The latest works on exhibit at the Maple Valley Creative Arts Center were painted by a Covington artist who describes herself as a “nature child.”

Arlene Sudol’s exhibit, “Illustration for a Fantasy,” debuted at the Arts Center Sept. 25.

Sudol created nearly a dozen paintings that are “very typical of the kind of work I love to do, which is a wash on watercolor paper.”

“Wash is kind of a fancy tempura paint,” she said. “It’s really nice because you can do all kinds of things with it.”

She explained that it can have a transparent quality to it or look more like an acrylic.

Her paintings in this exhibit have “nature spirits like fairies.”

“I’m a nature child, I love anything to do with the earth and I adore gardening,” she said. “Most of it is fantasy. Similar motifs seem to pop up in my paintings. I love the wind because it is so mysterious how it can be felt and not seen. Wind often brings about change. Flowers are as beautiful as precious jewels and their perfection is heaven’s way of reminding us that there is a higher power that loves us dearly.”

Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Sudol moved to the Northwest in her 30s, moved away then later returned to settle in Covington.

She got into art as youngster.

“When I was in elementary school, I was a very lonely, shy kind of child,” she said. “The only thing I thought I could do well was express myself. I looked at the blank piece of paper and I thought I could draw the most wonderful masterpiece and that could be mine.”

Sudol does not claim to be a natural talent and in fact, “it took me many years to learn how to draw.”

Developing that skill is what led her to become involved in art education and Sudol taught art for a year each at Tahoma High and Tahoma Junior High. She also serves as a guest art teacher locally and works as a substitute teacher.

“There are children who, like myself, can’t do a lot of things very well, but they can do this,” she said. “I can do this now and my skills have never been better.”

So the opportunity to show her work at the Arts Center has been wonderful, Sudol said, having been connected to the Creative Arts Council since 1998.

“They were, from the beginning, such a lively organization,” she said. “I’ve been in their shows and they know my work. They finally thought it would be good for me to have an exhibit of my own.”

Her exhibit is in rotation until Dec. 1 and kicked off with an artist’s reception last week.

“It’s been a special event,” Sudol said. “It was wonderful to show my work and bring it out from under my bed and show people what I can do.”

For more information about the Arts Center, which is located at 23220 Maple Valley Highway S.E., Suite 15, log on to www.maplevalleyarts.com

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