(Oil painting by Bonnie Junell)
As always, the Artists’ Gallery in the Sunriver Village will be celebrating on the Second Saturday of the month — Saturday, July 13 4-6pm. Visitors and locals will enjoy the usual selection of appetizers, beer, wine, and soft drinks. Local artists will be there to discuss their love for art!
Featured watercolor artist Deni Porter will be demonstrating her bold and color full painting style and offering information about painting pet portraits. Although realistic in style, each painting captures just enough color and whimsey to make the portrait fun. Capturing the essence of your fur baby is always the goal. Porter says she always works on the eyes of the pet early in the process because it is essential that they catch the pet’s personality. At least that way, if the eyes are not correct, it is early in the painting and starting over is not so painful! Porter has a unique watercolor style that does not really look like watercolor. Paintings present bold, intense, and saturated colors. Although the artist’s subjects are varied (including Sunriver landscapes), Deni is drawn to animals. “It is just that expression that each animal has on its face!” she says.
Also featured is glass enamel artist Cheryl Chapman who works in a medium that some people are not as familiar with. Fortunately, collectors do not have to understand the process to appreciate her work. She is a painter. Her canvas is glass. Chapman paints in a reverse process on the back of clear glass. Her paint medium is finely powdered glass enamels mixed with water or oil-based mediums. As if that is not confusing enough, each piece is fired multiple times in the kiln to cure the glass. The paintings become unique and one-of-a-kind tiles, bowls, and plates. Cheryl’s imagery is influenced by nature and whimsy — expressing the fun and beauty that Chapman sees all around her.
Oil painter Bonnie Junell considers herself an “expressive realist/ impressionist painter.” Her paintings convey moods, emotions, and energy using texture and color. Junell strives to express a subject in the simplest terms while utilizing expressive textures. Her subject matter is wide and varied but demonstrates the artist’s ability to combine simple reality with bold color and expressive brushstrokes to tell an artistic story. Junell conducts regular monthly painting classes at the Gallery. Her classes are extremely popular so you will want to sign up early!
The Artists’ Gallery is in Building 19 in the Sunriver Village next door to the Mexican cuisine restaurant.
ArtistsGallerySunriver.com • 541-593-4382