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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2018)
JULY 26, 2018 // 11 The ‘how’ of art Bolerjack grew up in Kansas, where, she said, “the landscape wasn’t the land. The landscape was the sky.” The moon and stars are themes that reoccur in her work, drawing on traditional symbols of the feminine divine to capture the won- der and mystery of the natural world. “I like to use references to spirituality that aren’t connected to any one belief system,” she said. Bolerjack uses work- ing-class women and their children as models, sketching people she meets from many different backgrounds. “My work is really my journal,” she said. Bolerjack studied with a master en- graver and art professor at the Universi- ty of Arkansas. She had her first profes- sional show at 17 years old. Once the etching is finished, she will apply pigment directly onto the met- al plate, mixing and playing with ink colors. Rag paper imported from France will be placed on top of the plate before it is run through an intaglio press. Annie Eskelin, who is organizing the tour for the third straight year, said the appeal of the event is that tourgoers get to see how and where art is created and have conversations directly with the artists. “I love being inspired by not only artists’ work, but how and where they go about making it,” said Eskelin, who is also the executive director of Astoria Vi- sual Arts. “Sometimes it is part of their kitchen, sometimes it is in a beautiful garden studio, sometimes it is in a barn — many of them are only open once a year during Open Studios.” COLIN MURPHEY PHOTO Kestrel Gates paints part of a lamp in the HiiH Lights studio outside Astoria. JAMES REYLAND ANDERSON PHOTO Artist Susan Darms in her Svensen studio. ‘A lifetime of study’ Atmospheric landscapes and captivat- ing portraits have made Robert Paul- menn a familiar name in the Astoria art scene. He is participating in the Open Studios Tour for the fifth year from Studio 11 in the Elks Lodge that will showcase several artists. Paulmenn will display plein air work and demo drawings in early stages of development, along with more finished pieces. The artist enjoys the informal work environment of a studio tour where he can answer people’s questions about materials, methods and process. Paulmenn said some of his brief sketches can take 30 minutes, plus 68 years, to complete. “A lifetime of study goes into each piece,” he said. Another popular location participating again this year is the Hiih Lights Stu- dio run by husband-and-wife team Lam Quang and Kestrel Gates. From their two-acre homestead where they raise produce, sheep and chickens, the couple JAMES REYLAND ANDERSON PHOTO Renee Rowe scrapes on a large abstract oil painting. She will have a pop-up studio at As- toria Visual Arts’ new space. JAMES REYLAND ANDERSON PHOTO Chris Bryant works on a mixed-media assemblage at her studio gallery. IF YOU GO ASTORIA OPEN STUDIOS TOUR 2018 When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29 Where: 28 locations throughout the Astoria area Free and open to all ages More information is available at astoriavisualarts.org creates handmade paper light sculptures. Inspired by childhood memories of moon festivals in Vietnam, Lam begins with an armature fashioned from wire or bamboo. Then paper handmade in house from abaca and cotton is pressed and applied damp onto the armature. Once the sculpture is dry, Kestrel paints each piece before Lam seals it with wax and installs the electrical components. Kestrel often paints the pieces with natural dyes, including black walnut and indigo, which she grows in the garden. For the Open Studios tour, the couple will offer tours of their work along with papermaking demonstrations. Tour guides can be picked up at Studio 11, RiverSea Gallery, Imogen Gallery and most coffee vendors in town. The Coast Weekend pullout guide can also be used. CW
