Although Whidbey Island is home to hundreds of artists, likely few have been creating art for as long as the painter Gaylen Hansen.

The 104-year-old South Whidbey artist recently celebrated his birthday and the opening of a new exhibition at Woodside/Braseth Gallery in Seattle, where he has displayed his work over the past couple of years.

A prolific painter, Hansen is known for his narrative style, creating depictions of the natural world and its inhabitants with careful attention to brushstrokes. His works likely number in the thousands and his son, Brett Hansen, is currently in the process of putting an inventory and history together, which he attested has been a project spanning six months.

Though quite secretive about what he’s currently working on — at least when visited by a Rec

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