The Art of Bricolage Opens Feb. 23!

I could not be more excited about a show than this one! I did a proposal to Maude Kerns Art Center two years ago and was awarded a show using the entire gallery. I recruited 8 other artists from around Oregon who make art using recycled materials to join me in this exhibition. I am blown away by the work that each artist has created. I can’t wait for you to see it all!

Our show statement is all about sustainability and how we hope to raise awareness about creating less waste in the world by using our discards. To that end, I created a display for our show that includes The Guide to Used Goods which features more than 100 places in Eugene/Springfield to buy secondhand goods and materials. Some of the outlets even provided discount coupons for the display.

I sincerely hope that you will see this show if you live in our area!

Workshops at MECCA and Maudes

Here is our little poster for the workshops we are teaching at Maude Kerns Art Center and MECCA. Each place is registering their own workshops. I think the ones at Maude may already be filled but MECCA is just now being posted. So save your spot if you are interested is having a lot of fun in a workshop with some other like-minded makers! Live links for MECCA here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/795635656667?aff=oddtdtcreator

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/795620681877?aff=oddtdtcreator

Bricolage Workshops at MECCA and Maude’s

BRICOLAGE: 9 Artists Create With Recycled Materials

I submitted a proposal two years ago to Maude Kerns Art Center to have a show of work made from recycled materials and I recruited 8 other artists from around Oregon who are really good at it to join me. We will be filling the entire gallery with work of all kinds!

SHOW DATES: FEB 23 - MAR 22, 2024, OPENING FRIDAY NIGHT, FEB 23!

The artists include (each artist made one of the letters!):

Marjorie Taylor, Letter B, Textile Artist

Emily Pratt, Letter R, Tin Artist

Rogene Mañas, Letter I, Mixed Media Artist

Anna Bjornsdotter, Letter C, Textile Artist and Costume Designer

Dan Pillers, Letter O, Up-scaled Wood Sculptor

Esther Finch, Letter L, Collage Artist

Michael Whitenack, Letter A, Assemblage Artist/Wood Carver

Mavis Leahy, Letter G, Vintage Textile Artist

Stephanie Brockway, Letter E, Mixed Media Sculptor

PLUS! We are teaching a few weekend workshops in making art from recycled materials at Maude Kerns and at MECCA! Stay tuned for more about that.

Heading Into The Holidays!

Hi there and thank you for getting my blog post! I am just sending this notice because I have a few things coming up.

Paper Clay Demonstration at the Duck Store

This Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 1 & 2 from 11-4

See several artists demonstrating their crafts, and get 25% off all art supplies during Tools of the Trade Show at the corner of 13th & Kincaid, next to the UO.

My Annual Holiday Art Sale is coming up!

And then I am teaching a Paper Clay Ornament Workshop in South Pasadena at The Hive! Nov 30 & Dec 1, 9-1pm each day. If you are in the LA area, check it out! Click here for more info.

Long Time No See!

Hello to all who probably think I fell off the earth!

I have been laying low for the longest while because of family health issues and life events. But I am slowly coming back to life and art making! Thanks to those who came to my Holiday Sale this year and to all the artists that helped fill the walls. It was a great success and I saw lots of new and old friends.

GROUP SHOW COMING UP

I will have 3 pieces of art in a group show at the Eugene Public Library beginning on Monday, January 9. My art group, Out of Our Minds, currently has 17 members and 9 of us will have work in this show.

My pieces for this show are collage works I made to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I have never had the right place to show them until now. They tell the story of how most of these disappearances are not even being investigated. Unthinkable!

Check out the show if you are in Eugene.

• • • WORKSHOP IDEAS • • •

I am also thinking about teaching workshops again. Only this time they will be 3-4 people at a time and will be in my studio in Eugene. If you would be interested in participating in workshops in Eugene, please let me know and if i find there are enough people, I will set up some dates and send out an email. No obligation. I am just wanting to see how many people are interested. mail@rogenemanas.com

Hooray! Spring is Coming! And bringing Paper Clay Workshops!

It has been a long and lonely winter! But now, that the vaccine ahead of us, spring will bring much needed sunshine and some relief that things will start improving…but it’s not over yet!

