Beth Nichols

October 26, 2023October 26, 2023

Beth Nichols says Goodbye as Village Frame & Gallery transitions to new ownership!

If you’ve stopped by Village Frame and Gallery recently you’ve likely noticed some changes. In late June I sold the business to Adam Gerlach. I had a chance to work with Adam in the months before the business changed hands. He is an experienced framer with a good eye and focus on quality, and he has the energy of the young! I am so happy that a nice, super-qualified framer is carrying on the legacy of this 24 year old business.

Adam and his wife Vanessa are both artists at heart and in practice. While Adam works with clients and does the framing Vanessa will be “wrangling the art,” meaning gallery shows will continue with opening events continuing on First Fridays. I encourage you to stop in the shop to meet Adam and bring your art finds in with confidence – You’re in good hands!

Nine years ago I purchased my favorite shop in Multnomah Village, Village Frame and Gallery. I met and worked with incredible clients and artists. I hired Lynne to help at the shop and found a friend. I have loved being a part of the fabric of the Village and the Village paid me back in ways I’ll never forget!

Meanwhile, Scott and I are building our “forever home” in Astoria. Getting to know our new city and the Pacific Northwest, taking time to really explore. Oh, I got a new haircut, too! Just in case you see me roaming around Multnomah Village on our monthly excursions back to the city. Please say “Hi!”

Thank you to our clients, artists and fellow business owners for the last nine years. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

– – Beth Nichols

May 5, 2023August 11, 2023

Object, Line, Shadow, Sculpture by Dianne Jean Erickson and Chas Martin in the Gallery this month!

Don’t miss this show! Village Frame and Gallery welcomes Dianne Jean Erickson and Chas Martin in the Gallery together for what is an energetic, bold and amazing show! Dianne’s new series Object and Line is a perfect foil for Chas’ bold and colorful sculpture.

Reception!

Join us on First Friday – Friday, May 5th at 5pm for the opening of Object, Line, Shadow, Sculpture and meet Dianne and Chas. The weather, while not warm and sunny is still perfect for a stroll in the Village. Stop in the shops, buy something nice for mom, enjoy the show and have some wine and nibbles with the artists at Village Frame and Gallery, and then grab dinner in the Village. What a perfect evening!

About Dianne Jean Erickson

Dianne Jean Erickson says it best about her paintings: “Each day working in my studio I start not knowing what image will emerge. I allow myself the freedom of indecisions, improvisations, and impulsiveness in my work, and that leads to exciting discoveries. Subjects of my paintings vary depending on ideas that arise. I use multiple mediums including, but not limited to encaustic, acrylic, oil and cold wax. I’m impatient by nature, my process is intuitive, I most enjoy the journey of creating, figuring out what works; what to keep, and what to abandon, until the piece works for me. I have no compulsion to save every work I do, and many become the layered history for a new piece. Creating art energizes me, it’s a place where time is altered, where all my feelings and emotions appear at some time or another; pleased, tired, upbeat, excited, harried, surprised, and hopefully at some point, satisfied.”

About Chas Martin

“My work comes from anthropology and energies of the natural world. My themes include relationships, situations and our role in the grand picture. On a primal level, we all share one community.”

Martin’s sculpture is directly influenced by his exploration of watercolor and acrylic painting. His Portland, Oregon studio is both a gallery and working studio – a collection of finished sculptures, paintings and sketches of works in progress. Martin offers classes, mentors individual artists and hosts meetings for groups like Pacific Northwest Sculptors. Wilderness is his inspiration – both physical and mental. His work combines natural beauty with concepts from physics, mystical influences and spirituality to create images that transcend time, gender, religion, race, politics and culture. Exploration of primal imagery opens doors to self reflection, conversation and growth.

Village Frame and Gallery is located at 7808 SW Capitol Highway, Portland 97219 in the heart of Multnomah Village. Our regular hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.

March 3, 2023August 11, 2023

Multnomah Street Scenes II, paintings by Dennis Anderson and First Friday Reception

*Renner’s Grill, Street by Dennis Anderson*

Street Scenes II – Images of Multnomah Village and Portland

Images so colorful, so detailed you feel you are there. Capturing Multnomah Village and Portland in oil on canvas and board, Dennis Anderson’s paintings are fresh, happy and so familiar. Village Frame and Gallery is pleased to welcome Dennis and his paintings back to the Gallery for a month-long featured artist show!

Reception Tonight

Join us tonight, First Friday, for the opening reception of Street Scenes II – Images of Multnomah Village and Portland. Reception starts at 5 pm and runs through 7 pm and Dennis Anderson will be here to chat with you. Come on out! The weather is, well who knows what it will be doing at 5 pm, but you should visit the Village tonight. Shops are open late and you want to support the Village!

Artist Statement

The spirit of my work is contemplative.

I think of my paintings as Interpretive Naturalism, often finding an interest in routine moments of the urban street scene. In my best efforts, what is important
to me— is to elevate those activities of daily life, to give painterly significance—not merely to present a location, but to enliven what is familiar, often remembered, and frequently experienced.

