Trudonna & Mary Hillsbery * May’s Featured Artists

A reception honoring Little Dickens award winners will be this Saturday, May 11th from 3-5 pm during the Second Saturday Art Tour.  Trudonna & Mary Hillsbery’s art will also be on display in the gallery for the month of May, as their prize from December’s event.

TRUDONNA

Trudonna

 

Trudonna, whose unique work of both 2 and 3 dimensional pieces, in a wide range of media and sizes, invite your imagination with their organic shapes she tends to develop in series, that may evolve over many years. Her Significant Stones Series are “buntings created with an ancient wrapping technique using stones, beeswax, hemp and cotton.”

 

 

 

 

Mary Hillsbery

Mary Hillsbery

Mary Hillsbery is a 17 year-old junior at Siuslaw High School where she is already engaged in seeking a career in art through the art program there and will follow that path in her college years. Though home schooled by her Backstreet artist mother, Carol Hillsbery, who influenced her, Mary says, “I think I was born with the passion to be an artist.”


Carole Hillsbery wins WSO Award

Morning Sun by Hillsbery Carole

Morning Sun by Hillsbery Carole

Congratulations to Carole Hillsberry for winning the Award of Distinction from Watercolor Society of Oregon for her ‘Morning Sun’ painting.  

There is a traveling show of the 20 award winners.  The show will make a stop in Florence at the FEC May 2-29.


Welcome Carole Hillsbery

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Backstreet Gallery is thrilled to add watercolor painter Carole Hillsbery to it’s family of co-op artists.  Carol, recently returning to the Oregon coast from Arizona, has been painting for over 30 years,  Her award winning, loose painting style is vibrant and refreshing.  ”Just water, paper can color are amazing things” she says.

BY CAROLE HILLSBERY

“WHAT A WILD RIDE”
1st Place Watercolor: Arizona Art Alliance

Carole teaches several painting workshops through the year, the next one in Florence is being planned for June.  Details for how to sign up will be posted on our website when available.

Backstreet Gallery is open 7 days a week.  We are looking forward to seeing you soon.


Jane Rincon & Geraldine McMahan * April’s Featured Artists

April is special for Backstreet artists, Jane Rincon and Geraldine McMahan whose theme, “The Sea”, offers a collection of expressive watercolor paintings, shell art and classic hand built pottery.  Their reception will be held during the Second Saturday Gallery Tour, April 13th, 3-5PM at Backstreet Gallery, 1421 Bay St. 


by Jane Rincon
Jane’s studio, The Crows Nest, sits high overlooking the ocean. Her masterful watercolors illustrate windswept beaches and shorebirds that capture her attention on beach strolls with her two labs.  
Magic abounds when Jane mixes the traditional colors of Prussian Blue, Payne’s Gray, Burnt Sienna and Umber with Mayan yellow creating her award-winning watercolors.

Rincon’s exhibit focuses on shore birds that inhabit the Oregon coast. She alternates blending loose washes where she combines rich color, collage texture, and careful composition in scenes, with fine detailing in her feathered subjects. Watch for her new painting, “Kingfisher.”  Living seaside offers opportunities to collect shells she’s woven into shell wreaths and cards.

A member of Watercolor Society of Oregon, Jane was awarded Best of Show in Celebrate Arts 2012. She enjoys her book club, gardening, walking, swimming, hiking and sharing it with her dogs. In support of the arts, she has been active in the Seacoast Entertainment Association.

Jane will be taking an acrylic class that will send her talents in a new direction.

by Geraldine McMahan

Don’t be fooled by the beautiful perfection of Geraldine McMahan’s white and red clay stoneware cylinders and pumpkin pots. Each piece is hand-built without using a wheel.  “I most often use oxides and under glazes so that the look and feel of the clay itself is the decoration.” Experimenting with a matte black glaze and red-gold glaze results in a mottled look blending reds, greens and golds in the finished piece. With these subtle tones her work is classic.  Geraldine rarely uses shiny glazes. With her applied textures, the clay takes center stage. For interest, she applies texture by pressing items into the clay, incising, or sculpting.

“Necessity is the mother of invention,” applies to Geraldine’s latest creations, ceramic quilts. Noticing the pillars that run through the center of the new gallery, she developed her new ceramic quilts. These unique wall-hangings are rectangles or squares pieced together much like a quilt and then adhered to beautiful, oil-finished, hard wood blocks from her husband’s remnants left from larger projects. Look for pieces entitled, “Quilt with a Tiny Face” or “Quilt with a bird.”

