Irene Stauffer installation at the Portland Bottle Shop through April 30

7960 SE 13th Ave in Sellwood, Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

My work of the past several years has a lot to do with living in the Pacific Northwest, where the majesty of forests and even the humbler sidewalk trees provide abundant inspiration and patient models for my art.

I bring these models to my studio in my sketchbooks or in my photographs to further develop the dialog. My process involves experimentations with various media where I want to have the freedom whether it is drawing, aquarelle, oil, photography, what ever suits to my mood within the subject. 

Growing up as a Nordic girl in the midst of lakes and forestland in Finland holds a great influence in my minimal and open esthetic. This art work is from the series of ‘Wabi-Sabi Trees’, an ongoing project, that begun almost a decade ago while I resided in Seattle, and continues here in my new home town, Portland.

The source material for this nine panel unique window, ‘Golden Garden Trees #2’, is photography based, altered as digital drawing, and printed on Japanese Kozo paper with pigment inks. Then the paper is fused on wooden panel boards, and the panels are coated with clear artist grade acrylic. 

Voilà, here is your window to the nature!