while Tom is a lifelong photographer with a background in visual communications. The Traphagens believe their artistic partnership has complemented each other’s work. Tom’s images serve as visual inspirations for paintings by Andrea.
“The ‘power of two’ has helped us successively develop our photography and art business,” Tom explains.
With the stroke of a brush and a vivid imagination, Andrea takes the viewer into a world of mermaids, dragonflies and old-growth forests. She has created an impressive array of art depicting Pacific Northwest landscapes as well as the high-desert scenes created for a display in the artsy town of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
‘Magical realism’
“I would define my work as impressionism with magical realism,” Andrea said. “Some paintings are pure fantasy, while others are realistic with whimsical elements.”
Andrea paints daily and is a strong believer that artistic creativity is a part of life. “People need creativity in their life,” she said. “It makes life fun and leads to more long-term satisfaction.”
She believes it’s important to create and “get out of your ego and your element. Art allows you to forget yourself and become less self-conscious.”
Andrea’s repertoire includes the dragonfly-inspired “Dragonia” and equestrian-themed images of a romping horse roundup in “Dusty Run” and a hidden horse trail in “Birch Woods.” She recently completed several works reflecting her focus on nature. They include a Pacific Northwest waterfall in “Zen Creek,” wild horses running along a river in “River Run” and three swans with a magical, whimsical mermaid in “Swan Lake.”
“I try to capture magical realism in everyday Northwest natural themes,” Andrea said. “The Pacific Northwest is so beautiful and mystical ... and I try to capture that spirit in my art.”
Tom, a retired bus driver for Portland-based TriMet, is a lifelong photographer. His camera techniques support his slightly abstract imagery of nature, wildlife and urban scenes. He frames his camera lens to mirror his bountiful Pacific Northwest natural environment. He is especially fond of capturing wildlife and nature scenes that surrounded his former vacation home on the Long Beach Peninsula.
“My artistic philosophy is to capture the moment because life is moving so fast today. It’s kind of a documentary stylistic approach,” he said. In personal terms, he believes his photographic focus on nature and the environment connects him to his spiritual self.
Active throughout region
The Traphagens take pride in supporting Southwest Washington artists. They are members of the Battle Ground Art Alliance and participate in the Kalama and Ridgefield art associations. Their work can be seen at the Collective in Ridgefield, Reece Luxury Photography Art Gallery in Kalama, Grocery Outlet in Woodland, South Beach Arts Association in Westport and Sea Gypsy Gallery in Astoria.
The Traphagens recently started showing their work at the Reece Gallery, where Tom’s photos include “Meadow Mist,” an image of a misty lake near Florence, Oregon; “Mendocino Flora and Tree Frog,” a tree frog on lilies; and “Old Growth Pathway,” a forested pathway on Long Island near Willapa Bay.
Gallery owner Joe Reece, an internationally recognized landscape photographer, prints the couple’s creations on Chromaluxe panels, a process that infuses images directly onto coated sheets of metal to create a vibrant, durable and long-lasting photo medium.
Said Tom: “I personally feel working with Reece has given me a new inspiration in reviving my spiritual, creative self. His images are exactly in line with our philosophy. He connects us visually with his photos. The images take you to another world.”
Greg Johnson is a writer for The Messenger.
