Fall Foliage Studio Tour

Fall Foliage Studio Event is a free, self-guided event sponsored by the West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce. See Mother Nature’s finest work as she and artists throughout the area create with the magic of nature and inspiration! Enjoy a historic and spectacular scenic journey as you experience our communities and meet the artists who live and create here.  Awe-inspiring views will surround you as you meander through the Gateway to the Columbia River Gorge visiting the artists as they work in their studios!

For more info, go to: http://fallfoliagestudiotour.com/

Donna Erwin, owner/operator of Columbia River Gallery, is one of the presenting artists included in this tour. Read her bio and see her gallery of artistic framing pieces at: http://fallfoliagestudiotour.com/artists/donna-erwin/.

On Tuesday morning, March 16th, at about 9:00 a.m., the pieces of the arch will be brought to Troutdale and it will be erected with cranes…

It will be awesome…please come if you can.

http://www.troutdalecentennialarch.blogspot.com/

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(Gallery of Philip’s art – coming soon)

Philip Smith is a native of Portland, Oregon, and has been painting for over 35 years. He was born legally blind and has limited vision in only one eye. Because of this, his innate perception of color, light and depth is amazing as demonstrated by his paintings.

Phil paints in acrylic and oil and has explored a full range of subject matter including landscape, seascape, still life and portraits. He also does many commissioned paintings.

He has displayed in art shows hosted by Artists with Disabilities, Beaverton Arts Commission, Canby and Welches Art Festivals and most recently in the Audubon Wild Arts Festival in Portland

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(Gallery of Cindy’s photos – coming soon)

Cindy Kassab

The time of day is a crucial element in one of Cindy’s images. Often, after finding an area with potential, she will come back later to catch the last moments of the day or the soft light just before dawn. She began creating her landscapes using a Pentax 6×7; but now works with a high resolution professional digital camera. She occasionally uses PhotoShop to apply painterly effects to an image to further communicate her perceptions of the subject (for example in Monet’s House or Butchart Garden’s Entrance) but always remains true to the original image. The composition, colors, and moods are all present in the original. The key to every Kassab photograph lies in the quality of God’s light.

The finished images are printed on an Epson Archival Ink printer; not only because the textures of the watercolor papers enhance her vision, but because it allows her to create works of art that will last longer than traditional photographic mediums. Commercial clients that have used her images include Kimberly-Clark, Standard Insurance Company, Kaiser Hospital, and Oregon Health Science University.

Behind the Artist:
“The one element I use most consistently in my photography is light itself.
I get emotionally charged by light. That strange, familiar, indefinable, and infinite chameleon. Red and violet, orange and yellow, green and blue, white. Always in flux, now bold and striking, now soft and yielding. Always moving, yet somehow never moving on. Enhancing limbs and rocks, tall buildings, and gigantic diesel trucks, dandelion seeds and snails’ shells, galley sails and ocean swells. Using nature’s language of images, we as photographers can create works of great beauty if we develop our technical skills and techniques, and if we increase our sensitivity to the wonders of God’s earth. Nature is His visual P.A. system. The earth is not silent. From the lofty mountains to the fruitful valleys, down to the broad deep ocean at sunset, these mysterious and glorious wonders leave me a desire to share His Art.”

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Kym Ojala

Kym Ojala was born in Burbank, California, across from Disney Studios. She is of Norwegian and Finnish decent. She works out of her Oregon Studio and shows her paintings throughout the United States. With a background of acting in films and on TV, her love is painting. Her inspiration is in color, which is seen in her paintings. She also enjoys photographing the Oregon landscapes, which she uses as inspiration for her paintings.

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(Gallery of Paul’s art – coming soon)

Paul A. Lanquist

Paul A. Lanquist (“PAL”) is a Northwest artist who currently lives near Mt. St. Helens Washington with his wife and family. Paul is a dedicated outdoor enthusiast, has been a commercial artist and Illustrator for 20 years and has worked for a variety of companies such as Fred Meyer, Danner Boots, GI Joe’s, Whole Foods, Luhr Jensen, and Princess Cruise Lines.

His style captures the rugged, quaint, friendly and dignified personality of life in United States and Canada.

