Been looking at your walls all winter? Time for an art refresh? This month at Village Frame and Gallery we have beautifully framed fine art pieces at stock up prices! Stop in this month and get your spring on! Be here on First Friday for the biggest selection and best sale prices. Village Frame & Gallery will be open late and we’re looking forward to seeing you. Here’s a small sample of the deals available this month:
We the People Posters are Selling Fast, Get Yours Before They’re Gone!
We are happy to report our We the People posters fundraiser and Amarinda Alpern trunk show raised over $320 in February for the ACLU. We still have some of the posters and 100% of poster profits will be donated to the ACLU, so if you want a set of your own, don’t wait — quantities are limited.
See you tomorrow for First Friday — because community is everything!
Village Frame & Gallery is located at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219, right in the heart of Multnomah Village.
February is an exciting month at Village Frame and Gallery!
Amarinda Alpern Trunk Show — First Friday, February 3rd Only
Find that perfect gift for someone you love. This First Friday only, from 6 pm – 9 pm, we have a Trunk Show of fine jewelry by Amerinda Alpern, with new pieces sure to quicken someone’s heart! Check these out (click to enlarge):
Light, Shadow & Form by Amarinda Alpern Throughout February
In this series of glass sculpture there are endless visual metaphors at play. The works on glass and paper are interactive with both electric light and natural sunlight, during the course of a day and during the seasons of a year. Symbolically the shapes of structure, home or temple mirror the light and shadow that we both live in and the light that lives within us. Ten percent of all sales from Amerinda’s show will be donated to the ACLU (click to enlarge):
About Amarinda Alpern
Inspired by the beauty of the northwest, my jewelry collection features my interpretations of plants I found growing in Portland Oregon coupled with nature’s geometry and reduced to classic mid-century shapes and designs. I am fascinated with how nature grows, whether it’s the slight difference between leaves on a tree or the subtle variations in the human form. Geometry continues to hold my visual and emotional attention.
Also in the Gallery this Month
Hand Thrown Fine Ceramics by Carson Culp
Carson Culp is a self-taught ceramic artist who shared a double duty at the Multnomah Arts Center for three years as a Ceramic Technician and Youth Clay Instructor. During his time in Portland he was employed at Mudshark Studios and an apprentice at Kelly Pottery. Carson is influenced by traditional Japanese ceramics expressing that with his wood fired and high-fired celadon work. He is drawn to making functional forms that show balance and quality with a fluid and inorganic style. Carson has been accepted to a one year apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery in Cornwall, UK where he will work alongside the production team and focus on his craft. His
goal is to start a wood fire pottery/gallery and pass on his life experiences to other emerging ceramic artists.
Life Beyond My Body: A Transgender Journey to Manhood by Lei Ming and Lura Frazey
The First Memoir Published by a Trans Man from China
Born in a rural Chinese village and identified as a girl at birth, Lei Ming, is barely cared for during his childhood. Often lonely, terrified and abused, he learns early to fend for himself and look within for answers, but there he discovers a paradox that threatens to undo him. Although he does not yet know the word “transsexual,” at 16, Ming sets out on a secret mission to find relief. Life Beyond My Body tells the true story of his quest to find answers in a society that is closed-mouthed about men like Ming.
Along the way, Ming finds solace and judgement in the Christian church, loves and loses a woman, begins his physical transition using black market testosterone, is jailed over his identity, and arranges for top surgery without blowing his cover. But ultimately, understanding the true meaning of being a man will require reckoning with God.
Buy your copy at Village Frame & Gallery today!
See You in February
We are at 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219. Our regular business hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm.
Meet Author Lei Ming — on Tour in the US for a Limited Time — at Village Frame & Gallery
About the Book
Born in a rural Chinese village and identified as a girl at birth, Lei Ming, is barely cared for during his childhood. Often lonely, terrified and abused, he learns early to fend for himself and look within for answers, but there he discovers a paradox that threatens to undo him. Although he does not yet know the word “transsexual,” at 16, Ming sets out on a secret mission to find relief. Life Beyond My Body tells the true story of his quest to find answers in a society that is closed-mouthed about men like Ming.
