Portland Open Studios

Sacred Words Imperfect
New works by Tupper Malone

Janovec Gallery
4504 SE Milwaukie Ave (at SE Holgate)
May 2-31, 2008
Fri, Sat, Sunday, 12-6pm, or call for appointment 503-231-8346

Poetry Reading by Vince Fitzgerald, May 25, 5pm.

Below, Sacred Words Imperfect, by Tupper Malone.

Also,

Au Naturel International Juried Exhibition
Clatsop Community College
Astoria, Oregon
Now through May 15, 2008

Below, The Venus of W, by Tupper Malone in the Au Naturel exhibit.

Debbie Marble, a long time Portland Open Studios artist, is also an experienced court room sketch artist. Her most recent work—on the cover of the March 11, 2008 Oregonian—concerned the trial of Dr. Jayant M. Patel:
   

Deadline MARCH 15, 2008 for artist and the scholarship applications 

Frame Central on 6639 SW Macadam Avenue features the prints of 2007 Portland Open Studios artist Christopher Mooney.

Artist’s Reception on Friday January 25, 2008.

Below, Sellwood Bridge, by Christopher Mooney.

For more information on Christopher’s work, please see www.christopherbmooney.com.

Oregon Home Magazine selected the studios of Portland Open Studios 2007 artists Pam Greene and Shelley Hershberger to feature in the “House Calls” section of the Jan-Feb ’08 issue. Pick up a copy of the magazine to learn how each artist built a studio to suit her own needs and budget; gain insights on the compromises and commitments each made in order to create a personal workspace that supports their art.

Please allow me a moment to share with you what it was like to have you in my home, in my artist studio.

It was like all the energy I have put into my paintings was radiating from the art, into the air, into your viewing eyes.

You then, in turn, were absorbing the essence of my artistic expression—my love, my soul, my feelings, good and bad…humanity, you know?

You absorbed it…and you emitted it! 

So then it was all bouncing around the room…energetically…from painting to painting, painting to person, person to person.

And hopefully you walked out of my home with a smile on.

I know I concluded the weekend as such. I feel that through being a part of this event, I gained inspiration and a deep confidence in my value as an artist. Through sharing, and through conversations with viewers and other artists about art and process, I feel supported and propelled to continue creating.

THANK YOU.

I was pleased to hear that many of you were inspired by my art and that my art makes you HAPPY

I dig that, that’s good.

Thank you for taking time to come by my studio…sharing with me your positivity, your smiles and your radiance.

In addition, I feel honored to have been a part of Portland Open Studios, the organization responsible for not only accepting me into the event, but acknowledging my art with a scholarship. I appreciate all the time and energy the board members, as well as all the other participating artists put in to making this event a success—the promotion, the organization, tour guide sales…etc. 

Thank you, sincerely, for helping me create one of my greatest days. Hope that you are all following your truest true and that I see you again real soon!

Blessins’

–Jennifer Mercede

Portland Art Center (PAC) is hosting an exhibition/fundraiser December 6-22. Nine artists from Portland Open Studios 2007 are among 300 who have created new works for the event on 24×24 panels, each offered for sale at $300. Of the sales proceeds, 75% goes the PAC (and will be matched by Henry Hillman, Jr.). Come to one of the events or simply drop by to see a terrific selection of works by NW artists. Take advantage of the bargain-rate fixed price and help support an Art Center that is working extremely hard on behalf of artists throughout our region.

PDX Panels/ Fundraiser
32 NW 5th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 12-6pm
503.236.3322

Preview Reception
Wednesday, December 5, 6-9 pm

Opening Reception
First Thursday, December 6, 6-10pm

Artists’ Reception
Friday, December 14, 5-7pm

Portland Open Studios artists include:

1. Kindra Crick
kindra.crick@gmail.com
http://www.kindracrick.com

Below, Sho Shin: The Beginner’s Mind, by Kindra Crick
oil, ink, glitter, grit and paper
24 x 24
Suzuki Roshi said, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.” When one looks at something with an eagerness to learn there is a world of possibilities, but when one seeks only what one expects, nothing is discovered.

