Watercolors of Lois Mitchell Bring Color and Life to The LRG

Stunning Paintings Bring the Living Room Gallery to Life

Extract of "Quiet Autumn" (c) 2015 Davis McGinty. All Rights Reserved.
 

ENERGY AND SERENITY IN THE PAINTINGS OF DAVIS MCGINTY ON DISPLAY AT THE TUALATIN LIBRARY

News Article by Angela Wrahtz

 

A gloriously colorful mix of acrylic paintings hang at the Tualatin Library in a new art exhibition that features the inspired works of Davis McGinty. The Living Room Gallery contains a sampling of his art and the largest paintings ever to hang in the space. Sun infused landscapes and contemplative koi ponds light up the gallery along with some dazzling portraits of music legend Jimmy Hendrix. McGinty's paintings draw you in and move you. His gift for capturing the life and energy of his subjects makes this exhibition shine through the end of 2014. 

 

A life-long artist with stops and starts along the way, as with many artists, McGinty was part of the Black Culture Movement that swept art and the nation twenty years ago. McGinty was introduced on the national art scene with a large painting entitled "The Awakening" which commemorated the Million Man March on Washington D.C. and was published in thousand of prints.

More recently McGinty has followed his passion to paint subjects that are less topical in nature and more universally appealing. His passion now is too create art that excites a wider audience. His work has been represented by the Omni Gallery in the Pearl District of Portland. He paints in oils and acrylics and still find he loves to experiment with other media. What McGinty knows is "I have to paint and I have to paint what I enjoy." And he lives by a very positive, self-empowering philosophy: "I believe that everything you are seeking is out there seeking you--and you just have to be ready and open to it." For this artist, that would translate into having his art hanging on walls in homes all around America.

McGinty grew up in Arizona and was inspired to pursue art from watching his mother paint in watercolors. He was a stand-out art student in his high school and recognized at a young age by the Phoenix Art Museum which awarded him Grand Prize in an art competition and sought to purchase and display his oil painting which he ultimately refused so he could give the painting to his Mom. In college, McGinty was allowed to enter advanced level art classes based on the accomplished nature of his high school portfolio. A college professor of his declared McGinty to be "the best artist to have set foot on this campus."

McGinty is now a resident of Sherwood where he lives with his wife and daughter. In addition to his art career which continues to grow, he is something of a local celebrity for his previous success as a body builder. In 1984 he became Mr. Oregon, and he still maintains an enviable chiseled six-foot frame. He talked to me about mental science and conditioning, another interest of his for the past ten years, and he said, "If you're going to be successful, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and take those steps that lead to something else."  Watch for McGinty and his work to be more visible in the local art community and beyond.

PORTLAND’S BIG 400 ART SHOW ~  BIG SHOW, BIG HEART, BENEFITING THE OREGON FOOD BANK

Portland's 'Big 400 Art Show' is dubbed “the largest little art show in Oregon” by the Oregonian and it may be the biggest annual art show in the state based on size alone. We are talking about 400+ artists, 4000+ pieces of art, all 8x8 wood, all art is $40 each, cash and carry.

It is a rare opportunity for lovers of art and art collectors to get art by well known and emerging artists at rock bottom prices while also supporting a good cause.

The fun part is the art isn’t labeled, so you choose by what you love…or by recognizing the style of your favorite local artists. Great for your walls. Great for holiday gift giving for that special someone. When it is all said and done, 25% of proceeds go to the Oregon Food Bank to fight hunger in Oregon.

The show opens today at Pioneer Place Mall. Grand opening with a professional bagpipe player (Sir John Goff) and procession at 2 pm with Artists Reception to follow until 9pm.  Admission is free with a donation of a canned food item for the Oregon Food Bank. Organizers say to get there early as things go quick!!!! The show runs through January 12, 2014.
Organized by Peoples Art of Portland Gallery, Chris Haberman and Jason Brown presents, this event has become an annual holiday tradition. Google “Big 400 Art Show” for links to the event and gallery information.

