Make-Me-An-Offer Pricing

This Friday and Saturday I will be conducting a special "Make-Me-An-Offer" event of some of my older paintings. The pieces shown below are a sample of paintings that will be included in the event.

Why am I doing this? I have enjoyed these painting for a number of years, and as I continue to paint and my inventory of work grows, I need to have funds for new materials, future framing, monthly studio rent, etc. It is time for some one else to enjoy these pieces; someone who will love and appreciate them.

I will have a bidding sheet with a minimum selling price assigned for each painting. The opening prices will represent a significant reduction in the original price of the work. Interested buyers can sign up at the opening price (or offer more) and subsequent buyers can increase the price by multiples of $10 until the bidding closes at 4:30 on Friday; the bidder with the highest offer will get to buy the painting. Winning bidders will be notified by phone and arrangements will be made to pay for the work and pick up their new acquisition. The process will continue on Saturday featuring paintings that did not sell on Friday. This pricing arrangement is only offered Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23, and only pertains to my selected paintings.

 Pastel Painting - "Dancing Tree" - 18x24, framed to 26x32

 Mixed Media Painting - "Morning Light" - 4.25x9.5, framed to 14.25x19.5

 Unframed Watercolor - "Tools Of The Trade" 

Mixed Media on Canvas - "Oregon Winery Close To Home"

Popular Subject - Trees

Who doesn't love trees. It's not a question - it's a statement. I feel especially blessed living in the  Northwest with the beauty and comfort that trees bring to my life everyday. My connection with trees started early. I grew up back East with a large public park that extended our backyard into a giant playground complete with vines to swing on, creeks to splash in, and trails to travel - a green wonderland dense with trees that shaded and cooled us from the heat and humidity of summer; wowed us with the blazing color of fall; mystified us on the silent, snowy days and nights of winter; and charmed us with the gentle blossoms and fragrances of spring. I can't imagine a world without an abundance of trees.

These images are of paintings currently available at Art In The Village gallery. Stop by and see how some of the gallery's artists have chosen to make trees the subject of their work.

Detail of a pastel painting by Gretha Lindwood

Pastel painting by Alex Boyden

Oil painting by Don Bishop

Art Quilt by Denise Oyama Miller

Gouache Painting by Donna Sanson

Art In The Village

7830 SW 40th Avenue, Suite

Portland, Oregon 97219

contact: donnasansonartworks@comcast.net

Hours: Friday 11 to 8 and Saturday 11 to 6

or by appointment

Check out additional posts about the gallery on my Facebook page.

Holiday Shopping Items

Less than two months until Christmas and I'm sure many of you have started your holiday shopping. Don't forget to stop in at Art In The Village and see what some of our artists have created as special gifts for the art loving people on your list. Keep in mind that these items are all handmade so the supply is limited.

Shown below is a glimpse of what you'll find:

 Small Glass Bowls by Vicki Green

 Glass Wine Stoppers by Vicki Green

 Handwoven Wool Scarves by Denise Oyama Miller

 Village Ornaments by Denise Oyama Miller

 Boxed Sets of Greeting Cards by Wendy Givens

Handmade Holiday Cards by Donna Sanson

Colorful Card Holders by Denise Oyama Miller

Don't forget to come out and help us celebrate our Grand Opening on Friday, November 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. Wine & refreshments, many of the artists will be present, and a drawing for $25, $50, and $100 gift certificates. Hope to see you this Friday. 

7830 SW 40th Avenue, Suite #1, Portland 97219

(across from the Multnomah Post Office - look for the mural on the outside of the building)

Number 20 of 20

Amerinda Alpern
The final artist in my group of 20 is Amerinda Alpern. She is also my newest artist friend, having met her in August through Chas Martin. I think she has more energy in her little pinkie than I do in my entire body. She is tiny, moves quickly, asks lots of questions, and is very generous with her time and possessions - she already staffed the gallery for me on a Saturday and donated a brand new jewelry display case to my new space.

Amerinda brings mobiles and jewelry to Art In The Village. She says, "The correlation between pieces I make to wear and kinetic sculpture stems from my desire to work between large and small objects, while continuing my exploration with texture, color and form."

Working with hand tools -  a rolling mill, files, torch, and polishing machine, - Amerinda creates in silver, bronze and gold. Her inspiration comes from a fascination with nature, walks in the woods, and a love of graceful modern shapes. "The juxaposition of the natural world and pure form continue to collide and provide continuous amounts of amusement in my studio life."

