Camas’ Skip Enge centers life around creativity

A Camas native unveiled his 41st public art exhibit as a part of downtown Camas First Friday festivities.

Enge is showing watercolors with an industrial edge in the Second Story Gallery at the Camas Public Library, 624 N.E. Fourth Ave.

“The Soft Machine,” opened with a reception for the artist March 3. Keyboardist Brad Jensen provided music during the event.

Enge explains that, “The Soft Machine” is another name for the human body and the main theme of a William Burroughs’ book of the same title that concerns how control mechanisms invade the body.

Enge has centered his life around creativity, having worked as a museum exhibit designer, graphic designer, fabricator and “creator of solutions” for museums and collections, all while painting in his extra hours.

Enge also writes poetry, often while he’s painting, so a few poems are exhibited alongside his watercolors to serve as his artist’s statement.

“As a poet, I see analogy in most things I think about and write about,” he said. “My personal painting style changes all the time, sometimes literal and other times fanciful.”

Enge’s show continues through Saturday, March 25, in the gallery.

It is open during regular library hours, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.