Art Show location is:

Peoples Art of Portland Gallery
700 SW Fifth (3rd floor) People's is Suite 4005
Settlement Galleries
Pioneer Square Mall, downtown Portland
Holiday Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays, Noon to 6pm.

Now go support local artists and a very good cause.

Women of Watercolor present "A Passion for Painting" Fall Art Show & Sale 

WOMEN OF WATERCOLOR, known as "W.O.W." to the community, presents its friends and family show entitled “A Passion For Painting,” September 27th and 28th, with an Artist Reception to open the show on Fridaythe 27th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (doors close at 9 pm) and an art exhibition and sale on Saturday the 28th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Tualatin Heritage Center located at 8700 S.W. Sweek Drive in Tualatin. 

The show is free and open to the public and features exciting original paintings, prints, and art greeting cards from local award-winning as well as emerging artists. The show will also include a “student showcase” of works created in classes with Linda Aman, master teacher who holds classes at the Tualatin Heritage Center and information about available classes and workshops. 

W.O.W. guild artists meet monthly to paint together in a social and educational environment at the Tualatin Heritage Center.  W.O.W. is a nonprofit organization that invites people interested in learning to paint with watercolors and local watercolor artists to visit for a group painting session (GPS's) to see the W.OW. Blog at www.wowartguild.blogspot.com for a published schedule of activities, or be in touch with angela.wrahtz@comcast.net.  Write to WOMEN OF WATERCOLOR, PO BOX 4668, Tualatin, OR  97062, for more information as membership opportunities are available. 

W.O.W. thanks the City of Tualatin and the Tualatin Historical Society for sharing the Tualatin Heritage Center as a home base and gallery venue for the art guild and supporting arts in the community.

The Tualatin Heritage Center in Tualatin, Oregon is located adjacent to the Police Station. Use Mapquest or standard navigation devices to help you arrive. 

Basic Directions:

Coming from Portland:

Take I-5 South to the Nyberg Exit and head West. Turn right onto Marinazzi Street, and then left at Boones Ferry Road. Turn right at T intersection and follow along the continuation of Boones Ferry Road past Tualatin Community Park (on your right), over the train tracks and to the next light. Turn left and look for parking. OK to Park at Police Station. 

Coming from West:

Take 99W to either the Tualatin-Sherwood Rd (if you are coming from Newberg) or look for the Tualatin Road (if you are coming from King City) and head East. Drive toward Tualatin. From Tualatin-Sherwood Rd., turn left onto SW 90th Street, then right onto SW Sweek Rd. The Tualatin Heritage Center is ahead on your right at the light. From The Tualatin Rd., follow toward the downtown until you come to the intersection across from the Police Station. Drive forward into the Police Station parking lot. The Tualatin Heritage Center is adajacent to the right.

From South:

Take I-5 North to Nyberg Road Exit. Head West to Tualatin Downtown. Turn right onto Marinazzi Street, and then left at Boones Ferry Road. Turn right at T intersection and follow along the continuation of Boones Ferry Road past Tualatin Community Park (on your right), over the train tracks and to the next light. Turn left and look for parking. OK to Park at Police Station. 

Outstanding Maritime Art Exhibit at Oregon Coast

Happening now at the Coos Art Museum and associated galleries on the Oregon Coast. For more information go to: www.coosart.org.

August 3, to October 5, 2013

Painting by Buck Braden. (c) Buck Braden 2013. All Rights Reserved.

►20th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition
Annual juried exhibition of Maritime themed art from artists around the country.
MAGGIE KARL and VAUGHAN GALLERIES

Featured Maritime Artists of the Past Ten Years

• John Stobart
• William Shelton
• Austin Dwyer
• Sylvia Waters
• Dutch Mostert
• Ned Mueller
• Buck Braden
• Jon Olson
• Don McMichael
• Harold W. Johnson

►Founders of the Annual Maritime Art Exhibition
PERKINS GALLERY

► Douglas Kinney and Joyce Spicer Kinney
UNO RICHTER ATRIUM GALLERY
►Coast Guard Art Collection
Works on loan from the Coast Guard Art Program(COGAP) in Washington D.C. fine art for educating diverse audiences about the United States Coast Guard.
MABEL HANSEN GALLERY

►Historical Photos of the Coast Guard
WEHRLE COMMUNITY GALLERY

ARTSPLASH 2013 is coming to Tualatin!

