Art Shows – Page 10 – Dayna J Collins

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.

Day of the Dead – Guardino Gallery Style

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.

The Make Up

Photo Op

Cast of Characters

The Party

Home

Day of the Dead Portland Style

Guardino Gallery is celebrating the 7th annual Day of the Dead group 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.

A Lock of Mother's Hair — A Lock of Mother’s Hair

The whole line up:

Day of the Dead 2013 Curious Elements — Day of the Dead 2013
Curious Elements

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.