Artist aims to paint one picture of Spokane each week for a year

Danny Palomba by Danny Palomba

Some people make New Years resolutions to lose weight, spend less money or travel more. For Spokane artist Megan Perkins, she decided to make a commitment to painting one Spokane landmark each week for a year.

The inspiration came when she returned home from a trip to Costa Rica, when she realized she’d filled up an entire sketchbook with drawings of a place she barely knew. For years in Spokane, she says, she would drive around and take mental notes of places she’d like to come back and sketch. It never happened. Upon her arrival home, Artist’s Eye on Spokane was born.

Perkins says, “I kicked it off with Bloomsday in May. I thought, that’s a Spokane tradition and one that I’ve been meaning to sketch for years. One that I haven’t gotten to and I decided I am going to start now.”

Every week Megan Perkins has committed herself to finding a new location to paint and sketch. The only criteria being that the landmark, event, animal or person must be within Spokane city limits.

She hit the six month mark painting the legendary Fox Theater. A Spokane landmark she first visited as a student at Gonzaga University.

Perkins shares, “it blew me away with how gorgeous it was.

Her focus is on the iconic sunburst found in the auditorium.

“Its got all these complex patterns in there and colors,” she explains.

Each sketch takes about two hours, then it’s on to the next. What that is, she doesn’t know quite yet.What started as paintings of things only of interest to her has grown.

“Throughout the summer I’ve participated in a lot of different art events and art festivals and I’ve put out a suggestions list.,” says Perkins.

She’s taken many of those suggestions which have not only expanded her portfolio of work but her love of the Lilac City.

The artist adds, “I’m not a Spokane native but I am super fond of it and am really proud to live here and I want others to see how great our town is.”

Artist Eye on Spokane still has 26 weeks to go.. At the end Perkins is hoping to hold an exhibition of the project, but is having trouble finding a venue to accommodate 52 paintings. If you have a suggestion for the venue or a place to paint next, you can reach Megan at http://www.meganperkinsart.com/

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