“Christmas Heron,” a watercolor by SAA’s Terri Dill-Simpson, has been chosen as the cover image for December’s Cascade Arts & Entertainment magazine. Look for the Cascade A&E on December 3, 2020.
Terri’s image features a blue heron, a full moon, and Santa in his sleigh going across the moon. The original watercolor was a very long, narrow painting of the blue heron, without Santa. “It’s long been sold,” Terri said. But ever the enterprising artist, Terri adapted a print of the original and, adding Santa in his sleigh, on a velum layer. “That way, I can preserve the original image,” she said. The original watercolor was sold many years ago, she said.
It was just a few weeks ago that Cascade A&E put out a “Call to Artists” for a Santa Claus image to feature on the cover. Sisters Arts Association passed along the notice from A&E to all its members, and Terri responded quickly. “I’m very excited and humbled,” Terri said. “I’ve never pushed myself to do this kind of thing, but I thought ‘What the heck?’”
“When the call came out, I think they were looking for a human-type Santa Claus, but I didn’t have anything like that, so I sent them a cougar Santa, a squirrel with Christmas lights, an elephant with Christmas ornaments, and the heron,” Terri said. “Perhaps this year, you’d like to do something different,” Terri asked A&E.
When A&E notified her by phone, Terri was out on a walk near her home. Her reaction? “You’re kidding!” She exclaimed. “I’m thrilled! Thank you!”
“It (the cover selection) was a last minute project this year,” said Jeff Martin, owner and publisher of A&E and Cascade Business News. “While we respect all faiths, it’s a tradition to have a Santa Claus on the December cover, in honor of my mother, who loved Christmas (the late Pamela Hulse Andrews, founder and publisher). And while this is a bit of a non-traditional Santa image, Martin said he really likes it because it depicts nature.
Terri is a member and assistant treasurer of Sisters Arts Association. She has participated in the Artist Studio Tour for two years, and most recently, coordinated Art in the Vineyard with Faith, Hope and Charity Vineyards. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Terri graduated from Lewis and Clark College and had a long career in law enforcement before turning to art, full time. She is also member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, Dry Canyon Artists, and Oregon Society of Artists, among many others. She has taught art, and when she lived in the Portland area, she started and maintained the Primate Gallery at the Oregon Zoo, which featured bird and animal art by local artists. Terri has prints and Christmas cards available, just in time for the holidays. They can be purchased directly from her website and cards from Herringbone Books in Redmond. You can find her original work at Hood Avenue Art in Sisters, and online at http://www.4brushstrokes.com.