April First Friday

For the month of April we are pleased to feature work by Mike Rangner, Cynthia Feustel and Phillip Smith, plus the music of Jairus Minsky and wines by Phelp’s Creek! Mike Rangner and Phil Smith will both be present for First Friday. Be sure to meet these fine, fine artists.

Oregon native, Mike Rangner enjoyed a successful career as a professional illustrator in the Portland area for more than 20 years. His professional portfolio includes a diverse client list including Avia, Standard Insurance, Nike, and the Oregon Zoo. He illustrated the children’s book “The Seed and The Giant Saguaro” which was recognized by then Arizona’s Governor, Janet Napolitano. Mike currently lives in the Willamette Valley which has allowed him to pursue his love of plein air and studio painting by capturing the vast and diverse Oregon landscape. Mike’s image shown here is titled “Jetty Light”.

Cynthia Feustel’s figurative work is realistic and true to life, capturing personality and emotion with her use of color and fine brush work. Cynthia has received national acclaim for her portraits and recent recognition in SW Art Magazine. Shown here is “Walks With Morning Dew”.

We are also featuring Phillip Smith’s photorealistic landscape work and have welcomed him back as a regularly exhibited artist. Phil’s work has been hailed as some of the best to come out of Oregon and we are so glad to have him back! Featured here is one of the smaller Mt. Hood pieces currently on display, “Mid-cycle Sundown.”

We have had two great Sculpture 101 classes so far. Our students from the most recent class will be displaying their finished sculptures on First Friday and available to share their inspirations and awesome work. While you’re there, be sure to ask about our upcoming Classical Portrait Sculpture classes or visit Firebird Bronze for more info.

If you love artisan jewelry, Katie Hovis of Whimsy will be here to show her beautiful line of unique silver and gemstone jewelry. This lovely Keshi pearl necklace is now available along with matching earrings and other fantastic Whimsy treasures.

Local guitarist and rock vocalist, Jairus Minsky, will entertain from 6-9pm and Phelps Creek Vineyards will offer free wine tasting.

Mt. Hood Community College Foundation representatives will host a table at the gallery during Art Walk, from where they will sell raffle tickets toward winning a new car! Winners will be announced at the MHCC Power of the Dream Auction and Dinner on May 4th, 2013, to be held at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion. For more information about the event and about the raffle, please click here.

Caswell Gallery & Studio
253 & 255 E. Columbia River Highway
503.492.2473
http://www.RipCaswell.com

Mike Rangner at the Gallery in March

We are pleased to have Oregon artist Mike Rangner at the Gallery through the months of March and April. Mike is exhibiting oils and pastels in his exhibit From the Wild.

About Mike Rangner
Painting is a lifelong quest. Every time a brush is set to a canvas I work to express an emotion either through the image I’ve been moved by or the challenge of light, value and shapes before me. It is that driving force of endless possibilities that I enjoy, always learning and growing with each painting I complete.

Working outdoors or in my studio I strive to convey life like color schemes open spaces, rich with natural elements and movement. I hope others will enjoy the paintings I complete and that they find some link to their own personal experiences.

As an Oregon native, I enjoyed a successful career as a professional illustrator in the Portland area for more than 20 years. My professional portfolio includes a diverse list of clients including Avia, Standard Insurance, Nike, the Oregon Zoo, as well as Northland Publishing and McGraw Hill Publishers.

My professional accomplishments include awards and honors from service organizations including the Oregon Food Bank, Goodwill Industries, and The National Box Association for my product design work. In 2006 I illustrated the children’s book “The Seed and The Giant Saguaro” it was recognized by then Governor of the State of Arizona Janet Napolitano, and was pick for the states 1st Grade Book reading program.

A recent move to the Mid-Willamette Valley has allowed me to further strengthen my love of plein air and studio painting by capturing the vast and diverse Oregon landscape that lies one hour in each direction of my home and studio in beautiful Northwest Albany. The diverse body of work includes pieces featuring landscapes across the Pacific Northwest including the Columbia River Gorge, Eastern Oregon, Coastal scenery and the rich farmlands of the Mid-Willamette Valley.

