Come to the Village this month for cool watercolors and hot deals!
First Friday, August 7th
We have an exciting new exhibit opening this month at the Gallery featuring Susan Koch with Dee Anderson. Join us for the artist’s reception Friday, 6 pm to 9 pm at the Gallery.
Susan Koch
A place of familiarity–a feeling of being home
Columbia Gorge forest by Susan Koch
Art has always been my passion. I have to do it; it’s too much a part of me. I’ve tried to quit and I couldn’t do it. I finally realized, I’ll never retire, because I’ll always be painting.
Over the past thirty five years my paintings have won many awards, including “Best of Show” and “Peoples’ Choice” several years running in the Watercolor Society of Oregon annual shows. I now devote my energies and attention to painting what I find meaningful, something that speaks to me. Usually it is the light that captures the scene for me. I try to convey to the viewer a place of familiarity or belonging, a feeling of “being home”.
~ Susan Koch
Dee Anderson
Stubborn, Gorgeous, Determined
By Dee Anderson
Nearly everyone I know has tried to paint with watercolor at least once. Most say “It’s too difficult.” I find that watercolor is willful, stubborn, gorgeous and determined to find it’s own way. Just like all of us! I welcome the challenge of watercolor. It continues to bring me frustration, beauty and most of all…joy!
If you opt to take one of my paintings into your life, it is my hope that it gives you a lifetime of solid companionship. Art transcends relationships, troubles and time! Art is always there for you!
~ Dee Anderson
Multnomah Days 2015, August 15th and 16th
Don’t miss all the savings and special events in Multnomah Village this month. Follow the Multnomah Village Facebook page for updates and insider information.
This Saturday, August 1st, will be the last day we exhibit A Lifetime of Work by Kaye Synoground at Village Frame & Gallery. It was Kaye’s last show, a retrospective of her decades-long career as a full-time artist, and we have been honored to host it for the last two months.
As you probably know by now, Kaye passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer this month. It has been a hard loss for our community, but Kaye’s zest for art and life never waned, and it was clear she wanted us all to continue to commune with her art in her absence.
After August 1st, Kaye’s work will be available for viewing and purchase from The Geezer Gallery at the National College of Natural Medicine’s Spalding House, located behind the administration building at 2828 SW Water Street, Portland, OR 97201.
A Celebration of the Life and Life’s Work of Our Neighbor and Friend
We cordially invite you to join Kaye’s family and friends as we commune with her work and each other, remembering her artistic legacy and how she touched our lives. Everyone is welcome.
Monday, July 27, 2015
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at
Village Frame & Gallery
7808 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219
Village Frame & Gallery is closed today in honor of Independence Day. We hope you are having a wonderful day celebrating our freedom with friends and family.
Village Frame and Gallery will be open late for First Friday, July 3rd, however, there will be no artist’s reception. We will be closed July 4, 2015 for Independence Day.
The Gallery will continue to feature A Lifetime of Work by Kaye Synoground, through the month of July. The show features new and old works from Kaye’s 20-year career as an artist, and is her first since she was forced to take several months off to care for her health. If you weren’t able to see this exhibit in June, be sure to come visit us this month.
About Kay Synoground
Kaye began studying art at when she was only 13 years old, but initially struggled to and went on to establish a career in the fine arts. For many years, she painted signs and did commercial illustration. In a recent interview with The Southwest Community Connection, Kaye explained it was cancer that first convinced her to become a full-time artist in 1993: “It just felt like I’d better be painting if I was going to paint,” she said. “None of us knows how long we have.”
Today, she is well known for her artwork and teaching. Her art has been exhibited at Washington County Museum, Columbia Arts Center, Halvorsen Gallery, Newport Visual Arts Center, and is part of many collections both private and public. She has also had work published in Woman’s Journal, Fine Gardening, and The Best of Colored Pencil. Kaye illustrated Barbara Blossom Ashmun’s book, Married to My Garden. She had a gallery in Multnomah Village for 16 years.
Please join us as we celebrate 20 years of Kaye Synoground’s art.
If you can’t make it to First Friday, A Lifetime of Work will be on display throughout July during regular business hours, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. Meanwhile, here are a few of our favorites by Kaye Synoground:
One of Multnomah Village’s most popular artists returns to painting and exhibiting after her recent fight with cancer.
Village Frame & Gallery is proud to present A Lifetime of Work by Kaye Synoground, which opens this First Friday, June 5th, with an artist’s reception starting at 6 p.m. The show will feature new and old works from Kaye’s 20-year career as an artist, and is her first since she was forced to take several months off to care for her health.
Kaye began studying art at when she was only 13 years old, but initially struggled to and went on to establish a career in the fine arts. For many years, she painted signs and did commercial illustration. In a recent interview with The Southwest Community Connection, Kaye explained it was cancer that first convinced her to become a full-time artist in 1993: “It just felt like I’d better be painting if I was going to paint,” she said. “None of us knows how long we have.”
