Guardino Gallery – Page 3 – Dayna J Collins

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.

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.

Work Continues . . . . after a brief pause

Being sick is no fun. Here is what I’ve been working on after about a three week hiatus. I battled pneumonia for most of February, and although I wanted to get back to painting, my body screamed NO. But I’m back on an abbreviated schedule, hoping to ramp up my time as I continue to mend.

I’ve been working on about 27 boards ranging in size from 8×8 inches up to 36×48 inches, all in plaster, oil, and cold wax. During each painting session, I work on several boards (not all 27!), adding swaths of paint, scraping it away, scratching into the paint with my awl, blotting paint from one board to another, adding marks using graphite pencils. and drawing with oil paint sticks.

Slowly my boards are beginning to take on a personality, a unique identity. As I wrote in my journal this morning, my hope is that each painting will evoke a feeling of intrigue, mystery, and curiosity. They aren’t there yet, but as I often tell my students: It’s just a layer.

This series of paintings is for my June show at Guardino Gallery on NE Alberta in Portland. My work will be in the Main Gallery, so I have a fairly sophisticated schematic in place to fill the many walls. This afternoon, my big paintings got some attention.

I recently acquired this three-tier, light weight cart. I painted it red and put it to use as a place to put my palette; it is easily maneuverable so I can take my palette to the boards all around my studio.

I also worked on my smallest boards. Here is a peek at sections from six in various stages of layers and completion.

Tomorrow, I’ll be adding more layers and marks. At the end of my painting session today, this is how one of my 30×30 inch boards looked; it started out as something entirely different.

And then it was time to end. A final look into the studio from two different doors.

Working Big, Really Big

I’ve begun applying oil and cold wax to my biggest boards ever, 36×48, and let me tell you, it is a vigorous workout covering so much territory.

This board’s theme is transformation and is for an upcoming show. And that’s all I’ll say for now.

Behind the Scenes . . . . of a new show!

My current show with Cynthia Herron, Ricochet, was hung last Tuesday and our opening reception was Saturday, but I’ve already been working on pieces for my next show so I thought I would give a peek inside my world of board prep.

I picked up my order of boards from Matt in Portland last October, then during November and into December I painted all of them, applied plaster, sanded, and sealed. I’ve already started to apply oil and cold wax to several, but for this post, I’ll leave it at the prep. And I’ll save the information about the show for a later post as well. It’s all very exciting.

Picking up my boards from Matt's workshop in Portland — Picking up my boards from Matt’s workshop in Portland

Preparing to stain the plaster with acrylic

I whipped up lots of fun colors to seal the plaster

Okay, a little hint: Guardino Gallery.

Upcoming Art Shows and Sales

I’ve been invited to participate in two upcoming shows. The first is at Guardino Gallery in Portland, Little Things 14. This is a group show where all the pieces are 7×7 inches or smaller. I have 12 little plaster, oil, and cold wax paintings in the show. The opening reception is Thursday, November 28, 6-9 pm, and the show runs through December 28th.

The other show I’m a part of is the Left Coast Artist Collective Artful Gift Sale. It will be held for two days, Friday, December 5 (10 am – 8 pm) and Saturday, December 6 (9 am – 5 pm). This event will be held in the gym at the Multnomah Arts Center (7688 SW Capitol Highway in Portland). There will be jewelry, photography, glass art, paintings, book arts, fiber, and mixed media arts. I will be selling paintings, Funky Junkyard Birds, Curious Elements, and a big assortment of cards.

If you are looking for gifts or something fun for yourself, both of these events will have a great assortment of art by local artists.

Opportunities: To see art, buy art, take a class, tour studios

An opportunity to buy art

Emerald Pointe Christmas Bazaar

1125 McGee Court NE

Keizer, Oregon

Thursday, November 13, 2014

10:00 am-2:00 pm

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

Opportunity to see a show

"Fairy Tales & Poetry" — “Fairy Tales & Poetry”

Group Dynamics

Salem Art Group

The Art Department

254 Commercial Street S.E.

Salem, Oregon

Opening reception is Wednesday, November 5, 2014

5:00-7:00 pm

Day of the Dead – 8th Annual Group Show

Outside Guardino Gallery looking into the Feature Area.

