Featured Artists:
Estera Nanassy, Renee Merrilees & Elizabeth Cvetic

Nanassy's, Merrilees', and Cvetic's works of art will be shown July 19 - September 6 at the Life's Crossing Gallery on the first floor of the Portland Donor Center. An artist's reception for Estera Nanassy, Renee Merrilees & Elizabeth Cvetic is Thursday, July 27, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the gallery.

About Estera Nanassy
Estera Nanassy was born in Bucharest, Romania, the oldest of five siblings. Her artistic training started at 16 with private voice lessons with a famous Romanian voice teacher. At the same time, she began studying fine art and painting at the Conservatory of Arts and Music in Bucharest, graduating in 1968.

From 1958 to 1959 and later from 1972 to 1980 Estera was also a fulltime professional chorister in Constantza State Theatre, Romanian Trade Unions Central House and later the Romanian Opera House in Bucharest. This gave her an appreciation of the colors of the stage and the beauty of the Black Sea coast which later influenced her landscapes.

From 1960 to 1963 she worked as a floral design and was inspired by the richness of color in flowers. This floral design work became the foundation of her current floral paintings.

In March, 1981, Estera came to Portland, Oregon with her husband and son. Both Estera and her husband rebuilt their lives here on their artistic pasts. She has traveled extensively to Europe, Australia and China. Her numerous trips in Oregon, from the high desert to the Pacific shores, have strengthened her love and respect for nature in her new Pacific Northwest homeland. All of her travels have influenced her current work.

Estera is a member of the Beaverton Arts Commission, the Oregon Society of Artists and the Village Gallery of Art. For more information about her paintings, contact her at home (503) 642-9845 or on her mobile at (503) 805-8357.

About Renee Merrilees
I am an American Red Cross nurse working in the Apheresis department. I first began painting in California when a nursing co-worker invited me to join her painting class. I'm very gratefully she did because I've spent countless hours ever since escaping into the world of art! My life has been blessed by all the wonderful people I've met through my interest in art.

Painting was the catalyst for my husband and me to become members of the Lake Oswego United Methodist Church. One of the first things I did when we moved to Oregon was to look for a painting class. Reverend Boone White, then pastor or LOUMC, was a member of the class I joined in 1987. We've been painting together ever since, expanding our friendship along the way to include artistic friends and to develop the LOUMC Art Group.

I've worked predominately in oils, which have a very forgiving nature in application. In the past few years I've branched out to explore the use of other media such as pastels and colored pencils.

I enjoy painting people and am fascinated with the diversity of colors that comprise the spectrum of human skin tones. I also enjoy still-life painting. I have learned a lot by studying the masters and attempting to reproduce their work as exercise.

Creative expression through art helps me push myself to new limits and embrace new challenges. I find the lesson inherently applicable to every avenue of life.

About Elizabeth Cvetic
At a young age, I became acquainted with oil paints. Ever since then, oils have been my favorite medium. Following high school, I studied at the Corcoran Art Gallery and National Art School in Washington, D.C.

After moving to California in 1971, I enrolled in the Civic Arts program in Walnut Creek, Calif. Earl Pierce was my instructor there for eight years.

In 1989 my husband and I retired to Oregon. I have attended art workshops with "Art in the Mountains" in Bend, Ore., where I studied under Tom Browning, Howard Carr and Arleta Pech.

Since 1994 I have been an oil-painting instructor at Michael's Arts and Crafts. Teaching gives me so much joy. The progress of my art students is rewarding.

I have painted large works as well as miniatures using oils, watercolors and pastels. The spontaneity and color nuances of painting with acrylics on textured clay board and acrylic collages are exciting to me.

I enjoy weekly sessions with the LOUMC Art Group. My artist friends have inspired me to explore new ideas and subjects.