magine, a word that invites us to sense, to see what is not yet visible. Imagination is the space of inner freedom. In the quietness of our hearts and minds new impulses arise with a will to be. The artist’s studio has been termed “Imagination’s Chamber.” Here quick silver ideas are shaped by an interplay of hands, media, and tools. With work, imagination becomes visible expression and its forms enter the social / cultural world as a gift. “Art is the revelation of secret laws of nature, which, without it, would remain forever hidden ” J.W. Goethe magine invites you to stay in touch. We believe art, architecture, interior design and the living of everyday life belong together. Site Painters is dedicated to an evolving, collaborative art of place making. Please subscribe here and we’ll include you in occasional updates from the “imagination’s chamber.”

fresh paint

Western OR University Math/Nursing Dept Recently completed and installed in WOU's math and nursing studies building. Laura Bender, Site Painters partner, won this Oregon Arts Commission project through a Percent for Art juried competition. The 10 panel "To Manifest" plays hide & seek with the number sequence 0 - 9. "To Nurture", a diptych, draws the viewer in to partake of the healing beauty found close at hand in nature. 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 show me more go to top

Shriner's Hospital for Children Stenciled designs for exam, pre and post op rooms as well as patient rooms throughout two floors. Images reference the tropical fish and seabirds native to the Islands. Completed June '09. 1310 Punahou St. Honolulu, HI 96826 go to top

Providence / St. Vincent Imaging Center One of two collaged paintings on shaped MDO panels. Commissioned for St. Vincent's expanded Imaging Center. These watercolor-like landscapes featuring sylvan streams are designed to provide soothing focal points for anxious and immobilized patients. 9205 SW Barnes Rd. Portland, OR go to top

Tabor Commons This vibrant mural wraps 3 very visible walls of an architecturally modest structure on upper SE Divsion St. in Portland. The collage-based design has been described as "contemporary urban folk art." The painting serves both to convey garden and bird imagery and organize the walls, windows, and doors with large and small color shapes. Still to come -- full naturescaping of the grounds and covered patio seating. Tabor Commons is a community-owned, volunteer-driven, and in-progress transformation of a derelict property. When opened, it will be a neighborhood gathering place and family-friendly coffee house. Partners include Southeast Uplift and non-profit Cafe au Play (www.cafeauplay.org). Opis Architecture is providing pro-bono design services. The mural was made possible by a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council. 5633 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97215 show me more go to top

Tigard Transit Center, WES Station "Rivers," a panoramic, 10' x 65' mural, was commissioned by TriMet for its new commuter rail station in Tigard. The painting is a series of five vignettes of people experiencing and caring for the wetlands heritage of the Tualatin watershed. The mural also features numerous regional creatures and plants woven into the composition. Characteristic of Site Painters' style, the mural sparkles with lively color relationships, rhythmic patterns, visual playfulness, and some narrative elements. The design is scaled to be appreciated by passing pedestrians, commuters waiting on the station platform, and others rolling by on the train. 8960 SW Commercial St. Tigard, OR show me more go to top

flashes from the studio

Vessels, paintings by John Early Some of my still life subjects have become more assertive, going "solo." I continue to enjoy the spontaneity and vibrancy that has emerged in this evolving series of paintings. More work John Early studio art go to top

Monotypes by Laura Bender The discovery factor of montypes fascinates me. Multiple press runs add layers of subtle nuances and unexpected effects. The surprises are especially satisfying. More studio work Laura Bender paintings go to top

inspiration

From the Hands of Children: Mandalas in Schools John recently completed a Young Audiences-sponsored teaching residency at Laurelhurst Elementary in Portland with a wonderful group of 3rd graders. He explored the mandala motif in five sessions. Each project was "played" with a different set of design guidelines. The beauty these children drew out of themselves was stunning. There is hope! go to top

Mural as Collage Earlier this year Site Painters led workshops with high school students culminating in the production of a permanent mural. We have often used collage as a designing medium; this is the first time that the mural is itself a large scale collage. The method outlined below opens exciting possibilities for very spontaneous, luminous, watercolor-like interior wall murals. The key is tyvek, a synthetic, paper-like material sold by the roll for the sign trade. It holds acrylic washes and glazes beautifully. Our students stained, daubed, and broad-brushed many square feet of tyvek to provide the colorful raw material for the mural. Next, from sketches, many images were cut out of the tyvek, often freehand. The cut-outs were then composed and glued onto large background sheets. Finally from a lift we adhered the collaged sections directly to the curved lobby wall. The site of the mural is Woodburn High School, recently organized into special theme Academies. This installation is for the Arts and Communication Academy entrance. The sky scene emblazoned with birds of all feathers, stars, and suns evokes the space of imagination, swirling with inspiration. show me more go to top

creative connections

A Different Read Spirit and Art Pictures of the transformation of consciousness by Van James 2001 Anthroposophic Press If you feel that art is about more than styles, famous names (egos), rare commodities, and elite entertainment, you will find this book to be soul food. The artist/author's text & illustrations beautifully illuminate each other as he traverses many times & cultures following the evolving movement of the Spirit in Art. "A treasury of wisdom that excavates the world history of art and interprets the cultural marrow of our ancestors as evidence of humanity's evolving consciousness, thereby encouraging the spiritual potential latent in the arts today." Alex Grey go to top