THE DEE DENTON GALLERY AT LAKEWOOD CENTER

En Plein Air Painting-translated from French is Painting in the Open Air, Oct. 31st – Nov. 26th.

Four artists are exhibiting in the Dee Denton Gallery who paint outdoors while observing their subject matter.  En Plein Air artists recreate the essence of the subject by interpreting color, changing light, and movement while painting on location.  This is a courageous group! They  have to confront changing weather, shifting light, moving subject matter, dust and insects while painting.

These four artists have individual styles, but are more alike than different.  All of them had their talent recognized early in childhood, have studied at impressive art institutes and universities plus exhibit their work in outstanding galleries and museums. They focus on composition, shape, color and value (lights and darks).

Celeste Bergin approaches her painting in the Alla Prima style.  She directly applies the oil paint colors on top of each other in a wet on wet technique without letting earlier layers dry.  This is done in a single uninterrupted session.  “I learned to embrace the elements, no matter how extreme. I’ve painted in pelting rain, blizzard like snow, howling winds, scorching heat and smoky wildfires. Why? Because it all started out okay and I didn’t want to leave”, states Bergin. See more of Celeste’s work at the George Broderick Gallery in Baker City, Alla Prima- Portland and the Oregon Society of Artists. www.celestebergin.com

Sally Reichmuth also works in oil paint.  She experiences that finding a space that is level and determining when to begin is sometimes challenging. “Finding the right time of day for raking light, or deep shadows that describe form is a big consideration. … that beautiful light is changing fast – I race to get the shadows worked in and try not to “chase the sun” as it presents me with another image and composition by the minute as the light moves across the landscape!” expresses Reichmuth.  This body of work is in celebration of the brilliant fall colors reflected in the west fork of the Hood River and the west side of the Columbia Gorge.  The 301 Gallery in Hood River exhibits Sally’s work. www.sallyreichmuth.com

Lisa Wiser works in acrylics and water soluble (miscible) oils.   She begins with thumbnail sketches and then lays in a thin under painting in one color to define the value relationships. The color is then added by brush and the painting is completed with a palette knife. “I am currently inspired by an attempt to abstract my landscapes a wee bit more. I tend to be super realistic. Pushing color and simplifying shape in my landscape compositions is a big process inspiration. The subject remains the scenes in front of me. Always”,  pronounces Wiser. You may see more work in her studio, in the 2024 LO Reads exhibit and in the Lake Area Artists show in the Dee Denton gallery in March.
www.lisawiser.com

Yong Hong Zhong works in watercolor and is inspired by nature. “The dance of hues across a landscape, the subtle shifts in shadows, and the brilliant crescendo of a sunset; are the moments that ignite my creative spirit. Within this symphony of nature, I discover a profound sense of connection, a visual language that allows me to articulate my innermost emotions.”,  Zhong explains.  He “merges the fluidity of watercolor painting with the calligraphic influences drawn from traditional Chinese art.  … Embracing the spirit of calligraphy, I employ bold brushstrokes to convey the energy and movement found in my subjects, seeking harmony between spontaneity and deliberate expression.” Zhong reveals.  Find more of his work at Art on the Boulevard, Rental Sales Gallery and Gray Raven Gallery.  www.yonghongzhong.com

The Baughman-Smith Exhibit-Experimenting Inside and Outside the Box, Sept. 26th – Oct. 30th

Soft Action, Up Close and Sacred Spirits Revealed, August 1st – 27th

Presenting photographers Carolyn Hoard, Sven Durland and Nicolette Hume with pottery by Jim Wylder.

The Dee Denton Gallery presents photography created by inspired artists with diverse backgrounds. Each photographer reveals facets of our world through their lenses. The trio’s work is shown in the purest sense rarely altering the images through computer programs.

Carolyn Hoard uses her photography to organically bring out deep true colors in nature.  Her grandmother taught her the power of observation and to appreciate the natural world.  “I hope to inspire people to see the majestic beauty of God’s creation anywhere and find joy in our wondrous outdoors.”, Carolyn reveals.  Hoard uses a high neutral density filter which is held directly against the camera lens. This makes the image darker allowing a longer shutter speed.  The images are printed on metal which gives a rich finish to her storytelling.  You may see more of Carloyn’s work at the First Friday Walks in Vancouver.

