The Nature of Words: Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate Collaborates with Artist Cristina Acosta

Snow Red I, by Cristina Acosta and Paulann Petersen

This past year I have been fortunate to collaborate with artists working in different mediums. I've written about working with the artists Tolley Marney and Cindy Williams Guiterezz. Here I'm sharing with you the work I've done with the poet Paulann Petersen, Oregon's Poet Laureate. 

The work is exhibited for sale at Atelier 6000 in Bend, Oregon and is conjunction with The Nature of Words, in Bend, Oregon.
Show Dates: NOVEMBER: First Friday, November 1, 5;30 – 8:30 pm “Broadsides” Hanging at the crossroads of art and literature, Atelier 6000 and Nature of Words present “Broadsides” artworks that include mixed media and two-dimensional works with emphasis on text and image. This juried show opens November 1 and continues through November 30, 2010.

How to Find Us

389 SW Scalehouse Ct.
Bend, Oregon 97702
(Off SW Wilson near the Old Mill District)
541.330.8759

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Artist Statement – Paulann Petersen, Oregon's Poet Laureate

On the page, poems assume lives of their own. They encounter readers and listeners. Once my poems are launched into this world, I realize I can no longer explain or defend or amend them. Separate from me, they unilaterally carry—in the arms of their lines—whatever music and meaning they can convey.

Snow Red II (ghost image)

I’ve known this—that a poem takes on a life of its own—for a long time. But in the process of collaborating with Cristina Acosta, I’ve recently learned that poetry can become part of a collaborative process in which the poem continues creating itself.

When Cristina gave me the monotype (and ghost image) she’d created in response to my poem “Snow Red,” she asked me to continue the artistic exchange by adding text or graphics to her work. Her striking, luminous images compelled me to write, in pencil onto the monotype’s surface, phrases I borrowed from my poem. And as I added those words to her images, I found them rearranging themselves into new combinations and permutations.  As my eye followed Cristina’s color and line and form, the phrases juxtaposed and re-sequenced themselves in startling ways.  My response to Cristina’s visual response to my poem gave that poem a new life.  The poem assumed a life that included—one that actually welcomed—continual change.

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Artist Statement – Cristina Acosta

I came to this collaboration with poet Paulann Petersen through an invitation from her that has resulted in an artistic conversation unlike anything I’ve experienced. After meeting Paulann at an artist’s salon in Portland she sent me one of her poems, Bloodline. Reading that poem resulted in my first experience of a visceral response to a piece of poetry. In return, I sent her an image of a monotype painting I made reflecting that response and our collaborative conversation commenced.

Paulann then gave me her book, The Wild Awake and I dove into her poetry. The poems took shape for me like sculptures formed of flowing mass, hue and value. Experiences that existed for me outside of words now found shape and form within her poems. The monotypes in this exhibit are the result of working with the poems from The Wild Awake. I then gave those monotypes to Paulann so that she could choose to add additional work to the pieces (or not). Turning my pieces over to her for the next part of our conversation was a conscious surrender to the process of continual change. The result will take on new meaning to the viewer, continuing creation.

Paulann Petersen is Oregon’s sixth Poet Laureate, former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, recipient of the 2006 Literary Arts Steward Holbrook Award for Outstanding Contributions to Oregon’s Literary Life. She is the author of four chapbooks, and two full-length collections of poems including, The Wild Awake and contributor to many publications.

Cristina Acosta is an artist, author and color and design expert. The author of Paint Happy, her art is in numerous collections nationwide. She is also a contributor to many art, design and home décor publications over the past two decades.

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“Broadsides” is Atelier 6000’s November exhibition.  Artwork from Texas, Colorado, Washington, Iowa and Oregon are represented. Cristina Acosta's collaborative art with poets Paulann Petersen and Cindy Williams Gutierezz are exhibited in the Broadsides show.

Awards:
First Place: “Meditation” by Joseph and Marquita Green (see left)
Second Place: “Sleep Awakens” by Kris Tolmie
Third Place: “Phoebe in the Watermelon Boat” by John Simpkins
Honorable Mention: “Lamentation” by Barbara Payne Ward and Boston Tea Party by Danuta Muszynska

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Artist Collaboration: Sculptor Tolley Marney and Painter Printmaker Cristina Acosta

 Artist Statement

Artists: Cristina Acosta and Tolley Marney

Mixed Media Originals – are a combination of the classic artist printmaking process teamed with drawing and painting techniques. The art process begins with a drawing or painting that is made with intaglio-ink and placed on the bed of a hand-cranked printing press. Using 100% cotton or other natural paper, only one image is made at a time. Acosta and Marney then finish the art by hand-rubbing it with powdered pigments and/or drawing and painting on the piece.

