Plein Air And More Cannon Beach

It’s hard to imagine a more picturesque setting than this small north Oregon Coast beach town. For years, the spectacular natural beauty of Cannon Beach has beckoned artists from around the world out of their studios to capture unique elements of this landscape “en plein air” or “in the open air”.  To celebrate this challenging artistic style and the work of the artists, the Cannon Beach Gallery Group is presenting the 4^th Annual Plein Air & More festival. Scheduled for June 22-24, the event will include 28 artists represented by a dozen of Cannon Beach’s art galleries

The featured artists will create art on location throughout the town and on the beach on Friday and Saturday with their work showcased at gallery receptions on Saturday evening. They will also participate in a group show at the Cannon Beach Chamber Building Friday evening. The events are free and will take place rain or shine.

Maps detailing the location of each artist will be available at all Cannon Beach Gallery Group locations and the Chamber of Commerce. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions of the artists while they work, or simply observe.

2012 Schedule

Friday, June 22
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Group Show and “Meet and Greet” reception for artists Cannon Beach Chamber Building

Saturday, June 23
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Artists creating work throughout the town of Cannon Beach, on the beach and in nearby settings.

5:00-7:00 p.m.
Individual gallery receptions showcasing new work

Sunday, June 24
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., artists working on location, and group show continues in Cannon Beach Chamber Building

2012 Plein Air 2012 List of Participating Artists & Their Outdoor Locations

2012 Workshops During Plein Air & More Week

http://cbgallerygroup.com/2012-plein-air-more-galleries-and-artists

DRAGONFIRE GALLERY
	Christopher Gerber For Christopher, reality is not a static state but constantly occurring. His brushstrokes are inspired by the ink paintings of Zen and Taoist masters, evoking focus and intent. By using multiple layers of mica pigments, he generates a holographic effect in an ancient medium as he fuses the layers with torch fire, integrating contrasting textures and simultaneously revealing intriguing nuances. Dripping wax, he plays. He says, “It takes millions of bees pollinating millions of flowers to produce the couple of pounds of wax used in these paintings. That in itself is sacred to me, painting with life itself.”
	JoAnn Chartier An award winning painter, sculptor, printmaker and published writer, JoAnn has been making art since the age of 12, when she learned the joys and frustrations of painting on location. Though most of her work is now done in acrylics in the studio, she returns to her roots to paint local landscapes and seascapes. She says the challenge of capturing the essence of a place in juicy oils using a knife or brush is, for her, like windsurfing or snowboarding to an adrenaline junky: Irresistible.
	Michael Orwick Michael’s skill as a landscape artist creates compelling views of our world that move beyond time and place—places as mysterious as Oregon’s craggy coast, as unpredictable as a glacial view of Mount Hood, or as serene as an Oregon waterfall. His work can conjure up thoughts of Remington in his most enamored moments with the majestic west, or the dance of an impressionist on a pond or the snow.

Quick Draw Tickets Are Now on Sale!

Quick Draw Tickets Are Now on Sale! They go fast. Please come and support the artists at one of the most fun and crazy events of the year.

Quick Draw Ticket are now on sale for Friday, November 5th. Tickets are $55 per person, $99 for two. Stop by Cannon Beach Chamber or call 503.436.2623 to reserve your tickets. For more information about the Stormy Weather Arts Festival and Cannon Beach’s year-around offerings, visit www.cannonbeach.org Here is the final version of the poster using my painting of "the Old Painter and the Sea"

http://www.cannonbeach.org/chamber/events/stormy/stormy-weather.html

A Weekend of the Arts

Three days of art, music and literary events will showcase the galleries and artists of Cannon Beach at the 23rd annual Stormy Weather Arts Festival, November 5-7, 2010. This popular coastal event highlights the creative talents of a wide range of artists, with a packed schedule that includes an art walk, art gallery receptions, "So you think you can paint," photography exhibits, and much more. Cannon Beach shops, restaurants and galleries will be hosting music, art and literary events throughout the weekend. “The Quick Draw,” a festival highlight, kicks off the weekend of activities on Friday, Nov. 5 as artists create their own individual “masterpieces” from raw materials—in one hour. Completed pieces will then be auctioned off. Another celebration mainstay, “The Spotlight Event,” will be staged at the Coaster Theatre on Saturday night, Nov. 6. For more information about the Stormy Weather Arts Festival and Cannon Beach’s year-around offerings, visit www.cannonbeach.org

strengthen visual sensitivity and creative visual language three-day workshop Article in the Cannon Beach Gazette

Michael Orwick 

This three-day workshop promises to strengthen visual sensitivity and creative visual language through the medium of oil paint.