What is ARTSPLASH 2013?    by Angela Wrahtz

ARTSPLASH is Tualatin’s annual Art Show & Sale, a large event sponsored by the City, coordinated by TAAC (Tualatin’s Arts Advisory Committee), a host of volunteers, and 50 juried artists working in various media for a three day affair on the Tualatin Commons (8325 SW Nyberg Street.) All of these people prepare all year long to dazzle the community the last weekend in July. Tualatin delivers a great cultural experience in its own backyard.

In addition to fine art, jewelry, fused glass and other art media, an activity area will be set up for children to have a hands-on experience with art. Donations from local businesses help make this happen. Musicians will perform two concerts in the evenings both Friday and Saturday from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.  Al fresco dining under umbrellas looks inviting at the surrounding restaurants. What could be more entertaining for the whole family than the happy mix of music, food, and art in a sweet location with amenities like easy parking? It’s like one big party.

ARTSPLASH usually gets superb weather at a lovely lakeside venue where people gather and want to hang out for awhile. It’s also free. It’s informative, educational, and inspiring. Besides the kids’ activities, anyone who is interested and curious can visit with the artists and ask about how they create their art. Best of all, you can probably find something beautiful and affordable to take home and enjoy. Come see for yourself!

Portland’s 31^st Annual Rose Festival Art Show is A Yummy Must See

By Angela Wrahtz, OSA Member

Forrest Gump famously said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you will get.” The same can be said of art shows, but if you are talking about Portland’s annual “Rose Festival Art Show,” the official art show of the Rose Festival, you are sure to see works which surprise and delight. The 31^st Annual Rose Festival Art Show runs June 2^nd through June 28^th, 2013, at the Oregon Society of Artists gallery at 2185 SW Park Place in Portland.

A favorite painting of mine from a previous Rose Festival Art Show, is “Portland Spirit” by Jennie Chen, and the piece still tickles my brain. This artwork fell into the category of “Portland Scenes” (one of three qualifying categories for the show), and Jennie’s twist on weather and traffic along with her technical understanding of light and value won her a First Place ribbon. Inspired by a typical morning drive between home and her daughter’s school in which she found herself mired in a sea of unmoving cars and trucks under a falling cloud, Jennie imagined the view from her car as in a daydream.

“I suddenly discovered the world is upside down or backwards when viewed from inside a raindrop,” Jennie said, as she pondered how to turn the moment into art. “Forming the idea was only the start; expressing the thought on paper took time and planning.”

Jennie Chen, "Portland Spirit"

The result is stunning. Her prize winner puts you in the driver’s seat of a hypothetical car with Portland on the other side of the windshield as rain pours down. Through raindrop-splattered glass, you see the delicate undersides of the droplets flattened on the window in the foreground, a glimpse ahead of the road in the middle ground, and, through more rain, glowing red brake lights on the back of a pickup truck in the background. Intriguing details weave throughout like a travelling raindrop. A unique point of view for a painting presenting an authentically Portland experience—with a technical mastery in the medium that is breathtaking and tongue in cheek. The only way the painting could have been more “Portland” would have been for it to actually be wet. 

Other goodies in the chocolate box of art that is the Portland Rose Festival Art Show?

Artist Anji Grainger recently won two consecutive People’s Choice Awards for her magnificent large watercolor paintings of roses. The first is entitled, “Portland’s Spirit is Waterproof,” and shows a large yellow rose dappled with droplets of rain. If you listened to the rhythm with your eyes, you’d hear the iambic pentameter of a Shakespearean sonnet. The second winner is “Nature’s Reflection on a Carnival Rose,” wherein a rose is reflected inside of a raindrop, an imaginative, clever twist on roses and rain. (Jennie and Anji’s paintings, along with other previous winners, can be viewed at the Oregon Society of Artists website at www.oregonsocietyofartists.com. )

Anji Grainger, "Portland's Spirit Is Waterproof" 