Last Thursday night was Guardino Gallery’s 8th Annual Day of the Dead opening reception. Attending Last Thursday on Alberta is always fun, but Guardino’s openings are even better, especially when the guests dress up in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos.

I created several assemblage pieces for the show.

"A Steady Quiet Routine" — “A Steady Quiet Routine”

"Casual Indifference" — “Casual Indifference”

"Writing Down Numbers" — “Writing Down Numbers”

"It Belonged To a Stranger" — “It Belonged To a Stranger”

"Waiting For An Excuse" — “Waiting For An Excuse”

The show runs through October 26. Guardino Gallery is located at 2939 NE Alberta in Portland, OR.

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

It Takes Courage

It takes courage to cover up a completed painting, but it’s something I have learned to do. The question is why do I do it. In one instance, it was because of a technical problem: the black paint wasn’t drying and when I went to put on the final coat of cold wax, it began lifting the paint and the painting was ruined. That board was put into the pile of available boards for use in the future.

"Searching For His Lost Life," formerly a painting. — “Searching For His Lost Life,” formerly a painting.

Searching For His Lost Life became Where the Road Ends.

"Where the Road Ends, 24x24 plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel. — “Where the Road Ends, 24×24 plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel.

This piece made it into my Slightly Off Kilter show last year, but when the show came down, I realized I wasn’t in love with the painting, so once again, it went into the available boards pile. I recently completed yet another painting, Something More Was Required. Yes, something more was required and I think that painting has come full circle. With the initial layer of plaster and multiple layers of oil and cold wax, this 24×24 piece is getting pretty heavy. From Searching For His Lost Life, to Where the Road Ends, it is now Something More Was Required.

"Something More Was Required," 24x24 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel. — “Something More Was Required,” 24×24 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel.

Another recent transformation came when I took an 8×8-inch piece, To the Center of Silence, and transformed it into A Dark Curtain Against the Sky. I liked the original well enough, but it was a bit too yellow and wasn’t dynamic enough.

"To the Center of Silence," 8x8 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel. — “To the Center of Silence,” 8×8 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel.

"A Dark Curtain Against the Sky," 8x8 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel. — “A Dark Curtain Against the Sky,” 8×8 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel.

Then there was Beachcombing. I loved the little niche filled with treasures, but it read a bit too precious. And the colors were a bit jarring.

"Beachcombing," 24x24, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled board with niche. — “Beachcombing,” 24×24, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled board with niche.

So, I scrapped and dug out the found objects and sea shells, sanded the board, and transformed it into Things Still Remembered.I haven’t filled the niche yet as that takes a whole different level of creativity. What is tucked into a niche is very powerful.

"Things Still Remembered," 24x24, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel (with niche). — “Things Still Remembered,” 24×24, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel (with niche).

Finally, one more example. I did a couple of pages in my art journal, which I liked and thought would translate nicely into a painting.

So I loosely painted it onto a 30×30-inch cradled panel (after painting over another painting I had been working on for awhile – look at the big panel behind me in the first photo of this post – that’s what was on the board before I took the journal page and painted it onto the panel). It sat for a long time and I thought I liked it. In fact, it was ready to go to the gallery.

On the easel, thinking it was about complete.

But something was niggling at me, so I took it back into my studio and began revamping it. It became something entirely different.

And then I kept going.

And going.

Detail from a "Stoking a Small Steady Flame." — Detail from a “Stoking a Small Steady Flame.”

And going.

"Stoking a Small Steady Flame, 30x30 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel. — “Stoking a Small Steady Flame, 30×30 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax on cradled panel.

Stoking A Small Steady Flame was born and now hangs at Guardino Gallery in Portland.