         Marney and Acosta collaborate on a series of original mixed media images based on the image of the horse. Marney says, “I’ve interacted with horses all of my life, so I understand the horse and feel a comfort working with its image. The horse is a kindred spirit. Horses are creatures that will do anything in the world for us as long as we ask in the right way. Heart and soul, they always amaze me.”

            Acosta’s work blends spirit and physical energy, both creating a new vision of the horse as well as translating the images of the sculptural pieces into mixed media monotypes rich with surface and texture. Acosta says, “The image of the horse is symbolic with layers of meaning that I’ve echoed both actually and metaphorically in this series.”

            Working as much as possible with environmental sensitivity, Marney works in reclaimed steel and Acosta works with enviro-safe printmaking materials. Both artists contribute to the other's imagery and often work together on the pieces. All art is signed by both artists.

            Primarily a sculptor, Marney exhibits his sculptures in premier art galleries in New York, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and San Francisco. His sculptures are in many private collections. Marney also won first prize in the New Jersey Equine Art Expo in 2003.

            Primarily a painter and printmaker, Acosta’s art has been featured in many national venues including galleries, museums, print and internet media. Acosta is the author of the art book Paint Happy ©2002, 2004 and a contributor to art and design books and articles.

www.TolleyMarney.com

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos Art Exhibit at Onda Art Gallery

Drawing and painting bones has been a lifelong interest for me. That interest is lately evident in my monotypes including both animal and human studies.  My piece La Coneja / The Rabbit along with some other pieces of mine are on exhibit at Onda Gallery in the Alberta Street district of Portland, Oregon. Here's what Allan from Onda Gallery has to say about this November's show:

October 28, 6-9 PM, the run of the show will include Halloween and the two Days of the Dead, November 1 and 2.  Note that the show ends on November 14
at Onda Gallery, 2215 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR 97211
503.493.1909    http://www.ondagallery.com

Onda Arte Latina Gallery is marking Dia de los Muertos / the Day of the Dead with a show of art by Latino artists from Oregon and Washington - Analee Fuentes, Cristina Acosta, Gene Flores, Alejandro Ceballos, Susana Espino, Paulina Hermosillo, Roberto Herrera, Hampton Rodriguez, Armando Olveda and Pepe Moscoso - and other artists working within the genre, including Joan Darling,  Nancy Watterson Scharf, Gregory Carrigan, Clay Hoffman, Sue Burnett and Kat Keating. Other highlights are an altar by Justine Avera and Vincent Ramirez, a shadow puppet play by Shiney Penny Productions and art from Zarco Guerrero of Mesa, Arizona.

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Allan and Pablo
Onda Gallery
2215 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR 97211
503.493.1909    http://www.ondagallery.com

Printmaking Exchange with the Art House Co-Op in Brooklyn, New York

I love going to Atelier 6000 and doing some printmaking. The vibe Pat has nurtured is creative, supportive and a lot of fun. One of the projects we artists came up with was to contribute prints to the Art House Coop print exchange in Brooklyn, New York (that's one way to exhibit in New York!!)

Going to their website, we got the rules on size and theme and let loose with images. About a dozen artists from A-6 got into the project and submitted art. Here's what the Art House is doing:

The exhibition for the Prints will be held on July 16th from 7-10pm. Sometime before that date you will receive 15 prints from other arts all over the world! Your 15 prints will be distributed to 15 other artists that also participated.

Sounds interesting. It's sort of a instant karma art experience. I love the randomness of what to expect.  I used this opportunity to learn etching and sent in 17 prints of my first etching. It's a version of my drawing, Love Always / Siempre Amor.  I printed the etching on Rives BFK cotton rag paper and finished the image with powdered pigments and charcoal.

I based this image of two skeletons embracing on the image of two friends I saw embracing on the beach. Their image was so tender it struck my heart and I've been drawing and painting versions of this for the past year. Though  this printmaking image lives in the Latino art culture of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) art, I think of it as a year 'round image.

And now -- what will I get back????

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Figure Drawing Exhibit at Atelier 6000

Many artists consider figure drawing (or life drawing) to be a crucial foundation skill for artists. Though you don't have to be able to figure draw to be an artist, drawing the figure from life (not photos) does engage your eye and heart in a different way than any other type of artwork.

From an early age, figures and faces were what first brought me to art. Though I've not made a career of drawing the figure (yet), I have regularly drawn from life for over two decades. Dipping into and out of the art of figure drawing over the years is like revisiting favorite classical music pieces. As I've changed with age and experience, my appreciation and enjoyment of figure drawing as deepened.

