<p>"Juicy" by Jennifer Mercede, who is showing at Imogen Gallery.</p>

ASTORIA Imogen Gallery is gearing up for a jump into the season with “Splat: A Spring Show” by Portland artist Jennifer Mercede, which opens for Astorias Second Saturday Art Walk with an artist’s reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Mercede, known for her bold and expressive colorful style, brings a collection of abstract and wildlife-inspired paintings that are sure to embody the life forces of spring. The exhibition will remain on display through May 7.

Jennifer Mercede who has enjoyed a lifelong love of the visual language, is not afraid to bend the rules of painting. In fact, she has developed her own set of rules to follow for her mixed-media creations. After graduating with a fine arts degree from Western Washington University, Mercede left the academic structure for the more casual atmosphere of the Alberta District in Portland. There she began to practice her set of rules, which allow the freedom that defines her style. Working on all scales, each finished painting expresses a quality of joie de vivre bold and exaggerated use of color and brilliant brush strokes jump from the surface, as if trying to escape containment. Mercede is also known to work back into a painting, a retractive method where paint is excavated to show an underlying substrate. Sometimes the written word is included within her visual tale, finding a new voice within the composition.

Mercedes describes her work as designed to uplift your soul. It is positive, spiritual in origin, and one look at the honesty and warmth captured in my pieces makes a viewer smile. My process is whats important to my art, more than anything else. Each painting is another chance to let go, to be free, to escape all rules and restrictions. Her bright and energetic color fields contain hints of internally guided risks and the practice of letting go to gain discovery, both predicted and unknown. In Mercedes confident approach, there is no such thing as a mistake.

Her work has been exhibited throughout the country, and she has illustrated and published a childrens book and been a featured artist on OPBs “ArtBeat” program. She has gone from being a street artist in the Alberta District to a nationally respected painter, and she still delivers art by bike to her Portland galleries.

Imogen Gallery is open six days a week (closed Wednesdays) at 240 11th St., on the vibrant block shared with Cargo and Astoria Coffeehouse & Bistro. Regular business hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (except Wednesday) and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Imogen also invites all to Friday Night Mixer, every Friday 5 to 7 p.m., stop in to see whats new and enjoy an adult beverage. For more information about Imogen Gallery or its represented artists please call 503-468-0620 or stop by in person to enjoy the collection. Imogen Gallery can also be found on Facebook or at www.imogengallery.com