Mike’s painting: A Coastal View

March First Friday

Our favorite time of the month is upon us. This month we are showing Oregon artist, Mike Rangner is his exhibit, “From the Wild”. This exhibit is showing through April 30, but First Friday will be your opportunity to meet Mike and learn more about his paintings.

Oregon native, Mike Rangner enjoyed a successful career as a professional illustrator in the Portland area for more than 20 years. His professional portfolio includes a diverse client list including Avia, Standard Insurance, Nike, and the Oregon Zoo. He illustrated the children’s book “The Seed and The Giant Saguaro” which was recognized by then Arizona’s Governor, Janet Napolitano.

Mike currently lives in the Willamette Valley which has allowed him to pursue his love of plein air and studio painting by capturing the vast and diverse Oregon landscape. His diverse body of work includes landscapes across the Pacific Northwest including the Columbia River Gorge, Eastern Oregon, Coastal scenery and the rich farmlands of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Mike’s image shown here is titled A Coastal View.

We have new art by Gallery favorite, Brad Lorang. Brad creates metal wall sculptures of iconic sites in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Come in and see Multnomah Falls and Mt. Hood in a whole new way.

We will also be showing finished bronzes by students from our first sculpting class. The students will be at First Friday to share their experience and their work. The final sculptures are amazing and might inspire you to sign up, too. More information on our March class can be found here.

Rip’s sculpture of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz is in progress and on display. Rip will be finishing this part of the monument shortly and sending it off to Firebird Bronze for casting. Take advantage of this opportunity to see history in the making before the Admiral leaves the building! The monument is scheduled to be installed this summer at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.

Not to be missed in the Gallery is Ali Peret Custom Designs. Ali can help you select the perfect piece of jewelry or design something truly unique and special.

If you love artisan jewelry, Katie Hovis of Whimsy will be here with her beautiful line of unique wire wrapped jewelry.

Local baritone guitarist, Ron Hughes will entertain. Phelps Creek Vineyard will offer FREE wine tasting.

Make sure to start your weekend off with us! Festivities start at 5 PM and most Troutdale merchants participate. Troutdale has great shops, restaurants, and plenty of parking.

First Friday in February

We are pleased to be showing Colorado artist, Cynthia Feustel, in her show “Be Still” during the month of February. Be sure to join us for First Friday, February 1, 5-9 pm.

Colorado artist, Cynthia Feustel helps usher in 2013 with her exhibit of figures and still life. Feustel refers to her style as contemporary realism and will show an amazing body of work that includes a variety of stunning portraits and still life pieces. The image shown here is “Summer Solstice”. Most recently Cynthia was featured in the December issue of Southwest Art Magazine for her Honorable Mention award for her entry in Artistic Excellence 2012 .

Rip’s sculpture of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz is in progress and on display. Take advantage of this great opportunity to see history in the making–literally. The monument is set to be dedicated in August 2013 at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.

It’s not too early to think about Valentine’s Day. Ali Peret can help you select the perfect piece of jewelry. Remember, February’s birthstone is amethyst so keep that in mind when shopping for your special Valentine.

If you love artisan jewelry, Katie Hovis of Whimsy will be here with her gorgeous new rings. Very cute and affordable! Katie uses fine metals and gemstones for her unique wire wrapped jewelry.

As always, we will have entertainment and wine tasting. Local songwriter and vocalist, Crystal Lariza will sing and our friends from Phelps Creek Vineyard will offer FREE wine tasting. Make sure to start your weekend off with us! Festivities start at 5 PM and most Troutdale merchants participate. Troutdale has great shops, restaurants, and plenty of parking.

We still have several pre-cast opportunities, so ask us about them when you’re in the Gallery. Remember, Caswell Gallery offers a simple layaway plan!

