Artist Profile: Katie Hovis of Whimsy

Katie Hovis of Whimsy has a great selection of her gorgeous necklaces, bracelets and earrings. If you are still looking for just the right Christmas gift, come by and take a look at her jewelry. We like to share info on our artists and what inspires their work and process. In her own words, here is Katie’s story.

“Whimsy is my own line of unique, hand crafted wire and gemstone jewelry.  I use hard to find semi-precious gems, natural jaspers and agates and combine them with hand forged sterling silver and 14k gold fill components — each piece is bound together with fine wire like an intricately woven tapestry — my process is akin to assembling a puzzle:  I start with various basic shapes, pick out my stones and move them around until they fit perfectly together, adding texture and other details as I see fit.  I use only “cold connection” methods, meticulously wrapping each little piece with my hands and an occasional set of pliers, using my trusty hammer to strengthen and shape the thicker metals.  No torches, heat or treatments (aside from oxidization for a dark sheen on the silver). 

My current collection is inspired by love, nature, music and the spiraling, flowing forward motion of life.  I am drawn to asymmetry and try to create balance in all my designs with color, movement and proportion.  The right piece of jewelry can change your mood, your appearance and lift your spirits (much as music can) and I LOVE knowing that something I made with my own 2 hands is being worn and cherished long after it’s left my studio.

It all began as a childhood obsession with agates and other stones for my prized rock collection.  Family trips to the Oregon and Washington coast were spent digging in the sand, hunting for the perfect agate. After years of collecting, I became interested in the names and origins of each type and wanted to learn more… I am still discovering new types of gems and rocks to this day, and have a new favorite each week!

Working out of my home studio in Vancouver, WA, I am able to be a single, stay at home parent to my 2 young wonderful boys while living my ultimate dream.  And they get to see firsthand that it IS possible to take something you love and turn it into a successful endeavor when you have the unyielding determination and passion to do so.“

Artist Profile: Brenda Boylan

Most of you know Brenda Boylan’s pastel work, but Brenda has been working in oils for the past few years. She has developed her own unique style in this medium and has also been painting city scapes as well as landscapes and still life. New in the Gallery is a series of 6 x 6 inch still life oil paintings. Her new work is guaranteed to have her signature appeal.

Biography
Brenda Boylan began her artistic career in California as a graphic designer, working with such notable clients as NIKE and Columbia Sportswear. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and the Northwest Pastel Society, and is an award winning and published pastel painter. Boylan is currently featured in the April/May 2012 issue of  Plein Air Magazine, where she discusses and demonstrates her unique technique. Boylan has an affinity for painting ‘en plein air’, which she describes as a combination of joy, poetry, and spirituality that uses all her senses to capture the landscape’s beauty. She also enjoys creating studio works when the winter months keep her indoors. She is often inspired by reflection on water, the seasonal color changes in the landscape, and the occasional urban scene. Boylan’s work can also be found in private corporate collections throughout the U.S. She resides in Portland, OR with her husband and two children.

Artist Statement
Painting is my refuge and my source. It is where I lose myself and find myself, again. As I layer pigment down in the form of pastel or oil, I am transformed to another level of consciousness, much like meditation, where I develop a joyful, poetic conversation with my subject. Each painting measures another step in my journey as an artist that often results in a never ending discovery of my visual world.  Working both outdoors and in my studio provides room to communicate color relationships, light, and form. This desire to create and interpret what I see around me is a gift, a treasure, and the road map to my best and truest self.

My move into oils has been an expedient one over the course of the year. The oils compliment my pastel work, and on some levels, influencing my technique with pastels, making them loose and more gestural.

