The Friends of the Sunriver Area Library present an exhibit featuring pottery by Ceci Capen pastel paintings by Barbara Bailey, at the Sunriver Area Library. 

Capen, born in Oahu, Hawaii, has a heritage of Filipina, Portuguese Chinese, says that this blend of cultures has shaped her philosophical artistic approach to her work.  Visual arts was Capen’s first love — first drawing with charcoal then turning to photography.  After moving to the Oregon coast, she had several opportunities to enter her art in juried exhibitions, with excellent results. 

After moving to Bend, Ceci took a pottery class at COCC there discovered the joys of working with clay.  Capen says “using a potter’s wheel allowed me to concentrate block out all of the world’s troubles.”  Capen has continued to learn experiment in clay – attending a raku pottery workshop with clay artist Jim Romberg – now works in raku as well as traditional pottery, has experimented with glaze mixing. 

Capen is co-chair of Potters for Education, a partnership between Oregon potters Arts Central.  Potters for Education conducts several shows each year, exhibiting selling local potters’ work while raising funds for the Arts Central Art Scholarship Fund. 

Bailey grew up in western Pennsylvania, attending local grade high school, graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh.  She has always worked in the art field.  In the early 1960s, Bailey was asked by Allegheny Community College to teach oil painting in its adult education department, she continued to teach there until she moved to Bend in 2000. 

Besides oils, Bailey has worked in watercolors, pastels prints, although she has begun to work smaller – usually creating watercolor/pastel paintings.  Most of her pastels feature images from the Deschutes River area, especially in the fall, when the colors turn a vivid gold shade.  She works mostly from photographs she has taken, for she discovered early that Central Oregon autumns are fleeting.  Bailey also creates art cards, using rubber stamps collage techniques. 

Pottery Pastels will be on display at the Sunriver Area Library through April 28, 2012, during normal library hours.  A portion of the sales from the Library gallery directly benefits the Friends of the Sunriver Area Library, helps the Friends’ efforts to fund special programs at the Library. 

Info: 541-312-1080.

The public is cordially invited to view this exhibit during the Library’s regular hours.