I put a few conte and charcoal figure sketches I've done over the years in this month's exhibit at Atelier 6000 in Bend, Oregon, June 2010. Be sure to check out the show of drawings. It is probably the most figure drawings to be exhibited in Bend, Oregon in a long time.  Dawn Emerson curated the exhibit. Thanks so  much Dawn!

www.CristinaAcosta.com

New Monoprints - Bare Bones and Feet

Working at Atelier 6000 for the past half of a year has been such a wonderful experience. Learning the variety of printing processes (and there is much more to learn) has enabled me to blend drawing and painting in a way I've never been able to achieve with drawing or painting alone.

The techniques of mono-printing that I used to create these images involve painting with my hands on glass plates and drawing into the surface with my fingers, sticks, and more. The process is very sensual and enables me to feel as though I'm building each image with my hands from the stuff of my dreams.  For me this is a very mystical and satisfying way to create art images.

I prefer studio time in the morning when the visions from my dreams and subconscious are most accessible.  Here are two images I've recently finished.

Broken Pairing - Geese Feet Study 14:  Rives BFK paper 9" x  20".
A close friend of mine is a hunter and owner of Women's Hunting Journal.  Not only is she a responsible hunter and steward of the land, she's one of the few people I know who knows exactly where most of her meat has come from and she doesn't shy from her part in the life cycle of animals that humans harvest for meat.  She gave me some of these feet after a successful hunt. 

Ancestral Claim - Vertebrae Study #36, Rives BFK paper 16" x 16"
I am regularly in the forest and desert of the High Plateau around my home in Bend, Oregon. For many years I've picked up bones (I lived on a old homestead ranch for most of my first decade in Oregon). I especially love how the vertebrae echos some of the shapes of the DNA helix. I've worked with bones in my imagery since I first became an artist in the 1980's.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Sister's Folk Festival Donation Time - Balloons Over Bend, Oregon

Balloons Over Bend  — Cristina Acosta
This parade of balloons and other flying machines was inspired by Balloons Over Bend. A longtime Bend, Oregon artist, Cristina always adds a bright and cheerful piece to the auction.Pastel  and Acrylic on  100% rag paper (30" x 22"). "Balloons Over Bend" is sponsored by Farmers Insurance of Sisters, and will be on display at High Desert Gallery
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It's that time of year again -- Time to Donate to the Sister's Folk Festival - My Own Two Hands Fundraiser 2010
"Traveling Light" My Own Two Hands is a fun-filled community arts event in and for the community of Sisters, Oregon. Sponsored by the Sisters Folk Festival for the benefit of the Sisters Americana Project.

Friday, April 9: Community Parade, Art Stroll, Chili Feed & Performing Arts Evening 4-4:30 — Community Parade on Hood Avenue from Pine St. to Spruce St.
4:30-6:30 — Art Stroll (get a map here).
6:30-8:30 — Chili Feed & Performing Arts Evening at Bronco Billy's. Saturday, April 10: Art Auction & Party at Ponderosa Forge & Ironworks Doors open at 6 pm

Online ticket sales have been discontinued, but there are still some left. 
Please call the Festival office at 541-549-4979. Call them for instructions to bid by telephone on a piece of art.

My Own Two Hands began in 2001 as a fundraiser for the Sisters Americana Project, the educational outreach component of the Sisters Folk Festival.

For the past nine years, My Own Two Hands has celebrated how one individual can change their community for the better by using their own skills in a positive way. The two-day event is a community celebration of the arts; from performance to visual to the written word. My Own Two Hands has it all.
View Art Auction Donations Online.

Thanks to Life - Gracias a la Vida - April Exhibit at Onda Gallery in Portland, Oregon

Violetta Parra was a gifted singer and songwriter who's iconic piece, Gracias a la Vida has inspired and entertained people since she wrote it in the 1960's.

Gallery curator, Allan Oliver at Onda Arte Gallery in Portland, Oregon invited a group of Latino artists to create work in response to the lyrics from the song for an exhibit in April. He choose these two originals from my recent work. These are original one-of-a-kind pieces called Monoprints. Monoprints are the result of painting on a printing plate, then running it through a printing press, a magical process that always results in the unexpected. I like this form of painting, the gentle surprises at the end of the pressing are juicy, artistic challenges.

Purchase these original monoprints at Onda this April 2010 in Portland, Oregon: 
Allan Oliver (Director)

