Last September, my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project came to a close. The project was sponsored by Salem Art Association through their Project Space program. If interested, you can read about the 2014 summer project by clicking here.
One of the outcomes of my project was that we raised over $2,000 by selling flags, and that money, along with grant money obtained by Salem Art Association, allowed me to buy supplies and go into Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility to guide the incarcerated young men in creating a series of prayer flags. I invited my good friend Tory Brokenshire to join me in weekly visits to Hillcrest.
Because cameras and phones are not allowed inside the secure facility, we had to rely on a corrections officer to snap a few photos of the sessions. Also, without permission and authorizations, we weren’t able to take photos of any of the guys.
Tory and I did two session per week for eight weeks and the guys created 82 flags!
Here are a few close ups of flags…..
In the middle of our residency at Hillcrest, Salem Art Association held their Young Artists Showcase and they asked that some of the flags created by the Hillcrest boys be featured. It was exciting to have so many flags on display at the Bush Barn Gallery.
Last Thursday, Tory and I went into the facility’s canteen and hung the 82 flags. Again, our photos are limited due to not having phones or cameras inside (we were tempted to smuggle in a phone as we felt a bit naked without one!).
On Thursday evening, the community, family, friends, along with the guys, were invited to view the flags.
A nice spread of food was prepared by the manager of the canteen and a group of boys to celebrate the show. A few parents showed up and several groups of guys came through. One young man, who came every week to make a flag, had his mother and grandparents attend. He was so excited to share his flags, including the pink poodle he created. When he created that flag, under the theme of things found in nature (what!?!?), he said, “I can’t wait to give this flag to my grandma.”
PS The Oregon Youth Authority had a professional photographer attend the reception and he shot some amazing photos of the flags and the guys. If I’m able to obtain a few of those photos, I’ll post them here.
And I did a demo on using oil and cold wax. Not only did I demo how to use the mediums, I provided little canvases and 300 lb. watercolor paper for anyone who wanted to give it a try. I had lots of takers.
At the end of the evening, I snapped this photo of the view from my studio.
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching my Plaster, Oil, and Cold Wax: Abstracted Play class in August. It will be held at the wonderful studio of Stacey Mattraw, Arcangelo Productions, located in a hip, diverse, funky area of North Portland.
The class will be held Friday-Sunday, August 14-16, 10 am-5 pm every day.
The first day we’ll be painting our boards and applying plaster and by Friday afternoon we’ll be learning oil and cold wax techniques (I provide you with a pre plastered board so we don’t waste a minute of our precious time.)
On Saturday morning, we’ll sand our plastered boards.
And quickly seal them with acrylic paint.
By Saturday afternoon, we’ll be applying layers and layers of luminous, buttery, oil and cold wax.
I’ll be sharing lots of techniques throughout the weekend on how to add interesting texture, add text, scrape back, and so much more.
As an added special bonus, on Thursday evening, 5-6:30 pm, we’ll meet at Arcangelo Productions for a pre-workshop gathering hosted by Stacey. We’ll have snacks and drinks and get to know each other in advance of the class beginning on Friday morning. We have also scheduled a field trip to Collage, a delightful, and full-to-the-brim art supply store on NE Alberta, where Maria is offering a 10% discount on all purchases.
The cost of the three-day class (with some supplies included) is $375. A $100 deposit holds your space, with the balance due on July 14, 2015. If you are interested, please contact me: dayna@alleyartstudio.com and I’ll e-mail detailed information about what supplies are included, what you need to bring, and my refund policy. Also, if you’re coming from out of town, I can send you information on places to stay in the surrounding area.
The maximum number of students will be 12 and five spaces are available as of this posting.
If you’d like to see photos from previous classes, here are two links. Number one and number two.
And I’ll leave you with a few more samples of my plaster, oil, and cold wax pieces.
Several months ago I was asked by the Salem Art Association if I would be interested in participating in a pilot program to offer therapeutic art classes at Salem Hospital’s Cancer Institute. I enthusiastically agreed and offered up some ideas for classes I could teach. Yesterday was the inaugural offering: Embellishing a Soft Cloth Doll, a class I have offered for several years through my studio and through Salem Art Association events.
