Wenaha Gallery

Rod Frederick

Wildlife, Landscapes, Birds
Read Arist's Bio || View Artist's Artwork

Rod Frederick's Bio:

Rod Frederick was destined to become the prolific wildlife/landscape artist he is today. He grew up in a house filled with a variety of animals and later expanded his interest to the natural world outside his Portland home. His desire to learn and explore led him on many adventures into mountains and forests throughout the northwest United States as well as Central America, South America, and East Africa. His mother has a degree in fine arts and his lawyer father was a weekend painter. This legacy encouraged his own unique look at the world.

Today, his dedication to realism causes him to devour many sources of reading material about a particular species, photograph and sketch, and spend large amounts of time researching his subjects in their natural environment. His time outdoors makes him anxious to get back to his studio and capture what he sees. It is the memory of his experiences and emotions that generates the ideas and fuels the creation of his paintings.

He begins the process of transferring his vision to canvas by first drawing the background landscape. Then, he draws the animals on individual pieces of paper so he can lay them over the painting. Once he is satisfied with the arrangement, he uses oils and gouache, a type of paint, (pronounced ‘gwaash’) which allow him to add layers of finish and give each work a detailed and distinctive transparent effect. He transports you into his paintings because he has been there and the use of natural colors gives you a sense of reality, which is exactly what he hopes to achieve.

Even though he makes his home in the shadow of the Cascades in the Oregon wilderness, Frederick is always ready to travel in search of new subjects.

But wait! There’s more! While Rod captures the essence and timelessness of nature in his own style, those who know him will tell you all about his wild and crazy character, sense of humor and love for outrageous shirts.

We invite you to step into Rod’s world and feel the passion he has for the beauty he sees in nature. Whether it is a bird perched precariously on a branch surrounded by flowers, or a breathtaking landscape, you will find in Rod’s paintings that which speaks to your soul and draws you outside to see the world through different eyes.