Making art really helps keep the Covid blues away…so I decided to try my hand at teaching a ZOOM WORKSHOP through our wonderful Oregon Art Supply store here in Eugene. You can get more information and register at this link for the class: PAPER CLAY WORKSHOP VIA ZOOM I will also record the class and share the link after the class so you can refer back to it.

SMALL ANIMALS in PAPER CLAY

THURSDAY 3/11 and FRIDAY 3/12, 1:00pm-4:00pm

Register with the link above or at Oregon Art Supply, 1020 Pearl Street, Eugene. Or call (541) 683-2787

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SORRY THE WORKSHOP IN SISTERS HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR NOW

2-DAY PAPER CLAY WORKSHOP IN SISTERS, OR

And! I will be teaching an in person workshop this June 5 & 6 in the adorable town of Sisters, Oregon! My good friend and fellow artist Susie Zeitner will host this event at Z Glass Studio, outdoors in a covered area (mask required to be safe). We are providing most of what you need for the class, plus a gourmet boxed lunch each day. You can find more information and register for this class right here on my website. Click here for more information.

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For this online class, you will get a few images ahead of time to choose from for your project. We will be making small works using small animals as subject matter. We will be finishing them in black and white, but at the end of the second day, I wi…

For this online class, you will get a few images ahead of time to choose from for your project. We will be making small works using small animals as subject matter. We will be finishing them in black and white, but at the end of the second day, I will demonstrate how to paint your piece in color using transparent paints. And Oregon Art Supply is offering a 20% discount for any materials you by when registered for this class. You can see the complete materials list at the link above. So take this class and get started using Creative Paperclay®. It is a fun, flexible and forgiving way to make art.

ONE DAY POP-UP SALE

The weather is supposed to be nice…so we are opening up the studio for an Open-Air Holiday Art Sale! So bundle up and come on by!

2192 Agate St…Corner of 22nd and Agate…Look for the open garage door on 22nd.

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Art Sale and FREE Workshop!

NEIGHBORHOOD HOLIDAY ART SALES

Come to my neighborhood’s Holiday Art Sales. Three OPEN-AIR STUDIOS within walking distance. Plus I will have work by 7 other artists in my studio! So bundle up and stop in for some POST ELECTION fun!

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Curious Mondo is running my comprehensive paper clay class (9 hours of instruction) on Monday, October 26 starting at 8 am PT for FREE. It will only be free during the broadcast. Go to this link to register and learn how I do what I do: https://www.curiousmondo.com/dimensional-art-paper-clay-free

Grace

Grace

Let's Help Maude Kerns Art Center

In 1973, when I first moved to Eugene, I took a watercolor class at Maude Kerns, and was gifted a scholarship because I had no money. It changed my life. I had an instant community of fun-loving people who liked to make art. I became a volunteer, was inspired by all the talented people I met there, and have been a member ever since.

Now our beloved Maude Kerns Art Center is having a hard time remaining open and functioning since its main annual fundraiser, Art in the Vineyard, was canceled because of the virus. We need everyone’s help to preserve this wonderful community asset that brings the joy of art making to all of us through art shows, adult classes and workshops, lectures, movies, special sales, public events and especially their fabulous children’s art classes and camps.

Come celebrate the last of summer at ART IN THE COURTYARD
Saturday, August 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Mark your calendars to enjoy enticing local art in the great outdoors (in the parking lot and courtyard at 1910 East 15th Avenue). Pair the art with FREE wine, beer, and food donated by some of their favorite supporters—RainSong Vineyard, Ninkasi Brewery, Café Yumm, and Prince Puckler’s.
Celebrate and support Eugene’s amazing art community!
Suggested donation is $5 at the door.
All State of Oregon and OHA Covid-19 guidelines will be enforced, including strict social distancing rules.

REACH FOR IT

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I have been inspired by Black Lives Matter and created a folk art piece about it called “Reach.” I feel we all need to reach for each other with love in our hearts these days. I’ve made prints of this image I’d love to share with you. Come to Maude Kerns for Art in the Courtyard and get your FREE signed print on Saturday, August 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have not been to Maude Kerns lately, come check it out.