The class was small, but the women who attended were enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to make art and play. We knew when we scheduled the class, that people might not feel up to attending when the day rolled around.
The dolls that were completed:
It was a wonderful experience to offer a respite in the lives of these brave women. One of the participants said she had not done any art since being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment. It was a joy to re-ignite that spark for her.
I’ll have Funky Junkyard Birds, Curious Elements, cards, and plaster, oil, and cold wax paintings. I’ll also have a few sale items. (Note: This is where my mother lives. It is an independent senior living community and the Christmas Bazaar is open to the public.)
Artful Gift Show
Left Coast Artist Collective
Multnomah Art Center Gym
7688 S.W. Capitol Highway
Portland, Oregon
Friday, December 5, 2015: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 6, 2015: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
I’ll have Funky Junkyard Birds, Curious Elements, cards, and plaster, oil, and cold wax paintings.
Little Things 14
Guardino Gallery
2939 N.E. Alberta
Portland, Oregon
Show opens Thursday, November 27, 2014 and runs through December
I’ll have a grid of 6×6 inch plaster, oil, and cold wax paintings
An opportunity to tour the Art Studios at Mission Mill
Our very first Open Studios, on the second floor, and the grand opening of Compass Gallery on the first floor. Come see the art fort that Tory and I created: Studio F.
Willamette Heritage Center
1313 Mill Street S.E.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
5:00 – 7:00 pm
I’ll have a selection of Funky Junkyard Birds, Curious Elements, cards, and new paintings.
An opportunity to take a class
Oil and Cold Wax: Abstracted Play With a Punch of Texture
Art Studios at Mission Mill
January 16-18, 2015
Friday 1:00-5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Limited to six participants
$300
For more information or to register, contact me: dayna@daynajcollins.com/curele
As many of you know, I was first introduced to the use of plaster in my art by Patricia Wheeler, a Maine artist who teaches in Oregon every summer. I have taken Pat’s plaster class five times from her at Oregon College of Art and Craft and over the weeks we’ve spent together,we’ve become friends. Pat was aware that I was teaching my version of working with plaster, but recently I received a message from anartist I have never met, telling me I was “ripping” Pat off and I should be digging deeper to create my own work. I was rocked by her vitriolic words and I immediately contacted Pat to see if she was feeling the same way. Here is a portion of what Pat said:
1. Imitate. Don’t be shy about it. Try to get as close as you can. You’ll never get all the way, and the separation might be truly remarkable. We have only to look to Richard Hamilton and his version of Marcel Duchamp’s large glass to see how rich, discredited, and underused imitation is as a technique. (from Bruce Mau’s An Incomplete Manifesto For Growth)
You are such a joyful and talented addition to any class and, of course, you have reached the place in your work to be teaching your version of the plaster technique. I learned from Fred, one of the best teachers there is, to GIVE IT ALL AWAY, all the secrets, don’t hold back. He has had many people take up and expand his work in found objects. Fred is NEVER INTIMIDATED OR OFFENDED. it expands the field. You will build your own followers. KEEP TEACHING, KEEP BEING THE EXUBERANT painter you are, just wildly creative. Portland is wildly creative and I hear that in your friends response to your teaching, and god there is NOTHING NEW. There is NOTHING, REPEAT NOTHING, about you teaching a class in plaster that offends. As a matter of fact, teach beginners PLEASE and prep them for one of my intensives…KEEP ON, BE STRONG.
Her words bolstered that what I’m doing matters. I teach my version of the plaster class at an introductory level. I teach in two days a portion of what Pat teaches in four or five days. I’ve also taken the plaster process to new levels by using it as an under layer for my oil and cold wax painting, in that case, the plaster is an initial layer of texture, one of a series of processes, techniques, and layers I incorporate into my art.
All of this got me to thinking about teaching art classes. I love Pat’s generosity of spirit with regards to teaching. Michael deMeng wrote about this topic several years ago and with his permission, I share a portion of it:
I have absolutely no fear that someone is going to “steal” my style and run with it. Let them, but it won’t be my art. They may use my techniques but it will never be mine and anything I do will not be their’s. It is probable that other artists using certain techniques of mine will grow in directions that I would have never thought of. In some cases perhaps better. So be it! That is a good thing. If nothing else it keeps me motivated to stay on top of my game.