Medium:
I use the luscious properties oil paint, developing a balance of loose brushwork to more painterly passages, all giving reference and impression to uneventful urban street scenes.
– – Dennis Anderson

In The Windows

Look for new work by Chas Martin in the windows this month!

January 6, 2023August 11, 2023

It’s First Friday! Last Chance to See the Paintings of George Woodcock, Closing Reception 5:30 pm Tonight!

Don’t miss your chance to own a painting by our friend, neighbor and local artist George Woodcock! George and his wife Marie were fixtures in Multnomah Village, their studios located just above Fat City Cafe. You can read more about George here.

Tonight we are celebrating his artwork once again, but this is your last chance. Come out to the Village, all the shops are here and it’s a lovely winter evening. See you soon!

Paintings by George Woodcock
Closing Reception
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday, January 6th

December 22, 2022August 11, 2023

Last Minute Gifts for your Holiday List!

We’re getting down to the wire! The last pictures for Christmas delivery are on our work tables ready for their frames, Lynne has flown off to warmer climes to spend the holidays with family (a brilliant move given our weather for the next few days), and the Village is here to help you with your last minute shopping!

At Village Frame and Gallery we have lots of last minute gifts! In our windows we have Raku pottery by John Berland, mixed media sculptures by Chas Martin, hand-beaded jewelry by Susan Koch and gorgeous mosaics by Denise Sirchie – all uber local artists!

*Our Town, original watercolor by Kaye Synoground*

A Very Special Kaye Synoground Painting

Kaye Synoground was well loved in the Village. Her iconic images of The Village were collected on the posters she issued every holiday season. In 2001, after 9/11, she created “Our Town,” a quiet snowy Multnomah Village, American flags flying, watched over by Mt. Hood and a snowman sentinel.

Village Frame and Gallery is pleased to offer “Our Town” and another Kaye Synoground original watercolor, “Moon Lit,” both framed with Museum glass and both with Kaye’s original sketches for the images on the back. You can see both paintings in our window. Unfortunately, prints are not available for these and other Kaye Synoground images.

Mesa Dancer, Risk and Leap by Chas Martin

Chas Martin describes his sculptures:
“Why limit paintings to flat surfaces? Why limit sculptures to flat color? I paint sculptures. It’s not new. The Greeks did it. I combine paint, storytelling and a fascination with dimensional figures. I turn petroglyph-inspired characters into archetypal figures. It begins with pencil and watercolor sketches. Sketches become wire armatures – like line drawings in space. I reposition arms, legs, hips and heads until the character’s gesture works. It’s like the interaction between director and actor, exploring how each nuance amplifies their story. I cloak these mixed media characters in paint as a costume designer dresses actors to project their personalities.”

Extended – George Woodcock Paintings in the Gallery
We are pleased to have George Woodcock’s paintings in the gallery through January 7th! There will be a closing reception on First Friday, January 6th at 5:30 pm.

Holiday Hours
Village Frame and Gallery will be closed December 27th through December 31st for a well-earned break. Besides, Lynne isn’t here so…what fun is that? We will reopen, ready to help you with all your picture framing needs on Tuesday, January 3rd. We wish you a Merry Christmas and healthy and happy New Year!

December 1, 2022August 11, 2023

Celebrating George Woodcock, Holiday Gala and Golden Tickets!

Village Frame and Gallery is pleased to present the paintings of our friend, neighbor and local artist, George Woodcock. George was scheduled to show his work in the Gallery in August of 2016, but fate had other plans and we celebrated his life instead.

Long overdue, this month we have the honor of presenting George’s oil paintings. George and his wife Marie were fixtures in Multnomah Village, their studios located just above Fat City Cafe. You can read more about George here.

Paintings by George Woodcock
Opening Reception
5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday, December 2nd

Holiday Gala – Friday, December 2nd, 5 pm to 8 pm

Village businesses are going all out and the Holiday Gala is sure to be magical!

It’s Golden Ticket Time!

Don’t forget to shop the Village and bring your Golden Tickets! At Village Frame and Gallery you can save 10% off new custom framing orders with a Golden Ticket, just in time for the holidays! Speaking of which, we are still framing for the holidays, but bring your projects in soon!

October 13, 2022August 11, 2023

Featured Artist Scott Cordner on our Walls, Dianne Jean Erickson in our Windows – Oh My!

Conservation photographer, Scott Cordner, joins Village Frame and Gallery again with select images from his travels in Oregon and the world. And local artist Diane Jean Erickson displays artwork from her collection in our windows. See the work of the great local artists in the Gallery through November 2nd.

*Autumn Along the Metolius by Scott Cordner*

Featured Artist – Scott Cordner

Village Frame and Gallery is pleased to again feature Scott’s captivating glimpses of our world, this turn with select images from his collection. The pure, unaltered and uncomplicated scenes are captured in the finest light. Exacting prints are made with the best materials that last lifetimes.

Frames made with hand-picked hardwoods from renewable and managed forests are enhanced and finished with environmentally friendly oils and a water-based polyurethane (made from whey, a byproduct of cheese). No detail is overlooked, and it is apparent.

