Don Turriaga
We are excited to introduce you to local artist Don Turriaga!
Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?
A: The proximity to the mountains, water, and the occasional orca swimming through the Dyes Inlet. The local art community and all those small-town events that bring the community together. Like @wayzgoosekitsap, a yearly printmaking and art festival held in downtown Bremerton. Our streets are filled with local artists, vendors and families exploring all forms of art. The energy is extraordinary.
Q: What drew you to your medium?
A: A teacher in my freshman year in high school recruited me. He needed students to fill his newly formed photography class, and I needed an elective. I was hooked the day I developed and printed my first roll of B&W film. More recently, I purchased a color printer last year to experiment with different papers. It has been a steep learning curve but it’s great to be back in a darkroom, even if it is digital.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: Inspiration comes to me in many forms. But I have a special love for dramatic lighting. The way it falls on the landscape, or someone’s face. The shimmering light and shadows on a rain-soaked sidewalk or the long dark shadows when the sun is low in the horizon. Sometimes, a color, a shape or pattern, or just a face. I find inspiration all around me, but I print fewer than 1% of my images and sign even less.
Q: Where can we find more of your art?
A: My prints are on display at the Collective Visions Gallery in downtown Bremerton. You can also find me online; Instagram @donturriaga or at www.turriaga.com