BIG SKY: A Solo Exhibition by PNW ARTIST Erin Oostra
Experience the sweeping beauty of the Pacific Northwest through the art of Erin Oostra, painter, designer, and curator of Nuwave Gallery in Ellensburg, Washington. Her newest exhibition, BIG SKY, is a celebration of hills, mountains, skies, and everything in between — a body of work that captures the majesty of creation and invites each viewer into awe and wonder.
From the rugged peaks of the Cascades to the vast Washington skies, Erin’s large-scale acrylic and mixed-media paintings are layered with texture, color, and movement. They reflect her lifelong love of nature and her deep belief that landscapes carry the presence of a Creator — a truth we all feel when standing in front of towering ridges, endless horizons, and skies that seem to stretch forever.
Alongside the artwork, Erin wrote a poem that echoes the heart of this exhibition:
BIG SKY
I lift my eyes to the hills, to the mountains, to the skies.
Wandering brings me wonder, it makes me ask why.
Why are there ridges that cut sharp against air?
Why do cliffs beckon, yet humble me there?
Their silence crushes, strips away pride,
There, something eternal makes me feel alive.
The sky is a canvas, shifting with light,
a story in gradients from morning to night.
The rocks cry out, the rivers reply,
The wind itself cannot deny my why.
Then comes the pull, the call to climb,
to where stone meets horizon, to where I nearly touch sky.
There in the stillness, a whisper breaks through:
Could it be The Creator is speaking too?
The mountains stand witness, the heavens agree,
And there in that silence, I have to believe.
The Poetry of Place
Every piece in BIG SKY is paired with a quote from Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue, Erin’s favorite author, whose words about landscape and presence resonate deeply with her vision. Just as O’Donohue believed that nature carries thresholds of meaning, Erin’s art translates those ideas into color, texture, and form.
Highlights from the collection include:
Prusik Peak (36"x36") | “The horizon is the perpetual promise that the earth makes to us.” – John O’Donohue
The Teanaway Range (36"x36") | “The landscape does not become fixed, but lives as you live. You can hear it breathing with you.” – John O’Donohue
Dragontail Peak & Colchuck Lake (36"x48") | “Behind the beauty of the landscape, there is always a presence.” – John O’Donohue
Aasgard Pass & Dragontail Peak (36"x48") | “Each day is a journey into the sacred, if only we notice the sky above and the earth beneath.” – John O’Donohue
Mt. Rainier (48"x36") | “The world is full of thresholds, but the landscape is the most ancient one of all.” – John O’Donohue
Glacier Peak (48"x48") | “The sky is the ultimate companion, the grand expanse that dreams above our lives.” – John O’Donohue
Mount Baker (48"x48") | “Each landscape dreams a different sky.” – John O’Donohue
Mount Rainier (48"x48") | “The silence of the landscape is a rich silence, full of invitation.” – John O’Donohue
Mount Stuart (60"x48") | “A good journey is a circular journey that brings you home to a different place.” – John O’Donohue
Mount Shuksan (48"x60") | “The horizon is not a line, but a presence, calling us beyond where we are.” – John O’Donohue
Enchantment’s Temple (48"x60") | “A sky full of silence is the most faithful mirror of the soul.” – John O’Donohue
Mount Adams (30"x40") | “In the presence of a great mountain or a wide open sky, you remember the immensity that dwells within you.” – John O’Donohue
Smaller works include round and square pieces inspired by Mount Rainier and Mount Baker, each continuing the theme of creation’s grandeur.
Collecting & Custom Art
Erin’s art is available for purchase both in-gallery and online. Collectors across Washington and beyond are drawn to her large-scale mountain paintings, abstract landscapes, and modern acrylic works that bring the Pacific Northwest into homes, cabins, and public spaces.
Looking for something personal? Erin also creates custom commissions, capturing a favorite mountain, trail, or view with her signature blend of bold strokes and layered textures. Each custom piece carries the same sense of awe and reverence — a reminder that the landscapes we love are part of something larger.
Visit “BIG SKY”
Whether you’re an Ellensburg local, a traveler exploring Washington State, or an art lover searching online for landscape paintings of the Pacific Northwest, BIG SKY is an exhibition that will leave you inspired.
Step into Nuwave Gallery. Lift your eyes upward. Wander with wonder. And discover what the mountains, skies, and silence are saying.
