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By Brooke Nuckles, 241 contributed posts
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Ashland Gallery Association November 2018 Art Exhibits
First Friday Art Walk, November 2nd from 5 to 8 pm
Stroll the galleries and take in the visual delights in downtown Ashland and the Historic Railroad District. Enjoy this free year-round community event, filled with a diverse array of artwork, live music, artist demonstrations, refreshments and lively conversation!
AGA November Spotlight Exhibits
Masterpiece Christian Fine Arts
Paintings by Mera Oliveria
Ashland Pony Espresso
Mera Oliveria grew up in Southern Oregon and began oil painting in the past 6 years, learning from local artists, which revealed her inherent natural abilities. Mera has always loved art but it wasn’t until she encountered the living God that she feels her art and skill level blossomed in new ways. Like in the story of Exodus, where God gave skill to craftsmen and artists to build the sacred place where He would meet again with His people, she believes artists are gifted with abilities to create art that allows one to encounter the living God, a meeting place, so to speak.
Along with working in painting, Mera engages in chalk festivals where artists spend days on the asphalt creating large chalk murals in the streets. Ashland residents may remember Mera transforming the sidewalk in the summer of 2017 in front of the Black Swan Theater with a 12 x 12 chalk art rendition of Henry IV, the Prodigal Son along with artist Cathy Gallatin. She feels that involving the public in the process of creating art is special for many reasons, emphasizing the importance of the arts within community and how beauty is a form of unity, a universal language that speaks of the human experience we all live, and the spiritual and emotional journey that no one can escape.
Animal Crackers: Gallery Artists Pay Tribute to Our Furry and Feathered Friends
If you spend any time in the gallery you will have noticed that many of our artists have a thing for animals in their work. Why? Well, we don’t want to overthink it….but, we can celebrate it! From the fun to the reverent, small pieces and large, 2D and 3D, we will be including all the ways our artists honor animals in their work. Artists include Wayne Armstrong, Don Ajello, Laurel Bustamante, Steven Dewey, Penelope Dews, Baba Wagué Diakité, Claire Duncan, Marly Eidsness, John & Robin Gumaelius, Carol Ingram, Pamela Kroll, Betty LaDuke, Jhenna Quinn Lewis, Gabriel Mark Lipper, Robert Schlegel, Karen Staal, Wataru Sugiyama, Millie Whipplesmith Plank, and Aggie Zed. For this occasion, we’ve invited Portland sculptor, Stan Peterson whose carved wooden figures have all the charm of early folk art.
This is our final show of the year and will all be up throughout the holidays.
Join us for a reception for the artists during the Ashland First Friday Art Walk, November 2nd, 5-8 pm. The show runs November 2nd through the end of the year.
Stan Peterson, “Going Home”, carved wood
Photographers’ Gallery
Tiger Lily: Featuring Heinz Danzberger
Heinz Danzberger’s new show “Tiger Lily” opens Friday, November 2nd at The Photographers’ Gallery at the Ashland Art Center. The show is part of an ongoing project covering the landscapes of the “State of Jefferson” and, in particular, the greater Mount Shasta region. It is a photographic journey and discovery of sweeping vistas and landscape details, capturing the unique land at the heart of the West Coast and one of the larger natural areas remaining in the US. It is very diverse with active volcanic roots from which spring wetlands, high deserts and forested mountains, creating a land unlike any other on the West Coast.
Heinz uses modern techniques and classic lenses to capture high-resolution photographs intended for large size pigment print. The massive scale of the landscape around Mount Shasta invites large prints to capture the grandeur of the scene.
Heinz began working in medium format and then migrated to digital once high-resolution cameras became available. The decisive factor in his work style is not as much the camera but the applied lens qualities – in this image he used the classic Pentax 77mm FA lens resulting in beautiful and very classic image.
The Tiger Lily aka Ditch Lily is a welcome sight around Mount Shasta. This particular flower grew like a bridge over Cold Creek under the forest foliage. The arch of the stalk and the fruits of the bulbs float effortlessly over the small creek. Perhaps a deer displaced it in the spring or the weight of the flowers bent the stalk down towards the water. The horizontal arrangement shows the power of this plant to survive in difficult places.
