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Program/Demonstration Artist
The May 2013 program was presented by Ridgefield Artist Jennifer Williams. Jennifer grew up in View, Washington. She has a BA in fine arts and a special interest in earth and environmental science. She started out as a photo-realistic portrait artist working in pastels. However she headed in a different direction after a senior year art project that required her to cut up a finished piece and build a collage of those (and other) pieces as a foundation for a new painting. She shared with us her complex process of layering acrylics over collage on wood panels (for strength) to create a lush texture interwoven with text and maps relating to the subject. This process involves splattering paint mixed with an acrylic gloss medium, selectively sanding and scratching thru layers and then repeating the paint splattering, sanding and scratching process multiple times to buildup the painting. Recently she has started using modeling paste applied with a trowel - it makes wonderful clouds.
Jennifer brought several examples of her work to share with us. For more information about Jennifer and to see more of her art visit her website http://www.jenniferwilliamsfineart.com/
The June 2013 program will be presented by Pm Shore. She has her own gallery in the Pearl and is primarily known for her acrylic cityscapes of Portland. For more information on Pm and to see her art visit her website at http://www.pmshore.com
Learn about past Programs and Demonstrations
The Artist of the Month for June 2013 will be Mikiko Flynn. At our recent Spring Art Show Mikikio won a Sponsor Award from Acuity Group PLLC for her painting "Double Orchids".
The April 2013 Artist of the Month was Carol Bitz. Carol is originally from Maddock, North Dakota. She moved west when she was in her 40s. Carol has been painting since she was a child. She entertained us with stories of how she got started. Carol brought several examples of her oil paintings to share with us.
Carol's painting "Splash of Color" won an Honorable Mention in our Fall 2012 Members show.
Learn about past Artists of the Month
The April 2013 program was presented by fiber artist Maris Cavanagh. As a young girl Maris was mesmerized by the bright colors and textures of fabric and yarn. She loved walking through isles of fabric and yarn. Her work encompasses quilting, wearable art, embellishments and recently felting. Maris gave a short talk and demonstration of the wet felting process. She brought lots of examples of her supplies and the finished product.
To wet felt she started with carded and dyed wool fiber (roving) which she pulled apart and layered on a flat surface covered with a towel and plastic (bubble wrap works well as it helps in the later agitation process). You can add other materials such as silk, hair, and yarning for embellishment. Materials that don't shrink (like silk) add to the texture of the finished product. You add thin layers (perpendicular to the previous layer) until you have the thickness and rough design you want.
Maris's art can be seen at her current exhibit (Unexpected Contours) at the Fort Vancouver Library in downtown Vancouver. The exhibit runs through June 1.
The March 2013 Program was presented by K.C. Madsen. K.C. does sculptural (3-dimensional) paintings, many of them quite large. We met her at Vancouver City Hall where she walked us through her current exhibit, Resurgence. Her works, which are made of specially treated paper and paints, are bold, colorful, and contemporary. K.C. shared her journey as an artist and explained her process and how she came up with the theme for each piece.
Photo to right is of K.C. with her sculptural painting Burgeon.
K.C. is a Portland, Oregon native and currently resides in Vancouver, Washington. She has a masters in art from New York University. For more info on K.C. Madsen go to her website at http://www.kcmadsen.net Photo by David Rosenstein
The February 2013 program was presented by Linda Jacobson. Linda is a mixed-media artists with a studio in Keizer, Oregon. Her wall art is made mostly from textiles with embellishments of beads, stones, leather, etc.
Linda brought a number of samples of her work, plus materials, supplies, and her sewing machine. She talked about how/where she gets her inspiration and discussed the basic steps and challenges of working with fabric embelished with thread, stone, beads and other found items. She also discussed the process of mounting and framing the finished artwork.
You can see more examples of Linda's art at www.lindajacobsonstudios.com
The January 2013 program was presented by John Halvorson, former President of the Portland Fine Arts Guild. John is a native Oregonian and a retired Landscape Contractor. He started painting as a teenager and is basically self-taught. John's paintings reflect traditional American landscapes and seascapes as well as contemporary and abstract interpretations. He prefers working in acrylics but also does oils, pastels, and collage. John brought examples of some of his paintings to share with us. He aslo demonstrated how he starts a painting. He usually paints over his work several times before it is finished.
After the painting demo John showed us how to make inexpensive strip frames for works on canvas. The frames require simple cuts, not mitered cuts, and are easy to make with supplies from a home repair/lumber store (Screen Moulding or Hemlock Stop, small nails or wire brads, wood putty, sandpaper, and paint).