Scott believes if someone notices an image of his, it becomes an opportunity to start a dialog about nature in general and the importance of preservation specifically. His ultimate goal is to create more stewardship of these important, though lesser-known, places throughout the world. Read more about Scott here.

In the Windows – Dianne Jean Erickson

Line Study #1, #2 and #3 by Dianne Jean Erickson

“Each day working in my studio I start not knowing what image will emerge. I allow myself the freedom of indecisions, improvisations, and impulsiveness in my work, and that leads to exciting discoveries. Subjects of my paintings and prints vary depending on ideas that arise. I use multiple mediums including, but not limited to, encaustic, acrylic, oil and cold wax, and collage. I’m impatient by nature, my process is intuitive, I most enjoy the journey of creating, figuring out what works; what to keep, and what to abandon, until the piece works for me. I have no compulsion to save every work I do. Many become the layered history for a new piece. Creating art energizes me, it’s a place where time is altered, where all my feelings and emotions appear at some time or another; pleased, tired, upbeat, excited, harried, surprised, and hopefully at some point, satisfied.” — Dianne Jean Erickson

Seven Women, One Umbrella Opens First Friday, with Trunk Show and Music by Doug Hunt

As a part of Village Frame and Gallery’s First Friday series, Bridge City Artists open their new show “Seven Women, One Umbrella” with contemporary art paintings at Village Frame and Gallery. The opening reception is on Friday, September 2nd, from 5-7 p.m. Bridge City Artists are a seven-woman art focus group that has been meeting since 2012. They provide feedback and explore contemporary artistic concepts. The First Friday reception will feature art from Bridge City Artists who will be on hand to talk with patrons.

“Bridge City Artists is a critique group, but we love having conversations about art,” member Dianne Jean Erickson explained. “Every once in a while we are lucky to find a gallery to show our work. Village Frame and Gallery will display our group’s art from Friday, September 2nd to Saturday, October 1st.”

During the “Seven Women, One Umbrella” reception, wine and lemonade will be served and a there will be a trunk show featuring paintings by artist Doug Hunt who will also provide live guitar music.

July 1, 2022August 11, 2023

Outside In – A Lifetime of Work by Pat Leach, Opening Reception and First Friday in the Village!

The weather is warm, a long weekend promises fun and relaxing times with family and friends, and it’s First Friday in the Village! Stopping in at Village Frame and Gallery is a must while you browse the shops in the Village. We’re honored to host Outside In – A Lifetime of Work by Pat Leach, opening today at 5 pm!

“I am an outsider in the art world, meaning I have never taken lessons or classes in how to paint and draw — at least not since the one class taught by Mr. Beck when I was a boy. I have always enjoyed looking at art displayed in museums and am a frequent visitor to libraries where I study art books and magazines.” – – Pat Leach, 2022

Fun and thought provoking, surprising and charismatic, Outside In – A Lifetime of Work by Pat Leach, delights the senses at every turn. With a story of recovery, acceptance and friendship, Pat Leach’s life shares the same indelible qualities. Every picture tells a story, literally – Pat has written his thoughts and prose on the back of many of his paintings. His imagery, untrained and loose, flows from still life to the sea, from the female form to animals. Many pieces were reworked over time to please the artist.

Artist’s Statement

Pat Leach’s paintings are a living testament to the healing and restorative power of art. Created as part of his personal recovery since 1995, his paintings were private possessions in his home until his April 2022 diagnosis of glioblastom — an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Each painting is a tangible moment from his decades of recovery and sobriety. Now he has decided that sharing his healing with the world is a part of his larger purpose — in the hope that each painting comes alive as it finds a new home where it can continue its job. See more about Pat’s art and writings here.

About Pat Leach

Born and raised in the Buffalo area near Niagara Falls on a large island surrounded by the Niagara River, Pat is the son of a bricklayer. His mother was a secretary. After graduating from Cornell University in 1972, he earned his Master’s Degrees from Washington State University in Sociology and Education. Pat has lived a stone’s throw away from Multnomah Village for much of his adult life.

“The problem for me,” he says, “has been that I could never decide what I wanted to do to earn a living using my degrees.” After pursuing careers in teaching, technical writing, and as executive director of a small university agricultural institute, Pat found his purpose in his early fifties. “It took me years to know I was best off working with my hands and skills outdoors doing gardening, caring for clients’ yards, and painting and writing whatever I want without trying to support myself through my art.”

Village frame and Gallery is pleased to feature Pat’s large body of work in the Gallery through the month of July. We are located at 7808 SW Capitol Highway, Portland 97219 in the heart of Multnomah Village. Our regular hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.

April 29, 2022August 11, 2023

Artist Reception Saturday, April 30th with Donna Stevens – 60º North Latitude and Beyond

Donna Stevens show 60º North Latitude and Beyond closes with an Artist’s Reception on Saturday, April 30th from 1 pm to 3 pm. Donna will be on hand to speak with you about her art, her love for the country she paints and her processes. Read more about Donna and her show 60º North Latitude and Beyond here.