Heinz’s photography invites us into a visual poetry of the world around us. It is a medium to see the unseen; the fleeting moments of light; the rush of time hiding magnificent moments. One does not have to go too far to find these moments. This Tiger Lily was a short bike trip to the outskirts of town, where it hides in plain sight.
Heinz Danzberger, “Tiger Lily” 2017, photograph
Ashland Art Center
Dia de los Muertos Celebration on First Friday
Music by Frankie Hernandez, Pumpkin painting in the classroom. Meet our Artists!
Show: Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Nature
Featuring Janette Brown & Katherine Dron
Watermedia artists sharing their interpretations of nature.
Featured Main Gallery Artist
Bridget Reynolds
Trained in a very left brained world of business, I came to the creative process quite late in life. I feel like a whole other world opened upfront me. I said a resounding “YES” and have not looked back. It is like playing in huge sandbox exploring images and color. I LOVE it!!!
Guitar Series:
On my fort canvas, all I know was that I wanted a guitar represented. From that, this series emerged.
What fun I have had in creating them.
Intuitive Pieces:
I love to stand before a blank canvas/paper and just make some strokes and then follow my instincts with a piece.
It is always a surprise to see what emerges.
First Friday Musical Guest: Frankie Hernandez
Frankie Hernandez has played every venue conceivable between Seattle and Los Angeles. Half jokester, half home-brewed Tito and Tarantula, and always love-struck, Hernandez has carved quite a name for himself. The only thing bigger than Hernandez’s voice, which could fill a closet or Yankee Stadium with equal aplomb, is his exuberant personality.
For more information about all of our exhibits and to download the November Gallery Tour map, please visit: www.ashlandgalleries.com
By Brooke Nuckles, 241 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
We Love Earth Day! Thank you for being a part of the solution and using natural art supplies that don’t poison our water supply, our bodies or the Earth! We encourage all of our supporters to pick one environmental organization to donate to this week! Our favorites are listed at the end of this email.
Beautiful Marbled Paper is a fun and easy craft but it usually involves synthetic or chemical ingredients. We’ve created an all natural, plant-based technique. Check it out!
1. To empty the contents of the egg, you’ll need eggs, a sharp object (I’ll be using a seam ripper), and a bowl to catch the egg whites and yolk.
2. Start by poking into one end of the egg with the seam ripper until you have a hole about 1 cm in radius. Into the opposite end of the egg, poke a few small holes.
3. Then, holding the egg over your bowl, blow into the side of the egg with smaller holes until the contents of the egg come out of the other end (I found that this is easier if you use a toothpick to break the yolk first).
4. After all of the whites and yolk have been emptied, rinse the egg with water and set it aside to dry.
After the eggs have completely dried, it’s time to fill with confetti!
Although you can use store-bought confetti, a fun alternative is to try making your own biodegradable confetti at home. Biodegradable confetti is better for the environment and removes the need for cleanup after breaking the eggs!
2. Gather some leaves from outside and punch holes to create some vibrant green confetti! Depending on the plants around you, you can make different colored confetti using different leaves or dried flower petals.
3. Another option is to purchase edible or biodegradable paper and punch out holes.
4. Use a cone of paper to transfer the confetti into your dyed eggs.
5. Lastly, using a small piece of tissue paper and glue, cover the larger hole and let dry.
6. Then TADA! A completed eco-friendly confetti egg! Have a happy Easter!
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
Happy New Year!
2017 was a wonderful year of growth for Natural Earth Paint! We are excited for new things to come in 2018! We want to wish everyone Health and Happiness in the new year! Choose to live a healthier lifestyle by making small changes that not only impact your health and well-being but living in an eco-friendly way that encourages others to do the same.
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
Natural Earth Paint News August 2016
ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: Eco Artist and Survivor Finds Love through Earth Art
Eco artist, Pamela Hoke, has been on an artistic journey for many years to express nature as love through her writing and art. She wrote the book “Natural Self Discovery,” and is currently creating a revised edition, which describes her recent move to the Pacific Northwest, her recent challenge with breast cancer, and a shift to Natural Earth Paints as her new medium. Her quest to discover a more earth-friendly and body-friendly art medium came about after she received two emergency grants from The Gottleib Foundation and The Haven Foundation. After surviving the worst part of her breast cancer experience, these grants helped empower her to invest in creating her entire paint inventory with Natural Earth Pigments, as it allowed her to have one paint source through which to mix in all her favorite mediums – oil, acrylic or watercolor.