Brenda’s most recent awards include:
Second Place Award, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Sept 2013
Best of Show, Purchase Award, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, June 2013
Best Farm Scene, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Sept 2012
Second Place and Honorable Mention, Yamhill Lavender Plein Air, July 2012
Third Place Award, Los Gatos Plein Air, June 2012
Pongson Espada Memorial Award, Northwest Pastel Society 25th Annual International, Nov 2011
Pastel Painters of Hawaii Award, Pastel Society of America 39th Annual, Sept 2011
Honorable Mention Award, Pacific Northwest Plein Air Festival, Aug 2011
1st Place Award, Yamhill Lavender Plein Air Festival, July 2011
Blue Ribbon Award, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, June 2011

Images: Pink Peonie; Turp, Bestine & Phalo

Artist Profile: Philip Smith

Phil Smith is a native of Portland, Oregon and has been painting for over 35 years. He was born legally blind and has limited vision in only one eye. Because of this, his innate perception of color, light and depth is amazing as demonstrated by his paintings.

Phil paints in acrylic and oil and has explored a full range of subject matter including landscape, seascape, still life and portraits. He also does many commissioned paintings.

He has displayed in art shows hosted by Artists with Disabilities, Beaverton Arts Commission, Canby and Welches Art Festivals and most recently in the Audubon Wild Arts Festival in Portland.

We have a nice selection of Smith’s work, including this awesome beach scene where the ocean comes to life.

Image: Mid-cycle Sundown; Water and Light

Artist Profile: Sally O’Neill

The paintings of Sally O’Neill are vibrant and impressionistic. Her subjects include landscapes and still life. We’re happy to report we have quite a selection of her work in the Gallery right now.

A native of Southern California, Sally O’Neill has lived in the foothills of the Northern Oregon Cascade Mountains since 1991. As a child, she enjoyed painting and drawing in addition to music studies. She majored in music in college and is an accomplished pianist. Sally worked in the medium of watercolor for a period of time in the 1980’s. In 1998, Sally went back to painting seriously working solely in oils.

“As soon as I started painting with oils I knew I had found the perfect medium to express my artistic vision. As an admirer of the impressionists, I am obsessed with light, color and atmosphere. Through the layering of colors and texture I’m trying to achieve the effects of light at different times of the day. Overall, I want my paintings to bring the viewer into a world they would love to be in, that of beauty and sun drenched days.”

O’Neill’s plein air and studio paintings reflect her enthusiasm for life and an appreciation for her subject matter. O’Neill has been the recipient of numerous awards. Her work can be seen in a number of private as well as corporate collections. She also teaches group workshops in addition to private art students.

We think her work has wide appeal. Visit the Gallery and take a look. You might just find the perfect piece to give for Christmas.

Image: Gorge Crest Vineyard View; October Sunset

Artist Profile: JM Brodrick

We are pleased to offer a number of paintings by JM Brodrick. Brodrick’s paintings include a wide range of themes from the beauty of old growth forests to the simple beauty of wetlands, fields, people, and city scenes. Her works are described as serene and peaceful but can include both drama and poetic tenderness along with a unique softness and graceful sense of beauty. Her use of colors laid over each other resulting in hues that seem to glow from within. Playing one color off the other in harmony much as a composer would use combinations of notes to form a symphony.

Brodrick studied painting and classical music in her youth and received her first scholarship at the age of 13. Her grandmother, who was a professional artist from Helsinki Finland, guided her love of the arts. She grew up in a working artist environment. “My Grandmother helped me connect with other artists and shape me at an early age to express myself with painting” says Brodrick. In the 1977 she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where the rugged lifestyle and freedom of the open country inspired her to further develop her artistic talents.

Brodrick’s paintings are in numerous corporate collections in the United States and Europe and Japan including: Atlantic Richfield Corporation, the embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington D.C., and the State of Alaska and Global National Health Hospital in Tokyo. Brodrick now lives in Oregon.

If you are looking for that special piece, come by and take a look at JM Brodrick’s beautiful paintings.

Images: Splendor in the Grass; PDX

Artist Profile: Bev Jozwiak

Bev Jozwiak is one of our most popular Gallery artists. We love her ability to capture common subjects, in their everyday environments and somehow make them seem exquisitely unique and special.