Geraldine introduced collaboration between artists resulting in exciting final projects plus bringing the membership into closer relationships.

Both Jane and Geraldine are original Backstreet members and have been strong leaders in bringing the gallery to its present level of organization and quality

Find out more about their art with a reception for Jane and Geraldine. April 13th, 3-5PM at Backstreet Gallery. During this time our resident authors will be having a special book signing event as well.  You can read all about that here.  Great refreshments will be served.  


Meet the Authors – A book signing at BSG

Karen Nichols, Kathryn Damon-Dawson, Pattie Brooks-Anderson, Jennifer French, Jill Hardin

Karen Nichols, Kathryn Damon-Dawson, Pattie Brooks-Anderson, Jennifer French, Jill Hardin

Join us in honoring our artist-authors, Jennifer French, Karen Nichols, Pattie Brooks Anderson, Jill Hardin and Kathryn Damon Dawson April 13th, 3-5 PM at a book signing at 1421 Bay St.  The reception also celebrates featured artists Geraldine McMahan and Jane Rincon.

Thorton House by Karen NicholsThe Unexpected Gift by Karen NicholsKaren Nichols found her writing voice after taking a class, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. Karen’s latest, The Unexpected Gift is an inspirational novel: A Marine reclaims purpose and trust through love and redemption. Exciting action arises during two tours in Afghanistan. Zack returns to conquer PTSD through His inspiration, the love of a childhood friend, a rescue dog plus a gift from beyond. Her first book is Thornton House, a mysterious novel of love that transcends time and opens death’s door. What is the secret of Thornton House? It’s a page-turner with a dynamite ending.

dogscrows_KDD

“Dogs, Crows and the Corn Chip Dance,” written and illustrated by Kathryn Damon-Dawson in collaboration with granddaughters Darby and Riley. This whimsical, children’s book, teaches counting through rhyme. Coastal, scrappy crows attempt to catch corn chips while enthusiastic dogs interrup. Humorous details are tucked within the bright watercolor illustrations.

enchanted_PBA

Pattie Brooks Anderson is an artist who turned her award-winning paintings into an irresistible story begun for her grandchildren, but grew into a tale of environmental awareness. Enchanted is a fable about a land long-forgotten. The individuals who lived in and around the forest rediscovered the land, finding beauty that had always been there, only waiting for all to realize it. The kind, loving sorceress, Aeliana, makes it all happen.

fidgets_JF

hootowl_JFJennifer French, who approaches her arts with humor and sensitivity, has written two inspiring novels. Award-winning Hoot Owl Shares the Dawn is an adventure story written for the entire family. Teen-ager Johnny Falcon, an Anglo/Paiute, escapes from his oppressive reservation. Learn the secrets the troubled teen gains from old Indian Chief, Hoot Owl. Fidgets inspires readers with action, humor and lessons for coping with ADHD. The Patterson family finds an effective non-invasive-drug treatment ending years of chaos and frustration.

nomoreneed_JH

Jill Hardin, resident poet-singer, spins her serenely beautiful free-verse reflecting spirituality and love that shine through like the dawn’s first light in her book No More Need. As a musician and a chanteuse, Jill’s poems resonate with the lyrical flow of musical harmony. Her expressive voice emerges through her written poetry as well as readings she recorded on a CD.


Pattie Brooks-Anderson * March’s Featured Artist

Pattie tosses winter aside with a burst of color in her spring show, Mystic Alchemy, which debuts in Backstreet’s new location in the other side of our same building, 1421 Bay Street.


Grand Re-Opening Party!

CraddockAndersonDue

Michael Anderson on guitar and Dave Craddock on keyboard.

You are invited to our Grand Re-Opening Party that will be held during our monthly After Hours party.  There will be live music by Smilin’ Dave Craddock on keyboard, cool crooner Michael Anderson on bass and guitar, and coastal favorite Nate Kaplan on drums.    Most likely Mary Beers and Jill Hardin will let a few songs out of their hearts there also!

Fabulous, extra special finger foods, made by the artists of  course, and good wine and other beverages  will be served. 

This will be a very special celebration/housewarming  for the Backstreet Gallery in our new space, so come one come all, and enjoy our hospitality on February 27th from 5-7pm.


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