First Thursday in Portland’s Pearl District with Artist Christopher Bekins
Christopher Bekins has been painting since 1999. In 2002, he moved to a remote portion of the Central Coast of California, from the San Francisco Bay Area, to pursue painting full time. In 2015, he moved to Portland, OR, to return to an energized, urban environment. Bekins’ paintings have been in numerous shows and exhibitions, receiving multiple awards. You can see more abstract and representational works, at his website www.ChristopherBekins.net.
Please join us Thursday, January 5th at our Pearl District Office (1321 NW Hoyt Street, Portland, OR) from 5 – 8 PM, to enjoy Christopher’s art, as well as wine and appetizers.
First Friday in Bend with Artist Karen Ruane
“I love color, I love nature, I love form.”
This has been the common thread throughout artist Karen Ruane’s career, though her medium and methods have evolved over time. She is fascinated with the marriage between the manipulation of the medium, and the “happy accidents” that happen by chance, when allowing the medium to flow as it wants. Naturally, Karen was drawn to the art of marbling – a method where paints are floated upon a viscous surface where they spread and push other paint and the artist uses tools to guide and manipulate the paint further. From this process, a single contact print is taken, making each piece completely unique. In her more traditional paintings, Karen explores color, nature and form in a more controlled manner, putting the parts of the marbling process she loves under a metaphoric microscope, magnifying the relationship between shape and aligned color. For over 15 years, since graduating from Art School, Karen Ruane has been producing, showing and selling artwork in Arizona, California and now Oregon, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. Most recently, Karen’s art was featured on the 2016 label of Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale.
Please join us Friday, January 6th at our Downtown Bend Office (821 NW Wall Street, Bend, OR) from 5 – 8 PM, to enjoy artwork, as well as complimentary wine, Jubelale and appetizers.
Third Thursday in Lake Oswego with Artist Jennifer Smith
Jennifer Smith is the creator of Visual Lifesavers Art. Her artwork is colorful, happy and intriguing, as it draws the viewer in to look, examine, and contemplate. Jennifer began her professional artistic business in 2012, when she began painting in oil. Jennifer had always been creative, painting and sculpting for fun, but when she began using oil paint after taking a community college summer class, her career began.
It is Jennifer’s goal to grow her business to a point where she can support herself financially on both the sale of her artwork and teaching adults to find and use their creativity. Jennifer has created her own recognizable style through many hours of painting, critiquing and analyzing. As she continues to grow as an artist, she is open to taking classes, learning and collaborating with other artists.
Please join us Thursday, January 19th at our Lake Oswego Office (310 N State Street, Suite 102, Lake Oswego, OR) from 4-7 PM, to enjoy Jennifer’s artwork as well as complimentary wine and appetizers.