2215 NE Alberta St Portland, OR 97211

Phone: (503) 493-1909 Fax: (503) 493-1909       alberta@ondagallery.com

Here are the lyrics to  Gracias a la Vida:
Poem by Violeta Parra
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.             Thanks to life, which has given  me so much.
 Me dió dos luceros, que cuando los abro.            It gave me two bright eyes, that when opened,
 Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco                  Can perfectly distinguish black  from white
 Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado,                  And in the sky above, her starry backdrop,
 Y en las multitudes  el hombre que yo amo.         And from within the multitude, The man I love.
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.              Thanks to life, which has given  me so much.
 Me ha dado el oído que en todo su ancho              It gave me an ear that, in all of its breadth
 Graba noche y día grillos y canarios                    Records— night and day- crickets and canaries,
 Martillos, turbinas, ladrillos, chubascos               Hammers and turbines and bricks and storms,
 Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.                   And the tender voice of my beloved.
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.              Thanks to life, which has given  me so much.
 Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario.                  It gave me sound and the alphabet.
 Con él las palabras que pienso y declaro,            With them the words that I think and declare:
 “Madre,” “amigo,”hermano,” y luz alumbrando   “Mother,” “Friend,” “Brother”and the light         
 La ruta del alma del que estoy amando.                   which illuminates The path of the soul I love.
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.             Thanks to life, which has given  me so much.
 Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados.       It gave me the ability to walk  with my tired feet.
 Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,                  With them I have traversed  cities and puddles
 Valles y desiertos, montañas y llanos,                   Valleys and deserts, mountains and plains.
 Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.                         And your house, your street  and your patio.
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.             Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
 Me dió el corazón, que agita su marco.                It gave me a heart, that causes my frame to shudder,
 Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano,           When I see the fruit of the human brain,
 Cuando miro al bueno tan lejos del malo.            When I see good so far from  bad,
 Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.              When I look into the depths of  your blue eyes…                             
                
 Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.               Thanks to life, which has given  me so much.                              
 Me ha dado la risa, me ha dado el llanto.              It gave me laughter and it gave  me tears.                               
 Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto,                       With them I distinguish  happiness and pain—                                         
 Los dos materiales que forman mi canto,              The two materials from which my songs are formed,                                      
 Y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto.         And your song, as well, which is the same song                                   
 Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto           And everyone’s song, which is my own song.                                          
 

Gracias to Latina Magazine for the Article!

Angie Romero, a writer for Latina magazine wrote this piece, Madonna Mia about my art exhibit, Reshaping the Divine. Thanks Angie for supporting my work. Here's an excerpt from Latina:

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My older sister was named Maria Auxiliadora, after the Virgin Mary. Maria is a very predictable name for a Latina, but my mom named her that because she was in a near-fatal car accident when she was pregnant with her firstborn, so she promised la virgen that if she and her baby survived, she’d be forever grateful. To this day, she is a devout Catholic. Me, I’m more spiritual, but that’s another story for another day.

I recently received an email from an artist who did a whole collection of Madonnas (as in the mother of Christ, not the queen of pop). Cristina Acosta was born in L.A. to an Anglo American mom and Mexican American dad. Her paternal roots date back to New Mexico in the late 1500s. Growing up, she says she was always fascinated by that side of her family tree.

Her Madonnas (my favorite of which is “La Sirena Verde,” which Acosta painted for her sister to celebrate her recovery from cancer) are painted with oil, sterling silver, copper, gold metal leaf, and inlays of antique, gold-glazed ceramic tiles. They often delve past the dawn of Christianity and also represent the earth religions of the Native Americans. . . . READ MORE at Latina
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www.CristinaAcosta.com

Thanks to Chicano y Que

Thanks to ?Chicano y Que? blog for posting info about my art exhibit, Reshaping the Divine: Contemporary Hispanic Retablos Exploring the Divine Feminine, at El Museo Cultural in Santa Fe, New Mexico for Summer 2009.

(Can anybody give me a tip to make a Spanish question mark and accent marks in Blogger?).

Chicano Y Que? is a blog Jesus Garza writes that is devoted to information related to Chicano/Chicana culture. Jesus is also a wonderful art and commercial photographer. You can see his beautiful photography, some of which includes photos of Cesar Chavez on his website, Jesus Manuel Mena Garza Photography.
www.CristinaAcosta.com

Muchas Gracias La Bloga for Your Review of Reshaping the Divine

Muchas Gracias to La Bloga for the generous and positive review of my art exhibit, Reshaping the Divine - Contemporary Hispanic Retablos Exploring the Divine Feminine currently at El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can read the full piece and a lot of other very interesting things on La Bloga.



Here's an excerpt of the review:
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"This is quintessentially female, strong, sinous, visual art. It is a contemporary re-visioning of traditional retablo, hinting at the aesthetic of popular commercial artists like Laurel Burch, but containing a depth of spirit. There is a certain richness, an evanescence emanating from the figures portrayed.

Acosta has an ability to make a heart connection with the observer beyond the demands and trends of the marketplace, or the prevailing winds of "fine" art communities and critics. I find Acosta's work to be completely accessible, capitalizing and re-visioning icons from a metizo heritage, as well as feminist ideas of the female God-force.

She's also creative in the use of precious and mundane material in the creation of these retablos. In an in depth look at her site, piece after piece reveals she is truly a renaissance woman balancing commerciality with content and succeeding admirably." READ MORE. . . .

www.CristinaAcosta.com
See the images of my retablos, santos and ex-votos.