The November 2012 program was presented by Susan Scheewe. Susan travels and teaches art around the world. She hosts "The Scheewe Art Workshop" on PBS and writes and publishes art books. She also has her own line of art materials. Susan brought examples of her work and some of her books to share with us. Using a newly purchased projection system which allowed all of us to see (not just those in the front row) she demonstrated techniques to get the layered effect of distant trees and forground trees without painting the individual leaves. She showed us how to highlight tree trunks by lifting. She also demonstrated how to paint close-ups of leaves by varying contrast, color, soft & hard edges, and veining.
The October 10, 2012 program was presented by Andrea McFarland. Andrea works in dry pastels on colored sandpaper. Her pastels of landscapes and buildings evoke feelings of solitude and spaciousness.
She spends a lot of time hiking and enjoying the outdoors. Althought she does some field sketching, most of her work is completed in her studio using memory, field sketches, imagination, and photos (often using her iPad). When working, Andrea looks at the details and then simplfies them -- she doesn't wear her glasses while she works, which helps with this process. She usually starts with the sky and defines negative spaces. She blends her pastels with her fingers.
More examples of her work can be seen at http://andreamcfarland.com/
The September 19, 2012 program was presented by Christopher Wagner. Christopher is originally from Kentucky but now resides in Portland. He has a Masters in sculpture and creates wood sculptures which are interpretive but have some realistic components. He uses an "eastern" carving technique (towards self rather than away) as it provides more control. He uses reclaimed wood for his sculptures, paints the sculptures with milk paint which he makes himself, and often covers them with hog casings which add an interesting translucent surface effect without blocking the texture of the wood.
You can view more of his work at http://www.christopherbwagner.net
The June 2012 program was presented by artist Harold Walkup. Harold brought several examples of his watercolors and acrylics to share. He demonstrated his loose style with a quick (less than 1 hour) painting. Harold only uses photos for reference on details - he tends to work from his sketches.
He teaches all levels and gives classes at OSA. Harold is also a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. Check out his work on his website http://www.artbyharold.com/album2_001_022.htm .
The April 2012 program was presented by Shirley Bicke'l Evans. Shirley has been painting since she was 30. She usually works in oils but has recently started with pastels. She has painted around the world and is well known for her seascapes. Shirley has two secrets to her paintings: 1) Paint like you are a millionaire -- use lots of paint and 2) Use big brushes to get the emotion down fast - don't fuss with details using small brushes, instead let the eye finish the painting. Shirley demonstrated these principals while she quickly painted a seascape.
Shirley is a member of the Northwest Oil Painters Guild. More examples of her work can be seen on her website www.bickelstudio.com.
The March 21, 2012 program was presented by George Woodcock.
George has been working as an artist since the 70s. Originally from Detroit, he now lives in Beaverton and teaches basic drawing and painting at his studio. George brought several examples of his oils. During his demo he discussied the journey from concept to composition to execution. He emphasised setting up your background, middle ground, and foreground. George is a member of several local arts organizations.
The February 15, 2012 program was presented by Beaverton artist George E MacDonald. Mac has a degree in Architectural Design and has always worked as a designer or artist. He has a background in many forms of art but is passionate about sculpture. He loves working with the human form and nature as subject matter.
Mac brought several small sculptures of the human form as examples. These sculptures were mostly done in clay and then glazed and fired or hand-rubbed with several patinas and sealed to look like bronze. Mac demonstrated the process of beginning a scupture and answered many questions.
More examples of his work can be seen at http://www.pnwsculptors.org/profilemacdonald.htm
The November 16, 2011 program was presented by Cathy Arneson. Cathy discussed the process of illustrating the children's book "We Eat Food That's Fresh" (written by Angela Russ-Ayon.)
A lot of planning goes into illustrating a children's book. You need to consider the target age-group, the mood of the book, and its purpose. Then you need to do research to make sure your illustrations correctly reflect the topic, culture, time-period, and location of the story. Once this is done you need to divide the text into sections that can be illustrated, making sure there is not too much text on any page. The illustrations need to compliment and add to the text. Once all this is done, you will begin to develop the characters and produce a rough-sketch story-board. There is a lot of back-and-forth communication between the illustrator and the publisher (and author) before you do the "final" illustrations. There may even be some photoshop tweaking of the "finals" before the book is published. The illustrating process for "We Eat Food That's Fresh" took nine months. For more information about Cathy and her illustrations go to http://cathyjune.blogspot.com/2008/11/home.html
The October 19, 2011 program was presented by local artist Daniel Ng. Daniel grew up in Hawaii and began his art training there. He continued his art training in California before moving to Portland Oregon where he now has a studio. Before switching to acrylic painting he worked in Ceramics.
