Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1985)
ARTS Artist gambles in marketing art you get someone to sponsor you- to get your name out,” Lais said. He said he found that he was spending more on the gallery work than he was getting back. By D. Dietrich Lais said He spends approx imately 5 hours on a typical portrait but can easily spend more time as the detail in creases. As Einstein flunked grade school math, artist Chip Lais flunked his high school draw ing class. Now Lais is attemp ting to make a living with his unique style of drawing. With thousands of minute dots, Lais is able to create subtle dimensions and shadowing on the subjects he recreates from photographs. i Working in his Molalla home, Lais only recently began working on portraits he said. At a friend’s request, he ¡ventured from the more natural themes (“I like trees a work from. Also an amateur photographer, Lais said he likes the photography part the best. After the photogragh is made, the drawing board is where he literally “fills in the dots.” Lais works part-time in the print shop at the Clackamas Community College but spends much of the rest of his time working on his art and trying his hand at marketing his designs. The market isn’t always an easy one to make a name in and Lais is finding problems in circulating his work. Breaking into the art market I lot”) he usually drew to mak- I |ing portraits for several I friends. . Lais begins by I photographing his subjects I and picking the best shot to Art by Chip Lais is a problem for many beginn ing artists, and Lais found that submitting work to galleries wasn’t the best way to get his name around. “You can’t really survive in galleries until Of The Print He works for what is a low hourly charge for the artistic market, at $12.50 an hour, time is money. With a second child due in August, time is something Lais can’t afford to waste. Lais has been supplemen ting his part-time income with an assortment of projects for friends and fellow artists. Sup plying the illustrations for an upcoming book of poetry by Joanne Stevens Sullivan, a stu dent at the College is one such project. He has also designed stationary, t-shirt designs and company logos. Artist Chip Lais works part-time in the print shop at the College. His printing experience adds to a comprehensive knowledge of art production. Influence from other artists designs and portraits are a is important to one’s own homemade drawing table, style, Lais said. “The essence technical pens and pencils. Lais recently won a com of art you get studying ¡other And while that’s all he re petition held for a design he people. You build your own quires for his work right now, entered as a logo for the style from influences, other Lais hopes someday to work Garden Show held at the col- wise you’ll stagnate.” Lais into color artwork. Lais is up liseum. As often is the case, said. Although he didn’t study against a saturated market, as Lais said the best of the five technique in school, Lais said are most new artists. designs submitted was not the he has been drawing since he Although he would like to winning entry. was a kid. He credited his in land a job as an in-house artist Lais hasn’t had much for spirations originating from for a company, now Lais is in mal education in the art Held, underground comic books, terested in a wide variety of but believes “the work should namely Robert Crumb who is free-lance jobs. With a strong speak for itself.” He plans to noted for his ‘Keep on dedication and about half his return to school next fall and Truckin’ poster, and other paycheck going to art supplies, take classes at Portland Com “perverted publications”, Lais admits the future is risky. munity College in advertising, Lais said with a grin. “I’m a gambler right now,” art and business. He com Working at home, the only he said seriously, “I’m gambl mented on the high quality of _4pols Lais uses for his intricate ing that it will pay off.” the Graphic Process class that Kevin Forney teaches at the College and said that it helped him learn short cuts used in commercial art. Uos Student art exhibt underway I By Shelley Ball I Of The Print “It’s a pretty diversified I kind of show,” Les Tipton, I art instructor said in regards to I this year’s Student Art Show, II which will be on display from I ¡May 23 to June 4 at I ¡Clackamas Community Col- I lege. • On display in the upstairs I ¡lobby of the Art Center and I ¡ the Pauling Center Gallery I i beginning May 23 will be I metal, wood and clay I [sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, I paintings, drawings, basic I design and commercial art 1 works and other wood and ■ metal projects. The exhibit is an annual event for the College’s Art Department and will feature works of art from between 50 and 70 College student artists. In addition to the exhibit and its opening reception, which will be from 7-9 p.m. May 23, the Art Department will be holding an end-of-the- year celebration earlier that day. “It’s (exhibit) just a nice thing to show the capability of the students at the College,” Upton said. Organized by art students and their instructors, the students will be involved in setting up the exhibit on Tues Chn«. day and Wednesday in preparation for opening night Thursday. As for the show itself, Tip ton said there will be a “tendency for more abstrac tion to be involved, (and) the human figure will be displayed quite a bit.” Some of this abstract work will be in the form of paintings. There is the possibility some of the work on display will be for sale. Tipton said anyone interested in purchasing any art work should try to contact the student artist at the Art Department at 657-8400, ext. 386. Clackamas Community College student Sue Souvanna shares information about her homeland, Laos, during International Coffee Hour, Tuesday in the small dining room. Page 5 ■ Wednesday, May 22, 1985 SlgS