Sven Durland has focused on nature photography since receiving his first camera at an early age.  Since then, he’s explored many subject matters and worked with many cameras.  Currently, Sven creates his images with a high resolution digital camera with macro lenses.  Sven, a native of Sweden, travels the world to capture exotic birds and botanical images. “Nature’s intricate details are magical to me and often beg to be photographed.”, states Durland.  “Shapes and textures that are not usually distinguished by the human eye are reproduced and revealed in great detail on my art photographs.  I feel that I have succeeded in capturing my image if the viewer does not recognize the subject at first glance, hence making the image more interesting and worthy of a second look.”  Sven’s work can be seen in juried exhibits around the Pacific Northwest and medical facilities in the Portland Area. Check out his other work at www.DurlandPhotoArt.com       

Nicolette Hume is a Western Shoshone Indian from Northern Nevada. She too, has been an artist from a young age working in pencil, acrylic and turquoise jewelry and had an encouraging grandmother.  Now, her focus is to depict the sacred spaces that are only available to members of the indigenous peoples.  “…it is in those places ‘The Spirit of the Ancestors Dwell.   My photography depicts a more basic way of life for those that still call it home and the land that still holds the untamed Native spirit”. explains Hume.  Her inspiration has always been to create a legacy for her children and their children. “I will be one of the last to have known these places and their meaning and it is important to share that with them so it continues to pass on.” You can see more of Nicolette’s work at www.nicolettehume.com and in local venues.

Being a teacher in the Lake Oswego School District has given Jim the experience of running a high producing pottery studio.  Jim has invented,and now in retirement, perfected many techniques unique to his recognizable style. Jim Wylder is famous for his naked raku pottery.  Here at the Dee Denton Gallery he is showing not only his unique technique of this unusual firing method , but of his fretted lids on the jars in the exhibition.  “Ceramics is intriguing because it forces me to integrate skills from several mediums. I like the heat of a kiln when it is opened at 1440 degrees fahrenheit.”  When asked of his inspiration, “  Failure. Every step of the bare clay process borders on the edge of disaster.” , exclaims Jim with a secret smile.  Wylder’s been published  in over 25 articles in the Ceramics Monthly Magazine, been an active member in the Oregon Potters Association  and been highlighted in several Street of Dreams events.  You can see more of Jim Wylder’s work at the Rain Spark Gallery, the Eutectic Gallery, Northwest by Northwest Gallery and The Corvallis Arts Center.

Join us for Art Decked Out on August 7, 4:30-700pm. Enjoy the music of Danny and Anne Schauffler, followed by Carolyn Hoard, Jim Wylder and Nicolette Hume speaking the inspiration and techniques of their work.  Bring a picnic and sit at a bistro table on the lawn.  Refreshments are available for purchase.  Required complimentary tickets can be reserved here.

A portion of art purchases in the Dee Denton Gallery is donated to the Lakewood Center for the Arts.  Thank you for supporting the Lakewood Center for the Arts.

Pacific Northwest Essence July 1st – 30th

Sarah Bouwsma, Patrick Cameron, Joe Robinson, and Aubrey Sloan  drawn to the magnetism of the Pacific Northwest. Each creative celebrates nature’s strength and essence in a distinctive style.  

Sarah Bouwsma and Patrice Cameron have hiked together for three years in the early morning searching for rivers offering rocky boulders and falling waters in Oregon and Washington. They photograph the water studying the river’s movements and sounds. They start their creative process after returning to their studios. Often their paintings show similar views of the same locations visited.

This inspirational approach is not unique to Bouwsma and Cameron.  The French Impressionists, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Morisot, Guillaumin and Bazille painted en plein air, outdoors, together on a regular basis.  This group influenced one another and exhibited together often painting the same scene. As the French Impressionists had specialized techniques unique to their own style, Bouwsma & Cameron do too. 

Bouwsma’s watercolor paintings weave shapes together to create a distinctive watery effect.  “By creating a continuously shifting flow of varied shapes and colors, I absorb and connect with nature.  I interpret patterns to make sense out of complexity and create a meaningful sense of place, ” states Bouwsma.  

