Art From The Heart

ART FROM THE HEART’S ARTISTS

Aaron Hutchinson is one of the most dynamic and social artists at the studio. He greets people with a positive attitude and a smile and remembers everyone he meets. His favorite medium is painting, which he does with quick strokes and a vivid flash of color. Aaron says, “When I paint it reminds me of my feelings and things from the past.” Aaron likes to write on his paintings; the words are most often names of people who have been important in his life or have something to do with his favorite subjects: music, food, good sportsmanship and memory. Aaron says he likes the studio “because I feel supported and respected.”

Andy Louie has been an artist at Art from the Heart since 2007. He enjoys working in a variety of mediums, from painting and ceramics to working with fabrics. He is most passionate about weaving, knitting and crocheting and has taken a number of classes outside of the studio on these subjects. He enjoys learning new things, such as how to use the sewing machine, as well as helping other artists learn the subjects he knows well.

Ann Millard arrived at Art from the Heart in the spring of 2009 with no prior arts experience. Since then, she has wasted little time experimenting with several mediums; her recent favorites are painting, ceramics, and weaving. Outside of work, Ann is very active in Special Olympics and proudly sports medals for bowling and bocce ball. What she likes best about Art from the Heart, she says, is “working hard, having fun, and hanging with the ladies.”

Ashley Smith was born in Forest Grove, Oregon and has lived in the Portland area for her entire life. She has always loved drawing and this passion is what brought her to Art from the Heart. Ashley enjoys painting with watercolor and acrylic paints. She also makes ceramic masks. Her favorite subject for her artwork is her cat Evie.

Bion Mason arrived at Art from the Heart in January 2010. He’s a quiet, unassuming man who enjoys walking around the studio observing other people’s styles and gathering inspiration from his fellow artists. When he gets busy on his own projects, his style is uniquely his own. In the past he’s worked as a janitor and a dishwasher, but says that working here has been his favorite so far. Though Bion arrived with little previous art experience, he’s a natural when it comes to drawing, painting, and working with clay (his favorite medium). What he likes about Art from the Heart, he says, is “doing art, making stuff, and making friends.”

Brian Teters is an artist who draws his inspiration from his large collection of Disney, Superhero and animal books. He has a unique style of combining tracings, collage, and stickers, intertwining his favorite characters into a larger narrative. While working, he often quotes the characters from Harry Potter or Winnie the Pooh.

Charlie Gillespie draws hundreds and hundreds of tiny overlapping people, broken down into simplistic lines and shapes using pencil and colored pencil. He often arranges these into bands of color, enticing the viewer to come in closer for a better look. In his drawings Charlie depicts his close friend, whom he considers a brother.

David Marquoit is a veteran of Art from the Heart, and one of our most prolific artists. David absolutely loves to paint and is often found at his painting station, passionately absorbed in his work from the time he arrives in the morning until the time he leaves. Besides painting, he is also avidly involved in music group, ceramics, collage, drawing and weaving. David is a man who truly loves being engaged in the creative process. What he most likes about Art from the Heart, he says, is “talking to people” and “selling artwork.” David also enjoys going for walks, and enjoys watching TV, spending time with family, being involved in Special Olympics, and going to Mt. Scott dances in his spare time.

Deanna Poulson is an artist and janitor at the studio. She works in a variety of mediums, infusing each one with her playful blend of pattern and color. Her art is filled with exquisitely detailed creatures that are uniquely her own.

Derwin Pike was born in Oklahoma but has lived in Portland for the last 7 years. His favorite mediums are ceramics and painting. The subjects of his works are most often the sun, superheroes, video game characters, or depictions of good and evil. His favorite things about the studio are the friendships he has made and meeting other deaf individuals and people who know sign language.

