DRAWING MARATHON DRAWS A CROWD

Drawing Marathon Draws a Crowd
Drawing + Artists + You = Fantastic Fun
The Oregon Arts Alliance (OAA) hosted its first drawing marathon at the OAA Gallery on Friday, November 5, 2010, in Eugene, OR.

In case you missed the drawing marathon, here’s how it worked:
Artists drew throughout the evening, working from live models or imagination. Immediately after a drawing was completed it was placed on the gallery wall for viewing pleasure and purchase as a benefit for OAA workshops and exhibitions. Visitors witnessed artists at work and chatted while solo musicians and Honest Connie & the 5 Finger Discount provided music. Ninkasi Brewing Company and Territorial Vineyards provided beverages while the Creative Duck Store at the U of O donated art supplies for the event. Each model’s fashion sense could be captured in drawings, be it a furry hat, cat-eye glasses, a hat à la Robin Hood or Queen Slugasana’s trail of rainbow balloons. It was fantastic to see artists’ different interpretations of the models.

Roger Rix, court photographer for Queen Slugasana, liked the energy the drawing marathon produced. "This is wonderful. It’s exciting to see this many artists and different mediums," Rix said. By the end of the night, the gallery walls were covered with drawings; no space left uncovered!

Pencils, Charcoal, Pastels, Oh My!
Over 30 artists participated in the drawing marathon, and artists used an assortment of mediums: pastels, charcoal, colored pencils, watercolor, pencils and chalk.
This was graphic designer, illustrator and writer Stephen Stanley’s first drawing marathon. “I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” Stanley said. During the drawing marathon, Stanley worked from the models with pencil and white pastel. Whether the technique is tight or loose “depends on my mood,” Stanley explained.

I chatted with Halley Anderson, a student at the University of Oregon, as she worked on a linear colored pencil drawing. Anderson found out about the drawing marathon while on the First Friday ArtWalk. Anderson decided to participate because she “saw everyone else doing it, and it looked really tempting.”

Brandi York of Springfield, OR, sat on the floor working on a pastel portrait, and we talked about her evening thus far. “It’s one of my favorite atmospheres to be surrounded by other artists and just drawing,” York said. York enjoys portraiture and figure drawing and works in all mediums, though her primary and favorite medium to work in is pastel.

For Nicola Calvert, the evening was full of charcoal and pastel drawing and running into old friends. “It’s the social highlight of the week, maybe of the month,” Calvert said.
Art is “moving back into being an integral part of my life,” Calvert explained, who works with mixed media. Calvert liked seeing other artists’ work. “The drawings are very inspirational…” Calvert said.

Emily Pesek, a portrait artist, worked on portraits in pencil, smudge pencil, and woodless pencil.
“You see reality a little more clearly,” Pesek said of drawing. Pesek expressed admiration for the OAA and its mission. “I think it’s beautiful that the Oregon Arts Alliance is so devoted to honoring the artistic process and genuinely supporting art for art’s sake,” Pesek said.

Farley Craig is a full-time artist who teaches figure drawing and figure painting at the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene, OR. During the drawing marathon, Craig drew with charcoal and chalk, though he also likes to work in oils.

Chandra Valli Paetsch, a freelance artist, illustrator and photographer, registered for the drawing marathon because “it sounded like so much fun.” Valli Paetsch worked from the models using mixed media: ink and colored pencils, in her drawings. “It’s great to watch other artists work. I’ve never had that opportunity,” Valli Paetsch said. Valli Paetsch is up for another drawing marathon. “I really hope it happens again,” Valli Paetsch said.

We are Thankful for… You! It was great seeing such an awesome turnout for the event. Thank you for coming and supporting artists and art!

Thank you:
Artists
Models
Solo musicians and Honest Connie & the 5 Finger Discount
Sponsors: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Territorial Vineyards and the Creative Duck Store

For photos of the event, go to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oregonartsalliance.

Upcoming Event:
OAA Fine Arts & Crafts Show (formerly the Oregon Crafted Sampler Show) begins Friday, November 12, 2010, at the OAA Gallery with an opening reception from 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The show features 30 of our member artists representing a collection of mediums: Glass, Wood, Ceramics, Painting, Jewelry, Fiber Art and Sculpture.
Opening reception is Friday, November 12, 2010, from 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The show runs November 12 through 21, 2010 at OAA Gallery, 881 Willamette St., Eugene, OR.
Regular hours Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 am to 5:30 pm.

A Celebration for our New Space and our New Name!
(blog by Sara Bishop)

A Grand Opening - With excitement and enthusiasm we unveiled our new space at 881 Willamette Street and our new name, Oregon Arts Alliance (formerly Oregon Crafted) on Friday, Oct. 1, 2010. We held our grand opening celebration and reception in conjunction with the First Friday ArtWalk. Late afternoon sunlight streamed in through the gallery windows as upbeat and eclectic music performed by Accordions Anonymous welcomed visitors. As art-goers danced and wandered through the spacious gallery, they enjoyed regionally crafted beverages by the Ninkasi Brewing Company and wines donated by Market of Choice. And, of course, there is the art! The right side of the gallery encompasses the show, [Hold] Baskets, Boxes, Bowls and Containers and features work by over 15 artists with a special selection of ceramics by artisans from Clay Space. The left side of the gallery contains art by more than 30 of our member artists.
The extraordinary array of art in the gallery could satisfy even the most persnickety person, provoking among many things, admiration and conversation.
Here is just a sampling of the mediums exhibited:

Light sculptures
Fused glass
Watercolor & sumi ink stick
Ceramics
Pastels
Weavings
Multimedia collages
Poetry
Handmade lampwork beaded jewelry
Collage scarves
Mixed media fiber
Acrylic and paper collages
Mixed media photographs
Photography
Bronze sculptures
Stoneware
Gourds

Chatting with the Artists - I got the opportunity to speak with some of the artists whose works are on display. The artists expressed excitement about our new space and new name.
Shannon Weber has four works in Hold:
Trapped, beaver stick, sea grass roots, bull whip sea kelp that has been carved, stitched woven wax linen, thread, ostrich eggshell, clam and pooka shell beads Star Chart, fire pit wood wax, linen, thread stitched bullwhip sea kelp reed, stitched river rocks
Crab Pots, fire pit wood, wax linen thread, stitched bullwhip sea kelp, river rocks, clam shell beads
Orbit, random woven painted material: rattan, found metal, drip line, metal tape, vinyl disk beads, waxed lined thread

Weber had multiple reasons to celebrate: it was her birthday, and her work is going to be shown work at the Cavin Morris Gallery in New York City. She summed up the night quite fittingly: “excellent.” Weber feels “privileged” that she has been able to create her work for the past 25 years. Also, be sure to catch Weber on a future episode of “Oregon Art Beat” on Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Karin Richardson made her Eugene debut with her “Guardian Remains” series in Hold: Guardians Remain Series: Redwood, wood, sand-cast flat glass, steel Guardians Remain Series: Fire w/ Green Vessel, wood, sand-cast, flat and blown glass, steel Guardians Remain Series: Fir, wood, sand-cast and flat glass, steel Guardians Remain Series: Red Cedar, wood, sand-cast and flat glass, steel

Richardson studied at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA. A person asked Richardson concerning her work: “It’s all on purpose, right?” which begs the age-old question, is it intuition, planned or by accident? She also enjoyed the bringing together of artists and art in the gallery.

Katie Swenson’s Untitled is a part of Hold. Untitled is created of porcelain/stone, porcelain, wire and glass beads. As we talked about her work, she explained that she can’t exactly put her work into words. Swenson wants people to unearth their own interpretations in her work.

Death Valley during winter inspired Sheila Roth’s four oil compositions:
Study in Green
Study in Blue
Study in Orange
Study in Red

“People say that there’s no color like that in Death Valley. It’s what I see under the rocks,” Roth explained, “Color is something I love to work with.” Roth currently is working with watercolor. Roth is also in charge of our new Collector’s Club.

Photographer David Simone’s work consists of “natural and super urban settings” and is also “abstract and realistic at the same time.” “I like to travel and do adventure things, and I like to go to cities,” Simone said. His photographs Sea Ranch and Molokai Backside are examples of his work in natural settings. Simone also serves on our Board of Directors.

Wrap Up + November Events - During the evening I overhead clips of conversations, most centering on enthusiasm for our new space: “it’s beautiful” to “this place is a wonderful addition.” Thank you to our artists and sponsors: Goldworks, Kent Anderson & Associates, P.C., Ninkasi Brewing Company, Pacific Continental Bank, Market of Choice and Sweet Life Patisserie. Thank you to all who came to the opening; the evening wouldn’t have been a success without you all!

Hold: Baskets, Boxes, Bowls and Containers will be on display through Oct. 30, 2010.
Pencil in your calendar our November events!

Drawing Marathon, Nov. 5, 2010, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Witness and purchase new drawings by Eugene artists created in front of you as a benefit for Oregon Arts Alliance. Infamous models will be posing – including her majesty, Queen Slugasana.

OAA Fine Arts and Crafts Show, Nov. 12 through 21, 2010, 11:00 – 5:30 p.m. Formerly the Sampler Show, this Fine Arts and Crafts Show will showcase art from 25 of our member artists, each displaying their art in a separate space within the gallery.

Oregon Crafted is proud to present its first annual Oregon Crafted Sampler – A Fine Arts and Crafts Show, November 14th and 15th, 2009 at the Lane County Fairgrounds Auditorium. The show features over 50 artists that are participating members of Oregon Crafted, Eugene Glass Guild, Eugene Glass School, Guild of Eugene Metalsmiths (GEM), Clay Space, Local Clay and East Linn Artists (ELA). The Oregon Crafted Sampler will be held for one weekend only, and show hours are: Saturday, November 14th from 10 am – 6 pm, and Sunday, November 15th from 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is free with a suggested donation of canned goods for Food For Lane County. A variety of art mediums will be on display, including: glass, ceramics, jewelry, metal, wood, paintings, fiber, baskets, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and gourd art. Patti Lomont, Art Program Coordinator for Oregon Crafted, says, “Many of the exhibiting artists are in fine arts galleries around the country, and locally do not show their work very often. This is an excellent opportunity to see and purchase their work.” Come to the Oregon Crafted Sampler and help keep art alive by supporting local artists. For more information and a complete list of show artists, visit the Oregon Crafted website at www.oregoncrafted.org.