2. Shelley Hershberger
s.hershberger@comcast.net
http://web.pdx.edu/~hershber

Below, And thus, the brothers began to bicker, by Shelley Hershberger
oil & metallic grit
24 x 24
Two thousand years of holier than thou. Let poppies, instead of gold, illumine the graves of prophets and popes, petty anarchists and presidents.

3. Penny Kavan
pk78@easystreet.com

Below, No Rest, by Penny Kavan
mixed media
24×24

4. Bonnie Meltzer
bonnie@bonniemeltzer.com
http://www.bonniemeltzer.com

Below, The Journey, by Bonnie Meltzer
mixed media with found objects
24 x 24
The journeys we take are not only those physical places we visit but the looks into the mirror and the ability to risk and be cautious at the same time. All the events of our lives are related by an invisible cord which connects time, space and our memories.

5. Jennifer Mercede
jmercede@hotmail.com
http://www.jennifermercede.com

Below, been here before: dec 1, by Jennifer Mercede
acrylic paint, watercolor crayon and colored pencil
24×24

6. Lorna Nakell
lorna@lornanakell.com
http://www.lornanakell.com

Below, Graves dismisses Poe’s Prose, by Lorna Nakell
acrylic, ink, pencil, charcoal, paper and resin
24×24

7. Kelly Neidig
kelcan@gmail.com
http://www.kelcan.biz

8. Shu-Ju Wang
shuju@fivebats.com
http://www.fingerstothebone.com

Below, On the Edge of Her Seat She Watches, by Shu-Ju Wang
pastel, charcoal and acrylic
24×24

9. Linda Womack
lw@lindawomack.com
http://www.lindawomack.com

Below, Unfamiliar Ground, by Linda Womack
encaustic
24 x 24

I always enjoy this weekend very much—my eighth year! What’s to not like? Nice people come and tell you how great your work is; some leave money and take something away. I find demonstrating easier every year and actually enjoy it. Seems like having the left brain otherwise occupied makes some of the painted scribbles better than those that are done with undivided attention!

Understand the importance of talking up the tour and *selling the Tour Guides*. It is the basic thing that gets people into your studio, as well as everyone else’s. *Get organized* and have your space ready in advance. For me, it has become part of the rhythm of the year to prepare the paintings and the inventory and clean the studio in late summer. Remember to “enjoy the Party”, bring in flowers and trays of snacks.

*Get to know the other artists who are near you*. Six of us managed to find time to look at each others’ spaces and work late this summer. In so doing, we realized the Guide did not show some short cuts between us so we made a little map to help visitors in our area get around. Seeing the work made it fun to talk with our own visitors too: “Where have you been?” could start a little conversation about the great stuff they had seen.

More visitors than ever this year! Thank goodness for friends who helped out; I could never have done demos plus greeting and the occasional sale. Have yourself covered with good helpers! I give mine a pack of cards or a tour guide or movie tickets or something, whatever I think they like best. My studio is over the garage so I don’t have to deal with turning my house around for tourers.

–Debbie Marble

Below, Waiting Tables II, watercolor by Debbie Marble.

Portland Open Studios veteran Brenda Boylan is showing at Art Envy of Hillsboro in December. The exhibit starts with the Hillsboro First Tuesday Art Walk on Dec 4th from 6-8pm.

Above, Buoy Dance, pastel on Wallis Museum Sanded Paper by Brenda Boylan.

For more information, please see http://www.oregonlive.com/argus/stories/index.ssf?/base/lifestyle/119645249636030.xml&coll=6.

Portland Open Studios artist Ann Munson had this to say about her experience:

“Thanks to the creativity and persistence of our publicity chairperson, Bonnie Meltzer, and the talent of special writer to the Oregonian, Sarah Smith, the THREE PAGE COLOR FEATURE article in the thursday homes and gardens worked its magic. A bazillion people came to my studio despite the weather. The majority volunteered that they came because of the article and that it was worth the trip. Doesn’t get better than that!” — Ann Munson

Below, collage by Ann Munson.

To see more of Ann’s work, please visit her web site at http://web.mac.com/annmunson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html.

“The weekend was a success…exhilarating and exhausting! I had a great time meeting people and talking about my art—never have I stood and talked continuously for so many hours at once. Lots of good feedback and validation for the work I’ve been doing and direction my art is taking.

