Plaster – Page 3 – Dayna J Collins

A New Art Gallery in Salem

I have exciting news to share. There is a new art gallery in Salem and I’m one of the five founding artists. The gallery, located at the Willamette Heritage Center, borders downtown and is across the street from the Amtrak Station and Willamette University. A recent press release gives all of the pertinent information:

After a successful year at the Willamette Heritage Center (formerly Mission Mill Museum), Compass Gallery celebrates its first anniversary with a transition to a cooperative gallery under the auspices of the Art Studios at Mission Mill. The gallery will represent five artists who are members of the Art Studios: Dayna Collins, Bonnie Hull, Leonard Kelly, Kathy Shen and Rollie Wisbrock. The artists will curate monthly rotating exhibitions of their artwork in the gallery space. The first group exhibition opened to the public on October 1 and an opening reception is planned for Thursday, October 8 from 3:00-5:00 pm in the gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view through November 4.

On Thursday, four of us gathered to hang our first show.

For our first exhibit I created a new framed series of plaster, oil, and cold wax pieces.

"The Whisper of Truth," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “The Whisper of Truth,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"A Quiet Confidence," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “A Quiet Confidence,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"A Light Wind Pushed at the Lace Curtains," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “A Light Wind Pushed at the Lace Curtains,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"All Suffering Erased," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “All Suffering Erased,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"Forgetting is the Only Way Back," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “Forgetting is the Only Way Back,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"The Return of Memory," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “The Return of Memory,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

"Beyond the Reach of Reality," 8x8 framed to 12x12, plaster, oil, and cold wax. — “Beyond the Reach of Reality,” 8×8 framed to 12×12, plaster, oil, and cold wax.

We are still figuring out shows and what direction we want to take the gallery, but we are going to let it evolve and morph over the next few months of experimentation.

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:

Abstracted Play: Creating With Plaster, Oil, and Cold Wax

I’m just home from teaching a three-day workshop in Portland at Stacey Mattraw’s imaginative, magical studio, Arcangelo Productions, in North Portland.

Our three-day workshop actually started on Thursday evening when Stacey hosted a get together so everyone could meet and get their painting supplies set up.

Friday morning, we began our three-day marathon. We spent most of Friday preparing our boards, adding paint, plaster, and more paint, so that when we started to layer oil and cold wax, we would already have a nice layer of texture to respond to.

By the end of the first day we were already applying layers of oil and cold wax.

On Day Two it was oil and cold wax ALL DAY LONG.

Of course, breaks were taken.

On Day Three we gave each other feedback on some of the art in progress, painted, then ended the day with a walkabout.

And then we collapsed!

It was a great group of artists, so full of enthusiasm, energy, and talent — and they all worked so hard. Most of the ladies had traveled quite a distance to attend: Bellingham, the San Juan Islands, Alaska, California, as well as Portland and Silverton.

A sampling of their beautiful work . . . .

EVOKE: The Opening Reception

My show opened Thursday night at Guardino Gallery in NE Portland. It was a hot night, but that didn’t keep people away. There was a steady stream of friends and art lovers. No need for words, I’ll just share a series of photos from the evening.

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.

Road Trip! Teaching in San Diego

I was invited by the San Diego Book Arts to teach my plaster and acrylic class, Layers of Memory. It seemed so long ago that we scheduled a date, signed the contract, and made arrangements for travel. And before I knew it, I was packing four large suitcases with art supplies, handouts, and 34 pre-painted and plastered cradled boards.

I was also invited to give an artist talk on the Friday night before the class began. I gulped big and said yes. The art talk was held at the La Jolla Athenaeum, a beautiful facility.

I arrived early to get everything set up, and thank heavens my husband was along to take care of the technical side of getting the laptop connected to the projector.

A small group attended my talk, but I think it went well.

Saturday morning arrived and I made my way to Miramar College in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego, where we had a nice, spacious room on the second floor with plenty of room to spread out.