DIY TUTORIAL: Make Your Own Eco Stamp Pad & Recycled Stamps in 60 Seconds!
Supplies: Paper Towels, Natural Earth Paint, Variety of household items to stamp (pencil erasers, golf tees, wine corks, toothpaste cap, cut fruit or vegetables, flowers, Q-tips, toilet paper rolls, finger tips, etc.)
Step 1: Fold a few sheets of paper towels into a square and moisten with water. Place on a small plate or dish.
Step 2: Pour a few spoonfuls of Natural Earth Paint on the paper towels and begin stamping with anything!
Pencil Erasers…. Golf tees…. Carpenter pencils…. Cut potatoes …. (or simply slice an apple or pear in half and stamp) The possibilities are Endless!!!
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
Natural Earth Paints Eco-Friendly Artist Video & Interview, New Products
Make Your Own Natural Oil Paints
Click the image above to watch eco friendly artist Jenay Elder mix her own natural and non-toxic oil paints using pure earth pigments, walnut oil and Eco-Solve.
Laura Zepeda is an inspirational earth artist. She has completely invented her own tools, supplies and techniques using roughly crushed earth and minerals to make “paintings” that literally glow like a gemstone. Here is her description of this interesting process.
NATURAL EARTH PAINTS ECO FRIENDLY ARTIST FOCUS: LAURA ZEPEDA
From the Weirdo Toolbox : Earth Art by Laura Zepeda
Mica Moon Reflections, by Laura Zepeda
I have no idea what I’m doing but a thousand ways to do it: I’m equal parts Artist and Mad Scientist. I’m making this up as I go along. I am not only creating art, but also the tools and materials I use to make it. I’ve spent sixteen years collecting and preparing colorful mineral samples to use as a rough pigment for highly textured paintings on canvas with surprising natural color, made using a variety of acrylic gel mediums. It is unlike any other art medium I’ve used: its unusual challenges have led to the invention of strange tools and equipment, mostly from an oddball assortment of found objects, repurposed household items, and packaging scraps that could qualify me for an episode of Hoarders. Brushes are of limited use: fine grains of mineral sand will ruin the bristles, so I got creative. Obsessed, really: I’m fully aware of how strange it is.
Is that a pot of soup on the stove? Better ask: maybe I’m boiling some beach sand. Is she casting a spell? Why is there sparkly dust everywhere? I’m just using my granite mortar and pestle to grind mica, and sifting it with water, a baby medicine dropper, and a wire strainer to separate different size grains of my favorite glittery mineral.
NEW Natural Earth Paint Eco Friendly Artist Products from our Store:
Glass Pallette
An essential tool for mixing your own paints. 11″x14″ palette made of 1/4″ thick glass with shaved edges. $15
Glass Muller
Hand-crafted by local artisans, these beautiful, 2 lb. glass mullers are perfect for ensuring your paints have been thoroughly mixed. Using a glass muller guarantees that every pigment particle has been completely coated in oil which eliminates the risk of having an air pocket in your painting. $44.95
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
“One Artist Changes His Art & Saves His Life” Interview, Video and Discount Codes from the Studio of Leah Fanning Mebane and Natural Earth Paints
Artist Inger Jorgenson, uses Eco-Solve to create beautiful drip effects.
ARTIST FOCUS: ROBERTO PARADA
One Artist Changes His Art and Saves His Life
Artist Roberto Parada
Note from the Author: Natural Earth Paint sent Roberto a complimentary bottle of Eco-Solve to try after hearing of his health troubles. We look forward to hearing his feedback!! Roberto Parada is an internationally known oil painter and illustrator, having been published in Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, ESPN The Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and Huffington Post. Few people know that his art process came close to ending his life in 2004. I had the honor of interviewing him about his journey in discovering which of his art supplies were literally killing him, how it happened and what he did to change his process while continuing to paint very high quality, archival and professional paintings. Were you ever taught about the toxicity in art supplies in art school?
I went to a very prestigious art school in the late 80’s and early 90’s and was never taught about any hazards in art supplies by my painting and illustration teachers. I did have one sculpture teacher who adamantly forbade the use of fixatives, solvents and chemicals because he had gotten lymphoma from the use of those chemicals. He never really explained why we shouldn’t use them but just told us not use them in his classroom. My painting teachers all used toxic materials themselves and probably just didn’t know the health risks involved.
