Another show I entered around the same time as the Eugene Celebration is the Salon de Peuple at New Zone Gallery. In this show, one can enter up to 3 pieces and pay $10 for each piece submitted. The dates of the exhibit are August 25-October 7, 2011.

New Zone Gallery is a great place for an artist to get started showing one’s work. My husband Walter does noise shows there under the name Brownian Motion with other local noise artists. This gallery does many art receptions as well as on the First Friday Art Walk. I chose to put to pieces in the show.

This was a great show and experience. Through doing this, I met many great artists and plan to become a member of the gallery. I look forward to volunteering there as well as being in future shows.

Owyhee Tunnel
Size: 18” x 24”
Medium: India ink on canvas
Date: 20 July 2011

Nā Pali Coast
Size: 18” x 24”
Medium: India ink on canvas
Date: 7 August 2011

On the artist section of Eugene Craigslist, I noticed a call to artists. It was an art contest called Object Afterlife Art Challenge. MECCA gives the challenger a bag of materials to incorporate into their piece and they encourage the artists to work outside their usual medium.

So I took the challenge and entered. The bag of materials I received was paint samples and long pieces of cut cardboard strips. I decided to do a piece honoring the remembrance of 9/11 since the 10 year anniversary was upon us. I tried to use all recycled materials as much as possible. Instead of using canvas, I glued big pieces of cardboard together to create a strong surface.

The samples of paint I laid out into groups of like color and cut into various strips. Then I glued them into a collage and made 2 towers. I wanted bright colors even though the scene was gruesome as each strip of color represented a soul. This was a very emotional abstract piece to do. I’ve learned a lot from this challenge and highly recommend other artists to create new pieces outside their normal medium.

911
Size: 48” x 24”
Medium: Collage
Date: 20 August 2011

My final piece was hung for the Eugene Celebration at 174 W. Broadway August 24-31st, then moved to MECCA at 449 Willamette September 1-29th 2011. There was an artist’s reception on September 2nd at the First Friday Art Walk from 5:30-8:30pm. There were prizes in several categories including one from Mayor Kitty Piercy. It was great to meet many artists and people from the art community. I didn’t win but look forward to entering future challenges.

In looking for art shows to enter this summer, I discovered the Mayor’s Art Show. With barely enough time to enter, I snapped a photo of a recent piece and submitted it within the last hour of the deadline. I don’t recommend or intend to ever wait until the last minute to enter an art show. Sadly, I didn’t make the cut but feel good that at least I tried. This is the piece I entered:

Owyhee Tunnel
Size: 18” x 24”
Medium: India ink on canvas
Date: 20 July 2011

The area I live in is on the edge of farms and wetlands. I’ve heard it called midwest suburbia hell before. I can’t say it’s very well-planned. It truly is sprawling and creeping in on every corner that was once natural.

Luckily, we have some great preserved areas that bike paths meander through, following the west Amazon Creek. This open area is fairly quiet and a great place to paint, write poetry, or watch birds. It’s one of my family’s favorite places to go hang out and enjoy nature.

So I showed a fellow painter this spot and we painted on my side of town for a change. It was hot that day. I painted three paintings of the scene. Using oil pastels, I chose cool colors for one and warm colors for the other. For the third, I did an art trading card in walnut ink. I’m very pleased with how all 3 came out.


West Eugene Wetlands I
9” x 12”
Oil pastel on 140 lb. watercolor paper
Date: 22 July 2011


West Eugene Wetlands II
11” x 14”
Oil pastel on canvas panel
Date: 22 July 2011


West Eugene Wetlands
2.5” x 3.5”
Walnut ink on linen canvas
Date: 22 July 2011

Doing plein-air at the rose garden every Friday of the summer led me to venture out from there and find many other locations. In Eugene, we have many great bike paths and some are along the Willamette River. So on a few occasions, I stopped and painted some river scenes.

Greenway Bike Bridge
Size: 4” x 6”
Date: 25 June 2011
Medium: Watercolor on Strathmore watercolor postcard

Under The Knickerbocker Bike Bridge
Size: 9” x 12”
Date: 9 July 2011
Medium: Soft pastel on Canson pastel paper

I look forward to painting many more scenes along the banks of the Willamette.