By Liz Taylor

Special to the Weekly

“Memories of my childhood grow stronger as I grow older,” says Christa Malay, a nationally known artist living on Lopez Island.

“I cherish those joyful moments in my very early years. Most of them are of small incidents and have nothing to do with being rich or poor at the time. I notice that people feel compelled to talk about their own childhoods, and I see the sparkle in their eyes as they r-live them.”

Last autumn, when Malay was looking for a new direction in her art that would keep her challenged through the dark days of winter and into the next year, she decided to use “Images of Childhood” for her theme. She looked through her collection of photos from her own and her children’s early years, then found several more photos of children on Lopez that parents had given her over the years.

Her goal was to paint 20 oil paintings on canvas for an art show to benefit the Lopez Children’s Center, and to inspire viewers to remember those “little moments” from their own past that make them happy.

She began painting in bright colors last January, but as she continued over the next eight months, her techniques and her use of color changed. Some images are bold and bright, others have a dark neutral background with the figures emerging into the light as though they are alone in the universe. Her lead painting, Five Girls, shows five little girls dressed in grown-up clothes, bright in yellows and reds. Another, called Flying, is of a little boy fresh from his bath, his arms outstretched like wings, in front of a billowing yellow curtain.

On Friday, Oct. 17, 5 to 7 p.m., Malay will show her twenty oil paintings made especially for this show at Woodmen Hall. Half of the proceeds will go to the Children’s Center. Local wine and food will be available. After the reception the show will be open for an extra day on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For info, call Christa Malay at 468-2159.