"Haystack Rock"

by Theresa Myers

Whether you're completely new to painting or an old hand at the canvas, Michael Orwick's oil painting workshop from March 26 to 28 at the Chamber Community Hall promises to be rejuvenating, fun, and just the break needed to launch into summer with creativity and positive energy.

Orwick, whose work is on display at the Dragonfire Gallery in Cannon Beach, said he knew he was an artist even as a young boy.

"My family was totally supportive," he said. "My dad is a doctor, so for awhile I thought maybe that is the direction I should go. But my parents gave me total support for following a career in art."

That career began as a children's book illustrator, focusing on whimsical scenes. But in the past few years, Orwick has found his true love and artistic calling in landscapes.

"The California Impressionists have influenced me quite a bit," he said. "And that interest led me to the Barbizon school."

The early 19th-century Barbizon school movement emphasized realism and the play of light and dark. Its influence can be seen in several of Orwick's recent works, including the painting of Haystack Rock he did for the 2009 Stormy Weather Quick Draw contest. He admits this classical, representational style may not be in vogue everywhere, but because the style is classic, "these paintings can fit into any setting," said Orwick. "If it's a modern room setting or classic beach cottage, a good landscape can fit the space."

Orwick does paint in plein air, but more often works from photographs. He is also not afraid to add elements to the image that may not be in the original scene.

"I believe in doing what the painting needs," he explained. "For me, painting is telling a story. Even if I'm working in plein air, I will add a figure to the scene if that is what it needs to tell the story."

Orwick also believes in starting each work from the basics.
"If a painting is not going well, it's almost always because I haven't paid attention to the fundamentals," said Orwick.
The fundamentals of landscape will be the focus of Orwick's March workshop, starting with an overview of light and dark values on the canvas, then color composition and "temperature." Students will learn about mixing colors from a limited palette to achieve dynamic light and shadow effects with lively color and harmony.

"The last part of a good painting is the texture," said Orwick. "The brush strokes, the finishing lines. Those are the elements that go down last, but they make the painting unique and put the artist's signature style on it."

Orwick says he is looking forward to the workshop. He and his wife, Gabriella, and their 5-year-old daughter, Elena Grace, are frequent visitors to Cannon Beach and the couple have a cottage in town.

"Elena shares the studio with me," he said with a laugh. "She has her 'gallery' at grandma's house."

"I love to teach art," continued Orwick, who currently teaches a class at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. "I use a limited palette in my classes and keep it pretty simple. But that's how I paint, too. I generally use a small number of brushes and keep plenty of paper towels on hand. Because I keep it simple, participants in the workshop can expect to finish a painting over the course of the three days."

Orwick emphasized that a person does not need to be "artistic" or "gifted" to enjoy painting, or even to be good at it. "Anyone can learn to paint," he said. "It's all about learning the fundamentals and telling a story."

Orwick's paintings have been in galleries in Cannon Beach for the past eight years and are currently in the Dragonfire Gallery. He also has work in galleries in Lincoln City and Seattle.

To obtain more information about Michael Orwick, visit his Web site at michaelorwick.com. To register for the workshop and obtain a supply list, contact the Dragonfire Gallery at (503) 436-1533.

Tuition for all three days is $250, which includes an early evening reception on March 27 at Dragonfire Gallery. The workshop schedule is March 26 through 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The Cover of Coast Weekend, and feature article interview

Painter Michael Orwick and his daughter, Elena Grace, enjoy a stormy moment at Haystack Rock. Orwick is the featured artist at DragonFire Studio & Gallery during Cannon Beach's Stormy Weather Arts Festival this weekend. Photo by Gabriela Orwick.

