Tag Archive for: Art

Camas, WA — Artists and art lovers will gather to admire and purchase original small-scale works of art at the Little Art Camas event on March 24th and 25th in Downtown Camas. This two-day community exhibition features “little” works of art created by artists of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, from local professional artists to promising art students. 

Each participating artist has created 3 individual pieces that can each be purchased for $20. Little Art Camas is hosted by the Downtown Camas Association (DCA) and is a fundraiser to further public art efforts.

Local art collectors will also enjoy the new silent auction featured at this year’s event. The auction will be comprised of works in multiple mediums, all generously donated by local artists and galleries. Among other offerings, event goers will have the opportunity to bid on a hand painted and hand thrown stoneware bowl with a Downtown Camas theme by artist Anna Norris, a classic Corvair painted by artist Keith Russel, a patriotic piece of copper artistry by David Gerton, and a hand painted ceramic cat by budding 8 year old artist Lexie Keels.

Tickets to the event are $5 at the door and good for both Friday and Saturday. Children 12 & under are free. The ceremonial ringing of the cowbell Friday evening will kick off the art buying excitement. Art sizes include 5×5, 5×7 and 8×8. The event will be hosted in the beautiful Fuel Medical Building lobby in Downtown Camas, 314 NE Birch.

“Little Art Camas is a special event that makes art collecting and appreciation available for everyone!” says Jan Carter, Marketing & Volunteer Coordinator for the DCA. “The artists truly put their passion and heart into their artworks, and it brings us so much joy to see someone walk home with a new piece of art that speaks to them. The silent auction will be a welcome addition, and we are thrilled about the pieces that were donated to us. This event truly celebrates the diverse and thriving art scene in Downtown Camas!”

The event on Friday, 5-8pm, will have live music by jazz guitarist Bret Malmquist and appetizers and wine will add to the fun. The event continues Saturday, 12-4pm, with an “Art Refresh”. Patrons are encouraged to attend both days, as many new pieces will be added on Saturday. Purchased art can be picked up after the exhibit on Saturday or on Sunday so that all art can be enjoyed both days. See details in the Event Schedule below.

Event Schedule

Friday, March 24th, Exhibit Opens

5-6 pm Art Preview

Preview art and register for your Buyer Number and buy up to 5 “Buyer’s Buttons”. Your Buyer’s Buttons are stickers with your Buyer Number on them. The silent auction will run the entirety of the event on Friday and Saturday.

6 pm The “Cowbell” Rings

The bell rings and buying starts.

6-8 pm Exhibit Browsing and Buying

Use your Buyer’s Button stickers to mark your chosen treasures by replacing the Artwork Number sticker with your Buyer Button. That signals other browsers that this work is taken. You may start placing your Buyer’s Buttons when you hear the “cowbell” ring at 6pm. Return your Buyer’s Card with the artwork numbers on it to the registration desk before you leave for the evening.

Saturday, March 25th, Exhibit Continues with “Art Refresh”

12-4 pm Exhibit Browsing and Buying

Many new art works will be added to the exhibit that were not displayed on Friday.

4-5 pm Art Pick up (continues Sunday).

Both buyers and artists of unsold works can pick up their artwork during this time.

Sunday, March 26th

12-2 pm Art Pick up continues

Please pick up purchases and/or unsold works by the 2 PM deadline. If unable to make these times, please send a friend.

Camas, WA — Artists Liz Pike and Blue Bond are exhibiting new works at Pike Art Gallery in uptown Camas, located at 302 NE Sixth Avenue. The public is invited to an upscale First Friday Art Walk Reception on March 3rd from 5-8pm featuring delicious appetizers and beverages. The new gallery space opened last month at the corner of NE Sixth and Birch Street.

“In addition to my own works of art, I’m honored to feature beautiful oils on canvas by the talented Blue Bond at Pike Art Gallery,” said Pike. “The public is invited to a welcoming First Friday Art reception each month.” Pike and Bond both work in oils on canvas and have been painting throughout their respective lifetimes.  This new setting is a second location for Pike Art Gallery which opened a few years ago inside a stand-alone building at Pike’s organic Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie.”

