July. 19,2002
ART
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Elemental roots
Continued, from Page 1
The vastness of space in this large oil on
canvas plays with twilight, and its starred sky
and teal waters absorb the mysterious light
source. The jagged little islands, like embossed
anthropomorphic paw prints, have an admit
ted inherent irony with its pert, almost sodlike
opaque green grasses.
Shelton explains that her paint is applied
from the center out, like the body’s chakras. By
using an opaque projector she is able to apply
repetitive shapes with a quirky post-Van Gogh
effect. It’s hung alongside “Island Is Four Logs
in Green Sea,” and the two almost act as a dip
tych behind the main counter of this fashion
ably appointed but minimalist shop retrofitted
with some of the best vintage wines in the city.
Shelton was overjoyed at the pairing of the
pieces in that they depict a continuous horizon
line and unfold a story of sorts. Proprietor
David Cowling, aka Bald Guy (as it reads on
his business card), wants his new business to
act as a unique community info center for the
finer points of the special vintages he stocks.
B
om and raised in Salem, Shelton has identi
fied as an artist since a young child and as a
lesbian since 1976. With a master of fine
“ I s la n d w ith T h r e e T r e e s a n d G r e e n S e a ” is a s u b s t a n t ia l 3 - b y - 5 o il o n c a n v a s
arts from Washington State University, she is a
certified arts educator in Portland— a city she
Shelton’s “Tree Light” uses a radiant tech
leaving the interpretation to the viewer.
breathtaking truth when you view the work
appreciates for its gay-friendly atmosphere. She’s
nique to cast its trees’ shadows. The street lamp
In this salon-style installation Shaffer presents
here, in which she takes a subject and multiplies
also working as a parent/child development spe
light source is not visibly present, and the illu
her piece “Birth of a Dream” (ink and colored
it with such a committed, organic purpose.
cialist with Portland Impact, an organization
sion here makes the light seem to be stemming
pencil on ragboard), a piercing image of moun
“It’s really important to me,” Shelton contin
that helps alleviate the effects of poverty.
from the earth. The trees, with caricaturelike
tainous entities coming apart.
ues, “that people
Shelton has shown her work in numerous
lifelines, are veiny, living beings. Shelton origi
Its intrinsic, nurturing energy is
have the opportunity
locations around the Pacific Northwest since the
nally sketched this recent work on a black
based on a dream of reawaken
to make their own
late 1970s; currently she’s part of the Art About
paper, discovering that light was at its core.
ing a desert lightning storm.
interpretations of the
Agriculture series, on view through Sept. 2 at the
“Fire Ring” is Shelton’s psychedelic ripple of The artist forthrightly confesses,
work.” This is cer
High Desert Museum in Bend. The exhibit was
cylindrical repeating rings paying certain
“You cannot always know the
tainly the case right
designed to encourage artists to visually explore
homage to Harold “Doc” Edgerton, the MIT
intention of the work; your
now at Everyday
the resources of agriculture, the science that sus
photographer who made significant develop
reactions may be latent.” This
Wine, where many of
tains human life. She’s also supported by Port
ments in the area of stroboscopy. The piece
untailored approach allows both
the images could be
land’s Full Spectrum Health Center, which dis
centers in its dynamism of flaming fire water,
women to be improvisers, open
dually seen as sci
plays some of her paintings year-round.
to fluidity as an opportunity
ence-fiction encoun
Shaffer, who holds a master’s in sociolo
! to let go of initial intent.
ters or out-of-body
gy and markets and promotes a Portland
Having recently
experiences.
photographer, says she has always felt a nur
returned from a shamanic
turing, familial spirit in her own many cre
workshop in Joshua Tree,
The art of M onte
ative endeavors.
Calif., Shaffer quotes a for
S helton a n d D ebra
D e b ra S h a ffe r ’s “ T re e G iv in g B ir th ”
The common themes of birth, energy,
mer teacher who once said,
S haffer shows
organics and fire bring Shelton and Shaffer
“Look at the magic of a piece and go with it;
through July 24 at Everyday Wine, 1520 N .E .
together in a unique way. Almost simulta
don’t look back as you move ahead.”
Alberta St. Hours are 11 a.m . to 7 p.m. Tuesday
neously based in the human subconscious,
Shelton follows this lead in her work and
through Saturday. See Shelton’s work at
stresses that letting go of the process a bit and
both speak eloquently about chakra and
www.paintmonte.com.
aura as primary energies driving their cre
standing back from a work in progress makes
ative expression. They see the animated self M o n te S h e lt o n ( le f t ) a n d D e b r a S h a f f e r g a t h e r w ith
you realize that “within one piece there are
TJ NORRIS is a Portland visual artist, writer and
in the elements they paint and draw.
many pieces.” These words ring with a
fr ie n d s a t E v e r y d a y W in e
curator. See his work at www.tjnorris.net.
in
Su n days Sw in y
ABOARD PORTLAND SPIRIT
America's most treasured art form returns to the city's only floating venue. Portland
Spirit’s 2n d annual Jazz Brunch series is under way. Every Sunday though
September 29th, musicians send notes sailing. Different artists and sounds w ill be
explored weekly. Join us fo r one, multiple, or all performances.
Upcoming
Cruise Events:
C all
(503) 224-3900
or
(800) 224-3901 •
Live Jazz Brunch Series -
E very Sunday. Ju ly ~ Septem ber 2 9 th
F rid a y E a rly Escapes C ru ises com ing in Ju ly
book o n lin e now at www . p o r t la n d spir it . com