Jozwiak has acquired national acclaim as a watercolor painter. Her work is impressionistic and she strives for realism while expressing the love and energy that goes into each piece. “Painting very directly, I place my watercolors on the paper with very little mixing on the palette. I use lots of varied color in my blacks to keep them from going flat, in my whites to keep them glowing, and even in my skin tones to keep them interesting. Emotion plays an important part in every successful painting, so I choose only subjects that call to me and that gives my work energy and excitement.”

She has been the subject of many one-woman shows, has earned signature status into the American Watercolor Society, NWWS, Watercolor West, and the National Watercolor Society. She has won multiple awards and been featured in numerous magazines including American Artist, The Artist, Watercolor Artist, The Collector, and International Artist; and even had calendar published by Hallmark. Featured for the past five times in a row in the well know best of watercolor books, Splash, Bev believes in keeping original art affordable and accessible to everyone.

In addition to her signature watercolor paintings, we also have some of Bev’s acrylic pieces. Visit the Gallery to see her fantastic paintings.

Images: CEO’s Caucus; Luminesce

Artist Profile: Michael Orwick

The always popular and prolific Michael Orwick is showing in the Gallery. Michael’s ability to capture the subtle nuances of familiar locations throughout the Northwest and beyond, make his work highly desirable. Michael’s mastery of capturing light and mood is well known.

Growing up in the Oregon Cascades and the Willamette Valley, nature and the landscape have had a profound impact on Michael Orwick. He has always been inspired by the ability of landscapes to tell stories.

Michael’s career in art started in animation at Will Vinton Studios and moved quickly into illustration, where he enjoyed bringing the ideas of others to life. As is true for many creative people, Michael was drawn to develop his own signature style of “Inspired Expressionism,” painting his ideas on canvas and inviting the viewer to provide the narrative.

Orwick is a master of creating mood through atmosphere and color, utilizing space, a sense of place, and time of day to convey his vision. His work hints at a story and it is what he leaves untold that that engages the viewer in the creative process of storytelling. He often hears that people feel as if they have “seen this place before”.

Orwick says of his work: “There is a reason we are drawn toward beauty. It is the language of God and nature. Nothing more provocative than beauty ? it inspires deep reflection and motivates me to create. I blend from a primary color palette, painting wet into wet and with layers, to both reveal and hide what lies behind; in this way I entice you into the painting. I love it when people share the feeling and stories my paintings evoke. It is my sincere wish that you will want to revisit these beautiful locations and painterly stories again and again.”

Orwick’s paintings offer the chance to return and explore a special place that lingers in memory and imagination. Be sure to visit the Gallery during the Christmas season and see Michael’s newest paintings.

Image: Lavendar Sky; Sunset View-Ruthton County Park

Artist Profile: Brenda Boylan

Most of you know Brenda Boylan’s pastel work, but Brenda has been working in oils for the past few years. She has developed her own unique style in this medium and has also been painting city scapes as well as landscapes and still life. New in the Gallery is a series of 6 x 6 inch still life oil paintings. Her new work is guaranteed to have her signature appeal.

Biography
Brenda Boylan began her artistic career in California as a graphic designer, working with such notable clients as NIKE and Columbia Sportswear. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and the Northwest Pastel Society, and is an award winning and published pastel painter. Boylan is currently featured in the April/May 2012 issue of  Plein Air Magazine, where she discusses and demonstrates her unique technique. Boylan has an affinity for painting ‘en plein air’, which she describes as a combination of joy, poetry, and spirituality that uses all her senses to capture the landscape’s beauty. She also enjoys creating studio works when the winter months keep her indoors. She is often inspired by reflection on water, the seasonal color changes in the landscape, and the occasional urban scene. Boylan’s work can also be found in private corporate collections throughout the U.S. She resides in Portland, OR with her husband and two children.

Artist Statement
Painting is my refuge and my source. It is where I lose myself and find myself, again. As I layer pigment down in the form of pastel or oil, I am transformed to another level of consciousness, much like meditation, where I develop a joyful, poetic conversation with my subject. Each painting measures another step in my journey as an artist that often results in a never ending discovery of my visual world.  Working both outdoors and in my studio provides room to communicate color relationships, light, and form. This desire to create and interpret what I see around me is a gift, a treasure, and the road map to my best and truest self.

My move into oils has been an expedient one over the course of the year. The oils compliment my pastel work, and on some levels, influencing my technique with pastels, making them loose and more gestural.

Brenda’s most recent awards include:
Second Place Award, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Sept 2013
Best of Show, Purchase Award, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, June 2013
Best Farm Scene, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Sept 2012
Second Place and Honorable Mention, Yamhill Lavender Plein Air, July 2012
Third Place Award, Los Gatos Plein Air, June 2012
Pongson Espada Memorial Award, Northwest Pastel Society 25th Annual International, Nov 2011
Pastel Painters of Hawaii Award, Pastel Society of America 39th Annual, Sept 2011
Honorable Mention Award, Pacific Northwest Plein Air Festival, Aug 2011
1st Place Award, Yamhill Lavender Plein Air Festival, July 2011
Blue Ribbon Award, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, June 2011

Images: Pink Peonie; Turp, Bestine & Phalo

Fall Foliage Studio Tour this weekend

Rip will be participating in the West Columbia Gorge Fall Studio Tour this coming weekend, October 19 and 20, 2013,  with an opening reception on Friday, October 18, 6-9 p.m. The opening reception will be held at the Exhibition Gallery at 360 Wanapa St, Cascade Locks, OR. At the opening reception you’ll be able to see samples of each artist’s work, meet the artists, and pick up your map. This will be a great opportunity to enjoy the Columbia River Gorge ad visit participating artist’s studios at the same time. Of course, Rip will in his studio, too, so make us your first stop!

The 2013 Fall Foliage Studio Tour event is a free, self-guided event sponsored by the West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce. See Mother Nature’s finest work as she and artists throughout the area create with the magic of nature and inspiration! Enjoy a historic and spectacular scenic journey as you experience our communities and meet the artists who live and create here. Awe-inspiring views will surround you as you meander through the Gateway to the Columbia River Gorge visiting the artists as they work in their studios!

The Tour
Artists’ studios will be open 11am-5pm daily both Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20. The Exhibition Gallery closes Sunday, October 20, at 5 pm when the “People’s Choice” award will be announced.

Leaf-Themed Auction
To raise money for subsequent studio tours, each participating artist has created and donated a leaf-themed piece of art. The pieces will be displayed at the Exhibition Gallery all week and final bids will be accepted until 9 pm on October 20.

We hope to see you on the Tour!

First Friday is October 4, 5-9 pm!

Celebrating First Friday with work by Gallery favorites, Jm Brodrick, Phil Smith, Sally O’Neill, and Bev Jozwiak. Here’s a preview of what’s in the Gallery now:

      

Images:
Luminesce by Bev Jozwiak
Franciscan Villa by Sally O,Neill
12 x12 paintings by Debby Scott
Metal wall sculpture by Donna Yde

Be sure to visit Ali Peret in his studio. Ali has a vast selection of fine gold jewelry and gemstones. Choose from something already created or talk to him about custom designing a specialty piece. Ali has been part of Troutdale’s business community for 23 years.

We also have new jewelry in the Gallery by Katie Hovis of Whimsy. Come by and start thinking about Christmas.

First Friday festivities in the Gallery include FREE wine tasting with Phelps Creek Vineyards. We have jewelry, pottery, wood and other wonderful work by local artists!

Enjoy the smooth sounds of Ron Hughes on his baritone guitar as he plays and sings favorites from the 60’s and 70’s.