By Cecilia Bahnson Jaqui Lyn Eicher grew up in the Willamette Valley and is currently living and working as an artist right here in Corvallis! During her junior year at Western Oregon University, she truly began studying and intentionally creating artwork using watercolor and acrylic paint, as well as some work with sculpture. “Deep inside, I’ve always been an artist,” she says. Presently, the inspiration for Jaqui Eicher’s art comes from her scruffy white terrier, Pearl. When Eicher found herself without a dog for the first time in her life seven years ago, she began to paint the dogs of downtown Corvallis, including Redda at Sibling Revelry, Buddy at Troubadour Music, and many others. “I missed their company and in an effort to remain positive, I sought out all the dogs I could find.” Those paintings led to Eicher receiving commissions from pet owners for portraits of their animal friends. Jaqui Eicher is also inspired by the great artists of the past, and she has combined her love of historical artists with her love for Pearl in a large collection of paintings called “Portraits of Pearl.” These paintings, along with many others, are available to view and purchase on Eicher’s website https://www.bluepearl.store/! Through the “Portraits of Pearl” project, Jaqui Eicher discovered an artist named Anna Ancher who “can paint light and shadows like no one else I [Jaqui Eicher] have seen.” Anna Ancher’s style and story have motivated Eicher to try new things and remain persistent in the creation of art and expression. Jaqui Eicher values the kindness, truth, and perseverance of the people in her life who inspire her. The recent pandemic has had a huge impact on artists all over the world and it is no different for Jaqui Eicher. One of the most difficult things for her has been finding her sense of purpose in the world. There have been innumerable life lessons and new experiences to think about, but a quote from a Rilke’s poem “Go To The Limits Of Your Longing” has spoken to her throughout it all: “Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” A few of the things that have helped her and Pearl through the lockdown are routine meet ups with a friend in the morning and beautiful forest walks at Green Belt later in the afternoon. “We are so fortunate to have to have forests close by that we’ve been able to walk in throughout the pandemic.” Jaqui Eicher also runs a YouTube channel. This past year has allowed her to create videos teaching young audiences and raising awareness for mental health. She and a puppet of her dog Pearl have over 60 videos speaking about mental health under the YouTube address jaqui eicher. Another “pandemic project” that Eicher has been working on is a digital animal sanctuary, which can be viewed at her store, https://www.bluepearl.store/. The collection includes canvas paintings of several adorable animals. A message and blessing that Jaqui Eicher sends out to all of the aspiring creatives is this: “May you feel free to create art that reflects what is inside you. Just as in writing, no one else can create art like you can. What you create shows a unique perspective and adds a new dimension to the world around you. May you find the inner strength to create despite any hindrances in your path.” Sources: Eicher, Jaqui. Personal interview. 16 April 2021. Eicher, Jaqui. Artist | Bluepearl, 2021, www.bluepearl.store/ Eicher, Jaqui. “Jaqui Eicher.” YouTube, YouTube, 2021, www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsplqlNgblb7d1MWZN4m3w If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
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