Hailing from Montana, wildlife artist Ivanie Finsvik had the unique opportunity to paint the critters that roamed right outside her studio window. “I often watched elk jumping the barbed wire fence,” Finsvik describes on her website. “Bears, mountain lions, wild turkeys, and an occasional passing badger or skunk modeled for me.” In addition to the free-roaming animals Finsvik has captured on canvases, domestic critters such as sheep, dogs, and horses are also part of her repertoire. And, since her move to Santa Barbara in 2013, the painter has added coastal dwellers such as sea lions and sea otters to her catalog. Check out Finsvik’s ode to nature, titled Animal Magnetism, at the Ojai Arts Center (113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai). The show runs until July 5. See ivaniefinsvik.com.