What was your painting technique throughout your school years and career?
I have always been an oil painter and I’m guilty of never wearing gloves or having adequate ventilation or even thinking that I should. Noone ever taught me the risks and on the warning labels on paint thinners I only saw warnings about difficulty breathing and respiratory issues. There was nothing about the fact that it can get into your bloodstream and cause death risks. The warnings are very ambiguous and limited considering the fact that I can list 5 different types of cancer that come from paint thinners. For example, 3 kinds of leukemia AML, ALL, CLL, and Multiple Myeloma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. I also used all of the heavy metal based paints – cadmiums and cobalts – and didn’t think much about it. In the 90’s the “Odorless Mineral Spirits” came onto the market and we all thought that this was a healthier alternative. Now I know that Odorless mineral spirits still have petroleum based distillates and benzene which is exactly what brought about my illness.
By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 1582 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts. About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.
Spring News: DIY Art Supplies Recipes & New Products
I recently met a local artist/ printmaker, Shannon Yost, and asked her if she’s ever made non-toxic printmaking ink (because I know it’s very hard to find). To my delight and surprise she had actually studied with visiting Japanese Master Printmakers and learned a very ancient and little-known technique called the Moku Hanga technique of making your own inks. This ancient recipe has always used all non-toxic ingredients and we had fun including natural earth pigments in the mix! This ink is for wood block prints but can also be used for linoleum cuts and mono prints.
Materials Needed: Rice Paste (Nori), Natural Earth Pigments, Magnesium Carbonate -optional, Alcohol (Gin is best) – optional (makes ink more archival and durable)
We’re excited to introduce our newest product after many customer requests for a more complete oil paint kit. $44.95This kit contains:
Ten natural earth & mineral pigments in 2 oz. packets: venetian red, orange ochre, yellow ochre, terre verte, ultramarine blue, ultramarine purple, black ochre, burnt sienna, titanium white rutile and burnt umber.
4 oz. jar of refined walnut oil.
4 oz. jar of Eco Solve: non-toxic and plant-based paint thinner/ brush cleaner.
Eco Oil Painting Guide & Mixing Instructions
Paint like the Old Masters with these 100% pure and natural earth and mineral oil paints. These naturally non-toxic paints create the most archival, UV resistant, durable and radiant paints available today. This kit includes top-quality pigments, sustainably harvested from around the world. Each has been carefully ground to enhance the beauty and luminosity specific to each pigment. They provide a texture, radiance, and subtlety of color that synthetic pigments simply can’t equal. When mixed with oil these paints are free of fillers, preservatives, toxins, petroleum-based pigments and heavy metals. NEW!
ECO-SOLVE:
Now Available in 1 Gallon Metal Containers
Enjoy a very high cost savings on Eco-Solve with our new 1 gallon option. Try our revolutionary non-toxic and natural paint thinner and brush cleaner. $69.95 / Gallon
My 4 year old son loves home-made play dough, but in the reality of our hectic days, I never find myself with time to make new batches for him. So when someone gave him a set of modeling clay that permanently stays moist and malleable and infinitely re-usable, I was very excited. I noticed though that there was a toxic smell and it stuck to his hands and dyed them colors. I did a little research and found that most modeling clay is made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mixed with phthalate plasticizers, which helps keep them soft and maleable. Since these are associated with several scary, potential health risks, I decided to make our own with all natural ingredients and natural earth pigments. As an extra bonus, this modeling clay actually nourishes your skin as you play with it!
Recipe:
-1 cup beeswax pellets
-3 tsp. coconut oil or olive oil
-2 tsp. Lanolin (found in baby sections – commonly used for nursing)
-1 Tbsp. Earth Pigment (Color of your choice)
-plastic ice cube tray or any silicone “mold”
Step 1- Get a double boiler or fill a large pot with water and place a smaller pot with all ingredients inside. Heat ingredients and stir until melted and liquid.Recipe continues HERE
EASTER SALE!
Buy 2 Natural Egg Dye Kits, Get 1 FREE
20% OFF Wooden Egg Craft Kit
Coupon code: eggs2015
NEW
COLORS
Emerald Green Brilliant Yellow
Ultramarine Purple New Earth & Mineral Pigment Colors
Now available in 3 oz,, 1 lb. and 2 lb. containers.