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Weekend Paper Clay Workshop "Feathered Friends" A benefit for Maude Kerns Art Center

Saturday and Sunday August 22-23, 2020    

Create bas-relief art using air-dried paper clay on boards. Learn new methods of self-expression in this fun 2 day workshop.

Using Creative Paperclay®,  you will learn to sculpt relief forms onto boards and make free-form pieces on the first day. The second day will be devoted to carving and sanding the air-dried pieces, then finishing them with acrylic paint and medium. The result is a rich, textural, wood-carved effect that will leave people wondering how it was made. 

This class is ideal for all levels of skill from beginner to advanced. Paper clay is a flexible and forgiving medium that will stir your creativity. We will be working from bird images because they make a great and simple form to work from for learning the techniques. Choices of images will be provided.

12 hours of instruction includes paper clay sculpting and finishing, plus basic acrylic painting techniques. Clay for each participant is donated by the Creative Paperclay® company and acrylic paint is provided by M.Graham & Co. A complete materials list will be available when registering for the class.

All proceeds for this special fundraiser will go to Maude Kerns Art Center.

Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23, 10-4:30 pm each day, with 1/2 hour lunch break.

Class will be held in the gallery at Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E 15th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403. Proper social distancing measures will be observed and masks are required.

$150.00 Members, 165.00 Non-members. Class size limited to 10 people

Call 541.345.1571 for more information or click here to register.

Summer Projects!

PAPER CLAY WORKSHOP at MAUDE KERNS ART CENTER!

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Join me for a super fun workshop and benefit for Maude Kerns Art Center!

When I moved to Eugene in 1973, I went to Maude Kerns Art Center to see about taking some art classes. I was a young single mother and had no funds. They gave me a partial scholarship to take a watercolor class, and I became a volunteer there. That gave me an instant community of fun people interested in art and I have been a member ever since.

Because of Covid-19, this year’s Art in the Vineyard festival was canceled, and so I am doing a fundraising workshop to benefit Maude Kerns and help replace some of the funds they would have raised at the event.

Weekend Paper Clay Workshop "Feathered Friends" A benefit for Maude Kerns Art Center

Saturday and Sunday August 22-23, 2020    

Create bas-relief art using air-dried paper clay on boards. Learn new methods of self-expression in this fun 2 day workshop.

Using Creative Paperclay®,  you will learn to sculpt relief forms onto boards and make free-form pieces on the first day. The second day will be devoted to carving and sanding the air-dried pieces, then finishing them with acrylic paint and medium. The result is a rich, textural, wood-carved effect that will leave people wondering how it was made. 

This class is ideal for all levels of skill from beginner to advanced. Paper clay is a flexible and forgiving medium that will stir your creativity. We will be working from bird images because they make a great and simple form to work from for learning the techniques. Choices of images will be provided.

12 hours of instruction includes paper clay sculpting and finishing, plus basic acrylic painting techniques. Clay for each participant is donated by the Creative Paperclay® company and acrylic paint is provided by M.Graham & Co. A complete materials list will be available when registering for the class.

All proceeds for this special fundraiser will go to Maude Kerns Art Center.

Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23, 10-4:30 pm each day, with 1/2 hour lunch break.

Class will be held in the gallery at Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E 15th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403. Proper social distancing measures will be observed and masks are required.

$150.00 Members, 165.00 Non-members. Class size limited to 10 people

Call 541.345.1571 for more information or click here to register.

HAPPY SEQUESTERED SPRING!

Protect yourself! Stay home and stay healthy.

Protect yourself! Stay home and stay healthy.

I had a whole other post ready to go about all the things I am doing this spring. And now, everything has changed in a instant. So many people are suffering because of health or financial problems caused by this global pandemic that my problems feel insignificant.

All that said, I still am sad that my art opening and show at Guardino Gallery were canceled. But Donna, the gallery owner, is hanging the show in the gallery, and doing a VIRTUAL SHOW with the work online. SEE MORE BELOW!

