Local folks tap their creative spirit

Folks from across Central Oregon enjoyed a hands-on opportunity to paint and embellish their own canvas tote bag in the Common Canvas Community Art Day, held at Sisters Middle School last Saturday.

Common Canvas is the prequel to the April 9 Community Parade, Art Stroll and Chili Feed, followed by the My Own Two Hands "Traveling Light" Art Auction on April 10.

Sisters strongly supports the arts. Major art events are held throughout the year that both entertain and educate. Programs like the Americana Project support music and art education in the schools, and My Own Two Hands provides opportunities for professionals and non-professionals to place their art in public view for sale to help support those programs.

"Art donated for the auction raises money for the Americana Project," said Katy Yoder, events director for Sisters Folk Festival. "This event really honors the visual arts in Sisters. Some of these bags will be contributed for the auction."

Some of the participants' canvas totes will be carried in the April 9 parade as a symbol of this year's "Traveling Light" theme.

Janet Brockway of Bedouin, who attended Pacific Northwest College of Art, donated a piece to the auction. Her pride Saturday, however, was the piece created by her daughter Loryn Cummins, a Sisters High School art student.

"I've been in art all four years of high school," Cummins said, and admitted to her mother's strong influence on her interest in the arts.

One visiting participant, Robert L. Newhart, drove up from Bend as part of his personal project of doing one free thing a day for 30 days. Last Saturday he did a llama hike. He doesn't normally paint, but Newhart managed to create half-a-dozen canvases.

Brad Tisdel, musician and executive director of Sisters Folk Festival, which sponsors My Own Two Hands events, attended Common Canvas for the day, bringing lunch and snack foods for the artists.

"I'm here to make a bag and to say thank you. It's a way for the community to come together and do art. The first (Common Canvas) project was painted strings. We gave a bunch of old guitars to artists to make art projects," he said.

Artist Wendy Vernon commented on the value of creating artwork.

"I'm an art therapist," she said. "People aren't always aware that art is healing. One of the things I most appreciate about Sisters is their interest in the arts."

Local professional artists contributed painted and embellished canvas bags for auction, some of which are on display at Sisters Art Works until April 10. Middle School art and drama teacher Carolyn Platt, who helped participants paint and sew their bags on Saturday, created a bag for auction embellished with fabric to look like a flamenco dancer's skirt.

Teafly, another auction contributor, known for her work with stencils, was on hand to teach her technique

"I just like to help in any way I can," she said.

Teafly also teaches art for Caldera as part of their outreach to Central Oregon schools. Teafly's canvas can also be seen at Sisters Art Works.

The event was not only fun for all the participants, but provided free art education for both children and adults.

Mother Rachel Vander Kamp talked about her oldest daughter's artistic ability and added that her children learn a lot about recycling at school. Now her daughter Isabella can carry her own bag shopping.

Local artist Clay Warburton attended just to have an art day with his kids.

"We had a great experience with masks last year," Warburton said. "My Own Two Hands provided artists who come in (to Sisters Elementary School, where he teaches) and train teachers in the projects. I'm not one of the four artists, just the liaison at school. We get a new project. It's handed to us. Materials are paid for (by the Americana Project). It's a way to get training in art. There's not much art training out there. This is free education, and great for the community."

Warburton chose an appropriate theme for his tote, in keeping not only with the theme of "Traveling Light" but of recycling as well: Warburton painted Dr. Seuss' Lorax on his canvas.

"I like Lorax," Warburton said, "because Lorax speaks for the trees because the trees have no tongue."