On view June 28–October 23, 2022. The Kwan Fong Gallery is open by appointment only. Please contact gallery@callutheran.edu or (805) 493-3697 to schedule an appointment.
Artist’s Reception: Saturday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m.

In this exhibition of her latest body of work, retired faculty member Terry Spehar-Fahey introduces audiences to the world of Idaho ranching families of the Pahsimeroi Valley. Terry collaborated with photographer Kirstie Lambert, who lives part time in Ventura, CA and part time in Idaho, where she documents contemporary ranching life.

“When I first saw Kirstie’s photographs, I was just taken aback by how she saw the world. Her images looked as if I had special ordered them for my purpose. Throughout my career as a watercolorist, though the subject matter has changed, I always sought to create a sense of space and light, of how we see, for the viewer. My works are not duplicates of the photographs, as the camera can see every aspect of the world with the same resolution. A camera can give you a better sense of vision with a short focal length, but it still only looks at the world with one eye. Humans have two eyes and have binocular vision. This gives us a world in three dimensions, that sense of space. Our eyes don’t take a snapshot of the scene and send it to the brain for processing, rather we focus for two to three seconds on the things that most attract us while the rest of the scene is blurry. In simplistic terms, the brain stitches those images together to help us navigate our world. In my paintings, I focus on some aspects in detail and blur out other areas on purpose. I hope this gives the viewer that sense that you are standing there looking, as if you were there.”

Terry Spehar-Fahey is a retired senior lecturer of art from California Lutheran University. She works in watercolor primarily and has taught watercolor along with a variety of courses including Art and Psychology, Visual Art in Education, Drawing and two co-led courses with a colleague: ComicComm and Imagining Venice. In retirement, Terry is pursuing her many interests including portrait commissions, equine and landscape art, riding her two horses, travel, and enjoying time with her family and friends.

Images: Terry Spehar-Fahey, Dana’s Herd, watercolor on Arches 156 lb CP paper,  28 x 48 inches unframed, courtesy of the artist, and Terry and Nandor photo by Jennifer Jeung.