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VIRTUAL ART SHOW AT GUARDINO GALLERY IN PORTLAND

On Thursday, March 26th, I will be having a VIRTUAL ART SHOW with my friend and amazing wood-carving artist Stan Peterson at Guardino Gallery in Portland (the gallery closed and the opening is cancelled) But ONLINE, we are are showing collections of narrative work, which for both of us means art that makes a statement or tells a story.

We both love folk art and outsider art, and you will see that reflected in our work for this show. I will be showing my collection of Everyday Saints and my endangered species animals in the Going Away Party. Plus I made a bunch of small paper clay milagros that will hang together, but be sold separately. And Stan and I have made a collaborative piece, combining his wood carving and my paper clay work.

The show hangs all of April and I promise it will be worth a look!

View our show on the Facebook page for Guardino Gallery, on their Instagram Feed at guardinogallery and at their website at https://www.guardinogallery.com which will include sizes and prices. Donna Guardino will be at the gallery from 11am-4pm Tuesday through Sunday and available for calls and emails: (503) 281-9048 gallery@guardinogallery.com. Donna is actually hanging the entire show in her gallery...so if you are walking by, you can view some of it from the street: 2939 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR. She might open by appointment only.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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This was coming and is now postponed…stay tuned for future plans:

FUNDRAISER PAPER CLAY WORKSHOP FOR MAUDE KERNS ART CENTER

When I moved to Eugene in 1973, I went to Maude Kerns Art Center to see about taking some art classes. I was a young single mother and had no funds. They gave me a partial scholarship to take a watercolor class, and I became a volunteer there. It gave me an instant community of fun people interested in art. I was in heaven then and have been a member ever since.

The art center, being such an old building, always needs financial help with repairs and improvements to keep the place going. So I am doing a workshop where all proceeds will go to Maude Kerns to enhance the entrance of the gallery with some new banners.

Weekend Paper Clay Workshop "Friends of a Feather" A benefit for Maude Kerns Art Center June 6 & 7, 2020    

Create bas-relief artwork using air-dried paper clay on boards. Learn new methods of self-expression in this fun 2 day workshop.

Using Creative Paperclay®,  you will learn to sculpt relief forms onto boards and make free-form pieces on the first day. The second day will be devoted to carving and sanding the air-fried pieces, then finishing them with acrylic paint and medium. The result is a rich, textural, wood-carved effect that will leave people wondering how it was made. 

This class is ideal for all levels of skill from beginner to advanced. Paper clay is a flexible and forgiving medium that will stir your creativity. We will be working from bird images because they make a great and simple form to work from for learning the techniques. Choices of images will be provided.

12 hours of instruction includes paper clay sculpting and finishing, plus basic acrylic painting techniques. Clay for each participant will be donated by the Creative Paperclay® company and the paint will be provided by M.Graham & Co. A complete materials list will be available when registering for the class.

All proceeds for this special fundraiser will go toward enhancing the entrance to the gallery at Maude Kerns Art Center.

Saturday and Sunday, June 6 & 7, 10-4:30 pm each day, with 1/2 hour lunch break

At Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E 15th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403

$150.00 Members, 165.00 Non-members

Class size limited to 15 people.

New Year! New Work! New Show!

Hearts of Hope, 18” x 24”, Paper clay and mixed media on canvas. Available for purchase at Maude Kerns Art Center, Jan 10-Feb 7

Hearts of Hope, 18” x 24”, Paper clay and mixed media on canvas. Available for purchase at Maude Kerns Art Center, Jan 10-Feb 7

I have been taking time away from art making to enjoy the holidays and set my course for the year to come. I have been having a neck issue for the past year and am finally realizing I need to work less and change the way I work. I am looking forward to a new year with a new direction for art making!

On January 10, at Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene, I am in a group show with 13 other artists from my women’s art group called Out of the Woodwork. I have been a member for the past couple of years and this is our first group show. I will be showing a collection of my Bodies of Work made with paper clay and other mixed media materials. Plus a large installation of 47 milagros I made of paper clay that will be sold separately. Join me at the reception, Jan. 10, 6-8pm.

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September Workshop in Salt Lake City plus FREE Online Classes!