To be clear, not every painting in these shows has rain drops and roses; others have, perhaps, cool cityscapes reflected in, say, bike helmets or famous windows, or they may have more personal subjects set against recognizable Rose City landmarks. Sometimes the fun is figuring out the essentially Portland moment in the art, as if the artist is asking, “How good are you at finding the rose, the Portland connection, or the show theme?” because every artwork has to meet one of those criteria to be in the show. Artwork in the Rose Festival Art Show is original and current for the artists; this is also the one show every year in which Oregon Society of Artists (OSA) allows non-members to participate. In any given year, it is hard to say what you will get, like that proverbial box of chocolates, but show goers will be sure to have a visual treat and probably something to talk about as they leave the gallery. The third category changes every year to reflect the theme of the current Rose Festival celebration, and this year the theme is “Portland’s Party.”

Just how does artwork get selected for the show?

The “Rose Show” (as it is commonly called) is a juried art show, sometimes by a artist of national experience and notoriety, or sometimes a regional artist of acclaim, so the quality of the art in the show meets a standard of excellence while also appealing to the juror’s sensibilities. This year’s juror is Greg Lewis, of Concordia University, Portland, and a fine artist whose goal is “to challenge the viewer and touch the human spirit.” While typically several hundred pieces of art from around the state of Oregon and beyond will be entered, only 60 to 80 artworks will be accepted for display. The Rose Festival Art Show 2013 includes two and three dimensional media, and awards are given for First, Second, and Third Place along with a few Honorable Mentions, and two coveted awards, one for Best of Show and the other is the People’s Choice award. Numerous local art supply stores and paint manufacturers sponsor gifts to the award winners.

Portland’s annual Rose Show is hosted by the Oregon Society of Artists. A couple blocks south of SW Burnside Road, and a couple blocks west of Portland State University, nestled in the side of a hill surrounded by homes of architectural interest and importance lies the building OSA calls home. The property includes classrooms and a few studios, its offices, and a good sized gallery, as well as a meditation garden and a good sized parking lot for visitors. “OSA is the epicenter for Portland art enthusiasts,” says Jennie Chen. “It is in one-stop a place for artists to be invigorated at all levels including emotionally. You get technique workshops, information exchange, and an inspiration center all in one with great camaraderie among members.” Street parking in the area is what you’d expect in a mixed residential and business area of the city but not impossible and definitely worth the extra few minutes to find a spot.

Who is Oregon Society of Artists?

Founded in 1927 after it broke off from the Portland Art Museum, OSA organized itself to promote the artistic and professional interests of its members as well as to provide visual arts programs to the public. Today OSA is a non profit group with a teaching mission run by volunteers and currently has 625 members. Under the direction of President William Woods and its Board, OSA has expanded its relationships and outreach into the community to include cooperative events at the Oregon Maritime Museum, the Home & Garden Show; Art in the Pearl, First Thursdays in the Pearl, and the Geezer Gallery. “I’m especially proud of the excellent classes and workshops offered by a great faculty at OSA as well as the free monthly demonstrations, all of which enjoy a loyal following of students,” comments Mr. Woods. Members are given the opportunity of 12 gallery shows at OSA each year which is a tremendous benefit of association considering few arts organizations have the facility or volunteers to pull off such a big schedule of shows. The OSA website presents a full list of classes and workshops along with information on how to receive their newsletter which is another outstanding artist resource offered to members and the community alike.

The Rose Show is a high point in the arts community, and the Oregon Society of Artists invites everyone interested in art, especially art with a Portland theme, to attend the show which runs for the month of June. The OSA gallery is open daily from 1pm to 4pm. An Opening Reception is planned for June 2, 2013, from 1pm to 4pm at the OSA gallery, an event which is usually standing room only. All are welcome.

Plan to attend the Rose Show because you can consume the whole box of chocolates, and there’ll be no regrets.

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Angela Wrahtz is an award winning artist and member of OSA. She is also a professional writer who helps to promote artists, art organizations and art events. See her art work at www.watercolorsbyangela.com and learn more about her publicity services at www.visibilityblast.blogspot.com.