Join us at First Thursday, October 3rd to meet our featured artists Sandy Cox and Diane Springer
During the October 3, First Thursday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, enjoy the music by Hank and Lloyd, light snacks, and drinks to help us celebrate these artists’ fine work.
Sandy Cox- Mixed Media
Sandy Cox
“Creation happens when seeds are planted and allowed to bloom.”
Raising three children, while working full time as a legal assistant, engaging in her love of gardening on her scenic one-acre plot left little time for art. That didn’t slow this energetic soul as she managed to attend classes and workshops with world renowned artists. Sandy traveled to California, Hawaii and Arizona pursuing her love of the watercolor medium. Watercolor has been her passion for over 35 years.
The 90s found Sandy studying Art History on the bleachers during time outs at her twins’ basketball games and wrestling meets. This time period found Sandy enrolled and flourishing in
every single art class Longview’s Lower Columbia College had to offer.
Claiming studio space as Sandy’s three children left for college and careers enabled her to explore mediums of jewelry design, stained glass and ceramics, in addition to her painting.
Sandy’s environment was reinvented in 2009 when her 1897 farmhouse in Mayger caught fire and burned in the night. The fire claimed her art supplies, art and irreplaceable cache of stained glass along with all earthly belongings. Sandy’s loyal companion, her dog Mac alerted her of the fire and they both managed to escape unharmed.
A 2013 journey to Northern Italy, joining world class watercolorist, Eric Weigardt’s en plein air workshop is the highlight of her art career to date.
Sandy’s passion for garage sales lead to a “score of a lifetime” when she spotted two huge boxes of paper which yielded not only a huge stash of printmaking paper but also some prints left behind by the artist. This treasure lead to her enrolling in a printmaking class at Clatsop Community College. Having recently taken many terms of pottery, and drawing classes at CCC, it was a natural progression into printmaking with instructor, Miki Sousa.
No longer limiting her art to watercolor, Sandy continues on her journey creating monoprints, carved block prints, collage, alcohol ink paintings, charcoal pieces and life drawings.
Hawaiian Chieftain
Diane Springer- Gourd Artist
Diane Springer
At an early age, I found that creativity can happen through trying new ideas and then reaching a little further. My discovery process is ongoing, even after my teaching career and into retirement. Through the years, I have worked with glass, cloth, clay, ink and wood, but my focus currently is working with gourds.
I am continually trying new techniques and materials so each gourd is a creative journey for me. Working in the round on imperfect surfaces and with a huge variety of gourd shapes and sizes, the process of decorating is always a welcome challenge. I may just paint the gourd, I may woodburn it, I may use a wax resist technique, or I may carve it. I may add embellishments or weave the top edge with pine needles. I may add rocks and driftwood into the design, which gives added textures. As I complete each gourd, I realize that the journey for that gourd is complete and that my vision for the final product has become a reality.
I am basically self-taught, although I have taken a few gourd classes and I also learn from a few gourd books in my library. For this exhibition, I will have a wide variety of gourds to show different processes so that the viewer can appreciate the vast ways that a gourd can become an object of beauty.
No matter what media I work with, it is the creative process that guides and excites me.
Feathers and Fringe
