Art Shows – Page 9 – Dayna J Collins

Scattered By the Wind: Final Post

My Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project has come to an end. I submitted my proposal to the Salem Art Association in March and in May learned that my project had been selected for Project Space. I did my first blog post about the project on May 27th, and then offered regular updates throughout the summer. I didn’t know what to expect when I started, but it sure took on a life of its own and exceeded any expectations. When I submitted my proposal, selling the flags wasn’t even part of the plan. One thing led to another, and three months later, the project has come to a close.

THE FINAL NUMBERS . . . . . .

Flags mailed or handed out: 165

Flags distributed at Project Space: 33

Total flags distributed in one way or another: 198

Received back from those distributed: 164

Flags created at Project Space venue: 116

Flag-making sessions: 6

First Wednesday events where flags were created: 2

Special flag-making sessions: 2

Made by me: 28

TOTAL FLAGS RECEIVED AND HUNG: 308

Flags sold through Facebook and at venues for $10 each: 169

Flags sold at other venues at reduced price of $5 each: 33

Special donations made to the project: $400

TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED FOR HILLCREST YOUTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY: $2,255.

The final piece was deciding what to do with the flags that did not sell – and there are still lots of beautiful flags. Several suggestions were made, everything from flying the flags outside to allow them to disintegrate in the wind, to tucking them away for selling in the future. I’ve decided to send them on their way to another project, a project that was inspired by this one. The flags will be going to SARC, where my daughter Amy works. Here’s information on how this project continues to be scattered by the wind.

The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) is a non-profit organization founded by two sexual assault survivors in 1977. SARC operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. SARC is funded through government grants, foundations, and private donations. Our mission is to promote social justice by eliminating sexual violence in our community through education, support and advocacy.

For the past five years SARC’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) program has worked diligently to meet the individual and systemic needs of sexually exploited youth in Multnomah and Washington Counties by providing a victim-centered approach through our 24-hour emergency response advocates and long-term support case managers. To date we have served over 450 unduplicated teens find safe and secure shelter, gain access to physical and mental health care services, procure clothing and hygiene supplies, re-establish educational plans, build job skills, and through the process build a community of caring and supportive individuals who help the youth move towards their dreams.

Flags are being sold for $10 each, with proceeds going to SARC’s CSEC Prevention Program, a program that works to end exploitation of children, before it begins.

Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour a Success

This past weekend was the Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour and it was a wonderful success. I blogged about my preparations for it in a post published last week, then this weekend was the event. I was ready.

Thank heavens my sister came to help both days! (So did my husband, but he was feeling camera shy.)

Then the visitors began to arrive. The first through the door were two friends from my Portland Art Collective group.

And then it was a steady stream of friends, acquaintances, and new friends. We captured a few in photos.

A huge hearty thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by, say hello, and buy some art!

Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour Returns

After a year hiatus, the Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour has returned. This is a self-guided public tour of local artist studios in Marion and Polk Counties. The tour is Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14, from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. More information is available about the tour on the website. There are 19 artist studios on the tour and the cost is only $5 for both days and all the studios. Tickets can be purchased at the Art Department, Bush Barn, and from all tour artists.

I participated in this event in both 2011 and 2012, both times when I was in my previous studio. For this event, you’ll have the opportunity to see my upstairs painting studio, my basement assemblage studio, and you’ll have the opportunity to buy art. I’ll have old as well as new oil and cold wax paintings, Funky Junkyard Birds, greetings cards, prints, reproductions of Fearless Faces, and dozens of new Curious Elements.

Limited edition giclee prints of this original oil and cold wax painting, "Spotted With Crimson," will be available for the first time. — Limited edition giclee prints of this original oil and cold wax painting, “Spotted With Crimson,” will be available for the first time.

In addition to all this art goodness, there will be one final opportunity to support my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project and purchase prayer flags at half price: only $5 each, with proceeds from the sale of the flags going to art programming at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility.

During the studio tour, I’m also having a studio SALE. Everything will be reduced in some way, with some things being marked down as much as 50%.