More examples of his work can be seen at http://www.danielngart.com
The September 21, 2011 program was presented by local artist Cynthia Heise. Cynthia paints mostly in acrylics using bright colors and lots of overpainting. Most of her paintings are of people; many are self-portraits. She brought examples of both small and large works and discussed the evolution of several of the paintings.
Cynthia is a member of the North Bank Artists Community Project. More examples of her work can be seen at http://northbankartistsgallery.com/
The June 15, 2011 program was a demo by Roberta Babcock from Beaverton,Oregon. Roberta has been involved in art since childhood. However in the past 5 years she has become interested in sculpture. She creates her sculptures using fiberclay, steel armatures, and Raku firing. Her work is influenced by classical training, observation, extensive travel, and a love for contemporary art. Her most current work is a series depicting elongate Raku fired figures of early cowboys and horses.
The April 20, 2011 program was a demo by well-known Oregon landscape oil-painter Michael Orwick. Michael showed us how to capture the "atmosphere" or mood of a time and place. He began with a partially completed painting that had the basic composition and values he wanted. He uses a limited palette of warm and cool primary colors ( Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Lemon Yellow, Manganese Blue, French Ultramarine Blue) plus Titanium White and for "fun" Indian Yellow. Using this limited palette he premixes harmonizing colors to use for foreground, middle ground, lower sky and upper sky. These premixed colors become a base which he fine tunes for value and chroma as he works. His technique involves adding paint and then smearing and selectively wiping off the paints to bring out the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
For more information about Michael and more examples of his work visit his website http://www.MichaelOrwick.com
The March 16, 2011 program was presented by internationally known oil painter Craig Srebnik. Craig is one of the best painters of human anatomy living today. His paintings have been accepted into numerous juried shows, won multiple awards, been published in magazines and displayed in museums and galleries internationally. Craig's presentation was both informative and entertaining. His approach is to teach concepts, principles and techniques so that students will have the tools to go in whatever direction they choose. Craig discussed his supplies from his simple palette of lightfast colors (black, white, earthtones, and a few bright colors for accent) to his brush choice (long-handled, long-haired, flat, boar-bristle) to his use of safflower oil and ordorless turpentine. Craig painted a portrait for his demonstration. He explained skin tones - warm, cool, neutral --- and the complex form of the face --- many broad planes and subplanes. He discussed how light, shadow, and atmosphere affect colors on these planes.
For more examples of Craig's work and demos, student guides and information about supplies visit his website http://www.csfineart.com
The February 16, 2011 program was presented by Mary McCarty. Mary is a prize-winning graphic artist (mostly detailed pencil botanicals) and was a commercial artist before becoming a full-time fine artist. Mary brought examples of her artwork and discussed her materials and techniques. She works from real life (although she does take reference photos of details like hairs on leaves or how a leaf connects to the stem). She places her model on a turntable so she can easily change views and considers both positive and negative space in developing her compositions. Her initial drawing is done on tracing paper which is easily erasable. Once happy with the composition she inks the outlines of the drawing. Using a lightbox she lightly traces the drawing to a smooth paper - Bristol smooth, Bristol velum or hotpress watercolor paper. She then establishes a light direction and begins drawing the details. Mary wears a glove (made from a sock) on her drawing hand to keep the paper from absorbing body oils. She works in multiple layers using only a few pencils (usually H, HB, 2H, and 2B). She does not use the really soft pencils and she only blends when rendering clouds. Mary is a member of the North Clackamas Arts Guild, Canby Art Association, Oregon Society of Artists, and the Three Rivers Artist Guild. She lives in Milwaukie, Oregon. For more examples of Mary's artwork go to http://marymccarty.wordpress.com/
The program for January 2011 was "Artist's Tips" presented by Diana Thewlis Marianne Stokes, and Ann Amies.
Marianne showed us a reasonable priced Dick Blick paper she uses for watercolor sketching and a very very light-weight easel. She also suggested we use inexpensive chalk for layout work.
Anne talked about her process for deciding what to draw and when to stop or change thing. She also discussed uses for watercolor pencils. Since there was some time left several suggestions and tips were share by other members.
