Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Juanita Rodahl sits with the latest painting she's working on.
A selection of her other work is shown, including a portrait of her husband, Ralph.
Juanita Rodahl has been painting for most of her life. Mostly self taught, it gives her a lot of pleasure.
"In high school I would find pictures I liked and copy them," Rodahl said. "I'd draw pictures of people and different things. I took a class in high school, but I don't remember too much about it. It was just something fun to do and it pleased me, which is what it should be, I guess."
Acrylics, charcoal and pens and pencils are Rodahl's favorite tools. There was a time when she used oils, following William Alexander's program on PBS, but the paint took too long to dry.
"I got to thinking, I want to get on with it," Rodahl said.
"I like to draw too," she added. "I get a kick out of it. I like shading. I try to do people, but it's really hard, especially the eyes."
One year she decided to join a class offered by an artist named Charles Mulvey. She would drive down to the beach on the weekend and learn about watercolors at the PUD, where the class was held.
Most of what she has learned has been through trial and error.
"I picked it up and worked with it," Rodahl said. "I'm not very original, though I try. I just like to copy other things and add a little here or take away there. I don't get into a lot of real close detail, but maybe at my age it's hard to do anyway."
Rodahl is frequently surrounded by family, and though her daughter, Kim Herron, claims it skipped a generation, signs of talent have shown up in Rodahl's grandsons and now, possibly in her great grandchildren.
When she isn't working on her own art, she is sometimes helping them with theirs.
Rodahl will offer to draw her great-grandaughter Elsa a horse. Pleased, Elsa will ask for her mother. Rodahl knows exactly what she wants and soon, Elsa's mother has been drawn into the picture, riding the horse.
"Art is very personal," Rodahl admits. "I do what I want. It keeps me going now. I go to bed and think about what I'm going to do on my picture."
"And," she adds, "it makes me feel good when other people like what I do too."
Reader Comments(1)
RKW writes:
Juanita has always drawn, painted, sketched amazing pictures. I am thankful for my tiger playing in the snow she painted for me for my HS graduation. What an amazing artist!!
05/03/2015, 12 am