Gallery 1855 will host a one-of-a-kind exhibition by local artist Stasia Tikkanen. “Landscapes with a Gist” will run from April 3 to 30. An open house is planned from 1 to 4 p. Sunday, April 8.

The exhibit features conceptual landscapes that include a night-and-day series, an in-studio series exploring perception related to the time of day. The artist paints two scenes from the same environment, one in nightlight and the other in daylight to see how light alters the perception of a scene. In this series, she has explored subjectively chosen scenes in Davis.

Originally from Albuquerque, N.M., Tikkanen moved to Davis 16 years ago. With a bachelor’s degree in fine art studio from the University of New Mexico, she has worked as a professional studio artist, decorative painter and in galleries for a total of 20 years.

In 2013, she became a full-time studio and plein air artist.

“While painting in studio or outdoors in the tradition of plein air, I seek a general notion or idea in each environment I explore and try to capture it in my work,” Tikkanen said.“While painting, I ask myself, what does this scene make me think or feel? What is the gist of this scene? Be it a mood, a metaphor, symbolism or just an internal musing on my part, I find revealing it through landscape captures a reflection of human nature.”

The idea of conceptualizing landscapes got the attention of several patrons interested in specific themes. In 2014-2015, Tikkanen was privately commissioned to paint a landscape series featuring the high deserts and mountains of New Mexico and Arizona. This series reflects the culture of the area through color and subject while portraying the unique lighting of the high desert mountains and land features.

In 2016, Juanita Bucot published one of these paintings, “The Sandias,” as a book cover of her fiction novel “Spirit Gone Wild,” a journey through the southwest in the 1960s. Also in 2016 the artist focus extended further into the outdoors and scenes of Northern California.

After exhibiting in the 2017 Davis Art Studio Tour sponsored by the Davis Art Center, Tikkanen continued her Northern California focus with an in-studio series titled “Night and Day — A study of perception related to light.”