Amerinda holds an MFA in Sculpture from Colorado State University and a BFA from California College of the Arts.

Two by Two II

The other two of the four artists mentioned in my last post are Ana Quinn and Tim Havens. Both live in Aloha, Oregon and both are ceramic artists. They shared their work at Art On Broadway over the years as guest artists during monthly guest shows and holiday boutiques. Allow me to tell you a little bit about each of them.


Tim Havens - 
Tim's wife, Michelle, is a painter who specializes in portraits of cats and dogs.Together the two multimedia artists work out of their home studio. Their art is 100% handmade and every piece of art is one of a kind. They both participate each year in the Chehalem Mountain Art 
Affair..

The photograph below shows Tim putting the finishing touches on a tall lantern that is about to be delivered to its new owner.

Ana Quinn - 
Like many of the artists I have met over the years, Ana's interest in art - and particularly clay - began as a young girl. She shares that, "I used to sit on our porch and form figures out of modeling clay. Later when I studied anthropology in college, I was most interested in the Indian arts, which included making coil pottery and decorating it with bits of basketry and ropes pressed into the clay."

Some of Ana's wheel work includes bowls and platters painted with ancient Indian Art from the Mimbres culture, as well as cave art from the prehistoric caves of France. The majority of her work is made on the wheel and is both whimsical and functional. It is a marriage of her Anthropology studies and her love of clay.

In addition to showing at Art In The Village, Ana's working studio will be open this Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of Washington County Open Studios. Visitors to her studio will be some of the first to see her new porcelain iguana which was inspired by a recent trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. Ana's studio is located at 20195 SW Imperial Street, Aloha. There will be signs to guide you.

Two By Two I

Today's introductions are the first two from a group of four. I became acquainted with all four when their work was exhibited during one of the monthly Guest Wall exhibits at Art On Broadway Gallery. Terry Grant designs and creates art quilts, and Barb Sedgwick works in embossed metal design.

Terry Grant -
Terry lives just outside Portland with her husband Ray. She has been sewing, drawing and painting since she was a child, and earned a degree in art with a concentration on painting and printmaking. It wasn't until she saw a group of beautiful quilts that it occurred to her that her love of art and textiles and sewing could be combined. She has never looked back.

Semi-retired from her career in Graphic Design, Terry spends most of her days enjoying her family, working in her studio, or writing. She has had several articles published in quilting magazines and is an avid blogger (www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com); not to mention being one of the authors of Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge.

You might have seen some of her quilt work in national and international exhibits or in one or more of the numerous books that include images of her quilts. She heads to Houston, Texas soon where her quilt, "Green Thumb," will be one of her 23 quilts on display at Quilt Festival Houston. Terry was selected for this year's "Rising Stars" honor along with one other candidate. Based on this wonderful image, it's easy to see why she is being honored.

Barb Sedgwick - 
Barb is a resident of Beaverton, Oregon and her art element of choice is texture. She says, "It captivates and motivates me, and is a fundamental quality of all my work. The attributes of light - depth, shadows, highs, lows - as well as touch are major components of my hand-embossed pewter, copper, or aluminum decorated assemblages."

Barb begins with flat sheets of metal and uses ancient techniques from Greece, the Middle East, European repousse, and Mexican repujado to magically transform plain sheets of metal into designs of whimsical animals, flora and fauna, geometric abstracts, everyday objects, etc. She then finishes her pieces with patina and polish which further bring out the texture and design, and applies a sealant. Wooden boxes, switch plates, journals, pieces of weathered wood, etc. become the supports to which Barb attaches her embossed designs - creating items that are both useful and beautiful.

"I thoroughly enjoy seeing people smile when they experience my creations and hope my artistic expression brings happiness to those who own my unique original pieces."

Four Down The Hall

In early 2019, I was invited by Dianne Erickson to rent space in her working studio at Suite #2, 7830 SW 40th Avenue in Multnomah Village. I immediately accepted her offer and the foundation for Art In The Village was laid. When Suite #1 became available in August, I proposed to the artists in the building that it become a gallery. Don Bishop and Suzanne Vaughan in Suite #5, and Chas Martin and Cherie Shanteau in Suite #7 liked my idea and made a 12 month commitment. All four have work in AITV in addition to their private working studios just down the hall from the gallery.