Paul believes that part of being a good illustrator is learning to build from past experience and to study the work of other American illustrators. Through the years Paul has gravitated to the work of illustrators from the 20s, 30s, and 40s that use color and design to communicate their ideas in a straightforward way.

The natural beauty of America is another important influence in Paul’s work. By combining the nostalgic look and feel of the past with the spectacular scenery of this country, Paul has created destination and travel posters that capture the beauty and lifestyle of these unique areas.

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(Gallery of Doug’s art – coming soon)

Doug Hunt

Ever since I can remember, I’ve dreamed of being an artist and like other young would-be artists, Disney was my first exposure to the possibilities. Then in the 60s, it was psychedelic posters and hot rod art. Even in the military I ended up a staff artist and photographer. This was my first practical experience for the following 28 years as a commercial artist, graphic designer and photographer.

For the most part, my commercial illustration work was detailed pen and ink drawings. Because of this, the fine art I would do from time to time tended to be loose and less structured. In the early 80s, I started working with oil pastel. It was during this time that my work became more impressionistic. Over the next 20 years, using Shiva Paintsticks, I developed a technique that I really enjoyed and, by the mid 90s, I was actively entering the fine art world. By 2001, thanks to my reps, my work was starting to be collected nationwide. In 2002 my interests expanded to print making in the form of etching. I enjoy the slower pace of the etching process, it’s a nice break from my paintings, which I need to complete in one sitting.

I tend to work from my imagination. After so many years of creating imagery that always had specific requirements, I really enjoy the freedom to create my own reality. Working from reality is fun too, but watching an image develop from nothing is really fascinating.

The landscapes may be influenced by my desire to escape, be somewhere quiet and unhurried. My favorite pieces are always the ones that have nothing much going on in them—just open space and an inviting path to somewhere. It’s not important where—just out there, in the hills, the grass and warm sun.

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(Gallery of Joanne’s art – coming soon)

Joanne Radmilovich Kollman

The first mark I remember making was an engraving stroke of a ball-point pen into the grain of the soft yellow wood in my childhood kitchen. It was such an exhilarating feeling that I did it again several times on my bedroom walls. I still make art. I still make art for the sheer physical expression of it.

I love to draw with paint, and my first love is portraiture. When I am immersed in a portrait, I am driven, hoping to achieve a result that is not a photo-realist replication but a spontaneous capturing of the multiple moments that encompass a personality. On the lighter side, I use the etching process to depict the humorous side of human nature. I’ve been fascinated by the human comedy as portrayed in anthropomorphic cat and dog art. While I have randomly depicted a mouse or a raven, I purposely chose the most common domestic pets to express the characteristics of their human families.

In my current portraits, I have incorporated the use of “putrido” or egg emulsion (egg yolk mixed with powdered pigment and oil) for the texture it can give the under-painting. it allows the paint to dry more quickly and give a broader and more painterly effect. The under-structure sets the tone; then I take up the challenge of color.

Most recently, I have begun to experiment with a painterly series of floral etchings while further developing a series of oil landscapes and florals. I have also spent the last year creating a series of posters. The poster art allows me to draw in full color from my minds eye. With heavy focus on color and design, the posters have inspired a more nostalgic look to the animal etchings.

My tastes are eclectic. The goals are the same regardless of the subject matter: to further develop the lyrical quality of my artistic voice with as much technical mastery and intuition as the moment has to offer.

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White Iris

Venetian Chimneys

Crystal Vase

Hand Painted Nippon

Capistrano Mission

Julie’s Hydrangea

Geranium Close

Pots

Hydrangeas

Blossoms

Linda Griffin

Linda’s training in art began in Europe where she grew up as the daughter of an Army officer. It was there her love of architecture began to develop.

A Washington DC native, she achieved early success in oil painting receiving awards and commissions in Virginia, New Jersey and Washington DC. Upon discovering watercolor, however, she realized her true medium.

Having traveled extensively, her favorite subjects are regional architecture with bright color transitions, usually including flowers and strong shadows. She enjoys painting large pieces requiring the viewer to stand back! With each trip she returns armed with new inspiration.

She lives in North Carolina and she teaches workshops around the country.

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