After a quick introduction to the class and the first of several demos, the ladies were off and running, getting their boards ready for plaster.

Before lunch on Saturday, plaster had been applied, and by afternoon, they were sanding and applying layers of acrylic paint, adding texture, drawing, and making marks. It was a hive of happy activity.

On Sunday, after a review of processes from the day before, and a few demos of new techniques, the ladies were once again off and running, making the most of every minute they had available to them.

At the end of the workshop, after everyone had cleaned up their supplies, we had a walkabout, where everyone could take photos; then everyone shared about the work they created.

Here is a sampling of the fantastic work created by these talented, creative, generous women:

Thank you, San Diego Book Arts! It was so much fun and very energizing.

Curious About Oil and Cold Wax?

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching my Plaster, Oil, and Cold Wax: Abstracted Play class in August. It will be held at the wonderful studio of Stacey Mattraw, Arcangelo Productions, located in a hip, diverse, funky area of North Portland.

The class will be held Friday-Sunday, August 14-16, 10 am-5 pm every day.

The first day we’ll be painting our boards and applying plaster and by Friday afternoon we’ll be learning oil and cold wax techniques (I provide you with a pre plastered board so we don’t waste a minute of our precious time.)

On Saturday morning, we’ll sand our plastered boards.

And quickly seal them with acrylic paint.

By Saturday afternoon, we’ll be applying layers and layers of luminous, buttery, oil and cold wax.

I’ll be sharing lots of techniques throughout the weekend on how to add interesting texture, add text, scrape back, and so much more.

As an added special bonus, on Thursday evening, 5-6:30 pm, we’ll meet at Arcangelo Productions for a pre-workshop gathering hosted by Stacey. We’ll have snacks and drinks and get to know each other in advance of the class beginning on Friday morning. We have also scheduled a field trip to Collage, a delightful, and full-to-the-brim art supply store on NE Alberta, where Maria is offering a 10% discount on all purchases.

The cost of the three-day class (with some supplies included) is $375. A $100 deposit holds your space, with the balance due on July 14, 2015. If you are interested, please contact me: dayna@alleyartstudio.com and I’ll e-mail detailed information about what supplies are included, what you need to bring, and my refund policy. Also, if you’re coming from out of town, I can send you information on places to stay in the surrounding area.

The maximum number of students will be 12 and five spaces are available as of this posting.

Me teaching the Abstracted Play class in Gig Harbor, WA

If you’d like to see photos from previous classes, here are two links. Number one and number two.

And I’ll leave you with a few more samples of my plaster, oil, and cold wax pieces.

"The Journey Home: The Ease of Slumber" Venetian plaster, oil, cold wax — “The Journey Home: The Ease of Slumber”
Venetian plaster, oil, cold wax

"Insatiably Curious" 16x16, plaster, oil, and cold wax — “Insatiably Curious”
16×16, plaster, oil, and cold wax

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.

Eco Icon: Art About Environmentalism

A new show opens on Thursday, March 12, 2015 at Compass Gallery, located at the Willamette Heritage Center. The show, Eco Icon: Art About Environmentalism, opens with a reception on Thursday, 5-7 pm. From 5:30-6:15 pm there will be a panel discussion, Environmentalism Then & Now.

I was invited to submit a painting to this juried group show and I chose Aldo Leopold as my Eco Icon.

All entries had to be 10×10 inches, so I chose a board that I had already applied plaster and some initial layers of oil and cold wax. I did some research on Aldo Leopold and pulled out his book, A Sand County Almanac.

Here is what I wrote to accompany my submission:

Aldo Leopold is known as a fierce environmentalist and one of the foremost conservationists of our century, with a deep love and respect for the land. I have created an abstraction representing the restoration of natural habitats and man’s relationship to the land.

"Some Other Explanation" 10x10 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax — “Some Other Explanation”
10×10 inches, plaster, oil, and cold wax

The show is hanging and it is beautiful.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

Aldo Leopold

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.