Don Bishop
Don paints mostly in oil and occasionally in acrylic; much of his work is done plein air, painting outside in the beautiful Northwest, capturing its light and scenic wonders. Originally from Southern California, he received a Bachelor's Degree in Art from California State University Long Beach. He now resides in Portland but credits the influence of Early California Plein Air Impressionists for the early development of his painting style.

Other influences on Don's work include George Innes, Franz Bischoff, William Wendt, and Maurice Braun, and the tonalist style. As his work evolves, Don feels his paintings have become a hybrid of tonalist, impressionist, and Hudson River School influences. His goal, "is to follow in the footsteps of the early masters, creating paintings that capture the qualities of light and color of the early impressionist movement."

Chas Martin
Chas has traveled down an art pathway for 40 years. After studies at Pratt Institute in New York City, he spent 10 years as an art director and creative director for ad agencies in San Francisco and Boston; he found time at night to paint.

 In 1980, he pursued painting full time and averaged an oil painting a day for nine months - then transitioned to dimensional work exploring sculpture, collage and box art. After moving to Hood River in 1981 he did wood carving for several years. He settled in Portland in 1998 and now works daily in his Multnomah Village studio, mentoring others, or leading workshops on painting, sculpture and the creative process.

His studio is adorned with his creations - drawings, paintings, and wall sculptures cover the walls, while the tops of his cabinets, files, tables and work stations serve as a stage for his collection of freestanding mixed media sculptures. Some fun and fresh. Some freaky. Each painted in a lovable palette, and each with a part human, part alien, part pillow appearance extending exaggerated appendages and exhibiting extraordinary balance. An imaginative mind at work!

Cherie Shanteau
Since Cherie finally got settled into her new residence in Beaverton she has been spending hours each day at work creating wearable art in her Multnomah studio. Hats, jackets, scarves, jewelry - she does it all and oh so beautifully. Recently her focus has been on wool hats designed to be fashionable while warding off the chilly temperatures of Portland's fall and winter months.

Cherie comes from a generations-old tribe of creative, hard-working women who taught her to design with fiber and textiles. She started out on a tiny hand-turned Singer sewing machine and then moved on to an old treadle machine. She was taught sewing, knitting, weaving, crochet, embroidery, and learned the meditation of clicking needles and growing rows.

"As I became older and had the opportunity to experience the dazzling beauty and remarkable ancient history and complexity of fiber and textiles throughout the world," Cherie said, "I began to recognize how strongly I was drawn to create with these same amazing tools and techniques." Cherie is determined to take the knowledge and skills that were handed down to her and use these gifts to create wearable art that will meet the needs of consumers today and tomorrow.

Cherie's product line is "Aware Ware" and she plans to concentrate on making hand-made pieces that are comfortable, distinctive, and sustainable.

Suzanne Vaughan
Suzanne grew up in New Zealand and showed an aptitude for the Arts from a young age. As a child, she absorbed and appreciated the intense vibrancy of the landscape, and paid close attention to texture, shape, line, and color. She started painting with acrylics in 2004 and realized it was a perfect conduit for her creative desire. She knew then she wanted to paint large, vibrant paintings just like her grandma had done.

After relocating to the United States in 2008, she switched to oil painting and began creating larger works that radiated positive energy and vibrancy. Her painting process involves an energetic, flowing, and rhythmic application of paint in an abstract expressionist style, similar to the technique used by Jackson Pollock. Numerous layers of pigments and glazes are applied to a canvas laid on the floor. Flicks, drips and brushstrokes of paint are overlaid, suspended in a luminous glow. With multiple applications, each layer interacts with the previous, building a surface with a complex visual texture suggestive of natural organic elements.

Last month Suzanne shipped an order of 17 of her large canvases to a company back east for their corporate offices. Cudos to you, Suzanne!

Meet More AITV Artists

Over my years at Art On Broadway, I met the following three artists - Alexandra Boyden, Sam Hingston, and Elaine Tan - one painter, one wood sculptor, and one jewelry designer. I'm honored to have all of them follow me to Art In The Village.


Alexandra Boyden - Pastel Painter
Alexandra works in pastel on sanded paper and her main subject is the landscape with an exploration toward abstraction. She first became fascinated by the landscape while on a trip with her grandmother to Antarctica where she was exposed to an "amazing landscape so unlike any other." The South Pole became her first subject. Now she begins with one of her photographs, a memory, or her imagination, and then plays with color, line, gesture, and ultimately a more instinctive approach.

