Local Art Reviews

by Robyn Eggs

Paige Shumway (Left) & Robyn Eggs (Right)
*All photographs are original, unedited, and used with permission from the artists.

What will unfold...on the first art walk of the new year?

http://www.corvallisartswalk.com/
What magic?
What artists?
Who will we discover, hidden in downtown nooks?
Who will we remember for years, after a look?

...Every Third Thursday, the Corvallis Art Walk hosts over two handfuls of artists and their galleries, located within the heart of the city. Some artists even travel from Portland to be featured in joint ventures, such as Rachel Mulder. Some of the artists on the walk refused to allow me to take pictures of their art, but all of them, however, allowed me to post a positive review on my blog. Staying within the downtown area, I was able to review 11 of the 15 galleries participating in the Art Walk from 4 - 8pm, January 18th, 2018. I may have my favorites...

1. Chris (Bison! Bison!)

A local silk screen artist

A delightful sample of layered artistry

is showcased in a cozy corner of roundness and lines. A little color, a knotty squiggle, and a lot of character amplify Chris’ expert techniques. His style is sometimes simplistic and at other times, highly detailed. After years of honing his silk-screening skills, Chris is ready to make unique and personalized designs on demand. Chris let us know that this was his last art walk before he moves on to a different pasture to raise his ideas. He will no longer be residing in his studio on Madison Street. Look for him in the future by name, on Instagram. He might just surprise us in ways we will never forget!

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2. Rachel Mulder (CEI Artworks Gallery)

408 SW Monroe Ave
4 - 8pm

“How to Forget to Disappear” is truly a treat for the eyes.

Rachel is creating moods and feelings by combining long, elegant strokes with soft, supple smears. Large, round blots juxtapose hints of detail, revealing figures, shrouded in mystery. My personal favorite was a womanly figure, curled close to itself, neck ending in no head. Cheers to Rachel for her artistic skills in creating wonder and magic in the form of black ink on white paper.

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3. Digital Stories (Darkside Cinema)

215 SW 4th Street
4 - 6:45pm

Compilation videos from the LBCC community were heart-warming,

intriguing, and truly a treat to immerse in. “Rise”, a story about a found cat, was string-pulling, while “3 Guys, 3 bikes” shared a deep and personal love of the ride. A short featuring “Entropy Music & Design” wowed interest in a local artist, while Jeff Davis shared with us memories of his Dad. Thank you for such a personally delighting show.

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4. Karen Wysopal

230 SW 3rd Street #310
4 - 8pm

Amazing experience, just within the door,

Karen’s alcohol and ink paintings truly capture the essence of color. Deep and rich, the exquisite enlightenment of her strokes hit home on every level. A teal texture palpitates against captured light and dark spaces. An accomplished artist, Karen does not fail to surprise and delight. You can find her art in over 60 retailers across the US.

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5. Matthew (PopArtStudio)

425 SW Madison Ave
4 - 8pm

“Tender Longing” totally embraces what it says

in this intimate display. With a soft spot for California modern, this artist has embraced cubism and ritual meditation. Using Lectio Divina, Matthew derives a word of the day and then proceeds to paint that word’s vision into existence. He then writes a poem to that painting, every day. Matthew is truly a wondrous and enchanting artist.

Each of his cubist pieces tells an intimate story. The details are in every choice of straight or round line he chooses to highlight. With a past in modern, a present in cubes, and a love of love, Mathew has broken free into more of a realistic style of displaying humanism. Capturing the embodiment of Christ and His love in gripping angles and soft color contrasts, his triple love display is not to miss!

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6. Sharon (The Hold Studio)

425 SW Madison Ave Suite E-2
4 - 8 pm

There is no holding on here!

Sharon’s new display of monotype prints is right out of a storybook. Her colors warm the soul, combining unique hues and delicate ribbons of detail with soft surprises of flora and fauna. Light, soft, melting beside each other, and thriving for succession, her rhythmic responses to her world ‘hold’ the viewer’s eye for near an eternity. Getting lost in her magnificent creations, I found perfect moments of surprise and warmth.

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INTERMISSION

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...as I walk over to the other side of the street...

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7. Rachel Urista (Evil Eye Studios)

460 SW Madison Ave #7
5 - 8pm

Her details blow everyone out of the water!

Rich in fantasy, the depth she creates within her colors are unmatched. Rachel’s Japanese influence is revealed inside these depths as she creates for us a world unlike any other. Each brush stroke seems a happy accident. Her lines and edges flow into each other like rain on the streets, developing a setting to get lost in over and over again, each time a different journey. I felt no evil here, only glimpses of light and savior behind every shadow and stroke of dark.

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8. Jeff Hess Studio

460 SW Madison Ave #16
5 - 8pm

This renegade artist had no response

to my inquiries. He offered me fair trade wine, a mindful Malbec, yet he was of no mind. Jeff allowed me to view his most intimate photos, metal prints to die for. His photography is simple, yet complex. The architectural lines he has chosen to capture dictate a place, a geography, but leaves one end open.

Operating above and beyond the walls that society try to entrap him in, Jeff’s conformity lies in this, breaking free. I discover, as I experience his art for the first time, gently lit in the upper studio space, that there is always room for an experience in the open spaces he leaves for us to explore.

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9. Holly Campbell (Voices Gallery)

301 SW 4th Street #160
4 - 6:45pm

Holly’s dreamscapes leave the viewer wishing

for death to subsurface them into the worlds she has created. They are just the cat meow! Imaginative, wondrous and fantastical, her art creates a surrealistic sea, prime for the diving. Don’t miss the macabre mushroom homes. Holly's art reminds me of something seen on the other side of consciousnesses. She has created universal intrigue and delightful wonder at the fantastic with her art. What will she create next? Look for her many skills surfacing in the new, local zine, coming soon.

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10. Brittney West Studio

340 SW 2nd Street #3
4 - 8pm

Conscientious, lucid, living, alive, surreal

…these are some of the words that came to mind while viewing Brittney’s art. Her irregular embrace of edgy slightness combines with a powerful punch for justice. A skewed and crude public reality is exposed in creative slabs of death and meat made nasty. She is unashamed in her cry for change. Brittney is a powerful and exquisite artist, on point, yet leaving us in questions…

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11. Paige Shumway (Pegasus Gallery)

341 SW 2nd Street
Old World Deli
4 - 8pm

"Mom’s Attic" is one cozy and comfy display.

Paige offers buyers a getaway from the acrostic norm. Soft, supple, cute, and inviting, here you will find hidden books and nooks, filled with lost treasures. Featuring hand-crafted items unlike any other in the valley, the wonders here continue to delight and surprise the lucky local street viewers.

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AFTERTHOUGHTS:

So much color…..

The fact that you were all so open (the artists) to sharing and appreciating each other’s work, was very meaningful to me. I hope we can continue to grow and foster each other in the art community.
Cheers!

• Robyn Eggs
  Local Artist, Author & Critic

Look for more photo outtakes from this walk. The next segment will be releasing soon. Next featured artists, the ones I was unable to get to last time, include: Art in the Valley Gallery, The Arts Center, and the OSU Fairbanks Gallery.

Future Walks: February 15th, 2018 and March 15th, 2018.

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Copyright February 21rst, 2018
Robyn Eggs &
Robyn Eggs Photography
https://www.facebook.com/robyneggsphotography/