Featured Artists:
Marilyn C. Davis and Ursula Kiesow

Davis' and Kiesow's works of art will be shown January 29 - March 25 at the Life's Crossing Gallery on the first floor of the Portland Donor Center.

Art patrons wishing to participate in the tour should RSVP to Sara Schirmer at 503-528-5671.

Marilyn C. Davis
Although originally a native Oregonian with family roots in the beautiful Wallowa Mountains, Davis left Oregon in the sixties to study and teach in Europe and the Far East.  She studied art and education at Lewis and Clark College and U.C. Berkeley.

Recently retired, Davis returned to the United States after living and teaching art abroad for 30 years in Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Davis has had the opportunity to study and paint with very talented instructors in Japan, Spain, England and France.  Locally, she has studied with Sue Jensen, Chris Keylock-Williams and Michael Schlicting.

Having her father as one of her first art instructors inspired her to develop an appreciation for the beauty in nature and a love for color reflected in her paintings.

Davis’ subject matter has been influenced tremendously by her years of living abroad and by her other loves, gardening and floral design.

Working in watercolor always allows for a bit of the unexpected as the colors mix and create texture on various types of paper.  This lends a unique quality to the landscape, still-life and floral designs which she loves to paint.

Contact Artist:
Marilyn C. Davis
503.670.7466
mdrjdavis@verizon.net

Ursula Kiesow

Ursula grew up in Berlin, Germany where she trained and graduated with honors from the Lette Academy for Creative Arts. After moving to the United States and living in Maryland for thirty years, she came to Oregon to rediscover her love and talent for art. Having adjusted to the American way of life, she began experimenting with the 'novel' acrylic paints and took master classes with Ralph deBurgos in Washington, D.C. Now in ORegon, she has taken classes and workshops by regional artists that include Chris Keylock-Williams, Eric Wiegardt and Carole Barnes.

“Watercolors and acrylics, even after having used them for a number of years, still hold unexpected surprises and challenges for me.  Every start of a new painting is an exiting adventure, stimulating the creative process, sometimes with unexpected and unforeseen outcomes. Energies of the image determine the flow of colors, which ultimately consolidate on the paper, creating the jewels of the painting.”

“While firmly committed to acrylics, I like to experiment with various substrates that allow different forms of abstraction.  They induce unusual behavior in water media that modifies their customary appearance.  This also applies to my new use of acrylics and brings me often closer to the desired expression of mood, color and form.  In addition, my painting style aims for an abstraction of the real motif.”

Ursula is a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, Village Gallery of Arts and the Beaverton Arts Commission.  “I am hoping that my joy and enthusiasm for painting and art will allow me this pursuit for some time to come, but I also hope that it will bring joy to others.”

Contact Artist:
Ursula Kiesow
503.636.5135
lachk@comcast.net