"Not always having the right color can force a serendipitous substitution. I think it is this happy accident and intuitive abandon which can bring newfound integrity to a piece. I strive to make images equally compelling to their origins, but different," says Alexandra.

Alexandra majored in graphic design at The Rhode Island School of Design. She worked in galleries, museums, and as an exhibit designer at the Boston Childrens' Museum. Before moving to Lake Oswego with her husband and three children, her art was shown by galleries throughout Boston and in Maine.

Sam Hingston - Wood/Mixed Media Sculpture
Sam and his wife Chandra live in Beaverton where he creates his art in the studio he built in his backyard. His sculptures are mixed media but primarily made of wood; and his designs are inspired by nature and biology with a focus on form and structure. Sam says, "I find sea life and flowers to be particularly fascinating subjects. They embody what I love about nature - its absolute perfection. When people see my sculptures, I want them to marvel at them, study them, and wonder how they were made."

Sam's "Bloom" series currently consists of 26 completed fantastical flowers; his long term goal is to complete one hundred! He begins in the design phase and finds this part of the experience to be exhilarating since it challenges his imagination and allows him to come up with new forms that will challenge him technically.

"Color is not usually a part of my initial design phase. The tints I use are usually chosen as a sculpture comes together and the wood types are selected. I use a variety of woods in each piece and choose which types to incorporate based on workability, natural color, and grain. Saws and grinders are used to make the basic shapes for the individual parts, and then fine details are perfected using a rotary tool and sand paper."                                                                                                             

Sam is currently in school studying for a degree in mechanical engineering, which means less time in his studio. He expects that in the future, however, his education will open doors to a wealth of creative possibilities.

Elaine Tan - Jewelry Design

Elaine was born in China and now resides in the West Slope community of Portland. She believes her Asian background and upbringing have given her the ability to bring a multi-cultural sensitivity to her art, which is often inspired by life, nature, and feelings or reactions to an event. What excites her the most creatively is the process of weaving together the elements of color, texture and composition.

Elaine uses a variety of natural semi-precious stones, organic materials, metals, and other unusual materials to create her designs, and her work is known for its balance vs asymmetry, simplicity vs complexity, and its sense of "yin and yang" -  and always finished with unique custom findings. Many of her materials are selected during her trips abroad and lend authenticity to her designs.

"To ensure durability, I use the highest quality coated steel wire for stringing, paying particular attention to the finish work and quality of materials. My work is comprised of limited edition pieces and one-of-a-kind pieces," says Elaine.

More Introductions

While I was part of Art On Broadway Gallery in Beaverton, artists were added to the original group. Wendy Givens, Vicki Green, and Virginia Parks were three of the artists we represented and with whom I became friends. They were wonderful to work with and brought terrific artwork to AOB to exhibit and sell. So it was only natural that I would invite them to be a part of my new endeavor.

Wendy Givens -

Wendy grew up in the Willamette Valley with a love of nature and animals. She began drawing at an early age and her interest in art continued through high school and college, where she pursued a degree in elementary education and later earned an Associate Degree in graphic design. She and her husband Rick own a giclee printing business for artists, and she found that working with other people's art inspired her to get back to her own love of drawing and painting. Today she works in acrylic and incorporates elements of collage and drawing into her paintings.

Wendy shares that she is, "an abstract, mixed media artist" and "works intuitively, beginning with time spent just playing with the paint, adding and subtracting, reacting to each new mark. As I work, turning the canvas frequently, there usually comes a point when I find my direction and my marks become more intentional."

Earlier this year, Wendy spent ten weeks in Scottsdale Arizona where her work was juried into the prestigious Celebration of Fine Art.



Vicki Green -

After a career in IT, Vicki Green discovered she had another path to pursue. Her interest in glass work had begun about 35 years ago when she took a class at a local studio near her home in Vancouver, Washington. However it wasn't until a trip to Italy in 2004 while watching the Italian glass masters at work and visiting numerous glass galleries, that she was convinced she wanted to become a glass artist. Her work includes whimsical garden art, functional pieces, and beautiful decorative art objects.

Her glass art continually evolves and is often inspired or influenced by elements of nature, personal life experiences, and textile designs.

Always challenging herself, Vicki says, "I find myself exploring gradient lines, shadows, and depth which are attained through multiple processes and constant experimentation."



