Scott McRae's Art Show
LOCAL ARTIST PAINTS EVERYTHING BUT PEOPLE

When Scott McRae’s mother enrolled him in an art class at age 9, he imagined it would be held in “a dark room, sitting around a table with a lady. I thought we’d have to draw a sphere,” he recalled. “But it was a lot more fun.”

Found his niche
He soon fell in love with art. “I think I loved the smell of turpentine,” he said “And painting was something I could do that was different from what anybody else in my family could do.” The fourth of five children born to local physician Laird McRae and piano teacher Carol McRae, Scott immediately took to art and built his life around it.
“I felt it was my niche.”

Since then, McRae. 44, has enjoyed an artists’ life. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Linfield College and teaches at Longview’s Broadway Gallery and the Longview’s Parks and Rec program. In his classes, he enjoys watching students “think for themselves,” and “develop their own style. . . most people can paint with a little guidance.”

He’s exhibited his watercolor, acrylic, pastel and charcoal works, in at least 100 shows over the years, at local coffee shops, Longview’s Saturday Market and the Rainier Marina Market, as well as Broadway Gallery and several galleries at the Oregon Coast.

His paintings typically measure about 16” x 20” and fetch $350, matted and framed. For McRae, art calls upon a combination of instinct and training. He describes his style as “abstract, even though there’s realism.”

No such thing as “still” life
“I just want to prove that there’s life in everything,” he said.
“There’s life in benches, there’s life in tables, there’s life in rocks, and in trees and plant life.” He paints flowers, gourds, teapots, buildings and landscapes.

“Most of my works are devoid of people,” he noted. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a people person.

“I go to the movies a lot so I get the people out of my system. My enjoyment of people, artwise, is through the movies,” which he attends at least once a week.

McRae said he doesn’t have trouble parting with his paintings when they sell.
“
I know that I can make more,” and that the purchasers will put them to good use. “They’re going to hopefully hang it on their wall.”

In an increasingly-technical age, art still has its place, said McRae.
“There’s still room for handmade things. Computers can only generate a certain kind of vision.”

Above, Scott McRae at work in a class at Lower Columbia College (Photo by Perry Piper). Original images by Scott McRae: Above: “Autumn Melody.”
On the cover: “Begonia.”

HOT Season Ahead?
Mariners boost auction booty and fans’ hopes

Story by Tom Myklebust • Photos by Ned Piper

Baseball fans, it’s our time. In every town around the Columbia River, America’s favorite sport is coming to life. Kids are already in the batting cages. Crews are grooming the fields in preparation for local games. Parents will soon be stocking the concession stands. And the Seattle Mariners, from what I learned during their recent visit to Longview, are preparing for a hot season. In fact, if key player and ownership commitments are any indication, the Mariners are a legitimate contender for a pennant in 2010.

On Jan. 22, Lower Columbia College hosted the Longview stop on the annual Mariner “CARE” Caravan, a nine-city, pre-season Northwest goodwill tour. The event, held in conjunction with LCC’s annual athletic auction, drew 300 fans and raised $18,000 for scholarships. Longview is consistently chosen as a Mariner Caravan stop because of steady fan support and season-long radio coverage on KLOG 1490AM. Mariner rookie Matt Tuiasosopo and retired Mariners/popular broadcasters David Valle and Mike Blowers (pictured above) answered fans’ questions, posed for photos and signed autographs, while the Mariner Moose delivered prizes.

The season opens
Spring training will be underway soon leading up to the Mariners’
162-game regular season starting April 5. Fox Sports Network and ESPN will provide television coverage. Opening Day at Safeco Field is April 12, when longtime fan favorite Randy Johnson will throw out the first pitch of the game and his career highlights video will be presented.
Eighty-one games are scheduled at Safeco Field; the other eighty-one are in opposing teams’ home cities, including Toronto, Canada.

For new fans: how MLB works
Major league baseball includes the American League, to which the Mariners belong, and the National League. Teams from each league compete throughout the regular season, with the goal to finish the season eligible to participate in the World Series, pitting the American League champion versus the National League champion. In 2009, the American League’s New York Yankees won the World Series, which is always played in the fall. But that’s a long time from now.

