I blogged recently about the seven pieces of art I created for Guardino Gallery’s 7th annual Day of the Dead Show. The art got hung and Thursday night was Last Thursday on Alberta, a monthly street party on a very cool street in NE Portland. It is also the night that Guardino Gallery hosts their art opening for the featured artists. This year I decided it would be fun to join the party in a different way: by dressing up in a Day of the Dead Costume. Warning: the only art you’ll see in this post is face make up, costumes, and a little incidental wall art.
I’m taking an on-line class, the second time I’ve done this. Although I love the in-person classroom experience, I must admit, these on-line classes are a pretty cool way to: 1) take an art class from anywhere, 2) experiment with new techniques and ideas, 3) connect with new members of the art community, and 4) build a new body of work.
The class I’m currently taking is from Jane Davies, an artist I have followed for a long time and last AprilI had the privilege of taking a class from at Art and Soul in Kansas City, Missouri (here’s a link to the blog post I did about Jane’s class – just click here). I’ve had friends take some of Jane’s on-line classes and they raved about the experience (and how much they learned). So I jumped in and registered for Keys to Dynamic Composition. I’ve completed week 1 (of six).Take a look at Jane’s website and blog to see her amazing work.
Our first lesson in creating a dynamic composition had to do with using variety of size and repetition with a limited color palette (yikes, that was difficult for me!) and only squares and rectangles. Here is my Pink Series from our first exercise.
For our second exercise, we had to again use a limited color palette, squares and rectangles, but we got to add one shape of our choice. I was much happier with being able to mix it up a bit. I give you my Blue Series.
I’ve already read Lesson 2 and watched the accompanying videos and I can’t wait to get started with a new series. Stay tuned for my next post about the process and my finished work.
Guardino Gallery is celebrating the 7th annual Day of the Deadgroup show October 31- November 24. Opening Festivities are on Halloween from 6-9 pm and will include spirits in costume, revelry, merriment, glowing alters, live music, and face painting. A ton of cool artists are participating and I was invited to be one of the artists. I created seven Curious Elements for the show.
Unfinished BusinessRest in PeaceRed CrossReynaldoConcerning DeathBuried MemoriesA Lock of Mother’s Hair
About a year ago, I was on a big trip out of the country when I received an e-mail form Seth inviting me to be a Spotlight Artist in his new book that was in the works (check out his first book, The Pulse of Mixed Media). It didn’t take me long to say “yes.” The yes involved answering a series of art-related questions and creating two new pieces of art using specific prompts as my inspiration and direction. I was sworn to secrecy about the art and the questions. Until now.
“What Came Before” in response to the prompt “Below the Surface”
Seth is featuring all of the Spotlight Artists on his blog during the month of October, calling it 30 Artists/30 Days. Visit Seth’s blog at The Altered Page and go to his October 6th post to read what Seth wrote about me. Check in every day this month and you’ll get to meet 30 great artists. And the best part is that if you leave a comment on Seth’s blog, you have the opportunity to win a copy of Seth’s new book (three chances!).
But let me back up. I don’t even remember when I first became aware of Seth. I began reading his blog and leaving comments several years ago. I remember being impressed because Seth would often write back with a personal thank you for the comment I left. Then I entered a drawing fora copy of one of his early publications, The Pulse, and won!We became acquainted with this online give and go and I was always struck by how personable Seth was, not to mention I was attracted to his art because he incorporated lots of texture, layers, and rusty bits. All of which are my favorite things.
Then came the invitation to be part of his second book, The Mixed Media Artist. I answered the series of questions (there were a LOT), which wasfun. Here’s one example.
Name four things on your studio table:
1) My well-loved, paint spattered wooden handled awl; it is coveted by my art friends.
2) A soy latte.
3) Palette knife.
4) Black beautician’s gloves to protect my hands.
When I was working on the art for Seth’s book, I was in this studio, a separate little house I had turned into my studio:
Me at Alley Art Studio before I moved my studio home. I’m working on my piece for Seth’s book.
And then we moved and I moved my studio home to this new space:
My clean and tidy (and very lonely) new studio
Last December, around the time that everything for the book was becoming due, I went to New York for a week and made arrangements to meet up with Seth. It was such a thrill to finally meet my friend in person after so much online communication. We met up at a coffee shop and had fun chatting (and Seth shared a bit about the progress on the book). I took Seth an 8×8 piece of art as a little gift.
Meeting in person for the first time!
Then in May of this year, Seth was on a whirlwind teaching trip in the northwest and landed in Portland. We made arrangements to get together again for a meal, but also for some junking and antiquing at some of my favorite places in Portland. My husband joined us for the afternoon, and Howard commented several times what a wonderful guy Seth is – so personable, so warm, such a great conversationalist (and he likes baseball).
Seth and Dayna at The Rebuilding Center in PortlandSeth at Paxton Gate on N. MIssissippi in PortlandSeth and Howard outside Portland Hardware.
If you’ve read this far, I’d like to share some photos of recent pieces of art I have created. All of these are 8×8, plaster, oil and cold wax on a cradled wood substrate.
“You Wander Far and Return”“A More Powerful Language”“The Silence of the Morning”“Ancient Wisdom”“In the Open Field”
Finally, I’ll share my self-portrait. This was created for Seth’s book when we were asked to create a twist on a self-portrait; I chose the prompt: My Shadow Side.