Along the way, Ming finds solace and judgement in the Christian church, loves and loses a woman, begins his physical transition using black market testosterone, is jailed over his identity, and arranges for top surgery without blowing his cover. But ultimately, understanding the true meaning of being a man will require reckoning with God.
Life Beyond My Body: A transgender journey to manhood in China is the first memoir published by a trans man from China. Learn more at LifeBeyondMyBody.com.
About Lei Ming (Ray)
Ray lives in stealth in China, but is currently in the U.S. to speak about his life and experiences. Life Beyond My Body is his first book. When he is not writing, he uses his language skills to keep the lights on and finance his reading habit through tutoring and translating jobs. A self-described “typical introvert,” Ray spends a lot of time alone, drawing or playing guitar.
This month, Village Frame & Gallery is featuring the artwork of the seven talented Bridge City Artists! Plus, we are hosting a trunk show of Amerinda Alpern’s jewelry.
Artists’ Reception – Bridge City Artists at Village Frame & Gallery
Friday, November 4th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Trunk Show – Amerinda Alpern at Village Frame & Gallery
Friday, Nov 4th, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Saturday, Nov 5th, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Meet the Bridge City Artists
Marlie Ranslam
I was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. After attending the University of Wisconsin, I spent four years living in Germany, traveling Europe and seeing art I had previously only read about. It was during this time that my interest in art and architecture became immediate and alive– and I began painting. I was hooked! When returning to the States, my curiosity about art and art history continued and led to Portland State University, bachelors and masters degrees, followed by post- graduate classes at Pacific Northwest College of Art. Throughout a 20 year practice in psychotherapy, art was a constant presence. At this time, still curious and inspired, I’m painting full-time and remain involved in art community.
Karen Story
Painting with encaustic and cold wax medium (pigmented beeswax) is my foremost means of expression of emotions, experiences, images, and interactions with others as well as nature.
The encaustic medium is process-oriented. Much time is dedicated to heating, scraping, layering, preparing the substrate, and mixing medium. The painting construct of revealing, covering and re-revealing with an often surprising and different consequence. The fluid nature of the encaustic process lends itself to exploration of forms and patterns which combine structured and unstructured shapes. The medium allows the application of translucent and opaque layers, building a complex and varied underpainting. The process demands flexibility, using a heating process which accounts for unexpected changes in composition, form, and color.
Other than relationships with people (hence the focus on figural work), water is my life’s common recurring theme. It has appeared in vivid dreams since childhood, and in my adult reality it rules my life as I swim, kayak, snorkel, boat, do underwater photography, and live part-time on 2 islands. Water is a challenging element to capture artistically, since it istranslucent / transparent / reflective. Its ever-changing nature distorts elements within and reflects elements without. The translucence of encaustic wax lends itself admirably to this element.
My paintings reflect my connection to water as well as the figure. My two recurring themes. Color, shape, form, value, texture, and line work together to achieve the depiction of both, using the demanding medium of encaustic and cold wax.
Eileen “ikie” Nolan Kressel
I’ve delighted in creating art in one form or another, since my drawings-on-the-wall at home in Brooklyn at age five. The wall was blank and I had something to say. I may not be far from that, these many years later.
Art is a good and constant friend, a place to be, providing a voice that gives expression to relationships, challenges, joys, whimsies and sadness. To not create, would be to silence a part of me.
My portfolio includes whimsical paintings and linocuts, along with black and white etchings. I’m fortunate in being part of No. 2 Print Shop in Portland, Oregon where printmakers share ideas, inspiration, perspiration and presses.
Kay Henning Danley
My work is multilayered, beginning with a freely painted drawing, each layer of transparent paint and collage paper shape informing the next, even when the earlier layers are ultimately painted over and become visual history. I attempt to leave the marks of the initial drawing, as well as the transparent visual history as part of the surface. This layering creates luminosity and richness. This allows my understanding of the image to evolve — it is a dance between the additive and subtractive elements.