16x20 canvas reproductions of Fearless Faces, regularly $80, will be on sale for half price. Only $40 each. — 16×20 canvas reproductions of Fearless Faces, regularly $80, will be on sale for half price. Only $40 each.

Oil and cold wax block sets were $45, will be on sale for half price at $22.

I hope you’ll stop by my artful home on Saturday and Sunday and experience three floors of art. My sister will be on hand to greet you, serve you a snack and cold drink, and assist you with purchases. My husband will be in the basement to show you my downstairs found object and assemblage studio (be sure and have him open cabinets and drawers for you), and I’ll be upstairs to share my oil and cold wax painting process.

Questions? Contact me via e-mail: dayna@daynajcollins.com/curele.

PS I’m hoping to have a “Square” in place to take debit and credit cards, but cash is always preferred and appreciated.

Scattered By the Wind: Not Quite the Final Post

I was going to make this my final post and update on my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project, but flags are still flying and being sold. Last Wednesday was the final reception and it was a huge success. Over 300 flags were hanging at the Project Space venue; by the time the reception ended at 8:00 pm, we had sold a total of 50 flags, which, when added to the 107 that had previously sold, totals 157 sold flags. Generous people have also been donating cash to the project, and that money is still coming in. I’ll share the final results of the project in a couple of weeks. Finally, I’m happy to share that there are two more opportunities for people to purchase flags (details at the end of this post). For now, I want to share photos from the First Wednesday final reception at Project Space.

My excellent crew of helpers: Spencer, Debra, and Tory. Howard was also helping, probably on a ladder attaching a red dot!

Howard in his element, surrounded by women artists!

The past two days I’ve been sorting the sold flags, packaging them for personal delivery, or preparing them to mail.

The good news is there are two more opportunities to purchase flags. The first is this coming Sunday, September 7, 12-4 pm in downtown Salem. The Salem Art Association will have a booth at the Salem Sunday Streets event and the remaining Scattered By the Wind flags will be available there.

The other opportunity will be the weekend of September 13-14th, from 10-4, when my studio will be on the Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour. I’ll be posting details about that in my next post.

Scattered By the Wind: Coming to a Close

My Scattered By the Wind project is coming to a close. It started in June and the final reception will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 5-8 pm. I have tracked the progression of the project through several blog posts, which can be seen by working backwards beginning with my July 17th post. I have also posted photos of all the flags received and created on my Facebook page: Scattered By the Wind. Flags are due by next Tuesday and then on Wednesday night, we celebrate!

As to today, here are the numbers:

198 flags have been sent or given out

131 flags have been returned

116 flags have been created at Project Space venue

28 flags created by me

Total flags flying: 275!

104 flags have been sold

$1,295 has been raised through the sale of flags and through donations made to the project

The final reception and celebration will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 5-8 pm, at the Project Space venue located in downtown Salem on the second floor of Liberty Plaza at 285 Liberty Street NE. Flags will be available for viewing and purchase ($10 each). All flags purchased will be released at 8:00 pm. Flags will also be available for pick up on Thursday, September 4th, from 11-1.

Scattered By the Wind: July Update

I have hardly had time to do an update on my Scattered By the Wind prayer flag project. In a nutshell, anyone can make a flag, which is then hung in downtown Salem at the Salem Art Association’s Project Space venue. Flags are for sale for $10 each, with proceeds going to art programming at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility. For more information on all of this, please check out my previous posts.

May 27, my initial post about the project

June 15, an update on the project

June 24, the idea to sell the flags

All three of these posts were done before I was even set up in my area at the Project Space venue in downtown Salem. Since getting set up, I have hosted a First Wednesday, two community flag making days (four more to go), and received dozens of flags. That’s what this post is all about. Here is what it looked like as I was moving in the first of July.

Then the fun began. The public was invited to make flags in July during the First Wednesday art walk and reception.

Even the City of Salem mayor stopped by and was captivated by my project.

I’ve hosted two community flag days. Here’s a look at the first, where so many great flags were created (and sampling of a few flags).

Then, last Thursday, a second community flag-making day (and again, just a sampling of the flags that were created).

To see all of the flags and more photos as the project progresses, please visit my Facebook page: Scattered By the Wind. Flags can be purchased by getting in touch with me to make payment and pick up arrangements.

Oh, I almost forgot. The most recent statistics for the project. Here they are:

Flags sent or given out: 177

Flags received back: 59

Flags hanging: 114

Flags sold: 47

There is still time to make a flag! They aren’t due back until the end of August, so shoot me an e-mail if you would like to participate: dayna@daynajcollins.com/curele.

Walkabout: Paths, Journeys & Destinations: The Opening

Last Friday was the opening of the Salem Art Association Radius 25 show, a show for established and emerging artists living with a 25-mile radius of Salem. The theme for the show was Walkabout: Paths, Journeys & Destinations, with creative interpretations of this theme encouraged. I wrote about my pieces and how I chose to interpret the theme in a previous blog post. You can see it by clicking here.

I didn’t take many photos, but here are a couple.

Me with Cameron Kaseberg, the guest juror for the show.

With fellow artist and friend, Julie Jeanseau (and her adorable daughter).

The reception was so crowded and I did so much visiting, that I never got to see the entire show. I want to go back when I have time to enjoy all of the wonderful art. The exhibit, at Bush Barn in Salem, is up through Friday, August 29.

The Journey Home

The Journey Home. My three paintings were accepted into Salem Art Association’s annual Radius 25 show, a show open to established and emerging adult artists living or working with a 25-mile radius of Salem. The theme for this year’s show is Walkabout: Paths, Journeys & Destinations. I immediately knew that my theme would be The Journey Home, the journey home for my dad, who died May 17.

I decided to use a previous painting (that my mother has hanging in her kitchen) as my inspiration. Here’s a page from my working art journal.

We were asked to write a process statement, describing our process and subject matter. Here is what I submitted:

My three Journey Home pieces were created by painting cradled wood panels with acrylic paint, applying a layer of plaster for texture and interest, sanding, scraping, then staining the plaster with watered down acrylic paint. All of this was in preparation for painting, which I did using a mixture of oil and cold wax applied with a putty knife. The subject matter is a further exploration of working in layers and its relationship to memory, something I began experimenting with over and year ago in response to my father’s descent into dementia. My dad lost his battle with Alzheimer’s just a few weeks ago and these pieces were created in response to his death.

Lots of layers and contemplation went into these three pieces.

The finished pieces.

"The Journey Home: Without a Pang of Remorse," 18x18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel. — “The Journey Home: Without a Pang of Remorse,” 18×18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel.

"The Journey Home: Caught in an Undertow," 18x18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel. — “The Journey Home: Caught in an Undertow,” 18×18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel.

"The Journey Home: The Ease of Slumber," 18x18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel. — “The Journey Home: The Ease of Slumber,” 18×18 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax, on cradled panel.

The show runs from Friday, July 11 through Friday, August 29, at Bush Barn in Salem, Oregon.

RIP Dad

Last year, I had a show at Guardino Gallery in Portland. The title was Beneath the Surface: Searching For Memory and the show was inspired by my dad’s battle with Alzheimer’s. My dad lost that battle on Saturday night.

As I sat with my dad on Saturday, I reflected on what a great dad he had been. He was silly, generous, funny, out-going, and at times tender and sentimental. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2009, so he fought through the haze for five years. I thought in a tribute to him, I would post a few of the paintings I did for the show since their titles reflect what he was experiencing.

Creating Memories That Won't Be Remembered — Creating Memories That Won’t Be Remembered

And finally, because it was one of his favorite songs:

Warren “Lefty” Davidson

May 24, 1931-May 17, 2014

Art at the State Capitol

"Hideout" Oil and cold wax 16x20 — “Hideout”
Oil and cold wax
16×20

Just a nice leisurely walk from my house is the Oregon State Capitol. Today I leisurely walked to the capitol to see a piece of my art that is on display. I’m a member of Artists in Action, who put out a call for art to be on display the week of March 3rd – one week only. My art was accepted and is now hanging in the lobby of the capitol.