For August, Gallery Calapooia’s featured artists are Pat Spark and Linda J. Herd.

Pat has been making felt for over 30 years and has been a watercolorist for about the same amount of time, but it’s only in the last few years that she has been combining the two.  That is, taking concepts from her painting, and applying those concepts to her feltmaking. The result is the watercolor series.  Felts that are conceptually similar to watercolors, but which are totally made of dyed fiber.  There is no actual painting involved, unless you consider the placement of each individual colored fiber as “painting” with the fiber.  With these works, she creates rich backgrounds and uses those backgrounds to help define the foregrounds.  By themselves, the foregrounds would be flat, but by making the backgrounds visually exciting, the foregrounds are enriched.

Linda States: “Inspiration for my designs comes from materials, environments, and lifestyles. The influences of the urban sophistication of New York and the natural beauty of Oregon combine to give my work a distinctive look. My studies in architecture and urban design have taught me the impact detail has on style. It is my firm belief that jewelry should make a statement, not a suggestion; my designs reflect that principle in their boldness of scale, texture, and color.

Design has its challenges, including learning new skills and incorporating new materials. The ever escalating cost of silver has prompted me to start using copper and other metals. I am inspired by the work artists, architects, and designers such as Alexander Calder. Charles Rennie Macintosh,. and William Morris. Learning new techniques and skills brings a fresh perspective to my work. I look forward to adding even more creative skills to my design catalogue.

Come join the fun at the First Friday Reception with wine, beer an appetizers, and meet the artists.