Virginia Parks -

Virginia is an archaeologist by day, but still manages to find time to consistently create small encaustic (bees wax) paintings. She was first drawn to encaustic painting by its antiquity. Virginia told me that beeswax was originally used by shipbuilders to waterproof ships in ancient Greece. In the following centuries and millennia, the addition of dammar resin and pigment to melted beeswax became an important technique for painting death portraits, religious icons, and other expressions of artistic creativity. The art form has experienced a resurgence in recent years and Virginia embraced it both for its unpredictability and its adaptability.

Working in her Tigard studio, Virginia "focuses my energy on exploring how to portray the natural world through color, line, texture, and multimedia applications. Birds, landscapes, trees, and flowers (some might call them weeds) are among my favorite subjects to interpret. The learning process is ongoing, bringing me joy every time I put wax to wood!"

Virginia is one of 50+ artists on this year's Washington County Open Studio tour. Her studio is #36 on the tour map.

Open Studios & More

The Fall tends to be such a busy time for artists with Art In The Burbs, Beaverton Art Mix, Local 14, Portland Open Studios, and Washington County Open Studios, just to name a few. I spent time last week attending a Sneak Peek in Forest Grove to kick off promotions for Washington County Open Studios on October 19 and 20; and to attend the Artists Reception for Beaverton Art Mix at the library where I was honored to have two paintings juried into Beaverton's annual major art event. This year there were about 650 entries, with 140 selected by the panel of judges to be on display. 

"Rainy Day at Sacre-Coeur Basilica," one of two paintings in BAM 2019

Portland Open Studios are always the second and third weekends in October, and our building in Multnomah will be open both weekends in honor of one of the building's artists - Dianne J Erickson  - whose work was selected for the tour. In addition to Dianne, six other artists will open their working studios for public viewing and my new art gallery will be open as well. Visitors can drive to one location and see the work spaces of seven artists along with their art work. Dates: Oct. 12/13 and Oct. 19/20; Times: 10 to 5 p.m.; Address: 7830 SW 40th Avenue, Portland 97219 across from the post office in Multnomah.

Art In The Village, my new gallery, will also be open Fridays both weekends with our regular Friday hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Three Originals

Today I'm writing about three artists who were all original members of Art On Broadway gallery, which I founded with two partners back in 2010. Linda Baker, Gretha Lindwood, and Annie Salness took a leap of faith back then and have been loyal friends ever since. I'm thrilled to have them aboard for this leg of the journey.

Linda Baker is a resident of Lake Oswego, is married, and has two grown daughters and a son-in-law. She's a member of Oil Painters of America, The Portrait Society of America, Lake Area Artists and Painter's Showcase. She has served as president of Painter's Showcase and is currently serving as Vice President of Lake Area Artists. She studied art at the University of Wisconsin, Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago, and Scottsdale Artists School.

Linda is a "master" of still life oil painting, and uses rich juicy color and high contrast in her paintings of beautiful household objects and luscious-looking fruits and vegetables. When visiting her studio one time, I discovered she had a wall of shelving with hundreds of treasures she had acquired at garage and estate sales - many of the objects I had seen before as subjects in one or more of her paintings. She can make paint look exactly like china or copper and can so clearly create the illusion of flowers that you swear you can smell their fragrance when you're looking at her work.  Her paintings are very popular and hang in private collections throughout the nation. 

Linda says, "I want to create an emotional experience that comes from seeing some elusive or unrecognized beauty in an object, person, or scene. In a sense, art is for me, unveiling the beauty of everyday things."

Gretha Lindwood resides in the Cedar Mill area of Portland with her husband Walt, who is retired from the business world and spends his time these days writing and publishing novels. When I first met Gretha she was in the process of transitioning from graphic designer at Joe's Sporting Goods to fine art plein air painter, and I don't think she has ever looked back. She works both in oil on canvas and soft pastel on sanded paper, capturing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and sharing her work locally as well as in Carmel and Los Gatos California; Bend and Cannon Beach Oregon; Mercer Island, Olympia, and Port Angeles Washington.

Gretha is a member of Lake Area Artists, Appalachian Pastel Society, and Piedmont Pastel Society; and a signature member of Northwest Pastel Society. She attended Western Washington State College in Bellingham and earned a Professional Diploma from The Burnley School of Professional Art in Seattle Washington. She has continued to study by attending painting workshops with Mitch Baird, Camille Przewodek, Robert Gamblin, Richard McKinley, Albert Handell, Elizabeth Mowry, and others.

