Westside ArtShare group exhibition, Hillsboro Brookwood Library, May-June 2018
Ten members of Westside ArtShare hung art at the Hillsboro Brookwood library gallery. Each explored the theme of “journeys” in a different way. I focused on the idea of personal, emotional journeys and used torn journal pages and lots of texture to create two 36 x 36″ pieces.
With my painting, “Introspect,” at the Journeys show, Hillsboro Brookwood Library, June 2018
The show is on view until June 30.
Riis Griffen, Let It Be, mixed media on 20×20″ canvas.
This is a painting I finished in March. It’s now hanging at the Grand Opening exhibit at Tappen Studios in SE Portland along with several other paintings of mine and work by four other artists. The show is up until the end of July.
I’m honored to be invited to participate in the Grand Opening of Tappen Studios along with four other local artists (Shauna Meiri, Dawn Tappen, Pegguin Pfenniger Reed and Alexis Terry Bouchard). Join us on May 27 to celebrate the opening of this new gallery and workshop space in SE Portland!
I became aware of the work of New Zealander Andrew Blythe through the Outsider Art Facebook page. After looking through an album of his art, which uses pattern and a limited palette, I clicked on the Youtube video of him talking about his work.
He said, “I try to beautify my beasts.” That floored me. You know when you read or hear the perfect phrase and think, “I wish I’d thought of that”? With that line, Andrew Blythe nailed something I’ve been trying to say about my art for the past few years.
Lisa Griffen, Artic Sea. acrylic and oil pastel on 20×24″ canvas.
This year I want to slow down a little bit on my exhibition schedule and spend more time experimenting and exploring. This painting is one where I tried some different techniques. I had a lot of fun with it and I’m happy with the result.
As the description says, I recently read In the Kingdom of Ice. It’s about 19th century explorers’ attempts to read the North Pole. The book is full of reverent descriptions of Artic conditions, the strange lighting effects and weird weather and the feeling of being in awe of nature.