Pre-orders

Pre-orders are being accepted now for The Newels of Timberline Lodge, shipping in November. All twelve newels are featured in black and white drawings suitable for coloring. 54 pages.  Each drawing appears twice.  There is a brief history on the WPA project and information about the newels. The newels are presented in the order they appear starting on the first floor walking up the stairs.  On the left side of each spread is a complete index of the newels with the current newel highlighted so you can see where it is in the lodge.  

Orders placed by November 1st will also receive the walking tour card and free shipping. Links are on my webpage:  http://bonnywagoner.com/newels.html

Yup, they are finally complete.

If you been following my project you know what I'm talking about. If not, stand by for the formal announcement. There's still a bunch more work that has to be wrapped up but the raw material is done. 

2017 QuickDraw

A QuickDraw is a timed event.  From start to finish it's just two hours to make magic happen on site.  The thing I had not practiced for was the shoppers totally, completely blocking my view as I worked.  I normally have a planned approach to my drawings but today I had to draw in pieces, back and forth, all over the place.  Factor in the event folks did a good job letting folks know art was happening in the farmers market so not only was my view obscured, I was constantly interrupted.  Oh goodness.  I kept telling myself to go faster, faster, faster.  The clock was relentless.  Time ran out while my work was still in the mid-tone mumble stage but I will say I did better than my first time in the quick draw a couple years ago.  I have some ideas for improvement for the next time. I'm looking forward to it.  

Pen and ink and watercolor.  

Tea Time

I'm practicing to draw faster so I have more time to paint for a Quick Draw event coming up this weekend.  It's a timed event so it's important to get the gist of the scene down quick.  There's two hours to work my magic... two hours really flies by.

The aprons for sale at Tea Time in St. Helens, OR.  

Drum roll... The Newels of Timberline: The Walking Tour

The Newels of Timberline: The Walking Tour
Huge enormous project.  Finally done.  I like how it turned out. The coloring book is next out.    

Astoria

From the Astoria column.  The Astoria-Megler Bridge span is 4,062 miles in length.  The 1,233 foot long truss is the longest "continuous truss" in the nation.  Where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.  Pen and ink drawing in my sketch book.  

Insight

I received an email from the university I earned my degree in art from.  I just realized I will never be asked to show my work at the gallery in my own school.  Why?  I studied illustration, not contemporary art.  Why?  So I could earn a living doing what I loved.  

Since 1980, the Art Gym has been recognized as a venue that exhibits some of the most significant and timely art of this region.  The mission of the gallery is to increase public understanding of the contemporary art of the Pacific Northwest through exhibitions, artists' projects, publications and public engagement.  

The trade off for attending a local institution whose focus is an art form I do not practice is I will never be considered significant or timely in their eyes.  Regrets?  Now that I've had thirty years to think about it... I should have gone to a school specializing in illustration.  I do appreciate the education I received but it has proven to have limitations but I did what I had to do to earn a degree in art while raising three small children.  And I LOVE the art of illustration.  If I could go back in time and tell me what I should do I would advise - don't compromise on your dream.  If there is something you want to do, figure out a way to do it.  Not half of it or part of it, the whole thing.  Life is not a dress rehearsal.  Only you can make it happen so make it happen.  It won't be easy but then someone once told me a long time ago, if it was easy, you wouldn't appreciate it.