I like the physicality of paint, the tools that apply it, and the energy necessary to apply it to the surface. My work is a personal interpretation expressed through imagery. I seek to create a work that is intriguing, enables a viewer to make discoveries with each viewing, and to ponder meaning and connection to their personal world.
Helaine Hart
The Kemet/Deshret series of paintings emerged after six trips to Egypt. I was intrigued by the obsession of the ancient Egyptians with duality. Their dualistic perspective emerged in their view of the universe, their religion, the concept of Upper and Lower Egypt, and the nature of their land as Kemet, the rich, fertile border of the Mother Nile, and Deshret, the barren desert beyond. The paintings in this series reflect my meditations on the starkly dualistic beauty and profound influence of the land of Kemet and Deshret.
Surrealists and Abstract Expressionists used psychic automatism, a type of automatic drawing, to evoke pure, visual essence from their subconscious minds. I have appropriated and modified their method in my own work. My paintings often begin by pouring color and making marks on a pigmented and textured ground. I allow the emerging shapes and overlaps of color to urge my subconscious to participate in and respond to the serendipitous interaction of gravity, atmosphere, absorption, manipulation, and the addition of other media. In this manner, my paintings seek a balance between accident and intention. My non-objective, mixed media pieces are created with a variety of materials, including acrylic paints and gels, metal leaf, Japanese papers, fabric, dry pigments, and plaster to enhance visual impact and to create unique textures. In my work I use color, texture, rhythm, transparency, and luminosity seeking to express that which is ephemeral, profound, and universal.
Karrie Kaiyala Amiton
I am a painter in Portland, Oregon and growing up in a musical family exposed me to the arts as a way of life. My work has the look and unmistakable color of the northwest. I am heavily influenced by my many years spent on the east side of the Cascades where the sky is blue and the land is golden. I am not as interested in realism as I am in creating an emotional response through color. Although I paint from memory, it is a thrill to have someone look at one of my paintings and tell me they know the exact location.
Recently I have been working on a body of work called “The Space We Share”, a nod to the accomplishments of astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly and the exploration and wonder outside our world. This series has a different style and message so it has been fun for me to experiment with mixed media and sumi ink.
When I am not painting I am usually thinking about it, the wonderful artists I’ve met along the way and the anticipation of creative times ahead.
Dianne Jean Erickson
I am a painter and printmaker. I allow myself the freedom of indecisions, improvisations, and impulsiveness in my work, and that leads to exciting discoveries. I have worked extensively in acrylics and oils. My most recent medium is encaustic and its very different technique of painting with wax and heat. This medium has given me a new way to explore my art.
I am interested in line, color and how movement is portrayed in a two dimensional space. Process is an important part of the work. I make my own medium and pigmented wax. The texture and translucency possible with this medium has allowed me new explorations. While working on the substrate and exploring color and design, a conversation begins to form between myself and the creative act as it happens in real time. Images form and transform as I work, sometimes figurative, sometimes non-objective or abstract. When the piece is done, hopefully the conversation has led to a work of art that is both personal and universal in nature.
Jeweler Amerinda Alpern
Artist’s Statement
Inspired by the beauty of the northwest, this jewelry collection features my interpretations of plants I found growing in Portland Oregon coupled with nature’s geometry and reduced to classic mid-century shapes and designs. I am fascinated with how nature grows, whether it’s the slight difference between leaves on a tree or the subtle variations in the human form. Geometry continues to hold my visual and emotional attention.
About Amerinda Alpern
Amerinda Alpern holds a MFA in Sculpture from Colorado State University and a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts. She also trained with Alan Revere, founder of the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts.
Family and friends of George Woodcock and Marie Bonamici Woodcock are invited to a celebration of George Woodcock’s life October 23, 206 at 2 p.m. at the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society.
