Newsletter Archives - Pacific Northwest Sculptors

Verdancy Project: PNWS September 27th meeting

The PNWS September 27th Member meeting will be at the Verdancy Project Troutdale, OR. (address and directions will be in a forthcoming email to PNWS Members)

From their website, “Verdancy Project is a multidisciplinary community-oriented art experiment with a mission of fostering curiosity and inspiring environmental stewardship. We offer creative residencies, retreats, community art projects, events, and workshops. We provide a unique opportunity to reflect, create and explore in an inspiring setting in the Pacific Northwest.”

https://www.verdancyproject.com/

Directions and details for carpooling will be forthcoming, but be sure to mark your calendars, September 27th, 7pm.

More from their website, “Located in Troutdale, Oregon, just 30 minutes from Portland, The Verdancy Project marks the realization of a long-standing dream. This unique 4.5-acre property hosts a diverse ecosystem and is home to multiple undertakings that find common ground in the land. Home to the Project’s founders and their border collie, the property features a creek with a healthy riparian buffer, woodlands, wildlife, open fields, berry patches, frog pond, chickens, dye garden, and more. The Verdancy Project offers visitors a rich topography for exploration and inspiration.

Our Project’s vision sees the lush terrain as an ideal location for an artist residency. As well as various other environmental initiatives, including workshops, a field guide of the property’s flora and fauna, a seasonal herbarium and an apiary. An artist’s studio and outdoor field station allow access to on-site creative work, and the entire landscape is left open for residents and participants to wander in private—an incredible opportunity for uninterrupted reflection and research. Our residencies are 1-2 weeks long to encourage parents, caretakers, and creatives with day jobs to apply.

Here, nature nourishes the arts and sciences, the mind and body. Welcome to The Verdancy Project—yours to explore in whatever way suits your creative, research, and activist pursuits!”

Freelance Finance for Creatives: Empowerment thru Education

Freelance Finance for Creatives: Empowerment thru Education

Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 5-7pm
Sliding scale pricing: $10, $15, $20, $25. Space is limited. Click here to register.

RACC is committed to providing equitable and fair access to our workshops, and as such no one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you wish to attend and are unable to cover the workshop fee, please email yamir@racc.org.

Location: This event will take place in person at the RACC offices (411 NW Park Ave #101, Portland, OR) and streamed live on Zoom. Registration is required.

About the Workshop:
RACC is pleased to host a two-hour workshop this fall on the ins and outs of managing your finances as a freelance creative. Offered by Jenna Goldin (Enrolled Agent, Licensed Tax Consultant, and co-owner of Shift Accounting LLC), this workshop will cover topics such as business structures, self-employment taxes, types of income and expenses, record keeping, quarterly taxes, and more. Jenna’s presentation will include ample time for an in-depth Q&A so that attendees will leave feeling more empowered to take control of their finances.

About Jenna:
Jenna Goldin has been preparing taxes for small businesses and individuals since 2010. Jenna’s work in tax preparation was born of the intention to bring a social justice lens to accounting. Her mission is to utilize tax prep and money knowledge to build empowered communities based on equity through the redistribution of wealth.

Accessibility: RACC is committed to making our programs and services accessible to everyone. Please contact us directly or at info@racc.org to request any accommodations, translation, interpretation, or other assistance you need in registering for or attending this program. We will be offering ASL interpretation on the live Zoom broadcast. If you plan to attend in person, please contact us by September 10, 2023 to request interpretation services.

When 2- and 3-dimensions merge.

Some artworks create themselves. When you get into that flow, it’s an magical experience. Most artists know this special creative zone. It doesn’t happen often enough. As you gain momentum with the project, you realize you are not creating, but simply acting as a conduit for the creation of a work of art. It’s thrilling, humbling, mystical, spiritual…

36”H x 42”W x 14”D – Sculpted figure mounted off the surface with 3D impact.

“Comfortably Numb” is an excellent example. After a couple of brief sketches, I had a vivid image of the concept and its execution clearly. The figure quickly took shape with the gesture coming together effortlessly. The canvas that had to support the extension of the sculpture invisibly was also a short problem solving process.

At that point, I stopped working on the piece. I stopped to enjoy what was happening. When a piece practically creates itself, the magic passes too quickly in a short, intense moment. With “Comfortably Numb” I decided to slow down and enjoy the process. I set the blank canvas aside unpainted with the sculpture mounted to its surface. And I looked at it for a couple of weeks.

Then, in about 2 hours, I blocked in the 2-color background. It had a Rothko feel. I left that alone and simply observed it for another week, Thinking but not doing. Developing the rocks and clouds was effortless. Through the next week, the reflection and refraction of light intensified. Enhancing, but not fully rendering a shadow cast on the surface added to the illusion. Suggesting waves near the horizon, the image was complete.

I have studied the illusions created by Rene Magritte. The geometry of Comfortably Numb is spatially similar to several of Magritte’s 2- and 3-dimensional works. Equally important are his titles. Each image makes a statement. Each title offers a different perspective. Between the viewer, the art and title a question is forged. And you are engaged.

The title of this piece was illusive. On one level, it might be a pollution or climate change statement. On another, might be comment on our current media/political game show. It’s could be a dream sequence. Or a mirror.

While packing sculptures for “Notes for Travelers,” an exhibit at Art at the Cave in Vancouver, WA, it came to me. Comfortably Numb symbolizes our shared personal predicament. We move blindly through space.

It’s hard to define where an idea begins. But the idea is just the beginning. View this 3-minute video for a concise explanation of what happens between the initial idea and the finished sculpture.

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