For many of us who have been enjoying the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Julie Ann Smith tells us it was once better. Silent Echos, a new exhibition at Guardino Gallery showcases a series of paintings that center birds against a backdrop of a reimagined Pacific Northwest landscape.

In Smith’s own words, “Gone is the raucous morning chorus from the songbirds of my youth,” as urban and suburban development in the Portland area has been gradually taking away surrounding nature preserves.

Smith starts with still-life objects from her own collection: a ceramic bottle, a Chinese tea caddy, a flower vase or a simple box. From there, she begins to compose with familiar elements from both her memory and references and real-world examples. “I just picked up those leaves and fallen branches around the tea caddy,” says Smith in her painting “Solstice Song.” Next comes a bird or birds, with an impressive variety ranging from sparrows and chickadees to hummingbirds.

As a lifelong PNW resident, the sceneries of the Gorge and the beaches are ingrained in her memory. “But my memory is not so good anymore. I’m glad I have a lot of reference photos.” The backdrop is painted in the last stage. Often, the artist takes the liberty of dramatizing the vantage point or tightening a composition with multiple iconic landmarks. The result is an idealized landscape that is instantaneously recognizable, yet more emotionally tuned to the subject matter. Trying to read her lament on receding bird chorus, I couldn’t help but wonder —  are those man-made artifacts on which birds are resting a metaphor suggesting how the wildlife has been impacted by the suburban sprawl?

The jarring distance between still-life objects that seems just there juxtaposed against the lush, dreamy land in the distance creates both a sensation and temporary confusion. Viewers are left to reconcile the spatial and subject disparity and to identify the harmony in between. “I like realism work, and I LIKE surrealism.” Indeed, in several of Smith’s works, she adds elements (such as a thin thread from birds tying to a white balloon or perhaps a moon) that suggest surrealism.

It is also interesting to observe how the artist reacts to different painting materials. In her oil on canvas, there is an overarching softness that renders in each piece a dose of melancholy. But once she is painting on artist’s board, the crisp delineation and the smooth surface further heighten the incongruity between materialistic culture and nature.

Like the titles indicate, Smith’s work has a quietude and grayness that is quintessential Portland. The subtle light transition in still life and the gentle shadows of the river or the Gorge tap every Portlandian’s memory of the nature we have, for too long, taken for granted.

Part of the proceeds from this exhibition will go to the Portland Audubon Wildlife Center.

Silent Echos by Julie Ann Smith will be on view at Guardino Gallery till August 29, 2023.