2 DAY WORKSHOP IN SALT LAKE CITY

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching a fun paper clay workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 14 & 15 at The Pioneer Craft House. In this two-day class, we will focus on birds and cover all the fundamentals of working with paper clay in bas-relief on wood panels. I am exited to teach at this beautiful venue in this beautiful city! For more information go to:
https://www.pioneercrafthouse.com/paper-clay_rogene-manas.html


LAST WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR

The workshop in Salt Lake City will be the last workshop I will be teaching for an entire year. I have decided I need to get back to art making and try some new things that I have been thinking about. I love teaching, but I want to concentrate on my work in the coming year without planning workshops. This includes my annual workshop in Oaxaca, Mexico. Stay tuned for updates and future plans for workshops starting in September of 2020.

FREE ONLINE PAPER CLAY WORKSHOP

I will also be filming three FREE online classes with www.curiousmondo.com. In this special 3-part paper clay workshop, you will learn all about working with paper clay, from creating designs, to sculpting the clay in bas-relief, painting and finishing your piece, and adding collage materials with some of my mixed media techniques. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 16, 17, and 18, you can access these classes for FREE. If you miss the classes, you can purchase them to view at a later date and own access to this comprehensive, three-part paper clay workshop forever. The paid version will include extra projects, materials lists and bonus instructional footage. I promise it will be something special! Learn more about this workshop at https://www.curiousmondo.com/dimensional-art-paper-clay-free

Happy House Finch, 7” x 5”

Happy House Finch, 7” x 5”

Hiding Out, 24” x 18”

Hiding Out, 24” x 18”

Pink Peonies, 12” x 12”

Pink Peonies, 12” x 12”

Small Wonders Workshop, April 2019

Once again I met a group of wonderful artists who took my most recent paper clay workshop. We spent two days working on 3-dimensional art pieces, beginning with clay work and ending with painting and collage work. I was delighted that many of my students had previously taken workshops from me. And what a creative bunch of art makers they were.

The second day is always fun because these pristine little works of art become something else altogether. We start out by bringing out the detail work in the clay with contrasting colors. Then add color with transparent paints. I love the luminous look of everyone’s work. And check out the creativity. What an inspiration!


Of course, with 16 enthusiastic people, there is more work that I showed. The magic of a workshop is that you get to see how everyone else goes about their process. Often there is every level of skill from “never-did-this-before” beginners to advanced…even professional artists. And we all learn from each other. Since paper clay is new to most participants, it’s a fun exploration for everyone. Thank you to my wonderful class, to OSLP’s Arts and Cultural Program for the wonderful space, and to you for checking out the class art and reading all this!

Art Immersion Oaxaca 2019 - Wonderful Women, Wonderful Workshop, Wonderful Tour

Each time I return to Oaxaca, I am more in love with the place. Such a soulful place to come and make art with like-minded people. And we could not have had a more fun-loving group on this tour. Women joined us from one end of the US to the other, including NYC, Hawaii, Florida, the Southwest, and the Northwest.

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Our agenda was packed with trips to meet artisans, see museums and gallery shows, shop the mercados and street vendors, eat in world class restaurants and in people’s homes, plus of course meeting in our studio at the beautiful Casa Colonial to make art everyday! Below you will see our gallery of art pieces. Some are still in the works, some are getting more embellishments at home, and some I did not get pictures of. But you can see the variety of work we managed to get done in only a few hours each day (click on images to enlarge them).

Our excursions, lead by my tour partner, Jewel Murphy, who speaks, took us to out of the way places to discover more about the creative side of Oaxaca. We visited ceramic artists, assemblage artists, installation curators, print makers, weavers, wood carvers, painters and more. Plus Jane, owner and character of the casa, invites her favorite artisans to drop by with their wares. It is an artist’s wonderland of inspiration.

It is impossible to show you everything we did, ate, saw, learned, experienced, absorbed. But I think we all came away feeling like the people of this region are about as kind and loving as they come. They are grateful for our tourism and financial support for their community. We felt welcomed, well taken care of and were sad to leave. We won’t say goodbye, just “hasta luego”…see you later.