About Our Friend, Neighbor, and Local Artist, George Woodcock
George Woodcock was born in Detroit, Michigan. Following an early interest in art, he always drew and painted in his spare time, even when working as a draftsman and designer for automobile companies. In 1975 he gave up working for other people to devote his time to art. He opened his studio/gallery, first in Dearborn and later in Northville, Michigan. He and his wife Marie moved to West Stockbrigde, Massachusetts and had a gallery in the Berkshires for 17 years.
Although primarily self-taught, George studied for a period of time with Art Hartman, well-known Michigan landscape artiest, and also attended Art Student’s League in New York, where he studied with Robert Angeloch.
After moving to Portland, George has took courses at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and Portland Community College, and he studied with Dorothy Fitzgerald. He exhibited in national shows, local juried shows, and one-man shows in Portland and at the Enid Mount Gallery in Keizer, Oregon. He was a member of the Oregon Society of Artists, North Clackamas Arts Guild, Beaverton Arts Commission, and the Lake Area Artists. George also taught basic drawing and painting in his studio in Multnomah Village.
George continued to paint at his studio above Fat City Cafe in Multnomah Village until he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away on the afternoon of October 5, 2016 — and then a rainbow appeared over Portland.
October 7th, Gene Flores returns to Village Frame & Gallery with new, original works.
If you loved what you saw last year, join us Friday night, starting at 6 p.m. for the exhibit opening.
Artist’s Bio – Gene Flores
I was born and raised in El Paso,Texas, have a BFA from the University of Texas El Paso, and MA and MFA in printmaking from the University of Iowa were I graduated with honors. I am currently the Dean of the Visual and Performing Arts and Design Division at Portland Community College Sylvania Campus in Portland, Oregon.
I began my printmaking journey in 1987 and have been making and exhibiting my prints since. I venture from black and white imagery to full color printing, all my works are hand wiped and printed. These are all original prints, that is to say they are not photocopied nor mass produced. I print a limited edition usually 10-15 prints per edition. Each edition is unique.
My works are self portraits and are influenced by literature, music, politics, religion and everyday activities. My images have been described as humorous, insightful, and disturbing. Viewers often find my works to be thought provoking and challenging. I enjoy challenging the viewer and the preconceived notions of what we take for granted. My works allow the viewer to immerse themselves into another world with reoccurring characters that tiptoe between the surreal and the absurd, a world where anything can and often does happen.
Here’s a Sneak Peek of the New Exhibit
Also in the Gallery During October: Ceramics by local artist Carson Culp
See you First Friday: October 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Frame & Gallery, 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219, or any time in October during regular business hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. As always, our exhibits are free and open to the public.
Join us September 2nd from 6 p.m. to 9 pm. for an artist’s reception and to see this breathtaking new exhibit!
Artist’s Statement
As a photographer and artist, my goal is to create realistic images and prints of natural landscapes that encourage people to spend time in the wild, appreciating and protecting it. And for when those people are not in the wild, I want my prints to remind them of the natural world and help shape the choices they make.
About Artist Scott Cordner
Scott Cordner was destined to become a fine-art landscape photographer. A browse through his portfolio illustrates his passion for the medium and the outdoors.
The pure, unaltered and uncomplicated scenes are captured in the finest light. His exacting prints are made with the best materials that last lifetimes. Hand made hardwood frames from renewable and managed forests are enhanced and finished with environmentally friendly oils and a water-based polyurethane (made from whey, a byproduct of cheese). No detail is overlooked, and it is apparent.
Scott grew up in the rural Allegheny Mountains of northwest Pennsylvania in the town of Bradford. He spent most of his childhood outdoors, exploring the hills and forests, observing the flora and fauna, cementing his relationship with nature. But when indoors, Scott drew inspiration from his Grandfather, Jack McCutcheon.
Scott loved to draw just like his Grandfather, a self-taught painter and award-winning advertising manager for Zippo Lighters. Like many children, Scott’s artistic creativity was nurtured. In the 8th grade ‘Design an Ad’ contest, Scott took first place with a hand-drawn advertisement for a local Chrysler dealership.
His Grandfather also had a deep connection with the outdoors and wrote a weekly hunting and fishing column for the Bradford Era. He also respected Native American people and their culture, which were often the subject of his paintings.
