A balmy summer day opens on an egret-filled pond. Flowers dot the earthy landscape and trees border the marshy wetlands. It’s a painting so beautiful and vibrant one might want to jump into it. This oil painting by Penny Simons, as well as several others, are on display at Art du Jour Gallery in downtown Medford throughout August and September.

Art du Jour picks artists either within the Rogue Valley or Northern California. Simmons is a resident of Medford, but has lived in various parts of the U.S., such as New York and Texas. Beginning in watercolors, she gravitated to oils where she found she has a natural talent for. It wasn’t until she relocated to the Rogue Valley did she rediscover her affinity for watercolor.

“When we moved to Medford in 1997 I was so intoxicated with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest that I decided to give watercolors another try,” she says in her bio. She never abandoned oils, however.

“In June 2016 I met Sheri Dinardi who was hanging as a guest artist in the Salon at Art DuJour Gallery,” she says. “I was so impressed with her beautiful oil paintings that I was determined to master oils. I became obsessed. I began devouring books on oil painting techniques and studying artists whose style I wanted to emulate. I now paint exclusively in oils and feel that the training and experience I gained while using watercolors definitely contributes to the artist I am today.  My only regret is that I don’t have another lifetime to dedicate to my new love of oil painting.”

Simmons is a member of the Oregon Watercolor Society and an associate member of the American and National Watercolor Societies. Art du Jour never requires a theme from its featured artist, instead letting the artist share the medium he or she works best in. Whether its oils or watercolors, art is where Simmons calls home.

Penny Simmons at Art du Jour Galler

1 Main St, Medford

10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday – Saturday

541.770.3190

Opening reception Sunday, September 3 from 5 – 8 pm

Free