Desirae Brethour has been an artist at Art from the Heart since 2009. She enjoys drawing, painting and ceramic sculpture. Her artistic talent is apparent in all her work, especially her intricately detailed paintings. She enjoys dabbling in new mediums and enthusiastically participates in a variety of classes. She has a special affinity for her rat, Scabberella, and Mayor Sam Adams. She is a self-proclaimed troublemaker and is always happy to call anyone on yawning at work. “Yawning is outlawed.1-800-YOU-ARE-IN-TROUBLE-WITH-THE-MAYOR.”

Fred Rizk joined Art from the Heart in 1995. He enjoys any artistic process that involves tools, especially in the woodshop. His favorite subjects are birds, rainy Oregon days, musical instruments, and figures. His positive personality helps him connect with others, and he delights in pointing out similarities among us. Fred loves playing music, especially at Art from the Heart’s weekly improvisational jam where he does tonal vocals and plays percussive instruments.

Geneva Sizemore arrived at Art from the Heart in the spring of 2009 with lots of energy, but little prior arts experience. Since she has been here she’s dabbled in a little bit of everything, trying her hand at painting, weaving, collage, ceramics, as well as woodworking. Her passion though is for the performance arts: Stage Plays and Puppet Theater. Besides these interests, Geneva loves to take walks, exercise, prepare food, watch movies, and listen to Madonna. What she likes most about Art from the Heart is having “a whole bunch of friends, and dance parties.”

Heidi Frisbie uses vibrant color and dynamic narrative elements to share glimpses of a happy universe, filled with fantastic characters, smiling woodland creatures and colorful rainbows. She usually prefers drawing and painting, but has been known to create her environments in three-dimensional sculpture. Heidi has also experimented with storytelling through making her own zine. In the past year, Heidi has experienced a lot of growth as an artist and has refined her unique style.

Jason Dunn loves to experiment with a variety of supplies, creating color studies of everything from oil pastels to colored pencils to paint. His favorite subjects for his art are “geometric shapes, space, people, and mountains or landscape—nice looking things.” His excitable enthusiasm has propelled him to a wide range of interests, including the performing arts of music and theater. He says he really enjoys the sense of community at Art from the Heart.

	Jessica Boyer has been making art since she was a child. She loves to show her work—be it in ceramics, weaving, painting, drawing, sculpture or puppet theater and drama performances. She especially enjoys being on stage with an audience where she can shine. Jessica says, “Art makes me feel good,” and she loves to share her love of art with others. She feels that she is an emotional person and this impacts her process of making art. Jessica is a people person and especially enjoys communicating with American Sign Language.
	John Kelting, Jr. is a busy man—a man utterly dedicated to his craft. His art is one of the most important things in his life, and he spends a good deal of his waking hours developing his talents. John started taking art classes when he was in high school and has been busy ever since. He started off doing “watercolor, sketching, and sculpting” and has moved on to doing a bit of “everything now.” His primary medium is gouache. John loves to watch movies (especially action, sci-fi, and mystery) and the stars of his favorite films are often the subjects of his paintings. John loves to showcase his huge body of work and keeps busy with solo shows at different venues around town. For more information about John, check out his website at http://www.jpkelting.com/

