Meet the Artists of the Ashland Art Center

Jewelry maker Wendy Gell makes vibrant pieces out of stones and found materials. “I’m a gluer,” she says, “and I’m especially known for my bracelets.” On this day she was working on a new bracelet with an Indian theme.

Clothing and fabric designer Diane Ericson works on a dress in her studio using a combination of new fabric and found pieces. “I print fabric and I do my own images and do three-dimensional collage garments,” she says.

We found printmaker and painter Midge Black working on a new design at a kid-sized table in her workspace. She says the lower table height works perfectly for her. “I’ve got short legs so I can get right down on top of my work,” she says. “Regular-size tables are just a little bit too high and a round table drives me nuts because my elbows fall off.”

“I’m part of the avian culture,” says jewelry maker Dawn Lucero, who has been making bird figures out of polymer clay and glass for about 25 years. “These guys I’m working on today are going to be snow owls. They are very popular; people love them.”

“I’m an assemblage artist,” says Dale Muir. “I repurpose and bring things together.” Dale was working with clothespins, toothpicks and beads to create a miniature political rally. “I had to do something today to keep myself busy so this is my political rally.”

Candy Wooding sprinkles metallic gold dust on her paste paper, which she makes by spreading colored pastes onto damp paper. She uses a variety of objects and materials to create patterns and decorate the surface. “That’s when the fun begins,” she says. “It’s like when you are in kindergarten or first grade and you get to play with finger paints.”

Laura Lawrence works on knitting one of her “stained glass silk” scarves, using a knitting machine. “It’s a very old and basic machine that is no longer made, so I have to do all the manipulating myself.”

“I’ve been working on a series of fanciful houses,” says painter David Gordon. “People say they kind of look like people so I’m kind of going with that -- they are forms of people in a way.”

Painter Dorothy Baker was doing some experimenting when we visited her, working with some new textures and glazes and trying to create a design that looked good in a round format. “I do a lot of experimenting,” she says. “I rarely do the same thing twice.” Baker says she likes working in her cozy space at the Ashland Art Center. “The other artists are terrific to be around and the energy is good.”

Dana Feagin is an oil painter who specializes in painting animals. She was working on a portrait of Daisy, a commission from a fundraising auction for the Southern Oregon Humane Society. “I took a lot of photos of Daisy,” says Feagin, “and her owner picked the pose she thought best captured Daisy’s personality. I think she’s pretty cute with her little smiling face and her tongue. She’s a real sweetie.”

"I’ve been around horses all my life," says sporting and equestrian artist Dody Clifford, "so I integrate the horses and the art into my lifestyle.” Clifford travels to horse events around the country to paint the scenes. “It’s really important to get the anatomy correct. Anybody who has been around horses can tell instantly [if the painter really knows the animals].”