Author Archives: anneli2507

Come in Peep It, or How to Romanticize
in the 21st Century

First Thursday, October 6, 6-9 p.m.
Exhibit Shows October 1-31, 2011

Portland artist David Shratter will exhibit his pen and ink drawings during the month of October. Shratter’s urban Portland landscapes are drawn outside, directly from the sidewalk. Be sure to take in his interpretation of local urban scenes. Meet David Shratter and Annie Meyer and enjoy wine tasting by K&M Winery on First Thursday, October 6 from 6-9 p.m.

Born in Pittsburg, PA, David Shratter has been a popular Portland artist for over 20 years. Originally an oil painter, Shratter embraced pen and ink drawing in 2005. It was after painting his first landscape in Greece, that Shratter turned from still life to exploring the urban landscape of Portland. Shratter can be found sitting for hours on any given Portland sidewalk. Preferring to draw directly from observation, the noise, smells and passersby become integrated into the character of each piece. 

“Since 2005 I have worked exclusively in pen and ink on rice paper. Pen and ink lends itself to much detail and complexity which results in a wonderful expression of character. Unlike oil paints, pen and ink is a medium that challenges with an unforgiving attitude. Mistakes often mean starting over completely. The rewards, however, are immense. I am able to work with an immediacy and spontaneity that encourages intimacy and living in the moment. I have a great love for painting and drawing outside. In the end my work is about creating intimacy with the world around me”. 

Shratter’s work can be found in many public collections including the Tacoma Art Museum, Oregon Health Sciences University, and Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portable Works.

Preview: Wed., August 31, 2011 5-7pm
Opening Reception: First Thursday, September 1, 2011 5-9pm

In conjunction with Leo Michelson, Annie Meyer Artwork Gallery presents an exhibition featuring the unique works of 21 artists with fascinating cross sections of ideas in box assemblage from the Pacific Northwest. Michelson, a passionate art enthusiast and collector of over 100 assemblages, has been organizing shows since 1985. His enthusiasm for this art medium was cultured in the 1960s while visiting museums and galleries in New York and being introduced to the many works of American Artist Joseph Cornell.

An assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consists of making three-dimensional artistic compositions / vignettes putting together found objects of various mediums shown in ‘boxes’.

Cornell is one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. His most characteristic works were simple boxed assemblages created from found objects. The boxes were fronted with a glass plane in which he arranged surprising collections of photographs. The result combined the formal austerity of Constructivism with the living fantasy of Surrealism. Today, many artists continue to gain inspiration from his work.

Image: Heidi Kirkpatrick, Reveal

Annie Meyer Artwork Gallery
120 NW 9^th Avenue, Suite 102
Portland, Oregon 97209
www.anniemeyergallery.com
503.224.3150

We will be showing new work by Portland artist April Coppini in August. Join us for our Artist Reception on First Thursday, August 4, 2011, 6-9 p.m.

Annie Meyer will also show her new work. As always, enjoy wine tasting by K&M Winery.   

April Coppini was born and raised in a wooded suburb of Rochester, NY. She attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 1990 and Alfred University, School of the Arts from 1991-1994. She received her BFA from Alfred in Printmaking and Drawing, and moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995. April works from her home in NE Portland and finds inspiration from her daughters, her cats and the best dog ever, Duke. When she is not working, she spends her time watching children, fussing over the chickens, computer stalking other artists and running with Duke.

Showing new paintings by Javier Gatti-Hernandez through the month of July. The exhibit is titled “Foreign Nature”.

Please join us for First Thursday on July 7, 6-9 p.m.

Javier Gatti-Hernandez was born in 1978 to the tropical and sprawling suburban landscapes of Miami. Growing up at the edge of housing developments he watched as abandoned houses and other structures were consumed by avaricious plants and vines. These images have constructed a theme in Hernandez’s work.

Javier’s new work examines the relationship between humans and nature. How people are seen simultaneously as ghostly figures living among the natural elements and animals grazing in it. Painted mostly with oil on wood panel, the series explores this fantasy of the supernatural as it copes with the reality of the material world.

As a student, Javier Gatti-Hernandez studied under Lee Willig, a Miami painter and Cooper Union Alumnus. Upon graduating, Hernandez was awarded a scholarship to attend The Cooper Union in New York, where he studied painting and began making short films.   

In 2011 CUE Art Foundation marked his first solo exhibition in New York. Hernandez has exhibited his work in various group and individual shows throughout the country including Collect 8: Annual Group Show, Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, 2008 & 2009; Faster Sleeper, Bas Fisher International, Miami, 2006; Domestic Arrivals, White Box Gallery, NY 2004; and Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing, The Media Triangle, NY 2001.

SE 10th

Shawn Demarest, Small in a Big Place
Artist Reception: First Thursday, 6-9 p.m.

About Shawn Demarest: A native of Colorado, Shawn Demarest was first introduced to plein air painting and etching while studying in France with the Cleveland Institute of Art. Upon returning to Boulder, Demarest continued to study painting, printmaking, and mathematics at the University of Colorado. After graduation, she painted in Taos and later moved to LA where she studied architecture. Demarest now makes her home in Portland and serves as a board member of Portland Open Studios. 

Artist Statement: This body of work is both a departure from and outgrowth of my previous plein air painting. Only recently did I begin painting landscapes in the studio. Prior to this, all of my work was painted on location. Given the rather dreary weather of Portland, I decided that I would have a go at painting indoors. Immediately, I was drawn to street views in my neighborhood. Initially, I approached this with an expressive and impressionist take on the photos I had taken. Later, this developed into a slower approach that explored subtleties of color, contrast, and edge. I discovered that small paintings could take a very long time to complete! Additionally, I found that working on a painting over a number of months (on and off) led to a richer, more interesting result. None of these paintings came easily, and each offered different rewards and discoveries along the way.