I was initially concerned about ‘so many strangers’ coming through the house, but logistically it worked just fine. Because my buddies and family were helping at the front of the house, I could concentrate on talking with people back in my studio. Otherwise, I couldn’t have done it.

The main advice I’d give new applicants is that if their studio is in their house, to give some thought to traffic flow, security issues, etc., before making the Portland Open Studios commitment.”

Above, Beneath the Surface #3, by Nikki Dilbeck.

Portland Open Studios artist Connie Whelan left us a few words of her take on the Portland Open Studios tour before she jetted off to Indonesia for her next underwater photography trip.

While many artists found it hard to sell the Portland Open Studios tour guides, Connie wrote:

The calendar/tour guide is so well done that I found people were impressed that I was part of such an event. I actually had sales before the events due to these promotional pieces.

And although Connie was exhausted after a weekend of 230+ visitors, she found the experience energizing, and was thrilled that there were many children among her visitors. Two of the children had chosen Connie as an artist to visit with their families during the event.

To see more of Connie’s work, visit her web site at http://www.coralperspectives.com/.

Below, Gold Tunicates - Solomon Islands, 2005, by Connie Whelan.

Gretchin Lair, a repeat Portland Open Studios visitor and a creative advocate, has this to say about Portland Open Studios:

“I look forward to the Portland Open Studios tour all year long. It’s hugely inspiring to be exposed to such a wide range of arts while driving exuberantly around Portland trying to fit them all in! And as a fellow creative, I love discovering how other artists have arranged their homes, their studios & their lives around making art.”

Gretchin Lair
Creative Advocate at Scarlet Star Studios
http://www.scarletstarstudios.com/

Gottlieb Gallery presents:

Pacific Northwest Sculptors
Featuring sculptural works by Pacific Northwest Sculptors Association members, in glass, stone, metal, clay and other materials, including works by Bonnie Meltzer and Sara Swink

November 1-30, 2007
Gottlieb Gallery
220 SW Yamhill
Portland, OR

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 1, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Pacific Northwest Sculptors juried exhibition at Gottlieb Gallery in downtown Portland will include work by Portland Open Studios artists Bonnie Meltzer and Sara Swink. Each of these sculptors has a unique sculptural vision.

Bonnie Meltzer calls her work 2.5 dimensional because although it is sculptural in its rich surfaces of found objects they are usually added to flat substrates rather than being sculpture in the round. “Recording Memory”, rising seven feet high with its fringed usb cord sleeves is reminiscent of Southwest Native American costume or figures. Originally made for an exhibition with a totem theme, Meltzer’s initial idea was to use floppy disks as quilt blocks, further connecting the textile connection. Pencils, crayons, hard drives and other writing tools embellish the work and are icons of how we store memories and retrieve them.

Sara Swink’s ceramic sculpture called “Imperfect Offering” addresses compassion for oneself. No matter how imperfect one feels there is still something to offer. “I can’t wait until I get perfect to make my offering.” The figure is hand built with slips, oxides, under glazes and glazes for coloring.

Numbering over 100 members, Pacific Northwest Sculptors is a volunteer driven 501(c) (3) organization comprised of sculptors and persons in associated fields who live and work in the Northwest. Its purpose is to foster the art of sculpture by increasing public awareness of the issues and techniques that surround sculpture and to facilitate communication between member sculptors. PNS sponsors seminars, studio tours, workshops, lectures and art events that are open to the public.

Above, Recording Memory, by Bonnie Meltzer. Below, Imperfect Offering, by Sara Swink.

For more information about Pacific Northwest Sculptors, Gottlieb Gallery, Bonnie Meltzer, and Sara Swink, see these following links:

http://www.pnwsculptors.org/
http://www.gottliebgallery.com
http://www.bonniemeltzer.com
http://www.claycircle.com

Debra Carus, a jewelry designer and a 2nd year Portland Open Studios artist, had this to say about her experience this year:

A Gratifying, Humbling, and Touching Experience
by Debra Carus

This is my 2nd year as a Portland Open Studios artist. I absolutely loved this opportunity to show people the “life and process” of being an artist. People were so amazingly interested in how you do your work—what inspires you to create your work and to just soak up the experience—so it’s incredibly gratifying as the artist.

