It takes a lot of skill to be controlled yet simultaneously spontaneous. For oil painter Laura Gable, the best place to achieve this is outside, regardless of the weather, as she paints en plein air, the French term for painting outside.

"I am currently obsessed with the landscape and light/shadow patterns," the Kennewick artist says. "I like the intimacy of close places and the vastness of large skies."

Gable describes art as a form of language, one she developed as a child as a means of communicating despite extreme shyness. Her style is impressionistic, with bold brushstrokes that invite the viewer's eye to fill in the spaces, a process she describes as "magic."

"The eye does a remarkable job of filling in what I leave out if I just give the viewer enough information," Gable explains. "I find it more intriguing when an artist leaves out details and can define something with a few strokes of the brush."

Gable is showing a collection of her works during a month-long Art Event at Dayton's Wenaha Gallery (219 East Main), and will be at the gallery in person Friday, November 24, from 3 to 6 p.m., for a special art show. Also in attendance will be The Talented Trio, a family of artists from Kennewick.

Also part of the holiday weekend is Wenaha Gallery's 24th birthday celebration, featuring Cake All Day Saturday, November 24, and a special $20 birthday bonus card for purchases over $100 made over Christmas Kickoff Weekend.