This World is But a Canvas to Our Imagination

Entering the Artists’ Gallery in Sunriver transports visitors into the imagination of each artist represented at the gallery. This month the gallery is featuring work of some really special artists. The gallery is open each day of the week, but a really great time to visit and meet the artists is the regularly scheduled Second Saturday Celebration on Saturday, September 10, 4-7 p.m. Share beverages, food, and discussions about artistic imagination.

Watercolor artist, Deni Porter, clearly demonstrates a very colorful imagination. Regardless of the subject, each of her pieces captures the excitement and energy of color. “I could paint with muted colors, but where is the fun in that,” Porter states. And fun is certainly a good way to describe the artist’s work. Animals are the subjects of many pieces, as well as local Central Oregon landmarks. “Sunriver is such a happy place that it is perfect for my work.” Porter says.
The artist captures that special brand of happiness when painting the sunshine and bicycles that dot the local landscape. Vacationers are always happy to take a bit of Sunriver imagination home with them to hang on the wall.

Potter, Diane Miyauchi, captures the imagination of visitors with her palette of glaze colors. Much of her useful pottery is glazed with Miyauchi’s signature cool blues and greens. The artist provides a range of items from coffee cups to serving platters. All pieces are dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. Miyauchi is equally comfortable producing her imaginative Raku art vessels. Unlike her more practical items, these art pieces are for display and admiration. The process of making these pieces is almost as interesting as the finished product.
When you are enjoying a glass of wine at the Second Saturday Celebration, the artist will be happy to explain how she creates these unique works of art.

Painter, Marjorie Cossairt, uses her imagination to create special painting techniques that beautifully capture the flora and fauna of Central Oregon. One of this featured artists recent pieces, Wild Irises, is a perfect example. Cossairt utilizes a very wet and loose painting approach. She sprinkles water and salt to create representations of blossoms and foliage. After those portions of the painting dry, the artist uses a dry brush technique to add grasses and leaves.
“These irises are found in abundance in my horse pastures and make a great watercolor subject,” Cossairt states. The exquisite nature of the petals is well suited for a transparent watercolor approach capturing the delicate look the artist so effortlessly conveys. The result of these techniques makes up the heart of Cossairt’s extremely popular and unique paintings.

Husband and wife glassblowing team, Heather and Jeff Thompson immerse themselves in the traditional techniques of Italian glassblowing, and now find themselves using imagination to experiment with their own interpretations of the medium. The finished pieces that this talented team imagine and bring to life are a blend of contemporary, traditional and custom techniques. One of this month’s pieces has a feature that is described as gessato (Italian for pinstripes.)
Use of the technique murrini (cane) brings a sense of repetition to the design and another technique (encalmo) refers to the process of melting several separate segments into one resulting in clean distinct lines. While the piece is in a molten state, the artists switch the axis of the vessel 90 degrees and expand along this new axis to create the fluid contours of the finished piece. This elegant blown glass form invites you to explore the interior and exterior surfaces of the piece simultaneously.

Artists’ Gallery Sunriver
57100 Beaver Dr., 541-593-2127 or 541-593-8274, www.artistsgallerysunriver.com