June 2022

Cobalt DesignWorks – Dave Frei is working on fabricating their latest sculpture, Individually We Transform, Together We Soar. The artwork, designed by Jennifer Corio is for a park in Kirkland, Washington and will be installed in July. The desired theme for this project is Diversity, Acceptance, and Inclusion.

Jessica Bodner: Here is my “Nautilus 2 sculpture off to the paint shop”

Robert McWilliams: Nude Descending a Staircase No. 1.  The title is important because it is a parody of Duchamp painting:  Nude Descending a Staircase no. 2

Firebird Bronze: Chad Caswell just installed this piece in Troutdale at Glen otto park to celebrate AMR river life safety program.

Harold Linke: The town of Silverthorne, Colorado, in the ski mountains completed the purchase of EnerJoy, three heroic abstract figurative sculptures, from Harold Linke on June 3, 2022, to grace its performing arts center. The dedication included three days of receptions parties and picnics for donors and friends.

Bob Deasy and Connie Colter: Work in progress for Creative Collaborations show is a combination of onyx and ceramic.

Shelly Durica-Laiche – Indio Metal Artshas installed one of her steel sculptures on the PNWS sculpture pad at Oregon Society of Artists.

Chas Martin: Sketches and clay sculpture commissioned by Dell’Arte International in California. Mask to be cast in an edition of 3. One goes to California. One to Denmark. One to Zimbabwe.

I believe in synchronicity. When I’m working on a project, creating and solving the problem is part of the process. Exposing myself to a range of possibilities helps me find the unique solution to those problems.

Identifying possibilities is where things can fall into predictable patterns. My perpetual goal is to break out of predictability. “Garbage in, garbage out” is not much different than “predictable in, predictable out.” While in art school, one of my insanely creative instructors constantly encouraged us to find unrelated input, read unrelated articles, explore new experiences, participate in disparate conversations. The result, he said, would provide the spark to launch an idea in a fresh direction.

That advice has served me well for decades. I always seek random information wherever I can. It’s how I manage my own creative process. I scan every resource for new information, visuals, techniques, materials.

All this brings me to one of the basic benefits of an active membership in PNWS. We all have our own sources of information. And since we are such an ecliptic group, those collective sources represent an incredible reference library of knowledge.

Our monthly “Who’s Doing What” articles are an interesting mix of concepts, styles, materials, etc. But, beyond that, we all observe a broad range of images and ideas every day. We all experience inspiration through examples of others’ work. Sharing those observations can provide the spark another member is seeking.

My challenge to everyone is simply this: If you see something interesting, unusual, outrageous, unique, inspired, incredible (you get the idea) share it with the rest of us in the form of a short article. Something as simple as an image and a sentence will do. Post it to your personal page on our site. If the response to this request is sufficient, we may add another feature to the monthly newsletter. Or, this can become an ongoing idea bank through our News – PNWS forum accessible through your profile page on our website.

Next steps: Keep your eyes open. When you see something, think beyond your immediate need and share what you’ve seen with the rest of the group. Let’s set a new standard: “Extraordinary in, extraordinary out!”