Blog

Mask Making with Russ Ford

I will begin with the fact that the last time I worked with clay was in grade school so it was with both excitement and trepidation that I signed up for the workshop.

The first day was at the Oregon Society of Artist classroom with Russ. There were over 14 people in the room ! I saw many that I knew and saw many new faces.

My attempts to film that day did not go as planned so I made special effort to capture day 2. Russ collected our masks and took them to his studio for a bisque firing.

The video below begins with some pictures of the art surrounding us when we ventured into Russ’s studio. You will see where we glazed our pieces, the glazes I used for my pieces followed by video of filling the kiln, removing the hot pieces, placing them in the raku cans, then the pieces are removed to be cooled in a water trough.

The “three pillars” of PNWS

The PNWS Board maintains a framework of ideas and happenings for the Members to flesh-out by networking and collaborating on projects, like groups sculpture shows. Our shows, meetings and website are like three pillars of the framework provided on which to build the PNWS experience.
We developed a new website a few years ago which serves to showcase our sculpture. New Members are especially encouraged, to get your work on the website (if the software is challenging, I guarantee, another Member is available to help. Please, ask for help or consult the tutorial video). Besides providing an extra opportunity for exposing sculpture to the public, the website serves as an information/networking hub, feeding into our newsletter, social media, focused interest groups and forums.
The most unique and dynamic PNWS “pillar”, the monthly meetings are both live and online, include informal meet-ups and Board of Directors meetings, studio tours, presentations by guest speakers, as well as some hands on experiences and public demonstrations of sculpture technique. These meetings happen regularly throughout the year, and are meant to educate, but also serve as a stage for connection to other sculptors. Every second Wednesdays at 7 pm, PNWS Member Alisa Looney hosts an informal Zoom meet-up. Alisa is one of the people that drew me into PNWS about ten years ago. Meetings with her are fun and dynamic, and I’ve seen Members from remote areas develop friendships and collaborative projects because of that meeting hosted by Alisa.
Besides these three core elements of the PNWS experience: Shows, Website and Meetings, many other opportunities exist, but depend on Member input and volunteer involvement. As a leader of PNWS, I envision a vast potential for interconnection and innovation as Members get more involved. PNWS is what we as a peer group make of this opportunity. Our next project could be what you and your collaborators want to create. We have an open pedestal for your art. What will you put there?

President’s Message January 2023

New year. New faces. New opportunities.

Another solstice passes and the daylight hours lengthen once again. As the new year begins, so do new opportunities for connection and knowledge-sharing. PNWS has many opportunities for members to engage, promote themselves and learn from our eclectic group of artists.

As I pass the torch on to Andy Kennedy to lead this group, I do so with great hope. The past three years have been a challenge for us individually and as a group. We have weathered the storm and can now start looking and planning ahead again.

Turnover in our membership has been notable, about 20%. That has created a lot of new ideas, energy and a whole new group of artists to meet. I encourage everyone to create or update your membership page on our website. It’s a great way to introduce yourself and to open the door for more conversation. It’s not difficult. Log in and upload a few images. (If you’re already logged in, that link won’t appear in the menu.)If you’re unsure how to upload images, we have a few tutorials to explain it all.

I also encourage everyone to post an occasional article on your page. We feature several each month in this newsletter which reaches about 700 subscribers.

Here are two additional activities you should plan on:

Our Annual Meeting will be Sunday, January 29 at Bill Leigh’s Studio. New board members will be approved by the members, you’ll get an update on the state of PNWS and hear what incoming President Andy sees as the future of the organization. See details.

Our upcoming show “Into the Depths” at the Newport Visual Arts Center is moving forward. See details on how to participate.

Attend our Monthly Conversations via Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm

The PNWS Newport Group Show ‘Into the Depths’ is June 3 through July 30, 2023

This multilevel facility has 3 floors for classes, displays and activities. It’s located directly above the beach in Newport’s Nye Beach Area.