For a more recent take on this topic by Michael, check out his blog post, The Key to Finding Your Artistic Style, and his use of the martini as a metaphor.
I was introduced to oil and cold wax by my friends Katy and Nancy, who had taken a class from Allan Cox at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology several years ago. I was smitten and signed up for Allan’s workshop at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. I remember running out of prepped and gessoed boards during the four-day workshop (Allan’s process was to put three layers of gesso on our boards), so I found cut pieces of wood in the woodpile at the cabin where I was staying and prepped them using plaster. An idea was born: oil and cold wax on plaster; I’ve used this process ever since.
I then took a class on oil and cold wax from Judi Wise, who introduced me to Rebecca Crowell. I remember lingering over Rebecca’s excellent website, Oil and Wax: Resources for Cold Wax Painting, as Rebecca generously shares every single bit of information on painting with oil and cold wax. I decided I would like to share my experience with oil and cold wax and was invited to teach at a Salem studio. Because the art world is small, I contacted Judi Wise and asked if she would mind if I taught my version of oil and cold wax. Her reply: Yes, of course that would be terrific. No problem on my end; after all, I learned it from somebody, too.
When I teach my classes, I fold in techniques I learned from others, as well as techniques I’ve learned through hours and hours of my own experimentation. My trademark is laying down plaster in a way I learned years ago, then adding layers of oil and cold wax, tearing it away, and adding more layers. This is my style, my brand, my way of using the same materials as someone else. When I teach these processes, I share all my secrets, I give it away. And even with that, what others create will be different than what I teach or create.
I’ve been painting with my friend Cynthia Herron over the past year in preparation for a show in January/February, 2015. Our show, Ricochet, is based on us getting together and painting once a month using a different theme each month. We’ve been working in plaster, oil, and cold wax: our work looks nothing alike, even though we are using the exact same materials and painting the same theme.
In the end, it is all a great big web of generosity, sharing, exploration, experimentation, and evolution. I’m on my journey using all the techniques, skills, and inspiration I can gather together to make it my own.
I was invited by Kristina Trudell, a Washington artist I had met in a previous workshop, if I would be willing to teach my plaster/oil/cold wax class, Abstracted Play, either in Salem, Portland, or Washington. Since I have a daughter in Tacoma, I decided to make it a road trip. Of course, if I’m on an art road trip, it usually involves Tory Brokenshire. I invited Tory to join me, and she did the driving; we picked up two artists along the way and made the trip north last Friday afternoon.
The class was held at the home of Kathie Vezzani, who lives in Gig Harbor. Oh my. She prepared a wonderful space for the workshop and provided several gourmet meals. (Side note: Kathie arranges art trips around the world, so check out her blog and get on her mailing list for information on her upcoming trips.)
Friday night we prepared our boards with paint and plaster.
By morning, the plaster was dry and ready for sanding and more paint.
Before noon on Saturday, we were laying down layers of oil and cold wax.
The food Kathie prepared was delicious, and the weather was perfect.
Then back to it.
Saturday night we took a little road trip to the Key Peninsula for dinner at Leslie’s house. It was a magical and dream-like evening.
Sunday was our final day. A time to work on our pieces, resolve problems, start over, scrape back, scritch, scratch, and finally, lay out our pieces for show and tell.
What a great weekend. And this was our view on the drive home Sunday evening.
To teach or not to teach. I used to teach quite a bit, then I took a year and half hiatus to focus on my art. The time away from teaching allowed me to dedicate more time to creating my own style of painting, and I’m glad I temporarily stepped away from teaching. But I’ve been feeling the urge to teach again. I’ll be teaching a plaster, oil and cold wax class later this month in Gig Harbor to a closed, private, group of artists. I’ll also be teaching my Layers of Memory plaster class next May in southern California (details on that will be shared later). And I’m ready to begin teaching regularly in Salem.