Today, she is well known for her artwork and teaching. Her art has been exhibited at Washington County Museum, Columbia Arts Center, Halvorsen Gallery, Newport Visual Arts Center, and is part of many collections both private and public. She has also had work published in Woman’s Journal, Fine Gardening, and The Best of Colored Pencil. Kaye illustrated Barbara Blossom Ashmun’s book, Married to My Garden. She had a gallery in Multnomah Village for 16 years.
Please join us as we celebrate 20 years of Kaye Synoground’s art.
More than just an art show, this First Friday is a chance to spend some time with, and appreciate, one of our favorite neighbors and artists. We hope to see you there. If you can’t make it to the artist’s reception, A Lifetime of Work will be on display throughout June during regular business hours, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. In the meantime, here are a few of our favorites by Kaye Synoground:
A couple of weeks ago, Southwest Community Connection included a pullout section about Multnomah Village shops and 2015 events and activities. Did you get your copy? If not, click the image below to open it online.
Southwest Community Connection is our neighborhood paper, published by Pamplin Media Group. You can subscribe to it online or pick up a copy at one of the newspaper boxes in our neighborhood to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Southwest Portland.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had an unlimited art budget? My house doesn’t have enough room for all the gorgeous originals I’d buy. Oh, and then there’s the opinion of my bank account. I guess a girl can dream, but then she’d better get creative. Which is exactly what one of our clients did last month …
Framed Art Postcards
Kind of get your creative decorating juices flowing, don’t they?
She’d been to the museum and picked up postcards of some of her favorite pieces. Not content to just let them languish in a box or scrapbook, she brought them to the Gallery to be framed.
To keep viewers focused on the bold colors in these modern abstracts, we chose heavy 8-ply bright white mats and moulding in one of the main colors of the artwork. Since we used identical moulding, except for color, the finished pieces will look great hanging together as a group. Or, they can be split up and stand alone.
More Ideas for Decorating with Postcards
This got me thinking about postcards as inexpensive artwork. Turns out, I’m not the only one. A friend told me she framed a large set of travel postcards to create a dramatic display in her bathroom. Then I starting finding ideas for decorating with postcards all over the place. Here are a few of my favorites:
Blow up postcards and have them framed. Now that we have digital printing technology, the sky’s the limit–within the bounds of copyright. Have some vintage postcards you love? Take them to your local print shop and have large prints made. Then bring them to the Gallery for framing.
Assemble groups of postcards based on a theme. Pull together postcards from trips you’ve taken or collections based around a special interest, such as botanical prints, architecture, or comics. Have them mounted in matching frames to increase visual consistency and hang in a formal grid shape or more casual free form arrangement.
Got Photoshop skills? Go wild. Scan postcards you love and overlay the graphic image with text: perhaps a favorite quote or the note from the back of the postcard. Then have your new creation printed and framed.
Great Spaces for Postcard Decor
Postcards are inexpensive enough to use anywhere, which make them a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms. If the humidity gets to them, it’s not a big deal. But, don’t stop there. Anywhere you want art but don’t want to risk losing an original, such as an office or vacation home, is another excellent spot for framed postcards.
Wall art doesn’t have to be expensive. With creativity–and the help of a great frame shop–you can enjoy your favorite masterpieces or make a personalized statement in your home or office. For help, bring your postcards to Village Frame & Gallery. We’re open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219.
While you’re thinking about your postcard project, here are some close-ups of the project we just framed:
Sunday, May 10th is Mother’s Day, are you ready? Or still looking for something special?
If you’re still shopping, here are 3 gift ideas perfect for moms and available right now at Village Frame & Gallery.
Handcrafted Gifts
Seam Ripper by Randy Bonella
This year, don’t settle for the same old, same old generic gift. Find something that reflects who your mother is and what she cherishes about her life. Think about the activities she loves and her personal preferences, and then use them as inspiration. Your mom will appreciate the extra thought you put into celebrating her.
Is your mom a fiber artist? Choose a hand-carved seam ripper. A writer? Pick a luxury pen crafted by a local artist. A fashionista? Wrap up a unique piece of beaded jewelry. Not sure? Stop by the Gallery. We’re always glad to help you brainstorm gift ideas and we have a wide selection of unique items.
Art Prints or Posters
By Claude Theberge
If your mom loves art, you’ll love our selection of affordable prints and posters. These budget-friendly reproductions can be the perfect choice when a room needs a bold pop of color. One of my favorite uses for them is to liven up bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms where humidity and heat make the environment inhospitable for original artwork, but there are endless, great looking options for decorating with prints and posters.
Which memory is your mother’s favorite?
Mom’s Favorite Photo, Framed
It’s not too late to have a beloved photo framed for display if you opt for a ready-made frame. As with any framing project, be picky about the type of materials used to make the matte and frame so your picture is protected from acids and elements. We have quality ready-made mattes and frames in the most popular photo sizes; it’s up to you to sneak the snapshot out of that box where your mom keeps it.
The Gallery will continue to feature A Lifetime of Work by Kaye Synoground, through the month of July. The show features new and old works from Kaye’s 20-year career as an artist, and is her first since she was forced to take several months off to care for her health. If you weren’t able to see this exhibit in June, be sure to come visit us this month.