Our 2017 group show at the Newport Visual Arts Center was well received, and we are once again invited to exhibit in the 1100 s.f. Runyan Gallery, right on the ocean at the Nye Beach turnaround during the height of the summer tourist season! The theme is “What do you see in the Sea?” This show underscores an important renewed interest in sculpture in cities up and down the Oregon coast, and further promotes sculptural opportunities for both public and private venues, all encouraged by the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts. We look forward to seeing a wide range of sculptures that best express the strength and spirit of your personal creative vision and your commitment to quality, because this is the perfect opportunity for you to promote both your work, and the significance of sculpture in general to the Oregon Coast, and to the art world beyond.

Show submissions open March 20, 2023 with an April 20, 2023 deadline. Look for the submission application form with the February PNWS Newsletter. Artists receive 60% of sales. There are no entry fees. Submit jpeg images of up to 3 sculptures in any medium. Artwork must fit through a 33″ x 90″ door opening. Wall pieces may not exceed 25 lbs. Entries will be juried by the PNWS Show Committee. We encourage and welcome your participation in the production of this exciting show, including assistance with social media outreach, artwork transport, show set-up, and more of which will be further detailed in the submission form.

Opportunities and space for you to present talks, and/or provide workshops during the show at NVAC will be available, and warmly welcomed! PNWS Show Committee

President’s Message December 2022

The year comes to an end. So does my term as President of PNWS. It’s been an unanticipated 3-year adventure. I took on the role in February 2020, just a month before the pandammit hit the fan. All the plans the Board had carefully prepared went sideways. And, not long after that, some of our Board Members went sideways as well to deal with more immediate life issues.

I’ve always been a huge advocate for change and innovation. And, here was a plateful of opportunity to manage both. We scrambled. We reassessed. We went Zoom to stay connected. We built and launched a new web site. We raised funds for the site and for ongoing operations. We filled vacancies on the Board with new, energetic participants. We hosted our first and second virtual shows. We lost a number of members and gained nearly as many new ones.

So, it has been an adventure. The rewards have outweighed the frustrations. I leave this position with the organization in better shape financially, with more energy and more potential. Leadership will pass to Andy Kennedy whose familiarity with our volunteer resources and his fresh ideas will create new opportunities for everyone to participate and reap the benefits of interaction.

I will continue to put the newsletter together and contribute to the Board for one more year. I mostly look forward to more studio time and more time to directly interact with artists and friends. The support I’ve had over the past 3 years from members and past Board members has made this time much more productive and enjoyable. Thank you to all for your support, encouragement and advice.

Mask Making Workshop with Russ Ford

Only 20 seats available.

Members (or potential members) are invited to join this two-session workshop on the 8th and 15th of January 2023. The event is a team-building experience and an opportunity to push around some clay, (no prior experience required). Do your own thing,. Share the experience with a team of fellow sculptors ready to start the new year off in a little different direction. We will gather in the main OSA classroom from 2-5 on January 8th for a 3hr. sculpture class where you will produce a mask that you will revisit one week later on January 15th for the Raku firing at my studio in Vancouver.

If you come with an idea of what you want to do, you should be aware that their will be size restrictions (17”x15″) and shape considerations specific to working with clay. If you have an animal (other than human) you want to explore do a Google search to familiarize yourself with the sculptural features you may want to reference but avoid being over prepared as the experience can be frustrating unless you come with ideas that are adaptable.

We will find room for up to 20 participants and we are asking that you not commit unless you have every intention of participating in both events. I and a team of volunteers will be donating our time in order be sure that no one is excluded but you will be asked to donate $20.-$30. To cover the cost of clay, glaze and gas.

• January 8th 2023 sculpture workshop- 2-5pm. OSA 2185 SW Park Pl. Portland

• January 5th glazing and Raku firing- noon till we are done. 610 E. 19th St. Vancouver Wa

A week of prep is needed for the sculptures to dry and to be pre-fired. The Raku firing itself will be an all afternoon affair with a team of experts assisting.

Your day of glazing and firing could be as little as 1 ½ hrs. but more typically a few hours to glaze the pieces and see them through the firing and cooling process. Your place in the firing queue is: first glazed, first fired. Friends and or family are invited to observe.