Lunaria Gallery – Dayna J Collins

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:

Making Way

I’ve spent the past couple of days preparing. Preparing my studio space to begin a new series. Preparing mentally and emotionally what direction I want to go. Preparation involves cleaning and organizing to make physical space. It also means taking an inventory of the boards I have on hand, determining what I need to order. It means writing, lots of writing. Jotting down ideas, looking back at notes in my journal. It means figuring out what resonates with me. I usually begin with the title, and that informs where I go. Of course, where I go brings surprises and unexpected discoveries, but it is my road map of where to begin. No GPS in this process. My show is in July, so I have six months before I give birth.

P.S. I have a tentative title and theme, which I’m very excited about.

A New Batch of Funky Junkyard Birds

I just completed 17 (seventeen!) Funky Junkyard Birds! I started the new flock on Monday by auditioning body parts, wings, and legs, then began the arduous task of attaching the different and varied elements. Lots of raw materials go into making the birds, here’s a peek at some of the bits.

It felt so satisfying to finish up the gang this afternoon. Here’s the proud mama of her new flock:

My Funky Junkyard Birds will be flying off to Guardino Gallery in Portland, Lunaria Gallery in Silverton, and I’ll have a few available for sale from my studio. Here’s a sampling of my new birds.

Slightly Off Kilter: The Opening

My new show, Slightly Off Kilter, opened Friday night at Lunaria Gallery. I’m sharing the gallery show with Deborah Unger, who has carved figurative wood sculptures using paint and cloth to create quiet scenes, often with an underlying sense of unease. My portion of the show includes vibrant, textural paintings using oil and cold wax to create layers of luminosity and interesting intersections of lines. (I also have a few new Funky Junkyard Birds for sale and the SOK Blocks I wrote about a couple weeks ago.)

Onward with the opening . . . .

The opening on Friday night was part of Silverton’s regular First Friday event and the gallery was filled with a steady stream of friends and art lovers.

And from the street as the gallery was closing for the night.

Slightly Off Kilter: The Blocks

Somewhere along the way in preparing for my upcoming show at Lunaria Gallery, Slightly Off Kilter, I had the idea to paint blocks in a style similar to a couple of the big pieces I was painting. And then I had the idea to paint little blocks, circles, and other wood tidbits, using the colors I was using in my paintings for the show. The result was a series of colorful blocks designed for adults to stack and display. I made ten sets (one will be on display showing how they blocks can be mixed and matched). Each set comes in a clear bucket with a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Here’s a little photo chronology of the evolution of the SOK Blocks.

The show, Slightly Off Kilter, opens Friday, August 2nd, with an artist reception from 7-9 pm; the show runs through September 2nd. Lunaria Gallery is located in downtown Silverton, Oregon.

Slightly Off Kilter: The Show

I’m one of the featured artists in a new show at Lunaria Gallery in Silverton, Oregon., opening Friday, August 2nd. The artist reception is part of Silverton’s First Friday event, and runs from 7-9 pm on August 2nd. The show, Slightly Off Kilter, features my art along with the art of Deborah Unger. Here’s a little blurb from each of us about the show:

Deborah Unger: Figurative wood sculptures using paint and cloth to create quiet scenes, often with an underlying sense of unease.

Dayna Collins: Vibrant, textural paintings using oil and cold wax to create layers of luminosity and interesting intersecections of lines.

In addition to Deborah’s wood sculptures and my oil and cold wax paintings, I’ll have a selection of Funky Junkyard Birds and something new: Slightly Off Kilter Blocks.

The show runs through September 2nd.