Bond is known nationally as a prize-winning portrait artist. Pike has been juried into Clark County Open Studios Tour each year since 2017. Pike also shows her work at several regional art festivals including the Fern Prairie Art Fest, Washougal Art Festival, Battle Ground’s Art in the Park, and Camas Vintage and Art Faire. Pike Art Gallery can be reached at (360) 281-8720. Visit LizPike.art on the web.

Pike

Camas, WA — Following a 15-year hiatus, local artist Liz Pike is reopening Pike Art Gallery next month in downtown Camas in a shared space with Minuteman Press, located at 302 NE Sixth Avenue. The public is invited to an upscale ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Pike Art Gallery on Thursday, February 2nd at 4:30 pm featuring sumptuous appetizers and beverages.

The ribbon cutting will be conducted by the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce. The new gallery space is at the corner of NE Sixth and Birch Street and will be open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays by private appointment. 

“I’m thrilled to be going back to my roots as a downtown gallery owner,” said Pike. “I’m also looking forward to hosting a welcoming First Friday Art reception each month at this new location to unveil my new works of art with the public. I appreciate this unique opportunity to share space with my good friend Jason Young, owner of Minuteman Press.”

Upon implementing efficiencies with the latest technology in full service printing, Minuteman Press has made prime square footage available to Pike for use as an art gallery showroom. 

This new setting is a second location for Pike Art Gallery which opened a few years ago inside a stand- alone building at Pike’s organic Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie. She operated the original Pike Art Gallery in downtown Camas from 2005 to 2008 on Dallas Street. 

“Art galleries bring more visitors to Camas which boosts economic activity for our downtown restaurants, retail shops and service merchants,” said Pike. 

Her new gallery adds to the vibrancy of NE Sixth Avenue’s existing businesses which include a popular retail bike store and salon located directly across the street in the Clara Flats building, one of Camas’ newest eco-friendly mixed use buildings with spacious views. 

Pike has been painting in oils on canvas since 1984. Her work has been featured in restaurants in Honolulu where she lived for ten years and most recently at Camas Gallery, which has represented Pike’s original art since 2016. She has been juried into Clark County Open Studios Tour each year since 2017. Pike also shows her work at several regional art festivals including the Fern Prairie Art Fest, Washougal Art Festival, Battle Ground’s Art in the Park, and Camas Vintage and Art Faire. 

Pike can be reached at (360) 281-8720.


Pike

Camas, WA – Lara Blair’s newest art collection will debut February 3rd from 4-8 pm in Camas at The Loft art gallery located inside Lara Blair photography. The address is 411 NE Dallas St, Camas, WA. This second show is titled Nostalgic Sugar and features mixed media pieces.

The theme of this current collection came from a look back to the things in Blair’s childhood that made her happy. Donuts, cupcakes, cookies, and oddly, miniature people. It sounds bizarre, but on a gallery wall, it all comes together.

Blair’s ultimate goal as an artist is to delight, amuse and inspire the viewer. She is aware that humans frequently pull from the same nostalgic memory bank to feel joy, especially when enjoying art.

The mediums used in her work are clay, wood, resin, paint, 3D printing and various ephemera to create realistic sweet treats and detailed dioramas.

All work is available for purchase. One piece will be raffled off at the end of the evening on February 3rd.

Blair
Ice cream mini people.
Blair

Camas, WA — The public is invited to view recent works by local artist Blue Bond at Camas Gallery throughout the month of November. Camas Gallery, located at 408 NE Fourth Avenue in downtown Camas invites area residents to attend the First Friday Art Walk Reception to honor Bond and his work on Friday, November 4th from 5 pm to 8 pm. Refreshments will be served. 

“We are thrilled to feature Blue Bond this month,” said Marquita Call, co-owner of Camas Gallery. “Blue Bond is a Northwest artist who has over 40 years of experience in the art field, painting in oil and acrylic. His bold, colorful, realistic portrayal of people, animals, and vast panoramas are vivid; evoking emotion and depth.”

