Art Shows – Page 7 – Dayna J Collins

Magnetic Pull

New year. New month. New gallery. New show. All of this means I have been busily and happily painting in plaster, oil, and cold wax.

I wrote about my new gallery last month, sharing the happy news that I was joining with Tory Brokenshire and Bonnie Hull to be the new owner-artists of the Compass Gallery. Our January show, Magnetic Pull, represents what art is tugging at our hearts as we begin 2016. All three of us recently wrote briefly about our individual magnetic pulls. I thought it would be fun for me to share what all three of us wrote:

Bonnie Hull

A person who makes art experiences the magnetic pull of the creative urge every day. As she goes on with it, the methods and media change, overlap . . . . collide maybe. “Mark-making” has become the single thread on which my own art practice hangs and I’m in the midst of discovering the commonality of what mark-making really means across a spectrum of activity. In 2016 my idea is to continue examining the relation between drawing and quilt making.

Tory Brokenshire

Magnetic pull is more than just a thought, it is a reality for anyone who is passionate about anything they do. I’m pulled towards the human figure, drawing, sewing, or sculpting in clay. Teaching and sharing figurative sculpture has also become a very important part of my passion. I believe everyone can feel a little bit of that pull to create.

Dayna Collins

Texture. Intersections. Excavation. Layers. Marks. Lines. Words. Color. Scratching. Scritching. These are the things that have pulled at me for the past several years. During 2016, I am hoping to dig deeper, incorporating more marks, more lines, more layers. A year of more, seeing how far I can push the processes I love.

The newly formed Compass Gallery has a fresh show in January with a fun twist. Throughout the month, weekly Wednesday – Saturday, from 11 am – 3 pm, one of us will be in the gallery working on our art and available to chat about our process, inspiration, and techniques. The show, Magnetic Pull, runs January 11-February 3, 2016.

Throughout January, join us as we work on our art in the gallery from 11-3 on Wednesdays through Saturdays. Here is the schedule:

January 13-16 Bonnie Hull will be stitching and drawing (and she invites people to bring their own projects and join her).

January 20-23 Tory Brokenshire will be creating whimsical characters in polymer clay.

January 27-30 Dayna Collins will be painting with her favorite mediums on pre-plastered boards: oil, cold wax, and oil pigment sticks.

Here are photos of some of my new work that will be included in the show:

The exhibition begins January 11 and the artists will host a simple reception in the gallery on Thursday, January 14, 5:00-7:00 pm, as part of Art After Dark, when the second floor studios will be open and Max Marbles, bookbinder, will be in his first floor studio demonstrating a publishing technique. These events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view through February 3.

Compass Gallery Update

Pinch me. I never thought I would have the opportunity to band together with two artists I love and admire to form our own gallery, but that is exactly what has transpired. Back in October, I shared the news that a group of five artists had formed a new art gallery cooperative in Salem. We had decided we would give it a trial run from October through December to see if it was something we all wanted to do. Three decided not to go ahead with the gallery, but we gained a new member, leaving three of us with the gallery. Besides yours truly, I’ve partnered with Bonnie Hull and Tory Brokenshire and we’re signing the lease on the gallery space before the end of the year.

We are already plotting and scheming for upcoming shows. In January it will be the three of us hanging our own art, plus the added bonus of each of us spending a week in the gallery creating art and being available to visit and share our process, techniques, and inspiration.

Our January schedule is:

January 13-16 Bonnie Hull will be stitching and drawing (and she invites people to bring their own projects and join her).

January 20-23 Tory Brokenshire will be creating whimsical characters in polymer clay.

January 27-30 Dayna Collins will be painting with her favorite mediums: oil, cold wax, and oil pigment sticks.

The exhibition begins January 11 and the artists will host a simple reception in the gallery on Thursday, January 14, 5:00-7:00 pm, as part of The Art Studios at Mission Mill Art After Dark. The second floor studios will be open and Max Marbles, bookbinder, will be in his first floor studio demonstrating a publishing technique. These events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view through February 3.

If you want to follow along on our upcoming activities, we have a Facebook page. Click Compass Gallery Cooperative to head over there and click like. We also have a website, which we update with upcoming shows. Click HERE to be taken there.

