The daily Astorian., June 21, 2018, Page 9, Image 9

JUNE 21, 2018 // 9
Swarming artists
“What is unique about the festival,
compared to other Plein Air events is the
‘& More’ part,” Whitebird Gallery owner
Allyn Cantor said. “Our group wanted the
event to be as inclusive as possible to all
media and artists who are able to work
outside and demonstrate their techniques
for the visitors.”
The organizers include arts beyond
the visual as well. Stilt walker Melissa
Rae will appear throughout town distrib-
uting festival brochures, and a number
of live bands will provide music for the
events, including the Boka Marimba
Band on Saturday beginning at 11:30
a.m., and the Zingari Band playing gyp-
sy-Italian-folk fusion on Saturday night.
One of the most popular festival
events is the “Artists’ Swarm” held 2 to
4 p.m. Saturday in the Coaster Theatre
courtyard. This is when every artist at
the festival comes together to celebrate
and create together — if there are artists
you’d really like to see, you are sure to
find them at the Swarm.
Organizer Bonnie Gilchrist said that
the energy of all the artists crowded into
the courtyard together is just electric.
She described the festival as a fami-
ly-friendly, dog-friendly celebration of
the arts.
Her favorite aspect is that the public
is “able to see what is involved in stone
sculpture and what goes into making a
glass piece — they are able to see all the
different stages and steps of the creative
process in a remarkably short amount of
time.”
‘Acrabat’ by Karen Croner, at Imprint Gallery
PHOTOS COURTESY CANNON BEACH GALLERY GROUP
Gary Lavarack’s ‘Witches Wicket,’ at Cannon Beach Gallery
Firing, dueling
Another perennially popular festi-
val event is the Saturday evening Raku
firing on the beach at Whale Park with
husband-and-wife potter team Dave and
Boni Deal beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Western Raku is a form of pottery that
involves removing ceramic work from a
kiln at incredibly hot temperatures, then
dropping the pieces into a container of
combustible materials for a post-firing
smoke reduction. The smoke cracks and
blackens the clay and glazes in unpredict-
able and organic patterns.
“When Dave pulls out the pot and it’s
glowing, there’s always a huge reaction
from the crowd,” Gilchrist said. “Then he
drops it into the container and flames go
shooting up — it’s a magnificent sight.”
Cantor said the Raku firing is one
of the “most unique attractions of the
weekend.”
Cantor also points to DragonFire
Gallery’s Dualing Easels event as another
highlight for her. In this demonstration,
on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., two
Jewelry by Sharon Amber
Brooke Borcherding’s ‘Night Traffic,’ at White Bird Gallery
artists, Anton Pavlenko and Michael Or-
wick, paint the same subject matter using
their own dramatically different styles
and approaches. They switch canvases
several times throughout the process, al-
lowing audiences to watch a spontaneous
collaboration unfold in real time.
Coastal inspiration
Artist and co-organizer Jeffery Hull
is both a painter, working in watercolors
and oils, as well as a gallery owner. He
moved from Portland to Cannon Beach
45 years ago and has seen the community
grow and mature. He has always been
an artist, and was originally attracted to
the area for its surfing. Today he paints
coastal seascapes, inspired by the beauty
of the Pacific Northwest coast.
“I feel so fortunate to have landed
here,” he said. “I didn’t come here know-
ing I would grow old here.”
Thirty-one years ago he started
Jeffery Hull Gallery with his wife, both
motivated by a desire to convey their
deep love for the area through their art.
Hull said of Plein Air & More, “It’s a
really wonderful experience to watch
and converse with other artists as they
are working.”
On any given day of the year, Cannon
Beach is a town charming enough to
earn National Geographic’s designation
as “One of the Most Beautiful Places in
the World” — but fill it up with working
artists creating alongside nature, and
you’ve got a sure recipe for a weekend of
Oregon Coast summer magic. CW