In 2005, Bond was honored by being commissioned to do an oil painting commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event, “America Celebrates Freedom,” which took place in Vancouver, Washington, was the largest held in the United States, and sponsored by the United States Department of Defense. Bond’s painting appeared on memorabilia and the original is on display at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust in Vancouver. 

Another great highlight was an invitation to paint a portrait of one of the “Beautiful Lives Lost,” commemorating those who died in the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2017. Blue chose to paint Rocio Guillen Rocha, a 41 year-old mother of four. Her youngest child was only six weeks old when she was killed. It is with great pride that the family has her painting as a gift, forever honoring her short life. Blue enjoys commissioned portraits, and strives to create the best possible picture of the subject. 

Camas Gallery has been open in Camas for more than a decade and is an award winning gallery owned by Marquita Call and her daughter Jennifer Senescu. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and represents about 16 artists including three new artists to the gallery: Suzanne Grover, Sandra Longmore and Virginia Bittler.

Bond

 

Fern Prairie, WA — The second annual Fern Prairie ART FEST is a two-day event connecting local artists and the community on Saturday and Sunday, July 31 and August 1 from 10am to 4pm. The ART FEST is staged in the peaceful and tranquil setting of Shangri-La Farm, located 1.5 miles north of Lacamas Lake just outside the city limits of Camas, Washington. A total of 15 artists will participate in the juried show.

“These fine artists are excited to show and sell their work at ART FEST,” said organizer and local artist Liz Pike. Liz will be joined by artists Sarah Bang, Bev Birdwell, Tom Daniels, Derek Danielson, Cheryl Folkers, Dave Garbot, David Gerton, Suzanne Grover, Charlene Hale, Gail Haskett, Amy Jan Ernst, Cheryl Mathieson, Keith Russell and Diane Springer. Original work includes paintings in oils, acrylics and watercolor, pastels, mixed media, pottery, ceramics, fused and enamel glass, jewelry, pen and ink, wood, cast metal and copper mixed media.

The public is invited to take in original works of art surrounded by the beautiful gardens at Shangri-La Farm. Attendees will park at rented Grove Field Airport parking lot, 632 NE 267th Avenue, Camas, WA. Guests may either walk the 1/4 mile trail through the woods to Shangri-La Farm or take the free “Sunflower Mobile” shuttle service. The Sunflower Mobile is an art piece all on its own, hand painted by Liz Pike in oils on fiberglass in her signature sunflower motif. The free shuttle will be available to transport attendees from the airport parking lot to Shangri-La Farm on both days, Saturday and Sunday, July 31 and August 1 between 10am and 4pm.

For more information, contact Liz Pike at 360-281-8720 or email pikeadvertising@comcast.net

Art Fest
By Sara Bang.
Art Fest
By Amy Jan Ernst

Washougal, WA — Washougal area artists are once again opening their studio doors to offer a fascinating and art-filled family outing for Mother’s Day weekend.  The 2021 Washougal Studio Artists Tour, to be held May 8-9 from 10 am to 4 pm, will include 8 stops and features 15 local artists representing a vast array of creative works and mediums.

“We are excited to safely invite visitors back into our studios and outdoor display areas for this year’s event,” said Shirley Bishop, WSTA co-coordinator and local glass artist.  “Last year we held a virtual tour and promoted our artists online. It just wasn’t the same. The art experience is so much richer when a patron can visit an artist’s studio. They are able to see where the magic of creating art happens and learn about both the art and the artists.” 

Now in its fourth year, WSTA has drawn much interest and support from the local community and visitors from the Portland area and beyond.  

“We are delighted that many people taking the tour are discovering Washougal for the very first time,” said Bishop. “And they really enjoy the tour route that winds along the scenic Washougal River and through the Washougal foothills.  It’s nearly as beautiful as the art!”   

Washougal
www.clarkcountyrelocations.com

The Washougal area boasts many high-quality professional artists. 

“It is no wonder,” said Bishop. “There is so much natural beauty to be found here that it serves as inspiration to these talented artists.”

New to this year’s tour are Trish Johnston, watercolor; Dana Bergdahl, acrylic & watercolor; Stu Ager, mixed media: organic metalwork design; India de Landa, contemporary art jewelry; Samuel Shrout, casted metal and wood, and Nancy Carkin, acrylic, oil and watercolor. 

