Local painter teaches folk art

Charlotte Owens leads her class at Black Butte Ranch.

Artist Charlotte Owens is again holding forth at Black Butte Ranch's recreation center. Every fall the BBR resident has a weeklong class for her students and a different project in American folk art painted carvings.

This year's project is 'Angels' and there are several types of old angels, patriotic angels and other carvings being worked on by the class of eight women.

Some of the women live at BBR; others come from Sisters or the Portland area. Those from out of town share Charlotte's lovely home for the week's stay.

"I've been coming here each year for more than 10 years," says Portlander Sue Stauffer. "It's great and I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Owens has been teaching art over the past 40 years, much of it in Portland and the last 10 years at BBR. She still goes back to Portland to teach several classes during the year.

She lived in the Sellwood area of Portland and was located at the 'Corner House' working with antiques, decorative art and had her own studio there.

"Each year is a different project," said Owens, as she worked on her angel at an outside picnic table and shared technique pointers with her students. "I teach them the techniques and they produce the finished art works.

"We use oils (acrylics) and try to produce an old look to the finished works. This includes 'crackling' and other techniques to produce the finished old look," Owens said. "I love watercolor but don't work in that medium. The folk art is an old European technique that I learned from a friend in Switzerland."

Ed Muller, formerly of Ray's Food Place and now living in Crooked River Ranch, does the carvings.

"I tell him what the project is and he creates the carvings," Owens said.

"About 23 years ago, I saw his Nutcracker carving, was impressed, and asked if he'd do some carvings for me. That started it all," she said.

Nita Muller (Ed's wife) is in the current class and quietly worked on her angel inside the "rec" center. Nearby was another student, Gene Radmacher, who went to Gresham High School with Charlotte and has been a life-long friend.