A New Art Gallery in Salem

I have exciting news to share. There is a new art gallery in Salem and I’m one of the five founding artists. The gallery, located at the Willamette Heritage Center, borders downtown and is across the street from the Amtrak Station and Willamette University. A recent press release gives all of the pertinent information:

After a successful year at the Willamette Heritage Center (formerly Mission Mill Museum), Compass Gallery celebrates its first anniversary with a transition to a cooperative gallery under the auspices of the Art Studios at Mission Mill. The gallery will represent five artists who are members of the Art Studios: Dayna Collins, Bonnie Hull, Leonard Kelly, Kathy Shen and Rollie Wisbrock. The artists will curate monthly rotating exhibitions of their artwork in the gallery space. The first group exhibition opened to the public on October 1 and an opening reception is planned for Thursday, October 8 from 3:00-5:00 pm in the gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view through November 4.

On Thursday, four of us gathered to hang our first show.

For our first exhibit I created a new framed series of plaster, oil, and cold wax pieces.

"The Whisper of Truth," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “The Whisper of Truth,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"A Quiet Confidence," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “A Quiet Confidence,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"A Light Wind Pushed at the Lace Curtains," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “A Light Wind Pushed at the Lace Curtains,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"All Suffering Erased," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “All Suffering Erased,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"Forgetting is the Only Way Back," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “Forgetting is the Only Way Back,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"The Return of Memory," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “The Return of Memory,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"Beyond the Reach of Reality," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “Beyond the Reach of Reality,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

We are still figuring out shows and what direction we want to take the gallery, but we are going to let it evolve and morph over the next few months of experimentation.

Affordable Art For Everyone

Affordable Art for Everyone is a special buying event where more than 60 artists offer high-quality work for under $100. I am excited to share that I was invited to participate. Here is the information from their website:

The juried fine art and fine crafts will include paintings, ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, metalwork and photography. This is a unique opportunity to purchase quality art at outstanding prices. Frame Central will be onsite with custom and ready made framing options.

This sale will be held at NW Events in Hillsboro, Oregon, a spacious facility conveniently located off of Highway 26 at 2900 NW 229th Ave Hillsboro, OR 97124. The site is fully accessible and has restrooms and ample free parking. Admission is free!

To add even more fun to the day and showcase all kinds of artistry, the Affordable Art show will offer activities for the whole family, such as our Performing Arts Showcase. The Showcase will feature short performances on stage all day by stellar local acts including The Hillsboro Community Youth Choir and NW Dance Conservatory. Display tables in our Performing Arts Marketplace will offer visitors an opportunity to connect and check out what’s coming up in our region’s vibrant performing arts scene.

Family Activities on tap all day from Village Home Education Resource Center, Swallowtail School, Hillsboro Library, and the Artosaur. For food, there are simple snacks and water available for purchase in the kids’ activity room. In addition there will be food trucks in the front parking lot.

So what am I bringing? I am bringing several oil and cold wax pieces, ranging from 6×6 to 6×24 inches. To give you an idea of my pricing, my 6×6 inch $80 pieces will be $60, my 8×8 inch $150 pieces will be $75, my 11×14 inch $190 pieces will be $80, and my 6×24 inch $200 pieces will be $95.

I will be bringing a batch of my Curious Elements, some old and some new. They are regularly $15-$85 and I will have them priced at $5-$60.

A sampling of brand new pieces:

I am clearing out my last four Funky Junkyard Birds. They sell for $50 and I’ve marked them down to $20-$30.

I only have three of my Fearless Faces reproductions left, and instead of the original price of $80, I will be selling them for $20 each (they are about 16×20 inches).

I have four new framed acrylic and mixed media pieces. These will be $75-$90 each.

I have four tins of my Slightly Off Kilter Blocks, originally $45 a set, now $15 a set. These are oil and cold wax on wood blocks.

I have several prints of “Spotted With Crimson,” and I will be selling them for half price.

Finally, I’m bringing lots of greeting cards. Some are reproductions glued onto heavy duty, beautiful watercolor paper, and others are original pieces of art. All of them will be marked down from their original price.

Out of the Box and Over the Top

Lunaria Gallery in Silverton is celebrating their 20 year anniversary and as part of their celebration they are inviting former gallery members to participate in themed shows. I, along with Tory Brokenshire and Frank Lord, were invited to participate in their August show, Out of the Box and Over the Top. I wonder why they invited us to participate in this particular show (ha!).

The show is beautifully curated and is worth the trip to Silverton, but hurry, the show comes down on Monday, August 31st.

Tory and I were unable to attend the opening reception, but we made the short trip to Silverton last week to see the show for ourselves. We had both sold work, so there were a few holes, but it is always exciting to see red dots (or blank walls!). These are the two that have sold:

EVOKE: The Opening Reception

My show opened Thursday night at Guardino Gallery in NE Portland. It was a hot night, but that didn’t keep people away. There was a steady stream of friends and art lovers. No need for words, I’ll just share a series of photos from the evening.

EVOKE: The Hanging of the Show

As many of you know, I’ve been working on pieces of art for my upcoming show at Guardino Gallery on NE Alberta in Portland. I started work last October and finished the final piece last Monday. Wednesday was hanging day. My good friend Tory Brokenshire drove her van and helped with the hanging.

We arrived at 11:00 am and unloaded 31 pieces of art into the empty, white-walled Main Gallery. Donna is a master curator and directed us to take pieces here and there, auditioning the possibilities.

And then it was time to hang. Tory and Meg took over.

For the most part, they did an excellent job.

I acted as their assistant, handing them drills, tape measures, and screws, occasionally offering suggestions.

The 3-D artist, who is also in the Main Gallery with me, Tamae Frame, was able to place her beautiful sculptures once my paintings were hung. What a beautiful pairing.

I’m so grateful to Donna for the opportunity to have the show and to Tory for helping to get it hung.

Talking About Art

I was invited by photographer Joel Zak, to be interviewed on his Talking About Art show on radio station KMUZ. It happened today. I was a bit nervous, but not too much. I arrived at the studio right on time, but managed to go to the wrong door.

Joel set me straight.

I got settled into the sound booth. Is it called that?

And monkeyed around with the headphones.

Until they were just so (and my hair wasn’t too messed up!).

Phil was the sound engineer (I really don’t know the appropriate lingo for any of this), but he was more like the Wizard behind the curtain, only he was sitting right there in the room with us.

At 9:00 am, the iconic sign went on.

Joel made some art announcements for about five minutes.

And then it was my turn.

I must admit, it was kind of fun.

Here is a LINK to the interview.

Once you listen to the interview, you might be curious about the two pieces of art I mentioned. So I’ll go ahead and share them with you and do a little promotion for my upcoming show at Guardino Gallery in June. Here is the large 36×48 inch piece that represents transformation. The title is Singed By Fire and Light.

This next one I mention as being one of my favorites. It is 10×10 inches and is titled The Glow of Expectation.

Joel does his show, Talking About Art, the second and fourth Fridays of every month; his commentary and interviews are a great addition to the Salem art scene.

New Show: Entering the Final Stretch

The title has been chosen. EVOKE

Thank you everyone who responded as to whether I should title the show EVOKE or RESONATE.

The Artist Statement has been written.

It has been sent to Donna at Guardino Gallery.

The initial photos for publicity have been taken.

Thank you, Tory.

All that remains is to continue working.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in my studio.

And adding layers of paint.

I bought new paint over the weekend.

And then do a final coat of wax.

Not quite ready to do this.

And remember to sleep.

The opening reception will be Thursday, May 28, 6-9 pm. But I’ll write more about that when it gets a bit closer.

Eco Icon: Art About Environmentalism

A new show opens on Thursday, March 12, 2015 at Compass Gallery, located at the Willamette Heritage Center. The show, Eco Icon: Art About Environmentalism, opens with a reception on Thursday, 5-7 pm. From 5:30-6:15 pm there will be a panel discussion, Environmentalism Then & Now.

I was invited to submit a painting to this juried group show and I chose Aldo Leopold as my Eco Icon.

All entries had to be 10×10 inches, so I chose a board that I had already applied plaster and some initial layers of oil and cold wax. I did some research on Aldo Leopold and pulled out his book, A Sand County Almanac.

Here is what I wrote to accompany my submission:

Aldo Leopold is known as a fierce environmentalist and one of the foremost conservationists of our century, with a deep love and respect for the land. I have created an abstraction representing the restoration of natural habitats and man’s relationship to the land.

"Some Other Explanation" 10x10 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax — “Some Other Explanation”
10×10 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax

The show is hanging and it is beautiful.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

Aldo Leopold