Reshaping the Divine - Contemporary Hispanic Retablos Exploring the Sacred Feminine

This exhibit is up for Summer 2009. The artist statement describes the personal context of my art and about the intent behind these pieces.
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Reshaping the Divine: Contemporary Hispanic Retablos Exploring the Sacred Feminine

Cristina Ortiz Acosta – Artist Statement 2009 - Exhibit at El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Click here to see this series of Hispanic Retablos.

Over the past twenty years, my series of Madonna retablos came to me in ebbs and flows via a series of powerful dreams. The dreams started during my pregnancy with my daughter. For the entire pregnancy I dreamt of being a woman on a journey north across dusty plains and through arroyos as I mostly walked behind an oxcart. The dreams ended in a room lit by a wooden candelabra filled with tallow candles and the birth of my daughter, Isabella Pilar in 1993.

I called these dreams my Maria Dreams because in the dreams, I/she was named Maria. Seeking the meaning of those dreams over the years brought me down a path I could never have imagined and deepened my understanding of my cultural heritage. Searching for the meaning of my Maria Dreams eventually lead me back to New Mexico, the land of my Ortiz ancestors.

My paternal grandmother, Catalina Maria Ortiz Acosta, born in 1904, was the daughter of J. Nestor Ortiz and Maria Elena Salazar, descendents of the original Spanish settlers founding the cities and villages throughout New Mexico. Researching my family genealogy (my grandmother spoke vaguely about her ancestors), I discovered that my direct ancestors had participated in the initial 16th and 17th century migrations of the Spanish, traveling North from Mexico City into the region that is now the State of New Mexico. I read books about the era and became fascinated by the types of experiences my female ancestors must have had while living on the New Mexican frontier for generations. With this research nurturing my experience of my personal history, my calling to paint Madonna’s began to take shape.

Born in Los Angeles to an Anglo mother and Hispanic father, early on I was aware of cultural concepts because of the differences between the two sides of my family. Despite their differences, Catholicism was the central theme for my parents. Celebrating their devotion resulted in religious images from the Americas and Europe scattered throughout our home and those of our relatives. Images of Mary the Mother of God as the Guadalupe, Conquistadora and many other versions were always present. Along with those images were displayed American Indian items from the Ortiz ranch.

The artifacts from the Ortiz family ranch consumed my imagination from as far back as I can remember. Handmade Indian blankets and pots, and even a gold menorah (referred to as a “candelabra” by my grandmother) made by Ortiz ancestors generations past (some of the men were renowned filigree gold smiths). Those as well as the chili ristras hanging in my grandmother’s kitchen hinted at another world far from the Southern California beach scene of my childhood home. For reasons I can’t sufficiently articulate, the mix of these images and experiences coalesced into my calling to visually explore and create new images of the Madonna as an expression of the feminine divine.

Each of the retablos I paint results in a new vision of the sacred. For example, painting La Conquistadora opened the door to re-balancing the dominant patriarchal and European view of the divine with the North American native and feminine. In La Conquistadora I layer symbols of the Dine Spider woman and the Puebloan Corn Maiden, seeking to blend the indigenous ancient female images and concepts harmoniously with the Catholic image of Mary. The result is a Madonna that hints of ancient goddesses many thousands of years old at the same time she conveys the current blend of cultures in the Southwest.

I create my work in the traditions of the Spanish/Mexican retablo to reinforce my expression of reverence and convey the intimate experience of sacredness. I find antique, reclaimed timbers for the substrate. I mix gold, silver and copper metals into my oil paintings to both embellish the image and in homage to the gifts my ancestors created for me with their existence. The vintage gold glazed ceramic tiles come from a tile company that operated near my childhood home in Southern California during the 1950’s and 60’s. When I finish a retablo, I write a blessing on the backside of the retablo to convey love to all who view the images.

My Maria Dreams from over a decade ago continue to influence this series of work. May you find your own meanings and blessings within these images.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

West of the West Art Exhibit - A Celebration of Ranch Life

Ranch living in Central Oregon was a true culture shock for me when I moved from Southern California to Bend, Oregon in the 1980's. Though I'd lived at both the beach and the mountains, rural ranch life was like nothing I'd experienced. I moved to a ramshackle almost-100-year-old ranch of about 20 acres (it was a bank repo of a ranch that originally numbered near a couple hundred acres). Here are the two original oil paintings I am exhibiting in the West of West exhibit. They are both direct expressions of my life experiences during that time.
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When: Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, June 28, 2009 - Artist Reception
Where: High Desert Gallery, 281 W Cascade Avenue, Sisters Oregon 97759

West of West, A Celebration of Ranch Life at High Desert Gallery
Fine Art Group Exhibition and Sale featuring work by Central Oregon Artist including, Cristina Acosta, Kathy Deggendorfer, Kimry Jelen, Grace Bishko, Paul Alan Bennett, Cary Weigand, Trisha Hassler, Glen Corbet, J Chester (Skip) Armstrong, plus special guest Central Oregon artists, Jerry Werner, Sue C Smith and Jean Wells.

West of West , A Celebration of Ranch Life
hosted by High Desert Gallery from May 30 through June 28, 2009.

An Artist Reception on Saturday, May 30, 2009 from 4-7pm will include great art by regionally and nationally acclaimed Central Oregon Artists, refreshments, live music and a darn good time. A Hoot For Sure! West of West, A Celebration of Ranch Life is in collaboration with Sisters Art Works, Ranch Life and Rodeo Show a day long celebration and special exhibition of the Western lifestyle and living history.

Artist Reception: Saturday, May 30, 2009 4-7PM
High Desert Gallery – 281 W Cascade Avenue at Oak Street, Sisters Oregon 97759
For more information: www.highdesertgallery.com, 541-388-8964 / 866-549-6250
Gallery Hours (Spring): Open Friday through Monday 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Thursday 10am to 2:30pm. Summer Hours starting June 14, 2009 Open Daily 10am to 6pm.

Exhibiting my Madonna series in Santa Fe

I'm in New Mexico this week delivering my paintings to El Museo Cultural in Santa Fe, NM. This series of contemporary paintings is from my Hispanic Heritage Series. My work is based on the traditional retablo form, but with contemporary imagery of Madonnas such as the Guadalupe, Conquistadora and others. What puts my images into the contemporary definition is that I "remake" the traditional iconic images rather than painting a verbatim image. 

The art exhibit  at El Museo Cultural is titled: Reshaping the Divine - Contemporary Hispanic Retablos Exploring the Sacred Feminine, by Cristina Ortiz Acosta.  I use a longer version of my name for my Hispanic Heritage Series in homage to my New Mexican ancestors. 

In New Mexico, my grandmother's family were referred to as "Spanish", a term that is still used today. In New Mexico, being a Mexican American or Chicano has a different meaning than in the rest of the United States because those terms do not specifically denote the Hispanic people that have been in this part of North America for over 4 centuries and still refer to themselves as Spanish. The variety of ways to describe oneself or others is  kind of confusing if you're not aware of the meanings.

The reason I'm bringing this up is to describe the cultural context my series of retablo paintings are part of -- the conceptual foundation is the New Mexican or Spanish retablo and ex-voto traditions of my Ortiz ancestors.

It's very satisfying to work with the Madonna theme -- I love the nuances of meaning I consider with my choices of imagery, shapes and color. 

This exhibit of my contemporary New Mexican Spanish retablos of madonnas is through Summer 2009 at El Museo Cultural, 615 #B Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM. 

Note: Image is titled  Running Meditation

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Bid on this Painting and Help a Non-Profit!

Arts education gives young people not only an opportunity to play with art materials and enjoy their school day, art education develops the creative right hemisphere of the brain. And we need more creative thinkers. The tough challenges in this new economy of global financial troubles paired with the environmental concerns of global climate change predict a future that's going to take a lot of courage and creativity.

The tiny town of Sisters, Oregon (about 20 minutes from Bend, Oregon) has an amazing philanthropic community. The Sister's Folk Festival organization organizers a fund raiser for arts in education called My Own Two Hands. Artist's from the Central Oregon area donate original paintings, sculptures, musical instruments and more for the event.

Because I enjoy the birds visiting my bird feeders, I painted a original acrylic painting in my Paint Happy style titled, Something Wild Outside My Window. My painting is on display at High Desert Gallery (they represent my work locally).

Bid on this painting (or any of the other beautiful pieces by other artists). Not only will you have a beautiful piece of original art and a tax deduction, you will be supporting the arts.

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P.S. (After the party) THANK YOU!!! The My Own 2 Hands fundraiser was a fun party. Great music, great food, lots of local art to bid on and best of all -- fun people!! Thank you to the winning bidder of my painting. Your generous bid will support the arts programs in Sisters, Oregon.

ASU Exhibit - Love Always - Siempre Amor

Bones are one of my enduring motifs. I began collecting bones from the rangeland around my Bend, Oregon, home in the early 1980's. Since then, whenever I'm on a hike, if I see an interesting bone, I pick it up and bring it home to draw.

This image is part of the Ofrenda for the ASU Arizona State University, Museum of Anthropology 9th Annual Dia de los Muertos exhibit, Oct 28, 2008 - Jan. 29, 2008.

Love eternal, renewable and cyclical binds together the bones of life. Vertebrae spiral like strands of DNA as they fly from the past into the future. Arteries from the heart bloom into evergreen pine branches. Feathers, like the shed-horns of the deer and elk renew with the seasons. Elements move through the space of the drawing, the dirt of charcoal stains a counterpoint to their beauty.

Each element in the drawing has multiple layers of meaning. The embracing couple is framed with feathers, implying the presence of angels. The pelvis rendering has the feel of a Kachina mask, the hands coming together play on a popular pregnancy photo pose.

You can see more of my Hispanic Heritage art series on my site. I like the elements in this design and am interested in licensing this art. If you know of anyone that would like to license this design or elements in it for home decor or clothing, please pass on this post to them. Here's my contact info: phone (541)388-5157 email: Cristina@CristinaAcosta.com

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Exhibit: Tango at Onda Oswego Gallery

Put on your dancing shoes, or just watch the show at the Onda Gallery in Lake Oswego, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. This exciting exhibit of images of the sensuous tango is accompanied opening night by live tango dancing and music. Proceeds of the sales that night benefit The Miracle Theatre in Portland, Oregon.

Put this exciting event on your calendar!

Tango a new exhibit at Onda Gallery in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
November 7 – November 30, 2008
Paintings, Drawings, Mixed Media Original Art

• WHEN: November 7 - 6-9 pm Artists Reception and Exhibit Opening
• FREE ADMISSION
  
• Live Argentine Tango Dancing and Music by Dick Suanders & Justin Franzino
• WHERE: 240 A Street Suite 104, Lake Oswego, Oregon 503-496-3922
  oswego@ondagallery.com www.ondagallery.com

Exhibiting Artists: Amy Erickson, Willow Bader, Christina Sells, Carolina Martinez, Karen Landey, Kate Venerso, Claude Werner-Laviano, John Graeter, Judy Maxon, Alan Rose, Colleen Flanigan, Micheal Fisher, Amber Marie Oxford, Frank Engel, Cristina Acosta

My painting in the exhibit is titled Two to Tango. It is acrylic and hard pastel on 100% rag paper.

Drawing Large as Life for Dia de los Muertos

It's been a long time since I've worked on a large drawing though I love creating large scale drawings and paintings. I experienced creating art on a large scale during my advertising billboard mural painting years in the 1980's, but that size and scale of art is problematic to frame and store, so I've since kept to smaller sizes of canvas and paper. I got lucky recently and got the opportunity to make something large.

A phone call from an exhibit curator at Arizona State University (ASU) Museum of Anthropology got me started again with large work. I was invited to participate along with a group of artists in creating work for a ofrenda (altar offering) for the 9th Annual Dia de los Muertos festival exhibit that will run Oct. 28, 2008 - Jan 23rd 2009.

Asked what I'd like to contribute, I suggested a large drawing of bones. The curator said yes, so I ordered a 10yd roll of paper from Daniel Smith, Inc. and got to work. It felt so great to be working large and for a purpose. Unless a piece is requested (for example, a commission), I try to restrain myself from creating large pieces as it's a hardship for my husband to schelp from exhibit to exhibit!

I finished the drawing this week and have prepared it for shipping. The final measurements were 52" tall by 16'6" long. I'm debating the title still. When I figure it out and get the photos back from my photographer, Gary Alvis, I'll post the final info.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Exhibit - High Desert Gallery, Redmond, Oregon

I don't usually work on just one piece of art at a time. Between 3 to 6 pieces are laying around my studio in some stage of "thinking". The pondering time can last for days or months or occasionally longer until the image occurs to me and begins to flow through. My series of retablos (a type of Hispanic sacred art form) contain images of the Madonna / Goddess / Divine Feminine that "come" to me in a very metaphysical way. I've shown some retablos singly or in small groupings, (like this photo from OHSU) but until this month, I've never exhibited them all together.

Now, over a dozen of my luminous Madonna altars (retablos) are together for the first time at the High Desert Gallery in Central Oregon. The exhibit is at the High Desert Gallery in Redmond, Oregon for the month of October. Then the retablos will travel to the High Desert Gallery in Sisters, Oregon. Coincidentally, the first half of October is also part of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15). Before this month, some of my images of the Divine Feminine have been exhibited in various venues, including Nordstrom Department Stores and Oregon Health Science University OHSU in Portland, Oregon. It's really exciting for me to see all of the retablos together, I hope you can drop by the gallery or contact Todd or Myrna Dow (the gallery owners/directors) for a private showing after hours.
~ High Desert Gallery, Redmond, Oregon -- 541- 548-1811 (direct) 453 SW 6th Street at Evergreen Street. ~ High Desert Gallery, Sisters, Oregon -- 281 West Cascade Avenue at Oak Street Gallery Mailing Address: PO Box 519, Bend, OR 97709-0519 Toll Free Exchange: 866-549-6250
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Todd Dow of High Desert Gallery) asked me to write a little about the cultural context of my retablo series. Here is some background of the art form and also my personal motivations that compel me to create the retablos:

Retablos (or altarpiece in Spanish) are a traditional sacred art form with roots that pre-date Christianity, with roots in the Mediterranean areas that include part of what is now Italy. The art form of the retablo first came to North America with the Spanish settlers and artisans that followed the Conquistadors to the North American continent to settle what is now Mexico and the United States.

There are two types of Retablos, the Santos and the Ex-Voto. The Santos style of retablo is either a Saint (from the Roman Catholic Christian tradition) or a member of the Holy Family. Similar in concept to the art form of the Byzantine and/or European Orthodox Catholic icon, the Santos is painted in accordance with strict liturgical rules that define how the central figure of Saint or Holy Family member is represented. The counterpoint to the Santos is the Ex-voto, a no-rules, personal vision that is created to commemorate a blessing received or when a prayer has been answered.

The Ex-voto retablo is the art form I focus on. I love it! This retablo art form gives me a way to connect with the religion of my childhood, without having to get into any personal struggles with a dogma that doesn't always jibe with who I am now.

When I was a child, my abuelita (paternal grandmother), Catalina Maria Ortiz Acosta would tell me about the ancestors we shared. They were goldsmiths, soldiers and settlers who had first come to North America in the 1500's, eventually settling in what are now the towns of Santa Fe, Taos and Abiquiu in New Mexico and Ortiz, Colorado. Though she was born in Los Angeles, she held her New Mexican roots close to her heart, importing New Mexican chilis to her home by the beach in Playa del Rey. (I updated her recipe for Red Chili Sauce, if you'd like to try it.)

I paint my retablos to express and explore my gratitude for the blessings of my life. My favorite subject is the Divine Feminine which I interpret as Madonna / Female Creator images. Because my Spanish/Mexican ancestors migrated to North America in the 1500’s, I also include American Indian symbols, as that heritage is sure to be part of my mix.

Along with the visual symbols of my work, the materials I use have personal meaning. My Ortiz ancestors where famous goldsmiths. Thin sheets of 22kt. gold leaf, copper and sterling silver glisten under and over layers of oil paint and evoke the presence of those ancestors. The antique ceramic tile mosaic is glazed with 24kt. Gold and is from a now shuttered ceramic factory in the same area of Southern California where I grew up. The wood panels are built by an artisan wood worker and mostly include re-worked lumber siding from razed timber mill buildings in Bend.

I finish each Retablo with a blessing, usually on the back of the image. In the old tradition of territorial New Mexico, the Retablo often became the spiritual focus in the home when travel was dangerous and people could not attend church. Centuries of isolation in New Mexico led to the unique form of the Ex-Voto often painted on tin, leather or wood panels.

Artists were commissioned to paint retablos that often became symbols of a family’s spiritual life. In that tradition I offer myself to paint commissions of a Retablo for you that commemorates your blessings.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Exhibit - Celebrating Art and Nature - National Wildlife Refuge Week

Everyday I watch birds swoop into my yard, from small chickadees and finch to raptors like the Sharp Shinned Hawk or Peregrine Falcon. This morning I was working through some insomnia while a skunk waddled across my studio patio. Wildlife and nature are an integral part of the my life experience, something I like to explore in my paintings.

The Onda Gallery in Lake Oswego, Oregon (in the Portland, Oregon metro area) together with the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge have invited artists to exhibit work that celebrates the natural environment.

A percentage of the proceeds from any sales on opening night benefit the non-profit environmental cause.
When: Opening event is Friday, October 3rd, 2008, 6 - 9 p.m.
The exhibit dates are October 3 - 31, 2008
Where: Onda Gallery in Lake Oswego, Oregon

If you're not able to make the gallery opening and would like to purchase a piece, contact Pablo Merlo Flores (owner) or Chelsea Benedict (Gallery Director) directly at 503-453-6118 oswego@ondagallery.com

Sentinel Moon Blue Heron, my large oil painting is included in the exhibit, Celebrating Art and Nature - National Wildlife Refuge Week. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Just a few miles from the center of Portland, Oregon, the wildlife refuge is a beautiful and serene place to visit.

Original paintings, sculpture and other artworks from the following artists are part of the Celebrating Art and Nature show for the month of October.
Maud Durland, Deian Moore, Catherine Eaton Skinner, Cristina Acosta, Anne John, Susan Gallacher-Turner, Karen Lewis, Dianne Muhly, Amy Erikson, Mauricio Arcesio, Rob Sanford, Randall Tipton, Sarah Bouwsma, Alejandro Ceballos, Ana Maria Torres, Wichi Community, Anna Lancaster, Heidi Balmaceda, Jay Terry, Sherry Casper, Susan Jensen, Noreen O’Connor