I'm impressed that Gretha has been juried into Portland Open Studios for the past six years and has participated in seven out of the last eight Annual Carmel Art Festivals, just to name a few of her recent accomplishments. Even with her busy schedule, she still finds time to teach pastel classes at Village Art Gallery near her Cedar Mill home.

"By painting in the traditional plein air style and by using an impressionistic touch," says Gretha, "my landscapes invite the viewer into the scene. My landscapes can bring to mind the smell of sage after a rain in the desert, the feel on your cheek of soft mist from a foggy morning, or the taste of a salty ocean breeze on your lips." Her work is valued for its vibrant color and strong design.

Annie Salness is amazing. She's an amazing person, an amazing wife and mother of four, an amazing artist - and a true inspiration to most everyone who knows her. Annie was actively involved in Art On Broadway in September of 2010 when the gallery opened. Two months later she suffered a massive stroke that paralyzed her right side. Because she was young and had been physically active she qualified for a special therapy program for stroke victims at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland and immediately began her long, hard road to recovery. She regained her speech, and over time learned to stand and walk and conquer stairs. But Annie did not regain the use of her right hand - her painting hand. She's amazing because she didn't let a massive stroke stop her from doing what she loved - instead she taught herself to paint with her left hand. Just like Molly Brown, she is unstoppable.

Annie was trained in bio-medical illustration but these days her goal is "to capture the purest essence of a person, an animal, or even a vegetable." She works with acrylic on panel in her basement studio and listens to music or an audiobook as she works.

"I love to capture special and often un-witnessed moments and express them in my paintings. I'm drawn to light, color or the glimpse of such a moment. I take random photos and ...often discover something wonderful that I didn't know I'd captured - and this discovery lends excitement to my process," she writes.

Annie says she feels inspired by the blank canvas. I feel inspired by Annie!

Introducing Susan Helmer and Denise Oyama Miller

I'll start by introducing Susan Helmer and Denise Oyama Miller, two artists friends from Fremont CA and my days exhibiting with Artists 7. I love these two ladies - we have shared many wonderful moments - exhibiting, partying, planning, and traveling together along with the other members of the A7 group. When I invited them to become a part of Art In The Village, they both responded with warm enthusiasm. Despite the logistics of transporting the artwork, they agreed 100% to be involved.

Susan is a retired middle school teacher who loves cats and her husband, Max. As a child, she was introduced to art through classes at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. She still remembers the huge bottles of brightly colored tempera paint and the stone lions that lined the path to the museum. While attending San Jose State University, she earned a minor in art with an emphasis on crafts, especially textiles. She later studied bead design with Helen Dietze and was hooked on creating jewelry from beads. Then 20 years ago while on vacation in Washington, she discovered silk painting and was immediately hooked. She now only paints on silk using watercolor techniques with liquid dyes, and sometimes incorporates her love of beads into her paintings. Her subjects range from florals to abstracts, with a particular interest in leaves and colorful tropical plants.

I drove to Ashland one recent weekend and Susan and Denise drove up from the Bay Area so I could pick up their artwork. Of course we had a wonderful visit with lots of laughter and talk of days gone by.

Susan's silk painting of "Trucked Out" is 22x28 and will be on exhibit when the gallery opens in October.

I recently shared news about Denise and her "Connecting Threads" quilt in a post dated 9/24 and now it's time to reveal more about her background and creative passion. Denise was born in Baltimore, Md and moved to California in 1960. She attended the University of California Berkeley and worked in the Information Technology area at Kaiser Permanente before retiring to work full time on her art. Denise and her husband Dean have two married sons and three grandchildren.

Nature is a source of constant inspiration for Denise and she has chosen to work in textiles because they are adaptable to many processes and she has worked with some form of fiber most of her life. She looks for patterns, textures and color combinations that can be interpreted in fabric. She has an entire wall in one room in her house that is lined floor to ceiling in shelves of fabric of every color and pattern. I know because I've seen it. Her quilts capture the simplicity, peace and tranquility of being outdoors and she strives to make viewers feel like they are in the environment she has created. She also pays homage in her work to her Japanese ancestry and to Japanese art, which is often focused on Nature.

Denise's "Moment In Time" quilt will be on exhibit at the gallery when it opens.

