Featured Artists – 2015 Mountain Bird Festival
Klamath Bird Observatory and the 2015 Mountain Bird Festival welcome three featured artists – Dan Elster, Katrina Elise Meister, and Stefan Savides. These artists, all from the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion, will be setting up galleries during this year’s Friday (May 29) and Saturday (May 30) Mountain Bird Festival socials from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum in Ashland, Oregon. These generous artists are donating a portion of gallery sales to support Klamath Bird Observatory’s efforts to advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.
2015 Mountain Bird Festival Art Galleries, open to the public, Friday (May 29) and Saturday (May 30), 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at SceinceWorks Hands on Museum.
DAN ELSTER
Dan was born in Chicago, 1971. In his old life he was the manager of his brother’s food distribution business on the west side of Chicago. A few years ago Dan and his wife (Patty) took a leap of faith … they quit their jobs, sold their home and hit the road. Patty took a job as a travel nurse, while Dan pursued a dream career in wildlife photography. After a few years of nomadic living, they now call Ashland, Oregon home. While Dan has always loved wildlife, he never had much interest in photography growing up. He is mostly self-taught. His subjects are completely wild (no captive or “staged” shots) and it’s important to him that people know that. Capturing behavior and the inclusion of habitat also helps to define his style. It’s the drama in nature that inspires Dan. In the wild every day is a struggle to survive. This is the story he aims to tell. Dan also hopes his work serves as a reminder that we don’t own the earth, we share it. Click here to learn more about Dan.
KATRINA ELISE MEISTER
Katrina has been drawing as long as she can remember. She paints with watercolors, oil paints, acrylics, pen and ink, and block prints. Most of her work ends up on Katrina’s Cards and Gifts, her popular line of note cards and gift items. A sixth generation Oregonian, Katrina received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelors of Psychology from the University of Oregon, as well at receiving a degree from the U of O Honors College. Her paintings have exhibited in galleries and corporate offices and many regional art festivals. Katrina’s Cards and Gifts are available in select stores throughout the Northwest. Her work is in several private and corporate collections. She lives with her husband Michael, and their two children in Southern Oregon. Click here to learn more about Katrina.
STEFAN SAVIDES
Stefan has made birds his passion, and he has followed that passion from day one. His avian taxidermy has earned him an international reputation; however this multi-talented artist has painted, carved, raised and sculpted birds throughout his life. Sculpting in bronze is a natural progression from taxidermy as it provides Savides a lasting medium in which to express his knowledge of avian anatomy and design. A lifetime of study, coupled with the quest for simplistic design, has lead Savides to sculpt in a manner that captures the essence of his subjects without distracting detail. He is truly a multi-talented artist who has proven himself in a variety of mediums. Savides is an elected member of the National Sculpture society and a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists. Click here to learn more about Stefan.