Returning artists are: Char McHugh, ceramics; Anna Wiancko-Chasman, clay & mixed media; Cyndee Starr, mixed media; Kathy Marty, handwoven eco-friendly rugs; Shirley Bishop, fused glass; Tamara Dinius, mixed media; Toni McCarthy, original beaded jewelry; Sharon Ballard, acrylic painting; and Jean Hauge, multi-media.

New this year is the Runaway Kitchen food truck at tour stop #4, offering delicious meals and snacks for hungry shoppers. 

Preview participating artists’ work and see the tour map on the Washougal Studio Artists website 

www.WashougalStudioArtists.org   

You may also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Participating artists will also have copies of the map available, as well as many local businesses.

Camas, WA — Attic Gallery, located in historic downtown Camas, is featuring for the month of October a Solo Exhibit with 15 new paintings by Earl Hamilton.

“Earl’s been really busy during the pandemic and he brought over some stunning new work, and we’re so happy to feature him all month long,” said Maria Gonser, co-owner of Attic Gallery. “His new work is amazing! Please come see it.”

About Earl Hamilton

Earl, now in his sixties, spent most of his childhood living in a small cabin in the Rodgers Mountain area outside the town of Scio (Oregon) in the Willamette Valley, with his parents Satsuko and George Hamilton, both successful artists. The family lived self-sufficiently on their secluded homestead, painting together in their cabin’s living room. Thus, from an early age, Earl was influenced to enter the art world. Living a frugal lifestyle, hauling water, milking goats, collecting eggs from their chickens and minus TV and radio, he was encouraged to read and talk a lot about art. Earl learned self-sufficiency and a desire to follow his own artistic instincts. He now lives in Lebanon, another small Oregon town, where he works on his paintings every day and usually most of the night. 

Earl studied art in high school where he won a Scholastic Gold Key award for the State of Oregon and a National Gold Medal Scholastic Award for a competition in New York City. He won an art scholarship while studying art at Oregon State University. In 1980, Earl won The Grumbacker Award for the Northwest Watercolor Society, and 1981 the First Place Sweepstake Award for the Watercolor Society of Oregon. 

Earl’s paintings are filled with a kind of whimsical lightness reflected in many images such as castles, clowns, children, animals and lovers. He layers acrylics and uses collage materials in many of his abstract works. Earl’s paintings whether abstract or whimsical objects, could be called meditative, mystical, contemplative, energetic, bold and confident in brushstroke. “I knew that I would always be an artist. Art has become a way of life for me, of perceiving and being. You take art with you whether you paint or not. It’s in your eyes and in your hands.”

Learn more at www.atticgallery.com

421 NE Cedar St
Camas, WA 98607

360-833-9747

Email: staff@atticgallery.com

Hamilton
Earl Hamilton is the Attic Gallery solo exhibit for the month of October.

Washougal WA — Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance will host an online art festival as an alternative to its annual August event cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic public gathering restrictions. 

“We are very excited that our virtual 2020 Washougal Art Festival will last not just one day, but the entire month of August,” said WACA president, Kelli Rule.  “Our website will be the hub, and from there people will be able to access the festival through our Facebook and Instagram pages.”

The goal of WACA’s art festivals is to create exposure and drive sales for local and regional artists. According to Rule, artists have pushed themselves to create exclusive videos, new and refreshed websites and more to help promote their art in a new way online.  “We hope our community will support these local artisans, hard hit by the cancellation of so many opportunities to sell their art,” Rule said.  “We’ll do our best through social media to give the artists the attention they deserve.  When you purchase original artwork, you are not only buying that object, but you’re investing in that person.”