Meet two or three more artists in tomorrow's post. Until then ...

Art In The Village - My New Fine Art Gallery in Multnomah

I'm so happy to announce the upcoming opening of my new art gallery at 7830 SW 40th Avenue, Suite #1 in Portland, directly across from the Multnomah Village post office. Art In The Village will open its doors with a soft opening on Friday, October 4; a Grand Opening is planned for early November.

The small, intimate gallery will feature works by twenty artist friends and will be open for viewing and sales each Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. My working studio is located at the back of the gallery, and I will have my artwork exhibited there.

A list of the twenty artists is shown below and I plan to feature one or two on each upcoming posts so you'll have an opportunity to learn more about them and their artwork. I hope you'll check in each day to see whose being introduced and become acquainted with their work and accomplishments. Here are some "before" images of Art In The Village.

 Exterior of building with new mid-century modern mural.

 From front door toward back, with studio space

My working studio

The transformation began last weekend when artists started delivering work

I'm proud to be able to share works by Amerinda Alpern, Linda Baker, Don Bishop, Alexandra Boyden, Wendy Givens, Terry Grant, Vicki Green, Tim Havens, Susan Helmer, Sam Hingston, Gretha Lindwood, Chas Martin, Denise Oyama Miller, Virginia Parks, Ana Quinn, Annie Salness, Barb Sedgwick, Cherie Shanteau, Elaine Tan, and Suzanne Vaughan.

Washington County Open Studios Coming Soon

Congratulations to Peg Falconer for starting Washington County Open Studios ten years ago, and who remains as the driving force behind this annual event.  In recognition of 10 years of the tour, the artists have come together and created a special deck of playing cards depicting images from this year's artists. The card decks are available on washcoart.org and at studios along the tour. I think you may want a deck for your own personal use as well as purchasing a couple decks for holiday gift giving.

Free catalogs listing all artists and a map with their location are available at libraries throughout the county or by contacting washcoart.org. The tour is always the third weekend in October and the hours are from 11 am to 5 pm.  

My home studio at 14595 SW Topaz Lane in Beaverton is on the tour along with several of my artist friends whose studios I recommend you visit - Gretha Lindwood, Virginia Parks, Ana Quinn, and Annie Salness.  These four talented women are among the twenty artists I invited to exhibit at my new art gallery in Multnomah Village. More on that later...

"In Full Bloom," Acrylic on Board - D Sanson

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BAM (Beaverton Arts Mix) - Reception October 3

Time again for Beaverton's annual fine art event at the Beaverton City Library on Hall and Fifth. The exhibit opens on Thursday evening, October 3, with an artists reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and continues through Sunday afternoon.

There were just under 700 entries this year and about 125 were accepted by the jury panel of Jim Lommasson, Linda Twichell, Liz Thoresen, and Renee Lopez. I feel honored to have two of my gouache paintings included, and will have another ten original unframed pieces in my bin.

I plan to attend the reception and hope to see many friends and fellow artists during the evening.

 Rainy Day in Montmartre, Paris -  Gouache

A View From A Room, Bordeaux - Gouache

Congratulations to My Friends Denise and Adriane

How lucky I am to know so many talented artists.

Denise Oyama Miller and I were part of Artist 7, a group of nine female artists who all resided in the East Bay of San Francisco and who regularly exhibited together in venues from San Jose to Mendocino. Denise worked primarily in watercolor and mixed media collage back then but spends much of her time these days creating fabulous art quilts. One of her quilts, "Connecting Threads," tells the personal story of her family's Japanese American history. In October she and her husband will attend the opening of the 16th International Triennial of Tapestry at the Central Museum of Tapestry in Lodz, Poland, where Connecting Threads will be part of a "Breaching Borders" exhibit. The show runs through March 2020. Congratulations Denise. Travel safely.

"Connecting Threads" by Denise Oyama Miller

Just learned that another of my artist friends from California, Adriane Dedic, had her design selected to be made into an Imperial Fan that was presented to Japan's Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako at the Prince's Enthronement as new Emperor last spring.  Six winning designs were selected and Adriane's Emperor and Peacock Butterflies entry was one of the winners, along with others from New York, Israel, London, and Tokyo. The actual fans were made in Kyoto, Japan using the winners' designs. What an incredible honor. So proud of you, dear Adriane.

Adriane with her Emperor and Peacock Butterflies Fan Design