Thanks, Seth, for being so generous, honest, creative, inspiring, and for bringing like-minded artists together. I am honored to be a member of your tribe.
PS: The Mix Media Artist comes out this month! You can have a peek inside and pre-order by going to Amazon.
I’ve just returned from spending four days with my Salem Art Group at a cabin in the woods along the Metolius River. We left on Thursday morning — I took a small suitcase with clothes, a big suitcase with art supplies, my espresso machine, some food, my art journal, and a half case of kombucha.
Arrived. A sweet cabin located on US Forest Service land.
The view from my corner bedroom.
Everyone worked on their own projects. Tory won the award for most versatile, especially when she whipped out her harmonica and started playing a blues tune.
The rest of the gang: Nancy, Katy (it was her cabin), and Kathy in the photos below (and Joanna, who was inside the cabin with her sewing machine). A lot of oil and cold wax was being spread . . . . and even a little gelli plate action.
We had a visit from a Forest Service Ranger who was looking for a water line using a water witching technique with two pieces of a wire coat hanger. Of course, we had to give it a try.
I worked on several projects: oil and cold wax on 8×8 and 6×6 cradled wood boards and I also did some acrylics on watercolor paper for making cards. (I finished the cards, but not the boards.)
It wasn’t all art all the time. On Saturday, we walked to the headwaters of the Metolius River and then to Jack Creek.
Just what I needed. Several days of making art, laughing, eating healthy, going on daily walks, and getting plenty of sleep.
I’m home from a five-day intensive workshop with Robert Burridge. The workshop, Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage, was held in Bend and as Bob so aptly said: We will be covering five years of art school in five days. We sort of did, at least the Cliff’s Notes version.
Over the course of the five days, I took 22 pages of notes and Bob gave us multiple handouts. During the first two days of class when Bob was delivering oodles and oodles of general information, I felt conflicted with wanting to get going with painting. We painted a bit on the first day, but I figured we would be painting more on the second day. Well, we did paint more, but still not all that much. I was torn between wanting to sit at the feet of Bob and absorb all that he was so generously sharing about his 22 years of daily painting, and wanting to get my hands dirty. I finally came to the conclusion that what Bob was giving us was invaluable information and I would have plenty of time to paint when I got home. Of course, we did paint during the week and more as the week went on, but the information I collected is priceless. I’ve already gone over my notes twice, circling, marking them up, and making notes for artists to investigate, books to read, and changes I want to make in my studio. Did I mention that Bob is funny? Hilarious. I was continually writing down Bobisms –pithy little sayings. No topic was off limits, making it an entertaining and rich week. For sure you’ll want to check out his website: Robert Burridge Studio
I won’t share the details of what we learned because that’s Bob’s information to share. But I will skim the surface with a listing of some of the many topics he covered just to give you an idea of the magnitude of this class. The following list is in order and then again, in no particular order, because sometimes he circled back.
Risk-taking/working in series/learning to paint our own stuff/painting materials-traditional and irreverent/gessoes/paints/glues/varnishes/Citra-Solv/rubbing alcohol/paper/substrates/panels-mats-frames/copyright/color theory/developing concepts/structure-composition/warm-ups/texture/contrast/production/gray scales/value/drawing/figures/negative space painting/inspiration/artists & writers/landscape styles/naming and signing paintings/marketing/creating a body of work/galleries and festivals/themes/concepts/shape-size-color/pros & cons of making prints/commissions/photographing art work/inventory/resume-bios-artist statements/drip trees/pricing/shadows/travelling with art supplies.
We did paint and I’ll share photos from my week. In order and not in order. Bob gave us warm-up exercises and assignments during the first few days, then left us to do whatever we wanted while he circulated or worked on paintings himself. We could paint, we could watch him paint. It was all pretty great. One of my best painting classes ever – and I’ve had some great teachers.
We started with black and white then graduated to color.
I finished a few, and I’m still dabbling with several. Here’s a teeny tiny taste of the workI did during the week, some finished, some in process.
I was working on some new concepts and ideas and it was great fun to experiment.
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.
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.
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.
For the past five years, I’ve made an annual pilgrimage to the Oregon College of Art and Craft to study and work with Patricia Wheeler. The class is called Painting From the Intuitive and it is five days of painting, plastering, sanding, painting, scratching, scritching, staining, and waxing on wood panels. Since first learning this process, I’ve gone on to add layers of oil and cold wax to the plastered and painted boards, but for the first week of June, it was all about the plaster and acrylic stains. Here’s my week in photos, ending with a stack of boards ready for me to begin the arduous task of adding layers and layers of oil and cold wax. Let the games begin.
PS An added bonus is getting to spend time with my friends Stephanie Brockway and Jason Berlin. I met Stephanie is Pat’s class five years ago and our friendship took root. I met Jason last year in Pat’s class and we’ve been friends ever since. Pat’s class seems to be a good place to make friends.
I blogged recently about the seven pieces of art I created for Guardino Gallery’s 7th annual Day of the Dead Show. The art got hung and Thursday night was Last Thursday on Alberta, a monthly street party on a very cool street in NE Portland. It is also the night that Guardino Gallery hosts their art opening for the featured artists. This year I decided it would be fun to join the party in a different way: by dressing up in a Day of the Dead Costume. Warning: the only art you’ll see in this post is face make up, costumes, and a little incidental wall art.
