The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

With Mother's Day just a few days away, mothers and grandmothers play a significant role in the April 26 Fourth Friday Artwalk in the galleries of Sisters. Local galleries will be open all day, and most will serve light refreshments and feature guest artists between 4 and 7 p.m. New gallery maps are available in all galleries to help you navigate.

Space in Common's "Motherline" is a collection of work by Sisters artist Amelia Morton as well as her maternal grandmother Nasha Tischinsky (1932–1970), and her step-grandmother Diane Olsson (1932–present). The creative spark was passed down from Nasha, whom Amelia never met, and was nurtured by Diane, who was her first creative idol and an early mentor. The paintings in "Motherline" are all pieces Amelia grew up with or watched Diane paint. In her own work for the show, Amelia explores the connection to her maternal grandmothers through a series of original line drawings and watercolor paintings on watercolor paper in handmade cherry frames.

Sisters Gallery & Frame welcomes printmaker and author Denise Kester, creator of "magical realism." Denise specializes in viscosity printmaking using oily lithography inks on Plexiglas plates and printed on fine-art papers. Her studio in Ashland is a safe place where she opens her heart to connect with the world, to celebrate joy, lend support to others in difficult times, and touch people's hearts and souls. The second edition of her popular book, "Drawing on the Dream," is in progress and she will take prepaid orders for signed copies, in addition to showing original work, giclee prints, and note cards. As an extra treat, oil painter Sandy Melchiori will show new paintings of spring flowers in all their glory.

The Rickards Gallery's Christine Joy learned to paint from her grandmother, Norma Peterson. They painted together through Christine's early childhood chronic illnesses, with Norma providing encouragement and inspiration. Christine went on to earn a degree in fine art from George Fox College, and to study with master oil painters. She paints mostly en plein aire, and teaches at Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg.

Hood Avenue Art features pastel artist JoAnn Burgess and ceramicist Annie Dyer. JoAnn's love of nature is reflected in her artwork, and her love of teaching the fine art of pastels to beginning artists. For more than 30 years, Annie has been bringing clay to life in the form of pots that are friendly, intimate, and grow more personal with everyday use. Her distinctive pieces are thrown or hand-built, then sculpted, scored, stretched, smooshed, and/or flattened to resemble bark, perforated rock, a twisted piece of wood, or the swirl and knot of burl. She finds success in loving the process of making things with her hands, and having a few people along the way really like what you're doing.

Makin' It Local proudly displays "Deep Impressions / Perfect Print / Wonderful Feeling"- Letterpress prints from Green Bird Press and Quail Lane Press. The two Oregon-based artist studios capture the beauty of Oregon through fine art prints inspired by nature, local area geographical maps, and artistic interpretation of the high desert. Letterpress is a relief printing technique in which the raised surface from a printing plate or handset type is inked and pressed into paper. The pressure from the press, combined with a thick paper stock, creates a deep impression in the paper, giving each piece a unique tactile quality.

The Campbell Gallery continues a show of work by Melanie Whedon of Bend. Originally from Philadelphia, Melanie is a full-time architect who uses watercolor as a medium to express her ideas of the world. She regards scale in nature and strikes a balance between abstract texture and crisp detail. Outside of painting, she is an avid hiker, yogi, reader, and most recently, rock climber.

Wildflower Studio introduces original acrylic paintings and new prints with sweeping landscapes and Cascade Mountain views by Bill Hamilton. The prints are matted to ready-made frame sizes. Also, for Mother's Day, check out the natural handmade sustainable products from Rough Cut Soap Co. The lineup includes soaps, shampoo bars, lotion bars, and lip balms.

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"Where the Birds Sing" by Jean Wells is among featured quilts at Stitchin' Post.

The Stitchin' Post Gallery shows "My Own Back Yard," themed pieces by the Journeys Art Quilt Group. Their "Back Yard" is filled with forests, flowers, bluebird skies, rivers, lakes, and mountains. Or perhaps it is a back yard from another place, another life. Celebrate the artistic voices of Judith Beaver, Helen Brisson, Betty Gientke, June Jaeger, Jean Wells Keenan, Donna Rice, Martha Sanders, Marion Shimoda, Mary Stiewig, and Jan Tetzlaff.

If all that's not enough to fill your art's desire, be sure to visit ARTifacts 2024, Sisters High School's annual high school art showcase, from 6 to 8 p.m. It will feature live music, upcycled T-shirts (or BYO), hands-on art fun, and a silent auction. The action is in the Sisters High School commons.

Remember to sign up for Quick Draw, once per gallery. Two lucky registrants will each win $50 gift certificates, good for purchase in any of the above listed galleries. Quick Draw is made possible thanks to a generous donation from Cascade Hasson Sotheby's Realty in Sisters.