Oregon City artist Pat Averill gave a delightful and informative program at our November 17, 2010 meeting. She discussed her supplies and techniques, brought examples of her work, and did demos of various techniques using colored pencils, crayolas, and watercolor pencils. Pat is a charter and signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA). She is known for her colored pencil landscapes although she does paint other subjects and use other media. Her work has been accepted into juried shows, won numerous awards and earned her the CPSA 15-year merit award. She has been featured in national and international art magazines and has contributed to several books on colored pencils. Pat teaches classes and workshops around the country, including local classes out of her Oregon City home. For more information and examples of her work, check her website http://pataverill.com
The October 20th program was presented by Kristen Larson. Kristen brought several examples of her art and enthusiastically told us about her life and artistic journeys. Originally from Montana, Kristen has had her paintings shown in cafes, restaurants, and galleries around New York City and Boston.
Ann shows at several galleries in California, Washington, and Oregon and is one of September's featured artists at the Avalon Art Gallery & Studio in Battle Ground, WA http://avalongalleryandstudio.com . She is a member of the Battle Ground Art Alliance. For more examples of her art see her webpage http://www.anncavanaugh.com .
Brush Prairie artist Sid Sutherland presented a fascinating program at the June 16, 2010 meeting. Sid is a retired contractor and a member of the Guild of Oregon Woodworkers. He developed an art form using wood as the medium. He digitizes a photo into little squares and using software assigns colors to each square. He collects various woods for their colors -- dying some of the lighter wood to complete his palette. He cuts this wood into small bocks (3/16" x 3/16" x 2") and bonds them together using a slow-setting epoxy. Each "painting" takes 10-13,000 pieces of wood. When the "painting" is complete it is 2" thick, allowing him to slice it into thinner slabs for multiple originals. The photos below show a finished piece and closer views, including an enlargement of the upper left arm and shoulder of the child.
Dorothy Fitzgerald was the presenter at the May 19, 2010 meeting. Dorothy is an oil painter who teaches portraits, landscapes and still life at the Oregon Society of Artists. Dorothy judged one of our show a few years ago. She currently exhibits her work at several galleries. Dorothy did a still life demo for us. As she set up the still life and began sketching it on her canvas she reminded us that a good painting has to have a good beginning - you should make sure that you have a light source to establish volume and that every object occupies its own space in the painting. She brought several partially finished versions of the same still life so she could show the entire process. As the painting progressed she shared many tips and and ideas with us.
The April 21, 2010 program was presented by Gamblin Oil Paints representative Scott Gellatly. Gamblin Oil Paints have been around for 25 years and are manufactured in Portland, Oregon. Scott's presentation was interesting even for those artists who don't usually paint with oils. He spent most the time discussing color theory and the differences between mineral and modern colors, and mixing colors to demonsrate hue, value, and chroma.
Check out Gamblin's website at http://gamblincolors.com The website is packed full of information about painting techniques and color theory as well as information on Gamblin Paints' history and products.
On March 17, 2010 Kellee Beaudry presented a delightful program. She brought several examples of her work and demonstrated her style and technique with a dog portrait. She also enlightened us with tips on how she keeps painting, particularly commission work, fun and stress free. Kellee paints in acrylic on canvas. Her style is painterly with vivid color and bold brush strokes. She specializes in unique and personal pet portraits. For more information and samples of her work see her website http://4muddypawsart.com .
The February 17, 2010 program was presented by Lake Oswego artist
The January 20, 2010 program was an oil portrait demonstration by Oregon artist Aimee Erickson. Aimee works from dark to light and from general to specific. As she painted she gave us tips and ideas and reminded us to always keep in mind shape, value, and edge transition.
The December 16, 2009 program was presented by Cortney Erskine.
Member Hilarie Couture was the February 2013 Artist of the Month. Hilarie is a portrait artist. She began in her youth with pencils doing photo-realistic work. Later she switched to pastels. She tried college as a medical illustrator but found it too restrictive. A free spirit, she became a street artist in New Orleans for a while. But then she drifted into hairdressing as a careers - giving up painting and drawing. Recently she returned to painting and drawing. Now she tries to do art every week.
Her painting "Swing Sweetly" won an Honorable Mention at the SWA Fall 2012 Art Show . Hilarie is also a member of the Battle Ground Art Alliance, Northwest Oil Painters Society, and Gallery 360. Visit her website http://www.hcouturearts.com/ to view her work and learn more about her.
Member Carol Lytle was the January 2013 Artist of the Month. Carol started painting 5 years ago when she turned 50. Her first class was watercolors taught by Lee Baughman. She has since taken other classes and now regularly paints at Arts Desire. She has worked in watercolor, pastels, and oils. Her preferred subject matter is people.
Her painting "What? I Know What I Am Doing" won an Honorable Mention at the SWA Fall 2012 Art Show . She is currently on the SWA Board.