My good art friend Tory and I recently leased studio space with a group of artists at Mission Mill (Willamette Heritage Center) and there are two common areas that will be available for offering classes. I’m in. But what to teach? That’s where I’m seeking input. For those who know me or have taken classes from me in the past, what would you like to see offered? If you don’t know me and have never had a class from me, what would interest you? Here are some ideas that I’ve been thinking about.
Layers of Memory
Working with plaster to create texture and interest.
Oil and Cold Wax: Abstracted Play
Creating abstract pieces using oil and cold wax.
Oil and Cold Wax with a Punch of Plaster
A combination of both the plaster workshop and then the addition of oil and cold wax workshop (this is how most of my pieces of are created).
Visual Journals
Building a journal from scratch, then incorporating visual journal techniques on the pages.
Visual Journal in a Deck
A couple years ago I created a visual journal using oversized flash cards. This class would go from prep to art on the gessoed cards, incorporating a variety of techniques and prompts.
Prayer Flags
I’ve just finished a summer of creating and overseeing the creation of prayer flags through my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project. This class would be basically a time to create a personal strand of prayer flags.
Art Dolls
Why not be a kid again. Paint and embellish a tall, skinny muslin Bendi doll.
Please let me know what class or classes you would be interested in and I’ll put together a schedule of classes. Contact me with your thoughts: dayna@daynajcollins.com/curele.
Is there something else you would like to see me teach? Let me know that, too.
I love to teach. I love to make art. Sometimes I can’t seem to make the two jive. If I’m teaching, it seems to gobble up so much of my available art time: devising classes, making samples, then proposing them; making lists of supplies for students to purchase, making lists of what I’ll provide and need to bring. Then there is the endless and constant promoting. I love providing a class packet with handouts, again time-consuming to create and assemble. When class time arrives, there are boxes of supplies to pack up and schlep to the site of the class, the reverse when the class is over, pack everything up, take it back to the studio and put it all away. Time. Such a valuable commodity.
I took off all of 2012 from teaching. I didn’t teach a single class and I didn’t offer any sessions of The Artist’s Way. Instead, I focused on creating art. It paid off. I had a solo show in Silverton at Lunaria Gallery in August of last year, and as a result, was invited to join the gallery as a member. I also had a solo show at Portland’s Guardino Gallery in March of this year, a dream come true.
As 2013 approached, I started thinking about teaching again. I decided to offer a 12-session of The Artist’s Way and it filled immediately. I was approached by The Art Department in downtown Salem about teaching a couple of classes and I came up with two: Layers of Memory (a plaster and painting class) and Oil and Cold Wax: Abstracted Play. The plaster class sold out immediately with a waiting list; I offered it again a couple of months later and again it sold out (with another waiting list). The oil and cold wax didn’t sell out, but since teaching it, I received many e-mails from people asking me when I would be teaching it again. I was contacted by The Art Department about teaching classes again over the next couple of semesters. I paused. I needed to decide if teaching was where I wanted to put my focus. I always come away from my classes energized and full of satisfaction. It is gratifying to share techniques and nurture others on their creative journey. But something was causing me to hesitate.
I chatted with my husband, a huge supporter of my art, whether teaching or creating. His preference has always been for me to concentrate on making art, not teaching it, but if I chose to teach, he’d be right there schlepping boxes for me. His advice was to back away from teaching and focus on making art.
I made the decision not to teach any more classes this year. I’ll most likely offer a 12-week session of The Artist’s Way again at the beginning of 2014 as that is a different type of offering, less about teaching and more guiding, facilitating, and nurturing.
I sometimes have pangs of regret about my decision. When I see someone else teaching what I had proposed or what I have been teaching, it causes me to second guess my decision. That’s why I’m writing this blog post. I thought if I revisited my decision, then shared it publicly, it would remind me why I made the decision I did. Right now, I’m focusing on a show I have in August at Lunaria. I’ve made a proposal to a favorite venue in Portland about a possible show in the future. And I would love to have another show at Guardino sometime in the future. I’m always looking for new opportunities to share my work. But to create a body of work, to explore and grow and express myself through my art, it means devoting lots of time in the studio.