BAKER CITY — Art galleries and shops open new shows — and feature a special art sale — for the First Friday art walk on Feb. 7.

Royal Artisan

1912 Main St.

Royal Artisan will host the work of Christopher Hobson, and D’Club L’Eveque will play live, starting at 5 p.m.

Hobson’s “Under Sky,” a new acrylic painting series, showcases his connection to landscapes and his artistic roots as a third-generation Baker City resident.

Hobson’s work is marked by his signature choice to paint mountains blue — a reflection of the Blue Mountains surrounding his Oregon home.

“No matter where the landscape is, the mountains in my paintings are always blue,” Hobson said.

One piece in the series depicts Hobson’s friend Meg, a former circus performer and contortionist, whose graceful form contrasts with the rugged Nevada landscape. He said the juxtaposition of warm desert tones and blue-tinted mountains highlights the interplay of motion, stillness, and personal connection to the land.

Churchill School

3451 Broadway

Churchill’s Hall Pass Gallery will host the annual Yart Sale, with local artists offering a collection of works priced at $40 or less. Each artist can showcase up to five pieces. The doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Anders Gallery

1802 Main St.

Anders Gallery will be open for First Friday from 4-9 p.m. featuring recent oil paintings and bronze pieces.

Baker Food Co-op

2008 Broadway St.

The co-op will feature Holly Powell with Eastside Bakery on First Friday from 4-7 p.m.

Crossroads Carnegie Art Center

2020 Auburn Ave.

Crossroads will open “Through the Unknown” featuring Lauren Chaney and Chris Halley on Friday from 5-8 p.m.

Live music will feature Deb Wessler and Frederik Anderson. Also, attendees can enter to win tickets to the Eastern Oregon Regional Theater.

Chaney is an oil and acrylic painter who “delves into the mystery of her subject matter and wows the viewer with her bold use of color,” and Halley is “a master in his metal work,” according to a press release.

Halley grew up in Eastern Oregon and discovered drawing in high school. He learned how to weld while serving in the Navy.

Later, he turned that skill into art — using welding techniques to create sculptures and vessels that are fired to bring out color and ground or sanded to a high polish that resembles glass or pottery.

It takes many hours and days to create a piece, using pass after pass of a molten strand of metal.

“There’s a story behind every one of these pieces,” he said.

For Chaney, she said, “painting is prayer, painting is meditation, and painting is my way of handling the mess that is spirituality. I find deep meaning in exploring complex philosophical ideas and concepts of morality on canvas.”

She uses a wide array of color palettes and evolving painting techniques as she creates both figurative and abstract works.

“Where did I come from? Where am I going? What’s the point of all this? My work is a direct representation of this thought process as I try to figure out this messy thing called life,” she said.

Originally from Indiana, Chaney lives in Baker City. In her youth, she explored drawing, painting and stage set design (which she continues today at Eastern Oregon Regional Theater) and continued to develop her painting technique. She has enjoyed mural painting at Haines Elementary School and on the barrier to the Orpheum Theater on Main Street.