During middle school Scott took some photography classes, where he learned to develop and print his own photographs. He excelled in math and science, and learned from his father how to take apart and fix things. It was a more traditional career path and one he pursued academically in high school and in college. While his passion for photography still consumed his free time, a degree in Electrical Engineering guaranteed him work and a job designing test equipment brought him to Southern California.
Frustrated with the confines of employment, Scott decided to put his engineering career on hold and set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in its entirety – from the Mexican border to Canada. He brought along his first SLR to document the trip, a Canon Rebel 35mm with a kit zoom lens. Six months, four pairs of shoes, thirty-five pounds, 50 rolls of Fuji Velvia later Scott knew he had rekindled his love for the outdoors and his passion for photography. Even now, more than 20 years later, Scott entertains audiences with that early slide show of that 2700-mile trek.
Hiking had put things in perspective for Scott and he took a pragmatic approach when he returned to the workforce. He earned his living mostly through technical work as an engineer while honing his craft as a photographer and printmaker. Those years were special for Scott because weekends were devoted to road trips that introduced him to the iconic landscapes of the American West.
It would still take another ten years before Scott could pursue photography full time but those years weren’t wasted. During those years and after, Scott continued to combine adventure travel with fine art and outdoor photography. He has trekked and mountaineered in Peru documenting the remarkable landscape and the Quechua culture. Scott climbed and stood on the summit of Denali, North America’s tallest peak, and has captured the magnificent hostility of the mountains.
He traveled to Russia’s Lake Baikal – the largest and deepest fresh water lake in the world – in 2002 as part of a team of four to kayak the remote northeast shoreline. While the Russian landscape was stunning, it was the Russian people who captivated him and set the stage for a return visit.
It was then that Scott developed his interest in using his travels and his images to document people and places that matter. Scott used his second trip to Russia’s Far East to promote ‘sustainable travel.’ He photographed the entire month-long expedition to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, including the people and his team’s use of public transportation for self-powered, ski touring instead of the normal skiing style – heli-skiing. His images appeared in Backcountry magazine in connection with an article written about the remote region of Mount Bakening, a now extinct volcano located in the center of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
With the explosion of digital photography and printing, Scott drew from his technical background and started scanning his film and slides. Using digital cameras, he eliminated film and the harsh chemicals used to develop it from his practice. He started producing images with pigment inkjet printers. His printing style removes chemical processing from the equation and will last hundreds of years instead of fading like traditional color prints.
Desiring to create a better overall presentation of his photographs, six years ago Scott experimented with woodworking and now crafts his own frames. His process includes milling the wood by hand to create strikingly simple frames that naturally complement his photographs.
Scott is fast-becoming known for his large, panoramic prints, which capture the quiet magnificence and individuality of ordinary scenes. In fact, he shies away from more common and well-known iconic landscapes. “I am so proud to hang Scott’s work in our Gallery. His photos have such emotion, movement and vibrancy,” says Tamara Breunig, owner of United Wood Craftsmen Gallery. “You feel like they are a window to his world. His talent for capturing the moment is so real. It’s as if one could just walk into the photos and explore the spot where he took them. His work has such a sense of peace, and our clientele thinks so too.”
Collectors demand for his prints has grown because they feel a connection to the scene. Scott shows his work at art exhibits and fairs, in lifestyle retail stores and in fine art galleries. Scott has also sold collections of his finished prints to corporate offices. One of his corporate clients said this of his work, “Everyone is still raving about the prints, Scott. Thanks again for sharing your talent!”
Scott is focusing on conservation photography. He believes if someone notices an image of his, it becomes an opportunity to start a dialog about nature in general and the importance of preservation specifically. His ultimate goal is to create more stewardship of these important though lesser-known places throughout the world.
Join Us Friday, September 2nd to Meet Scott Cordner
Our First Friday artist’s reception is free and open to the public from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Frame & Gallery, 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219. Scott’s work will be exhibited at the Gallery throughout the month of September, so if you can’t make it this Friday, come see us any time during normal business hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm.