Rip is also offering a Sculpture 101 class starting  February 4. The class will meet twice a week for three weeks from 6:30-8:30. This will be a unique opportunity for aspiring sculptors to learn about sculpting and lost wax casting with acclaimed sculptor Rip Caswell. You will begin working in Rip’s Studio at Caswell Gallery in Troutdale. Using your own design, Rip will guide you through the sculpting process and you’ll learn about the casting and patina process first hand when you finish your piece with Production Manager, Lonnie Paola at Firebird Bronze Foundry in Boring. When you take home your own miniature bronze sculpture, perhaps an heirloom, you might even be inspired to start your own artistic journey. For more information call us at 503-492-2473.

Michael Orwick in the Gallery for December and January

The always popular and prolific Michael Orwick will be showing in the Gallery during the months of December and January. 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. Be sure to  visit the Gallery during his show to see his beautiful work.

Biography
Michael Orwick’s paintings seem to evoke a time when things might have been more peaceful, quiet and subdued. The gauzy, old world feel of his familiar landscapes are in contrast to some of his more illustrative work. One might be surprised (and delighted) to learn that Orwick started out at Will Vinton Studios (of California Raisin fame) as an animator, later moving into illustration. Orwick describes his style as “inspired expressionism” hoping to draw you into the painting and revisit it many times over.  Orwick resides in Portland.

Artist Statement
I want to create paintings that reflect the beauty and strong ties I feel to the area, where I and seven generations of family before me grew up.

“Oh, beauty, ever ancient and ever new.” (Saint Augustine). I want my paintings to capture the magic and wander I felt as I discovered the forested trails in the hills surrounding town, and breathed the damp air with its very cognitive feeling of being enveloped in lush green life, and the sweet musk of decomposition as old stumps give rise to saplings and innumerable ferns. I want to capture the filtered dappled light making its way to the path just before leading me in, bidding me to explore the next bend just over the moss covered log.

My style has developed as a unique hybrid of elements from the artists and paintings I love. When people talk about my art they use word like “impressionistic” or “painterly,” which comes from my years studying the French impressionists and my deep fondness for the early California Impressionist painters. I love artwork that feels spontaneous yet controlled, like a thoughtful acknowledgement to what is being seen and felt.

People also use words like “relaxing,” “nostalgic,” and “timeless” to describe my pieces. This may indeed reflect my focus to overcome a deep seated fear of having my art feel dated or trendy. Years ago I began to ask myself what was the art that drew me in, which styles did I connect with most, and I noticed it wasn’t about an era or a movement… The art I like is about light and shadow, about atmosphere, and about conveying the special feeling of being in a certain place at a given time of day.

Images:
Hug Point, 30 x 40, inches, Oil
Christine’s New World, 48 x 60 inches, Oil

Brenda Boylan in the Gallery through December and January

We are welcoming Brenda Boylan back to the Gallery for the months of December and January. Of course, she has never really left, but will be bringing a large body of new work. Most of you know Brenda’s pastel work, but Brenda has been working in oils for the past year. She has developed her own unique style in this medium and has also been painting city scapes as well as landscapes. 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, Oregon 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 roadmap 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. My current series of work presented in Caswell’s upcoming show will be a mix of both pastel and oil medium featuring my fascination with busy street scenes and urban nocturnes. Some pieces were painted “en plein air”, a French term that means ‘in the open air’, giving the artwork a looseness that offers excitement and spontaneity for the viewer.

Brenda’s most recent awards include:
Best Farm Scene, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, September 2012
Second Place and Honorable Mention, Yamhill Lavender Plein Air, July 2012
Third Place Award, Los Gatos Plein Air, June 2012

Images:
Pause on Sellwood, 8 x 10, Oil
Crossing the Perch, 24 x 24, Pastel

November First Friday at the Gallery

It’s that time again, First Friday! We are showing Vancouver, WA artist Bev Jozwiak in an exhibit titled, Life with Life.  If you love her mischievous crows and regal chickens, we have a beautiful selection of those watercolor pieces, along with her gorgeous figurative, acrylic paintings. In addition, we have fantastic bronze sculptures by Alaskan artists Jacques and Mary Regat.

Michael Orwick has brought us some new work and we have several of Rip’s new pieces in the works, including a squirrel, an elephant, and a doe with her fawns.

You’ll enjoy entertainment by local guitarist and songwriter, Ron Hughes, wine tasting by Phelps Creek Vineyards, and hors d’ouerves.

Make sure to start your weekend off with us! Festivities start at 5:00 p.m. The City of Troutdale participates in First Friday as well, so you will enjoy lots of activities. Troutdale has great restaurants, shops and lots of parking.

Images: Rambling Rose; Rosebud by Jacques and Mary Regat;  Glad Times by Bev Jozwiak

Jacques and Mary Regat to show in the Gallery

We are pleased to welcome back to the Gallery, Jacques and Mary Regat. The Regats are painters and sculptors from Alaska whose subjects reflect Alaskan culture and heritage.

Jacques Regat is a self-taught painter and carver from France who is also a trained machinist, and tool and die-maker. In Alaska, while sharing his talent at the Native Welcome Center, he developed a strong kinship and respect for the cultural myths and history of its people, which became an inspirational theme reflected in many of his works. He is a graduate of the University of Alaska in Anchorage.

Mary Regat is also primarily a self-taught artist who began sculpting while living in a remote logging camp on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Her first efforts were a 28-foot dugout canoe. She eventually took up residence in Anchorage and began sculpting in stone. Her style is expressive and impressionistic, capturing the emotions and moods of her subjects.

Jacques and Mary met and married in Alaska. As partners and independent artists they create a beautiful and varied collection of bronze works. The Regats work in bronze, silver, wood and stone lithographs oils and acrylic. Both are highly reputed and enjoy popularity both individually and as partners.

We will be showing distinctive sculpture by these talented artists through the months of October and November. Plan to attend First Friday on October 5 when The Regats will be present. It will be a great opportunity to meet the artists and maybe even acquire a new piece of sculpture.

Images: Jake and King of the Mountain

Wow, September already!

As we roll into September we are enjoying the remaining hot, summery days. At the Gallery we are revving up for a lively fall with new artists and exhibits, exciting Gallery news, and our upcoming 20th anniversary!

In the meantime, though, we want to remind you that these will be the last few weeks of showing Hood River artist, Gayle Weisfield’s watercolor paintings. We still have some beautiful wood turned bowls by Mel Borg and exquisite segmented wood turned bowls by Tim Maben.

Russell Ford is back in the Gallery. Be sure to come by and see his colorful blown glass bowls. Keith Appleman is the newest member of our Gallery family. He creates sculptural blown glass lights and combines them with exotic wood bases—very unique.

In addition, we have work by JM Broderick, Michael Orwick, and Steven Thor Johanneson.

In October our featured artists will be Bev Jozwiak and Jacques and Mary Regat. Our gallery will be full of new paintings and sculptures. Rip will be back from Africa with tales to tell. If you want to be the first to know about Gallery happenings, follow our blog (of course!) and sign up for our email newsletter here: http://www.caswellsculptures.com/ (go to the bottom of the page).

So, enjoy the sun, but don’t be a stranger—and remember, we have air conditioning!

Two unlikely art collectors

Herbert Vogel was born in Manhattan in August, 1922.  A high school dropout, Vogel worked as a garment-worker and was an army veteran. He met his wife Dorothy in 1960 and they were married in 1962. Herbert was a postal worker who worked evenings and never earned more than $23,000 in any given year. Dorothy was a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. They lived very modestly, did not own a car, and cared for eight cats and twenty exotic turtles. For 50 years they lived in New York City in a one bedroom, rent controlled apartment. What makes Dorothy and Herbert Vogel’s story unique? I’m glad you asked!