A level playing field
The great thing about the early part of the season is every team is equally eligible. But my money’s on the Mariners. There are many things to consider before predicting them as the 2010 World Champion. Let’s start with Ken Griffey Jr. He has signed with the club for another season and, by the way, “Junior” is the active Home Run Leader in the entire league with 630, fifth all-time According to clubhouse insiders, having Griffey as a leader for this ball club is invaluable.
Ichiro Suzuki, who for nine consecutive years has had 200 hits a season, finished with a .352 batting average and is repeatedly voted to the all-star game.

The team has made a long-term agreement with Felix Hernandez, who won 19 games and tied for first place in the American League in 2009 and second in the league with a 2.49 Earned Run Average.

Many ball clubs face challenges due to injuries, trades or signing issues. But there is positive news from the Mariner training staff about players Mark Lowe, Ryan Rowland Smith, David Aardsma, Cliff Lee, Eric Brynes, Franklin Gutierrez and Chone Figgins. They are all on track for a strong season and will be ready to lace up next month in Peoria.

At any level of competitive sports, aspiring teams must expect hard work, be prepared for setbacks and have plenty of support. Their baseball season can show the way for local programs, the Mariners reminded spectators in Longview. “Support of your family and fans and working hard will eventually produce results,” Tuiasosopo said. Baseball — like many good things —takes preparation and the Mariners are in motion already. Make plans now to enjoy baseball this season at local venues or get a group of friends together for an unforgettable day watching the Mariners at Safeco Field.

IF YOU GO
Going south?
Now is the time to schedule a trip to Peoria, Arizona, the home of the Seattle Mariners during spring training. During the March 3–April 3 pre-season, some games will be played in other close-by Arizona cities with the last weekend series scheduled for Albuquerque, New Mexico. Get tickets to daily games online for $6–23.

Seattle’s Safeco Field
1250 1st Ave South, Seattle
Tickets/Info: www.Mariners.com or call 206-346-4001.
The facility is well marked when traveling from out of town and parking is readily available, with the price determined by how far you are willing to walk to the ballpark. Individual seat prices vary from $7–70.
Safeco Field is real grass and is pristinely manicured.
Plan for extra time before and after the game. There are many things to look at and do inside the beautiful facility. For example, spectators have close proximity to the bull pen, the fenced area where Seattle Mariner and opposing team pitchers prepare for the game. Early arriving attendees have many opportunities for great gifts, such as player “Bobble-Heads.”
Safeco Field’s real grass field is pristinely manicured and protected from the elements by a retractable roof. Games are rarely canceled due to weather. The fan may prepare with extra layers because of temperature variations, but precipitation normally does not impact schedules. The regular “dance production” by the grounds crew on the base paths once during each game is very entertaining, too.
Besides outdoor patio dining and gift shops, there is one very large store and many kiosks throughout Safeco Field. Alcohol can be purchased in some areas and others are alcohol-free “family areas.” Outside food items are allowed, but be prepared for overall bag inspection at the front gate.

LOCAL BASEBALL OPPS
Cowlitz Black Bears Baseball Club
The Inaugural Season of the new team begins June 4. Stadium renovation is underway and games will be played on the David Story Field at Lower Columbia College. Season tickets are available now. Info:
cowlitzblackbears.com or phone 360-703-3195. Cowlitz Black Bears is a team in the West Coast League, in which teams are operated just like professional minor league teams.
Lower Columbia College
Men’s Baseball First game, March 6 at David Story Field, Longview.
Women’s Softball First game: March 6, Tam o’Shanter Park, Kelso, Wash.
The field is also being renovated, thanks to a large private donation to the softball program •••

PHOTOS:
Mariner rookie Matt Tuiasosopo and retired Mariners/popular broadcasters David Valle and Mike Blowers answered fans’ questions, posed for photos and signed autographs at the recent LCC Athletic Auction in Longview.
Tom Myklebust, pictured here with Mariner Community Programs Manager Sean Grindley, is a Longview resident, landscape consultant and sports fan, especially of his boys’ teams.