I highly recommend to anyone who is considering applying to be very clear about your goals. What do you want to share, what can you show people about your work and how you create it, and what are you giving people when they take the time to come visit you? My goals are to share and educate, so I have display boards with the process I use in clear evidence. I also have sample pieces in varying stages from design to completion. I also demonstrate what I’m creating. If I just sat and expected people to ask me lots of questions, it wouldn’t happen. People need to have a focal point of your studio. Displays give them a comfortable place to start a conversation with you. Also, I try not to make my goal about gaining customers…They are not just customers to me, they are potential artists and students, and they are also people who are hungry for art in their lives. They often tell me they “aren’t creative, but wish they were,” and they are so happy to meet artists whom they admire. I never thought I’d be one of those…it’s humbling and very touching to be told how your work is appreciated. WOWWEE.

Above, Pearl Romance, by Debra Carus. Fine silver hollow pendant with recessed center pink pearl. Design features celtic knot pattern. Wireworked handmade chain with freshwater button pearls.

See more of Debra’s work on her web site at http://www.elentari-handverk.com

Although the 2007 Portland Open Studios weekends are now over, things have been happening and continue to happen for Portland Open Studios artists:

AM Northwest hosted Denise Sirchie and Bonnie Meltzer, go here to watch the video of Denise doing a demonstration.

The DIY PDX: Portland Open Studios article on LivePDX.com featured several artists and their work. Connie Whelan, Natalie Warrens, Babette Harvey, Ann Munson, Sarah Swink, and Miriam Badyrka were highlighted, and Lorna Nakell was shown working on one of her very large canvases.

The New York Time’s Sunday Magazine of Oct 21 included a column on the Print Gocco, The Cult of Gocco, that included interviews with Shu-Ju Wang, a long time Gocco enthusiast and veteran Portland Open Studios artist.

Daniel Ng, Samyak Yamauchi, Ming Wei, and Shu-Ju Wang are highlighted in the October 2nd issue of The Asian Reporter. The article, titled Ateliers Unlocked, is available on-line here on The Asian Reporter’s web site.

Lisa Kaser, Linda Womack, and Gloria Kelman are highlighted in the October 4th issue of The Southeast Examiner. The article, titled Savor the Flavors of Art at Portland Open Studios, is available on-line here on The Southeast Examiner’s web site.

Chris Knight, Shu-Ju Wang, Don Griffith, and Heather Leklem are highlighted in the Oct 9th issue of Portland Tribune. The article, titled Art Happens Here, is available on-line here on the Portland Tribune’s web site.

Ann Munson is highlighted in the October 11th issue of The Oregonian in the NWHG special insert. The article, titled Mixed-media Menagerie, is available on-line here on The Oregonian’s web site. Don’t miss out on the wonderful photographs which are on 2 separate pages here and here. Other artists Tom Soule, David Kerr, Babette Harvey, Natalie Warrens, Shu-Ju Wang, Nancy Tongue, and Pam Greene were also mentioned as having either a garden or a studio of note.

And the October 13 issue of The Jewish Review highlights the works of Bonnie Meltzer, Hillary Barsky, Gloria Kelman, Allen Schmertzler, Debra Meadow, Susan Kuznitsky, Jane Levy Campbel and Kindra Crick.

To see each artist’s work or to purchase a tour guide, please visit the Portland Open Studios web site.

Portland Open Studios artist Linda Womack was featured the morning of October 1 on the Portland Oregon talk show AM Northwest. With only a few minutes for her segment, Linda demonstrated a very abbreviated form of encaustic painting with wax, dried plants and oil pastel. That’s tough to do in 5 minutes!

You can watch her wax collage segment online at http://www.katu.com/amnw/seenonamnw/10114296.html or learn more about this technique at http://www.lindawomack.com.

You can also drop by Linda’s studio to see a live demonstration of her wax paintings next weekend during Portland Open Studios! On October 13 & 14 she’ll be doing live demonstrations from 10am - 5pm at her studio in SE Portland.

Below, a snapshot of Linda’s segment on AM Northwest.