In 1990, Herbert and Dorothy decided to do what many couples their age do—downsize and weed out. Since they had no children The National Gallery of Art, in Washington, D.C. was the lucky benefactor of some of the art they had collected over the years. What could two elderly civil servants possibly have that would be of interest to the National Gallery? You’ll be glad you asked!

The couple started slowly collecting art shortly after they were married, buying on credit and paying in installments. Their arrangement was simple—they would use Herbert’s salary, and eventual pension, to buy art, and use Dorothy’s for the day to day expenses. Again you must be asking why this story is unique. You see, with this elementary plan, Herb and Dorothy art collection eventually grew to almost 5000 pieces by some of the most renowned (now) modern artists of our time. Buying only pieces they liked, their first piece was a small crushed-metal sculpture by John Chamberlain. According to the Vogel’s, they had three rules for acquiring art: “It had to be inexpensive; it had to be small enough to be carried on the subway or in a taxi; and it had to fit inside their one-bedroom apartment.”

John Chamberlain sculpture circa 1959

The Vogel’s were able to make the most of their developing relationships with these emerging artists many of whom were anxious to have their work become part of this burgeoning collection. Often they bartered or were offered considerable discounts, which allowed Herb and Dorothy to be on the cutting edge of the minimal and conceptual art movement, for which they had a particular affinity. This process often caused more than a few ill feelings with art dealers who felt this practice cheated the established system of art acquisition.Among their purchases were early works by Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Christo, Lynda Benglis, Richard Tuttle, Donald Judd, and Dan Graham. In more recent years they collected works by Andy Goldsworthy, James Siena and Pat Steir, among others. They were not only considered important collectors, but also a refreshing presence in the affluent and exclusive art market of New York. They became part of this art scene thanks in part to Herbert’s attendance at as many as art lectures as he could, and his becoming a regular at the Cedar Bar in Greenwich Village which was famous hangout, frequented by such artists as Mark Rothko, Franz Kline and David Smith. Herbert once reminisced, “I was nothing—a postal clerk, but I respected the artists, and they sort of respected me. They would talk until 3, 4 in the morning, and I would be one of the people who just listened. I just remember it very vividly. I never even asked a question.”

Their apartment was so jammed with drawings, paintings and sculpture; they had to traverse the stacks, choosing art over excess furniture. Their closets were bulging. The Vogel’s never sold anybof their art in the secondary market, preferring their collection be available to all, for free, which is why they chose the National Gallery as their benefactor. In 1992, the Vogel’s worked with then Director, J. Carter Brown to start the process of bequeathing their collection The National Gallery. Logistically this was quite an undertaking both on paper as well as physically—five full-size moving vans were needed to move the art. Brown has referred to their collection “a work of art in itself.”

The Vogel collection is considered a 50 year timeline of the minimal (all unneccesary details are omitted) and conceptual (the idea or concept is what’s important) art movement and a snapshot of sorts of European and American artists since 1960. In 1992 Herbert commented that he and his wife could easily have become millionaires. “But we weren’t concerned about that aspect,” he said. Herbert and Dorothy are a testament to the idea that you don’t have to be wealthy to collect art. Dorothy once said “You can buy art; you don’t have to be rich. You can enrich your life.”

Due to declining health, Herbert had been unable to live in his apartment for several years. Sadly, Herbert Vogel died a few weeks ago of natural causes. Dorothy remains in their apartment among the newest works they began collecting after donating so many to the National Gallery.

Parts of the Vogel Collection travel throughout the US, including the Portland Art Museum in 1998. Thanks to a program the Vogel’s and The National Gallery instituted called The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States, 2,500 works from the collection will be distributed to all 50 states, with fifty works going to a selected art institution in each.

To learn more about Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, watch this PBS Independent Lens episode or read this article.

Now go out there and buy some art!