This information was provided by artist Sandra Yorke.
RIDGEFIELD — Twenty-five watercolor and acrylic paintings by La Center artist Sandra Yorke will be on display Dec. 1-31 at Lava Java, located at 2 South 56th Place, Suite 102, in Ridgefield.
Yorke, who has been painting for more than 20 years, will donate proceeds from the sales of these paintings to The Alzheimer’s Association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
“I am doing this in honor of my mother, Yvonne Schmidt, who died of Alzheimer’s earlier this year,” Yorke said. “I wanted to do something different with my art and give back to something I believe in. Watching my mother go through the changes brought about by this disease was hard to cope with. She was a very intelligent, engaging person and this disease took that away. She was also an artist and always supported and encouraged me to pursue my art.”
Yorke, who worked in the public health field for 30 years, is now a full-time artist. She paints many subjects, including landscapes, florals and animals, and has won many awards in local art shows, including those of the Southwest Washington Watercolor Society and the Battle Ground Art Alliance.
“Working on the paintings was also therapeutic in dealing with the loss of my mother,” Yorke said. “There is a quote I like by Saul Bellows that describes this well, I think: ‘Art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos.’”
“I would hope whoever buys a painting from this exhibit would enjoy knowing they not only own a piece of original art that speaks to them, but they also supported a very worthwhile cause,” Yorke said.
The exhibit will be open during Lava Java’s regular business hours Dec. 1-31. Normal business hours are Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sun., 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
