Yaquina Art Gallery Spotlight Shows featuring: Photographers John Legeman and Donna McCoy– December 2nd to December 15th

YAA Spotlight

In a two week Spotlight Show from December 2nd to December 15th, the Yaquina Art Association will be featuring the art of Photographers John Legeman and Donna McCoy. The Yaquina Art Association Gallery is located in Nye Beach at 789 NW Beach Drive. Hours of operation are 11 am to 4 pm every day.

Photographer John Legeman was born in Long Beach, CA. His interest in the visual arts was first cultivated by his mother, who would drive the reluctant teenage John and his younger brother in a Renault stick shift from Long Beach to the LA County Museum of Art.

John had an English teacher in high school, Irving Cox, who encouraged his students to make creative film projects based on literary works. This led John to buying his own Super 8 film camera and making movies for himself and Community College film classes.

John had been teaching English for about two decades when his school began moving into the Digital Age. His principal recruited him to teach the new subject of Digital Photography. John had to take night classes in film photography for his teaching credential.

John retired and moved to the Oregon Coast in the summer of 2011. He enjoys walking the forests and beaches with his camera, shooting in both black and white and color. The natural beauty of the Oregon Coast inspires John for his photos. Sunsets, streaming light through forests, beach and river scenes, and more moments of nature can be found in John’s photos.

Donna McCoy combines her love of photography with that of observing small animals. As a child, summers were spent with a magnifying glass chasing bugs.

Today she shares that passion as she captures animals on film.

Extreme low tides along the Oregon coast expose pools of art for those who explore the ocean’s edge. Tidal pools scattered with green anemones, spikey purple urchins, and bright orange nudibranchs (also known as sea slugs) are just a few of the treasured art exposed when the tide is out. Often outfitted with a macro lens and waders, it brings Donna a great joy to explore, capture on (digital) film and share amazing details that exist on our small planet, colors, patterns and textures.

“I enjoy working within one inch – a world just within the reach of the human eye. I love being surprised by the art hidden just within sight. My job is to find and share. The art is already there.”

 

"Beach Sunset" by John Legeman

“Beach Sunset” by John Legeman

 

"Seal Rock" by John Legeman

“Seal Rock” by John Legeman

 

"Jelly" by Donna McCoy

“Jelly” by Donna McCoy