Cameron is known for her acrylic glazing technique making movement and dimension the goal of her watery landscapes. She is a self taught painter and has taken drawing classes at the former Marylhurst University. Patrice is a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon and the Lake Area Artists.  She began her journey as a watercolorist and now uses acrylics and satin glazing medium on cotton canvas. Cameron exclaims, “I tone my canvas with a medium value, grid it and the reference photo, sketch on the canvas with brush and paint, block in my values, then paint with abandon!” 

Joe Robinson and Aubrey Sloan are the heart and soul of East Creek Pottery in Willamina, Oregon.  East Creek is a Mecca for potters that prefer firing their work in wood fired kilns.  The East Creek Anagama kiln was built in 1983 by famed Oregon artists Nils Lou, Tom Coleman, and Frank Boyden with the mission to bring ceramic education via wood firing to the west coast. The first of its kind built west of the Mississippi, the kiln and 20 forested acres on which it sits were owned and managed by Nils Lou.  When Nils died unexpectedly, the kiln and property were in limbo. Thanks to a community effort, East Creek Art, LLC, was established with the purpose of continuing the East Creek educational mission and the rich tradition of making.

Robinson volunteered at the LO Festival of the Arts starting in middle school and as an adult worked on the steering committee. Starting his pottery career in 8th grade, he became an award winning potter in high school and followed his passion until his valued professor at Linfield University, Nils Lou, died.  Joe is now creating the enormous pots you see in the Dee Denton Gallery, operates the East Creek Art Center and teaches ceramics at Linfield University.  Joe’s work focuses on master craftsmanship interacting with the unpredictable nature of open flame kilns. The clay work serves as a canvas for flames to paint on, encouraging micro-geological movements in erosion, accumulation, and melting.  Joe is a board member of the Oregon Potters Association.

Aubrey Sloan is a full time artist with a BFA in ceramics from Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX. She creates programs, workshops and her artwork at East Creek Art. Programs, teaching workshops, and creating work. Sloan’s work focuses on developing the surface of each piece through hand carved textures. The sinuous and intentional movement of the carving process across the exterior surface of each piece creates a landscape inspired aesthetic. Each surface is influenced by the consideration of the shape of the form and references textures of fluid movement and geological development in nature. Aubrey is an active member of the Oregon Potters Association.

Pop! Goes the Festival: June 2- June 28, 2023

It’s the 60th year of the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts and the Dee Denton Gallery is celebrating by rolling back to the iconic 60s art style.  The Invitational, “Pop Goes the Festival,” will be showcasing four professional artists. They will be exhibited before, during & after the 2023 Festival of the Arts. This year the exhibit space has expanded. It will be located in the two main rooms of the gallery in the main entrance of the Lakewood Center building as well as down the southwest hallway. The invited artists are: Phyllis Yes-acrylic and mixed media, Mark Randall-acrylic and mixed media, Raphael Schnepf-Oil, and Leslie Peterson-Sapp-Acrylic and Mixed Media.

Phyllis Yes is the featured artist this year at 2023 Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts Dee Denton Gallery invitational.  She has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally.  Her powerful work focuses on the theme, “Feminize.”  In the 1960’s she brought to light a feminine edge to what were viewed as masculine trades, tools and toys.  She taught at Oregon State University and Lewis and Clark College, is a playwright and has been featured on many national television programs.

Mark Randall exhibits mainly in the Pacific Northwest.  His art focuses on opinions of the times.  Mark uses a variety of eclectic materials including found objects to make a statement whether generational, political or historical.  Randall has won many awards at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts including The People’s Choice Award in 2011 and the Best of Show in 2013.

Raphael Schnepf’s work is in the San Francisco Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He created rock posters, album covers and comics in the 1960’s.  Today, he concentrates on large stained glass installations, en plein aire and photo realism painting.

Leslie Peterson-Sapp shows her work in local and national shows. She contemporizes historical nostalgia.  She is recognized by dramatic subject matter of human emotion placed in settings which often include mirrors, door and windows.

A portion of art purchased in the Dee Denton Gallery is donated to the Lakewood Center for the Arts. Thank you for your support.