I’m honored to be invited to participate in Small Wonders at the new Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. This exhibition and sale of small works will allow patrons to take purchases home immediately.

Twelve of my small collages, including Oria, will be available.

There will be receptions on November 3 and December 1. This will be a fun show!

I’ve been busy-busy for most of September getting ready for the first solo show I’ve done in a few years. After a lull during the early part of the pandemic, I’ve been making a LOT of new art and the pieces in this show will all be from the past year.

Over a year ago I was grouped with three other artists for a show at the Walters Art Center in Hillsboro with a theme of otherness. As the date approached, the pandemic took hold and everything was up in the air. I’m sorry to say that the show has been postponed indefinitely.

Isn’t that a great name for a show? This is the second year for this juried show of art by women. It opens in Forest Grove on March 6. I’m sending an older painting that I love, “Goodbye Pretty.”

Riis Griffen, Goodbye Pretty, mixed media on 20×20″ canvas.

I’m excited to be invited to participate in a show at The Remains gallery! It’s a relationships-themed show for Valentine’s Day and some very cool artists are participating. I’ll be sending over 9 new collages inspired by the Greek words for different types of love.

Yin Yang show at The Remains Gallery, Hood River

“Sven,” mixed media collage on 6×6″ cradled board

Sven and three other little characters are headed to Forest Grove for the second annual 97116 show! There is a reception on Friday evening (Nov 15) and the show continues on Saturday and Sunday. Great opportunity to find local, affordable art!

Yesterday the Fall 2018 issue of VoiceCatcher, a literary/art journal, came out and my collages are featured in it! It seems strange that for many years I imagined submitting short stories or poetry to a journal like this, and now it’s my visual art that is published. Dreams can be fulfilled in ways we don’t expect.

Zoe is one of the three pieces they chose.

Riis Griffen, Zoe, mixed media on 5×5″ paper

Here are a couple of the collages I’ve been working on for the Little Things show at Guardino Gallery, which runs from November 23 through the end of December. All of the work has to be under 7″, so these are on 6×6″ cradled panels.

Riis Griffen, Yukio, collage on cradled panel

Riis Griffen, Mai, collage on cradled panel

Guardino Gallery has been one of my favorites for many years, so I’m thrilled to be invited to participate in their annual holiday show, Little Things. All of the work has to be smaller than 7″. I’ll be making a bunch of collages on 6×6″ cradled panels.

The Tillamook Forest Center offers a collaborative exhibition to intrigue and delight visitors this summer. Artists Elaine Treadwell and Beth O’Mahoney are exhibiting sculptures inside the center and have installed a variety of work along the River View Trail, including several “guardian” figures. I’m honored to be invited to paint one of the salmon that are mounted along the trail. Here’s a photo of it above the Wilson River.

Riis Griffen, salmon for the “Celebrating Renewal” installation along the Wilson River.

I’ve always enjoyed the forest center, which is reached by a beautiful drive through the forest. The center itself is an interesting place to visit, with exhibits about the history of logging, forestry and pioneer life in the area. Outside there is a replica of a fire lookout.

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the installation that leads visitors to discover a variety of pieces that interact with their surroundings in different ways.

Here’s one more of the fish along the trail. I think this one is my favorite!

The installation is on view until Labor Day.