New member Carolyn Benjamin was the November 2012 Artist of the Month. Carolyn began drawing as a child. In college she took some art classes but majored in Elementary Education. After that she didn't have much time for painting. However, a few years ago she spotted Arts Desire and decided to start painting again. She began taking classes at Arts Desire as her "mom's night out" hobby. Since then she has been teaching art to home-schoolers as well as painting for her own pleasure. Recently she began painting a series of 28 pieces based on the Bible for her church. Her painting "The Rose" won 1st place in Oils& Acrylics at the SWA Spring 2012 show.
Wanda Brewster gave a presentation on "Framing Your Artwork" at the October 2012 meeting. The presentation covered basic framing, choosing the proper framing materials, and how to cut the costs of framing. The Framing Hints pdf is a summary of the presentation and discussion.
The Artist of the Month for September 2012 was Robert Borth. Robert is an Architect by training with a Masters in Urban Planning. He painted watercolors when in school and periodically since then. Recently his family has convinced him to start painting again. So in fall of 2011 he began painting again, taking workshops, joining local arts groups, and entering local shows.
The Artist of the Month for June 2012 was Elaine Pawski. Elaine is a new member of the SWA. She is a graphic artists and watercolorist. In high school she worked in watercolor and in college she expanded to include many different media. She was working in a traditional manner with watercolors when she got a Mac computer and discovered digital art. Now she paints with a tablet and Artrage software. Elaine shared several examples of her traditional watercolors and her digital paintings. Her digital painting "Iris" won the Quantum Chiropractic Sponsor Award at our Spring Show.
The Artist of the Month for March 2012 was Joan (Giddings) Turley. Joan has been painting watercolors for about 6 years and has taken lessons from a number of local teachers. She tries to paint something every week - she'd like to paint every day, but life gets in the way.
More examples of Joan's work can be seen at http://turleyartworks.com
The "Artist of the Month" for February 2012 was SWA membersJohn Turley
John has a degree in art and education and worked as an Art teacher. He has experience in many media and is currently working in acrylics, watercolors and oils. His interest in the American Southwest, music, and the human form have inspired many works. His paintings have won awards at several SWA shows. Besides being a member of the SWA he is a member of the SWWS and the Gallery 360. More examples of John's work can be seen at http://turleyartworks.com
"Artist of the Month" for October 2011 was new member Larisa Aksenova. Larisa has been painting about a year. She paints a variety of subject matter and styles. She does not like to get bogged down in details and works quickly. She commented that even acrylics seem to dry too slow for her.
The "Artist of the Month" for June 2011 was new member Al Tjaden. When Al started sketching with pens he had no formal training (other than landscape architecture). Eventually he took lessons and his instructor suggested he switch from black and white pen work to watercolors. He began experimenting with watercolors of rocks and shadows, then sunsets and water, and finally wildlife. When developing his compositions he works directly from photos of the wildlife but makes up the backgrounds. Al brought numerous examples of his work to the June meeting -- from early black and white pen work to current watercolors, some still in progress.
The "Artist of the Month" for May 2011 was SWA member Ray Baxter. Ray is also president of the Northwest Oil Painters Guild (NOPG). Ray began taking painting classes in Pennsylvania. He later moved to Australia where he continued to paint and take classes. A few years ago he moved to the Pacific Northwest. Ray paints variety of subjects mostly in oil, but sometimes in acrylics. He brought many examples of his oils, oils under glass, and acrylics to share with the group.
Visit Ray's webpage in the Members Gallery on the NOPG website. http://www.oilpaintersguild.com/MembersWorks/BaxterRArt/BaxterRweb.htm
Dennis Cavanagh, a recent new member, was the Artist of the Month for December 2010. Dennis shared about two dozen of his watercolors with us. Besides being an SWA member, he is an active Freemodel member and attends Mature Learning watercolor classes at Clark College.
June's "Artist of the Month" was Bobbie Myers. Bobbie has been a member of the SWA for 25 years. Bobbie usually works in Pen & Ink, watercolor, and colored pencil. She does both fine art and scientific illustrations, including painting several animated sequences for film. She also works with clay and glazes.
April's "Artist of the Month" was SWA watercolorist Cathy Cameron. Cathy brought numerous examples of her work to the April meeting and shared a
February's "Artist of the Month" was SWA member Louise Allyn Beckman. At the February meeting Louise shared her art made from cloth and thread. She brought many examples including dolls and quilted pieces. Her most current work is a large quilted wall hanging which she designed and hopes to enter in both national and local shows.
copyright 2012 Society of Washington Artists
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