The event will highlight the work of 25 artists, each selected to participate by a jury of art professionals. 2020 festival artists are Linda Andrews-Riggs, water color; Eric Berlin, porcelain jewelry; Shirley Bishop, fused glass; Jean Blatner, watercolor acrylic; India de Landa, plexiglass acrylic jewelry; Chrissie Forbes, found art & oils, Katy Fenley, silver jewelry; Kyla Rae Friedrichsmeyer, watercolor & ink; Anni Furniss, mixed media; John Furniss, woodworking; Suzanne Grover, pen & colored pencil; Charlene Hale, fused glass; Kellie Kuter, mixed media; Brenda Lindstrom, oil; Beck Lipp, woodworking; Toni McCarthy, jewelry; Diane Moeglein, fused glass; Liz Pike, oil on canvas; Spike Palmer, oil painting; Karen Reule, silver jewelry; Gary Suda & Pamela Hancock, ceramics; Tamra Sheline, watercolor on yupo; Hiroko Stumpf, watercolor & acrylic; Cyndee Starr, mixed media; Barbara Wright, water color, ink, pencil; Jeff Wirth, photography; and Tom West, acrylic, stationery.

Art
www.electlarryhoff.com

Each year a local artist is selected to create an image for the event poster that reflects Washougal in some way. This year’s poster art of a deer among tall grass was drawn by Washougal artist, Suzanne Grover, a founding member of WACA, whose work will be a part of the virtual festival. Her beautiful spring meadow scene was created from the photography of John Rakestraw.  Signed posters are available for a $20 donation.  There is a limited number of signed posters from previous festivals available as well, which can be purchased directly from WACA by emailing washougalarts@gmail.com.

“This year has been hard for artists who have seen so many fairs, festivals and events cancelled,” Rule explained.  “Artists have not been able to meet potential customers face-to-face and we know it is hard for them to make connections.   We hope this virtual event will help in some small way.”

Join the festival at the WACA website http://washougalarts.org/ or  https://www.facebook.com/WashougalArts/https://www.instagram.com/washougal_arts/.

Art Festival
Washougal Art Festival

Art presents itself in so many different forms and can incorporate many different media. This became a challenge and opportunity for Canyon Creek Middle School 6th grade art teacher, Alice Yang, once schools closed and distance learning began.

“During our first week of distance learning in mid-April, students hadn’t gotten their art kits from me yet, so I had to come up with a project using household items,” Yang explained. “We started our unit by looking at some artists who use cardboard and paper as their medium. I uploaded a video that shows several ways of connecting cardboard, some that do not use glue. The assignment was very open-ended, to create a sculpture using cardboard or paper which they could paint or decorate as they wished.”

Projects submitted by students included a cuckoo clock, a Polaroid camera, shoes, and a boat. One project, created by Morgan Musser, stood out with its intricate detail and the spiraling form which gave it a sense of movement and realism.

“Morgan worked about six hours a day for this week-long assignment,” said Yang. “When we shared the projects during our weekly Zoom meeting, the other students were blown away. Some felt a bit down that theirs weren’t at the same level, so we stopped and talked about the danger of comparison and how everyone is good at something.”

Learning
Remote art lessons.

“I was inspired by pictures of Chinese Dragons I viewed on the internet,” explained Musser. “I used tinfoil to make a form for the body, which I later learned from my art teacher is called armature.”

Musser further explained her process, that began by cutting out each individual scale from thin cardboard, empty waffle boxes, and hot glued them to the form. She used a thicker cardboard, from a shipping box, for the back spines, which also provided a different element of color. Then she cut different shapes for the face and pieced them together in a kind of puzzle and secured the pieces in place with hot glue. “My favorite element of this piece is the dragon’s face,” she said. “I was nervous about the final result, but it turned out better than I expected.”

Distance learning overall has been a challenge for Yang and all WSD art teachers. “Not having access to materials is the biggest roadblock,” she said. “I was able to put together an art kit for my 30 sixth-grade students containing a drawing kit, oil pastels, watercolor set, a sketchbook, glue stick, and an assortment of papers. They received these during their second week of remote classes.”

Art instruction is a feedback-driven process, Yang explained, saying it can be difficult for students to work in isolation without input from the teacher and peers. Access to the internet is also a driving factor in students’ ability to complete work. Most of the projects involve viewing videos in Google Classroom, and though all students have iPads, some don’t have the capability of using it for online work.

“I appreciate the time and effort students are putting in and am impressed with the work that is coming back,” Yang said, “However, I’m so ready to return to school!”