	Melanie Rickman joined Art from the Heart in 2009. She especially enjoys painting and singing at the studio, but she is up for any challenge presented by new, unfamiliar media. Her paintings are filled with bright colors and intricate details of floral themes or representations of nature. Melanie has explored creating with ceramics, mosaics, and fabric doll making. Her quiet demeanor leads some to believe that she is shy, but Melanie has a great, goofy sense of humor and enjoys chatting with everyone.
	Michael Griffin is both an artist and janitor at the studio. He can always be found listening to rock and hip hop music on his headphones while he works on his pieces. His favorite mediums are drawing and painting, and in both Michael likes to use as bright and vibrant of colors as possible. Michael’s favorite subjects for his art are himself, his family, houses, and buses and each of these themes are repeated day-after-day in whatever medium he works in.
	Michael McReynolds preferred art media is colored pencil. He is very social and loves to clown around with his friends in the studio, often evoking the Three Stooges sense of humor. In his works he depicts cartoonish figures, who appear to be having a good time together. Michael likes to get out in the world and connect with people.
	Pat Lemen has been involved with Art from the Heart for over a decade. He can often be found listening to his headphones while he works on his colorful, multi-layered drawings and paintings. Pat also loves to be on the go and always jumps at the opportunity to go for an outdoor adventure with the crew. Outside of work, Pat relishes his time with family, collecting teddy bears, and watching basketball.
	Phillip Klover is a young artist whose exuberant energy is the first thing you’ll notice about him. He is an independent person who enjoys both work and travel. His incredible sense of humor permeates both his interactions and his artwork. He is drawn to working in ceramics and theater.
	Rebecca Smouse was born in Baker City, Oregon, but has lived in Portland for most of her life. Her favorite mediums are drawing and ceramics. It is important for her that her work tells a story. Her artwork investigates religious themes and her cultural heritage. Rebecca believes art “has to have something in it that could touch you.” She says doing art helps her relax and keep a positive attitude. Her favorite psalm from the bible is Jeremiah 29:11.

	Richard Taccogna brings his love of puns and costumes to the studio. He once said, “This will be a very moooo-ving experience” while wearing his cow costume. He has a great love for performing and showcasing his tremendous sense of humor. He also enjoys drawing, doll making and weaving.
	Roderick “Rickie” Pulliam is a storyteller, who weaves tales about day-to-day life and his favorite subjects: martial arts and movies, into his almost non-stop narrative. From these stories Rickie and a dedicated volunteer have created the comic series, The Peacemaster. When asked about coming to Art from the Heart, Rickie said, “I like the studio. You get to do just about anything you want as long we have the materials. I am a Pop artist. My favorite things are drawing pictures, clay and architecture. My influences are martial arts experts and their movies.” To follow Rickie’s adventures, check out his blog http://thepeacemaster.blogspot.com/
	Rose Stevens is a self-defined artist. Growing up with several friends’ parents as artists, she says that she has wanted to be an artist since she was a child. She started ceramics in high school and now considers clay her favorite medium. She is outgoing, warm and caring. She finds much inspiration for her art work from going to the Saturday market and First and Last Thursday. She says about the studio: “There is never a dull moment. I have learned a lot being here and it has been such a positive experience in my life.”
	Russell Murphy grew up in SE Portland and Gresham. His good-natured energy fills the studio 3 days a week, where he stays busy making ceramic cups, paintings, sewing dolls and handbags, or helping build a cob sculpture. He feels proud of his finished works displayed in the gallery and of getting paychecks for sold works. Russell feels a special bond with his mother Mary, who is the most important person in his life.


	Terrie Bush likes to express herself by “letting it all out” using bright, psychedelic colors in her work. Her favorite medium is clay, but she enjoys painting and fiber arts as well. When she was 12 years old, she was in a serious car accident resulting in a brain injury causing her to switch from being right to left-handed. Terrie is proud that she has “come back all this way to give to the art world”.
	Terry Holt has been an artist at Art from the Heart for over 10 years. He is a jack-of-all-trades, enjoying painting, ceramics, woodworking, printmaking, weaving, collage and music. Terry’s abstract canvases consist of layers of bold, vibrant color and often have a theme of circles, numbers, and math problems. Terry especially likes the structure of attending classes at the studio, while also enjoying opportunities to go out and about around town. Terry is a lover of watches, calculators, radios and schedules and he helps hold down a steady beat during our weekly improvisational jam session.
	Virgil Neff loves computers and he spends much of his day on them, playing games and teaching programming. Virgil’s interest in Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Little House on the Prairie book series have lead him to travel to historical sites across the country to learn more about her, and it explains the theme of covered wagons in his artwork. He is fond of talking about his relatives and going to family reunions, another theme in his work. Virgil’s favorite parts about Art from the Heart are participating in classes and having books read out loud to him. He especially enjoys the process of print