Artistry of the Pacific Northwest

Heather Mclean is a Northwest-based abstract artist. She attended the University of Washington, where she received her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts. Heather later moved to Rome, Italy, to continue her studies in both art history and form. She now lives in Gig Harbor, WA, with her husband and two children.

Hector Arellano has felt the pull to create throughout his life, drawing, painting, and sketching whenever he could. After retirement brought him to the Pacific Northwest, he was finally able to devote himself fully to art. Working primarily in acrylics, Hector captures the beauty and serenity of nature through landscapes while exploring light, movement, reflections, and texture. He also enjoys painting cityscapes and animals, following wherever his creative journey leads.

Kimberly Alexander is a lifelong Washington artist whose oil paintings reflect a deep connection to the natural world. Her background in architecture and interior design informs her understanding of space, balance, and light. Working in her signature style of Intuitive Realism, she creates large-format paintings inspired by Pacific Northwest forests, shorelines, plants, and skies, using expressive brushwork, luminous color, and layered texture to capture both the beauty and feeling of nature.

Maggie Post is a Pacific Northwest artist known for floral work ranging from realistic studies to whimsical, abstract botanicals. Working primarily in acrylic collage, she draws inspiration from hiking, gardening, and the natural world around her. Her layered process often begins with a meaningful quote and builds through paint and collage. Maggie’s work reflects joy, beauty, and calm while inviting viewers to pause, notice, and connect more deeply with nature.

Margaret MacLean is a Bellevue-based ceramic artist with more than 25 years of experience working in clay. Inspired by natural, organic forms—especially sea life—she explores texture, repetition, pattern, and movement through a meditative process. Margaret earned her BFA in Visual Arts Ceramics from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and has exhibited her work in galleries while also spending many years in arts education.

Nancy began oil painting at an early age and later studied at Arizona State University, the Scottsdale Artists’ School, and with several American artists. In 2012, she left a career in graphic design and marketing to paint full time. Her work captures the beauty of nature through light, shadow, and unexpected color. Nancy’s paintings are held in collections worldwide, and she is active in several regional and national artist organizations.

Peter Jacobsen is a Tacoma-based artist specializing in glasswork that reflects the vibrant aquatic life of the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Craft and Material Studies, he focused his studies on glass as a primary medium. Jacobsen’s work seeks to illuminate the intricate beauty of underwater ecosystems while drawing thoughtful parallels between aquatic communities and the dynamics of human society.

RobRoy Chalmers explores the space between tangible reality and imagination through drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. His work intertwines the human form with flora, fauna, and industrial elements, creating deeply personal mythologies shaped by his life experiences. Through dynamic light, shadow, and expressive forms, Chalmers explores themes of ecstasy, sexuality, and longing while inviting viewers into the mystery and emotion of his distinctive visual world.

Shannon Richardson creates narrative oil paintings that blur the boundaries between memory and imagination. Inspired by personal recollections, dreams, and the mysteries of human experience, her work transforms joy, longing, and uncertainty into richly layered scenes. Raised in northern Washington, Richardson earned her BFA in Painting from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and studied old master techniques in Rome. She returned to Washington in 2025 and now paints from her Hood Canal studio.