“After the Rain,” a view of Quincy from Spanish Creek Road

Feather Publishing

  Lucinda Wood’s new show at Main Street Artists’ gallery in Quincy during the month of March is a study of water movement entitled “Fluid Reflections.”

  Many of the pieces feature the curving lines and crystal clarity of water in the mountain streams, waterfalls and lakes of Plumas County, which hold a special fascination for Wood and are depicted with great precision.

  Her work reveals both a deep passion for nature as well as an awe of its spiritual connection. She sees the “fingerprint of the Creator” in the natural beauty of this area and tries to convey this realization to the viewer in her meticulously crafted watercolors. The results, her “reflections,” emphasize the metaphysical questions one ponders when surrounded by nature’s majesty.

  In addition to water features, the show also includes a series of botanical studies, specifically of wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada: lupine, shooting star, bleeding heart, etc.

“Streamside Alders”

    Wood sees Indian rhubarb as a metaphor for strength in adversity because of this plant’s ability to stand straight and survive in the middle of a waterfall.

  The abundance of beauty around us and the layers of complexity in nature are recurrent themes in Wood’s work and her ability to convey them exquisitely jolts the viewer into the realization of “how lucky we all are to have this experience available to us here.”

  In her next phase, Wood plans to continue her explorations of the area, going farther afield to the Lakes Basin and on river trips, shifting her focus to different aspects of the nature she finds there. Her desire in the future is to illustrate children’s books, for which this plan provides excellent preparation.

  Wood’s show opens Friday, March 1, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at Main Street Artists’ gallery, 436 W. Main St. in Quincy. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.