Paintings of Olympia artist Barbara Echols Strophy to be displayed in office of lieutenant governor

OLYMPIA – Several watercolors from the “Washington Rain Series” by Olympia artist Barbara Echols Strophy will be on display in the office of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen May 7 through July in Room 220 of the Legislative Building (State Capitol).

Scenes from the series will include “The Kiss,” inspired by a dockside statue in Olympia of the same name; Skagit Valley tulip fields; Alki beach in West Seattle; ferry watching on  the Seattle waterfront; the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula rain forest.

Strophy, who got her start with oils in the late 1970s, says she never knows what the final result will look like when she starts a watercolor, but adds that she is always “thrilled with the spontaneity and fluidity of the medium and the challenges that it presents.”   

“My watercolor art is mainly representational,” said Strophy. “I generally paint from nature – flowers, landscapes and some still life. I have a whole series of chairs, or tables and chairs.”

Her work was most recently featured at the SideDoor Studio for the Olympia Arts Walk. She has also displayed at the Puyallup Fair, the Shelton Oyster Fest, and many other local shows. This will be the second time her work has been featured in the Office of the Lt. Governor.  Strophy has been an employee of the House of Representatives for 25 years.

The paintings are on display under the auspices of the Lieutenant Governor’s Art Council, which has featured Washington artists in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor since its founding in 1997.  Artists are nominated by a review of their works and based on themes chosen by the council.  Works and featured artists change each quarter. The council is chaired by Linda Owen, wife of the lieutenant governor.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located in Room 220 of the Legislative Building (State Capitol), 416 Sid Snyder Avenue S.W. in Olympia.