Stormy Weather shines again

The annual festival of the arts makes Cannon Beach the bright spot on the Oregon Coast Nov. 7-9. BY KERRI BUCKLEY To see the full article please click

http://www.coastweekend.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=41761&TM=46697.88

The 21st annual Stormy Weather Arts Festival coaxes artists, families and art lovers to Cannon Beach to discuss art and to delight the senses during the weekend of Nov. 7 through 9. Calendars and businesses are brimming with exhibits, lectures, readings, food and music at area shops, restaurants and galleries.Weekend festivities kick off Friday with the annual Quick Draw event. Artists use raw materials, creating masterpieces in one hour starting at 7 p.m. at the Tolovana Inn, 3400 S. Hemlock St. After works are completed, they'll be auctioned. Tickets to this event are limited; food will be available. One artist profiled in the Quick Draw is Michael Orwick. His impressionistic paintings are both shocking and thrilling through his use of light, color and movement. His works are exhibited at DragonFire Studio & Gallery; his love of the Oregon Coast is evident. In an interview, he said he "hoped to portray the fog and haze with the light and beauty that contrasts those elements on the coast of Oregon." Read his blog about light, sound and color at michaelorwick.blogspot.com/2008/09/oregon-coast-gallery-gets-stormy-in.html.

'New Splendour,' oil painting by Michael Orwick. Orwick will be taking part in the Quick Draw event, which he calls 'one of my most favorite art events of the year.'

'Cannon Beach Oregon,' oil painting by Michael Orwick.

'Part of the Mighty,' oil painting by Michael Orwick, featured artist at DragonFire Studio & Gallery.

All the best,

Michael Orwick Orwick Arts http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/

http://www.MichaelOrwick.

Join Artist Michael Orwick as Beautiful Cannon Beach celebrates the early days of winter

Hello, and Happy Halloween to all my friends and collectors and collector friends.

A sneak peak of some of the oil paintings that I have been working on for the upcoming Stormy Weather festival in Cannon Beach at Dragon Fire Gallery. http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/2008/09/oregon-coast-gallery-gets-stormy-in.html

On November 7 to 9, the north Oregon coast town of Cannon Beach celebrates the early days of winter with the enormous Stormy Weather Arts Festival. DragonFire Gallery's portion of that citywide event is three days of color, light, music, food and conversation. An enormously talented trio of oil painters makes up our featured artists this year. Michael Orwick, Tracy McEwen and Christopher Bibby will eat, drink and sleep their medium over the weekend, appearing at the quick draw on Friday night http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/2008/08/one-of-my-most-favorite-art-events-of.html and then spending Saturday and Sunday in the gallery, demonstrating and chatting about their techniques.

Dragonfire Studio Gallery

http://www.dragonfirestudio.com/

123 S Hemlock St # 106

Cannon Beach, OR 97110

(503) 436-1533

"Experience that “certain slant of light” Michael Orwick brings to his work. Michael fuses a fierce impressionistic talent with modern sensibility to paint Oregon landscapes that shimmer with light. He celebrates the natural beauty around us as only a native-born son can."

-DragonFire Gallery

Paintings listed from the top down

Shyly Bow 14x11 oils on canvas panel (Top Orange) Our Storm Is Past 10x8 oils on canvas panel (Sunset on beach)

New Splendour 20x16 oils on canvas panel (Soft light on Creek )

In Green Shadows 8x10 oils on canvas panel (Pink sky)

Part of the Mighty 14x11 oils on canvas panel (big wave)

Be Still 11x14 oils on canvas panel (purple sky)

Gaze Back 14x18 oils on canvas panel (Birch Trees)

The Day's Amens 10x8 oils on canvas panel (trees at sunset)

All the best, Michael Orwick Orwick Arts http://www.michaelorwick.com/

http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/

My art hints at a story and then invites you to finish the narrative. My style has been called Inspired Expressionism, which combines impressionistic brush strokes and a touch of realism to create the atmosphere and lighting woven into my work. The easiest way to see my work is at http://www.michaelorwick.com/ Use your voice to make a change...Get out and vote!