((L-R) Champagne Sunstone Ring by Karla Proud, Artwork by Bonnie Junell, Music on the Street by Bill Hamilton and Artwork by Charlene)
As a wonderful Sunriver summer slides into August, the artists of Artists’ Gallery Sunriver would like to invite you to a special 2nd Saturday event on August 14. Meet the local Central Oregon artists, enjoy refreshments and artist demonstrations. Hours are 2-6pm.
We have four featured artists, all with unique and special talents to share. Bill Hamilton says, “My passion for art is a precious gift from God.” As a child, Bill copied cartoons from comic books and drew pictures of everything that caught his interest… airplanes, animals, birds, people and landscapes. Bill later enrolled in Oregon Technical Institute’s program combining commercial illustration and technical illustration. This then led to work within the aerospace industry and advertising for technical illustrators. After hours he began easel painting… and honed those special skills. Bill spent the next 27 years as an airbrush artist, painter and art director. In 1993, Bill and his family moved back to Oregon, and he has painted full time since then, showing in several Oregon galleries. To sum it up, Bill says, “I’m truly a grateful man!”
Bonnie Junell considers herself an expressive realist plus impressionist painter, desiring to convey moods, emotions and energy with textures and color. Bonnie comes from a family of artists who influenced her from a young age. She attended Downtown Portland Commercial Art School. She had a detour to the world of fashion, working at Nordstrom as a vice president for 31 years. Bonnie retired in 2005 to spend to pursue her lifelong desire to be a fine artist. Her art classes are a big hit at Artists’ Gallery Sunriver. There are classes offered monthly and Bonnie is highly skilled as a teacher… she will be sure to bring out the inner artist in each student.
Karla Proud moved to Central Oregon in 2006, specifically to romance the Oregon Sunstone, our state gemstone. After owning six fine jewelry stores and jewelry manufacturing businesses, it was time to get back to her roots. Karla began her jewelry career in the late 1960’s in Southern California, mining gem tourmaline. The mining led to designing jewels and cutting gemstones. She grew up in a family of artists who had art and antique businesses, as well as art classes. “I can’t imagine a more exciting place to grow as a person and an artist… I consider myself very blessed!”
The move to Oregon lead to owning and mining Oregon Sunstone, getting out into the Oregon Outback for new adventures. “My jewelry esthetic is clean and simple design to showcase the gemstones… it’s all about the color and quality of each stone… the jewelry is a showcase.”
Charlene Virts comes to Artists’ Gallery with a love of history, color and texture. Charlene is a fabric artist who weaves functional items with a unique reginal flare. She creates what moves
her emotionally.
When Charlene moved to Central Oregon, she began exploring the history of pine needle baskets and creating her own. Each of her coiled baskets is unique, made of Ponderosa pine needles collected near her home. Her free-form pine needle sculptures are each unique and include the use of natural sage wood in the design.
Artists’ Gallery Sunriver Village, • Bldg. 19, 57100 Beaver Dr., Sunriver
artistsgallerysunriver.com • 541 593 4382