A Magical Show and Sale

The Portland Art Collective hosted a magical Open Doors Show and Sale this past Friday and Saturday. Those who came to the show were enchanted by the setting and the art they got to see (and buy!). Here's a peek into the heart of the show through photos.





We had over twenty artists set up booths this year. Take a look at the beauty and variety we offered.


















Our journal table, where PAC artists share the visual journals they have created, always had several people sitting (and sometimes standing) looking at our journals.


There were so many wonderful shoppers and visitors. Here's a sampling.







Thank you to everyone who supported us by visiting our show and purchasing our art!

It's All About the Beads

Peridot and Copper

Labradorite and Crystals
I created these two necklaces for a themed show about Urban Landscapes. What to do with jewelry and urban landscapes? So, I did a little research and found that the Portland area sits on a variety of cinder cones, lava fields and extinct volcanoes called the Boring Lava Field. Then I discovered, there are certain semi-precious stones that were formed when those lava fields and volcanoes were active. Labraborite has been found in Rocky Butte and olivine, also known as peridot in its semi-precious state, is found throughout the area.

To see more that will be available at the show this weekend, please visit my blog Z'annes Bazaar. Scroll down the page to see more goodies.

Funky Junkyard Birds

I finished assembling my flock of Funky Junkyard Birds for the Open Doors Show and Sale in the nick of time -- we set up for the sale on Thursday night and the doors open on Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. I've made 15 of these whimsical little critters and if you would like to take a closer look, pop on over to Alley Art Studio to see these guys individually.

Fearless Faces for the Show

I have created a series of eight cards using prints of my Fearless Faces from my Fearless Faces journal and from original pieces of art. I'll be selling the cards individually or in sets of four at our upcoming Open Doors Show and Sale. These guys are colorful, fierce, goofy, whimsical, vibrant, and sometimes scary depending on the face. They are all fearless. To read more and see more photos, check out my blog: Alley Art Studio.

Word Angels

I am pleased to share my latest creations for the upcoming Open Doors Show: Word Angels. My Word Angels are made from a bendable art mannequin. I then attached a pair of hand cut copper wings, which have been aged with a lovely patina of green and blue. The base is covered in authentic German glass glitter, which will eventually tarnish. Each angel is made complete with one of my favorite words stamped across her chest. To read more about my Word Angels, click here.

It's a Strike! Bowling Pins for the Open Doors Sale by Dayna Collins

It has been such fun to weave a variety of projects into the inventory for the upcoming Open Doors Show and Sale. One of the items I'll be offering at the sale is my bowling pin art, something I began creating about six years ago when Alley Art Studio was born! Here is a little grouping of some of the pins that will be available.

More Goodies For the Open Doors Show

I've just completed 20 themed sets of magnets for the Portland Art Collective's upcoming Open Doors Show and Sale. Each set is nestled inside some sort of vintage tin with a few fun embellishments attached. If you want to see more or some close-ups of the finished sets, head on over to my blog: Alley Art Studio.

Paperweights by Dayna Collins for Open Doors Show

I've been busily creating for the PAC's upcoming Open Doors Show and Sale and wanted to share the 18 paperweights I completed this week. Lots of birds, a couple of noses, a clown, and a gypsy woman!

Today's the Last Day to See Open Doors Show

Today is the last day to see Portland Art Collective members' artwork. Come by, say hello and meet the artists. We hope you can visit our 'Open Doors' Art Show & Sale at the Multnomah Arts Center. See side bar for more information.

Finished Kimono Fabric Bead Necklaces

The kimono fabric bead necklaces are finished and ready for our show. I found the silver beads at the Gem Faire in June and thought they'd go well with the kimono beads. FYI the Gem Faire will be in Portland this weekend, November 27-29, at the Oregon Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E.

Here's a closer look. Come check them out in person the first week in December at our "Open Doors' Show. I'll look forward to seeing you then.

Candy? Sushi? No, Kimono Fabric Beads

My fingers are flying as I sew more kimono fabric beads for necklaces that I plan to sell at our 'Open Doors' show. Adding seed beads is the next step. See what the finished necklaces will look like Here.

Danglies for 'Open Doors' Show Tree

Each year, Portland Art Collective members make something to hang on a tree at the entrance to our 'Open Doors' Art Show & Sale. I made these danglies
that will sparkle on any tree. They are created with wire, beads and Dupioni silk. You're welcome to join us Dec. 4th & 5th. See sidebar for more information

Welcome to Show-and-Tell Time

Greetings and welcome to our blog!  Portland Art Collective is a group of 25 women artists who have been meeting for almost five years now.  We work in diverse mediums from paint to collage, beads to glass, fiber to metal, often using found or recycled materials.  The highlight of our monthly meetings is always an extensive show-and-tell session.  We hope our blog will allow you to share in our enthusiasm as you see samples of some of our work.

At this point most of us are working on items for our 2008 "Open Doors" show in December.  Last year was the first year we put on such a large show.  We worked all year to put it together, starting with gathering and painting 50 old doors to use as display panels for our work.  We each decorated our areas in neutral tones to unify the show:

And then filled the room with our artwork:

We hope you will enjoy our blog and visit frequently, and if you are in the Portland area in December, stop by the show and say HI.