Village Frame and Gallery will be closed this Saturday for Multnomah Days, but don’t fret…the Village Frame and Gallery tent will be right in front of the gallery!
Stop by our tent and say “Hi!” and take a look at paintings by Jerry Hammel, priced starting at just $10! Jerry’s paintings are fun and colorful, perfect for the Multnomah Days Celebration!
Read more about Jerry and his paintings here.
The Multnomah Days parade starts at 10:00 – we look forward to seeing you there!
Don’t miss poets Paulann Peterson, Dianne Holland, and Donna Prinzmetal, with photographer Russel J. Young, at Village Frame & Gallery, starting at 7:30 p.m.
July’s featured exhibit will be a collection of photographs and poetry broadsides from In the Mist. Join us tonight to have your book signed by three of the poets and the photographer who created In the Mist. [Read more about tonight’s special First Friday event.]
Meet Photographer Russell J. Young and poets from In the Mist: Giving Voice to Silence
July’s featured exhibit will be a collection of photographs and poetry broadsides from In the Mist. Join us July 1st at 7:30 pm for a poetry reading and book signing at Village Frame & Gallery, 7808 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219.
About In the Mist
An ode to the ethereal wonder of mist, this spectacular collaboration is comprised of exquisite images from photographer Russell J. Young accompanied by nuanced poems from seven esteemed Oregon poets. With soft, pale breath, the mist casts an undeniable veil of silence wherever it reaches — from the glassy face of a pond to the concrete underbelly of a bridge to the towering shoulders of a pine forest. These mist-clad Oregon landscapes and urban moments, along with their poetic responses, evoke the whisper of stillness. This book binds together poetry and photography in a relationship in which one is not excluded from the other, but rather both are met and bound and emerge as a new wholeness — a wholeness seeking that which is hidden in the mist and that which is revealed: silence, memory, breath. [Read more about In the Mist]
In the Mist Poets: Margaret Chula, Cindy Williams Gutiérrez, Diane Holland, Andrea Hollander, Paulann Petersen (Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita), Donna Prinzmetal, Penelope Scambly Schott
About the Photographer
Russell J. Young is a commercial and fine art photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Russell has traveled and photographed in over 30 countries. His genres include commercial, fine art, portraiture, fitness, sports, performing arts, landscape, outdoor adventure, travel and culture. Russell believes each genre compliments the end result of the others. The completion of his new SE Portland studio has allowed Russell the space to meet with clients, and an environment to express long held artistic inspirations.
His fine art edition prints are in private and public collections and embassies and have been exhibited in Europe and the USA. His photography is represented by agencies in London Stockholm and Seattle. [Read more about Russell J. Young]
About the Poets
Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate (2010 – 2014), and Dianne Holland will be reading their works from In the Mist July 1st.
UPDATE: Local poet Donna Prinzmetal will also be reading her works from In the Mist at this special First Friday event.
About Paulann Peterson
Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita, has six full-length books of poetry, most recently Understory from Lost Horse Press in 2013. Her poems have appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Poetry, The New Republic, Prairie Schooner, Willow Springs, Calyx, and the online Poetry Daily. She was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and the recipient of the 2006 Holbrook Award from Oregon Literary Arts. In 2013 she received Willamette Writers’ Distinguished Northwest Writer Award. [Read more about Paulann Peterson]
About Dianne Holland
Diane Holland has been a painter and printmaker, as well as a poet. Her first chapbook, The Hand Stayed From Its Desire, was selected by John Poch, editor of 32Poems, for the 2006 Predator Press chapbook prize and was nominated by Eleanor Wilner for a Pushcart Prize. Her work has also appeared in Lumina where the poem, “How It Happens,” won the 2006 poetry contest, and in Gulf Stream Review where the poem “Of a Certain Age” won the 2005 poetry contest. She was also a finalist for the 2004 Ruth Stone Prize.
In the Mist is Available Now at Village Frame & Gallery
Get your copy on First Friday, or stop by any time in the month of July during regular business hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm.