Reception: Tuesday, September 4, 5 – 8pm
Location: Sequoia Gallery + Studios, 136 SE Third Avenue, Hillsboro, Oregon
Gallery Hours: 10am – 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday
Website: www.sequoiagallerystudios.org
Description: Watercolors by Lieta Gratteri, hand-painted wooden vessels and linens by Janis Childs, and oil paintings by Gayle Pedemonte. Meet the Artists, 5-8 pm, Tuesday, September 4; show runs through September 28. The exhibition also includes work by 28 additional artists. On-site artists’ studios will be open during the reception.

Lieta Gratteri

Lieta’s paintings for her September show demonstrate her fascination with painting birds. She finds that birds have so much character and lend themselves to experimentation. Each of her bird paintings has a unique, textured background. She looks forward to finding new techniques to explore painting her feathered friends and considers each bird painting its own little “personality”. After painting in watercolor for 8 years now, Lieta has finally found her comfort zone. Branching out and following her own ideas has been great for building confidence and finding herself as a painter. She says nothing holds her back now…she has been showing in several locations over the past year and has met some great people as she shares her art.

Gayle Pedemonte

Gayle’s subject matter for her September show is close to home, around the corner, down the road, and in her garden. Her artistic inspiration comes from the color, shapes, values and textures that she sees around her every day in her country home and neighborhood. While her subject matter is familiar, Gayle has enjoyed experimenting with mediums and modes of expression this year. Gayle is mostly a self-taught painter, but she has taken numerous workshops over the years, which add to her self-expression. She has been a member of Sequoia for several years. She considers herself fortunate to be the tenant of Sequoia Studio #8 and to be a part of a convivial group of artists that helps to nourish her creativity. Gayle’s says that when she is not painting, she is working in her garden.

Janis Childs

For her show this month, Janis will be displaying her hand-painted wooden bowls, trays, Lazy Susans and linens. After many years of painting of a variety of surfaces, Janis’ surface of choice is now wood. She paints directly on the unfinished wood using pure pigments and acrylic mediums that soak into the surface and act as a vibrant stain. Each piece is coated with a food safe finish, making her pieces both functional and beautiful. From an early age, Janis has always loved drawing and painting with a variety of materials. After completing her fine arts degree, Janis worked as a fabric designer in NYC. Eventually, Janis moved to Key West and began painting her designs on clothing which she sold at local boutiques. Janis also helped found a local artist collective in Key West before moving to Portland recently.