New Works September 2017: see comments on / Just Saying
Say Bye-Bye….
The Wilsonville solo “Explorations in Two Dimensions” exhibit has now completed its run. Thirty-seven pieces of art are now safely transported to their new places. It was all lovely hard work and I’m thankful to the staff, particularly Joyce Gabriel, of Clackamas Community College/Wilsonville Campus for their on-site assistance.
I give thanks too for the visitors and journalists who support the arts in our community. I’m especially grateful for the twenty or so visitors who took the time to write their observations in the “Comments” book. It’s an action that’s appreciated and enriches the history of the show, particularly for the exhibiting artist.
And of course Those-Who-Must-Be-Named—who helped with installation and/or take down and the opening party—who made it happen: Chelsea Emery, Paul Griffitts, Michael Leary, Mikki Lipsey, Steve Lipsey, Liz Marantz, Mickey Ronningen, Terry Ronningen, Alan Rose, Cathy Rose, and Alan Vargo. I owe you.
And hello to….
The Gillia Gallery/Verum Ultimum 4th Annual ABSTRACT CATALYST Exhibition, 3014 NE Ainsworth, Portland, Oregon. You are invited to the opening celebration September 23, 2017 from 6-8 pm. The show includes my piece “Organic Illusions” selling for $750.00 USD. The exhibit runs through October 16. Gallery hours vary; call 347-752-8915 for appointments.
The Canby Public Library, 220 NE 2nd Avenue, Canby, Oregon, will be a solo showing of ABSTRACT RESOLUTIONS throughout the library from October 2 to November 30, 2017. The library is open seven days a week; hours vary. See www.canbylibrary.org for specifics.
Augusta Savage Gallery, University of Massachusetts, 103 New Africa House, Amherst, Massachusetts, HOME exhibition will include my entry (brief story + artwork) titled appropriately “Home.” Exhibition dates: February 1 to April 30, 2018. Hours vary. See www.fineartscenter.com/augusta for details.
Meanwhile….
Waiting to hear from the Guardino Gallery (Portland, OR) to see if there’s room for my work next year; Smack Mellon Art Gallery (Brooklyn, NY) UPROOT exhibit call for showing November 18-December 31, 2017; Antenna (New Orleans, LA) open call, again for a limited showing in 2018.
The Wilsonville solo “Explorations in Two Dimensions” exhibit has now completed its run. Thirty-seven pieces of art are now safely transported to their new places. It was all lovely hard work and I’m thankful to the staff, particularly Joyce Gabriel, of Clackamas Community College/Wilsonville Campus for their on-site assistance.
I give thanks too for the visitors and journalists who support the arts in our community. I’m especially grateful for the twenty or so visitors who took the time to write their observations in the “Comments” book. It’s an action that’s appreciated and enriches the history of the show, particularly for the exhibiting artist.
And of course Those-Who-Must-Be-Named—who helped with installation and/or take down and the opening party—who made it happen: Chelsea Emery, Paul Griffitts, Michael Leary, Mikki Lipsey, Steve Lipsey, Liz Marantz, Mickey Ronningen, Terry Ronningen, Alan Rose, Cathy Rose, and Alan Vargo. I owe you.
And hello to….
The Gillia Gallery/Verum Ultimum 4th Annual ABSTRACT CATALYST Exhibition, 3014 NE Ainsworth, Portland, Oregon. You are invited to the opening celebration September 23, 2017 from 6-8 pm. The show includes my piece “Organic Illusions” selling for $750.00 USD. The exhibit runs through October 16. Gallery hours vary; call 347-752-8915 for appointments.
The Canby Public Library, 220 NE 2nd Avenue, Canby, Oregon, will be a solo showing of ABSTRACT RESOLUTIONS throughout the library from October 2 to November 30, 2017. The library is open seven days a week; hours vary. See www.canbylibrary.org for specifics.
Augusta Savage Gallery, University of Massachusetts, 103 New Africa House, Amherst, Massachusetts, HOME exhibition will include my entry (brief story + artwork) titled appropriately “Home.” Exhibition dates: February 1 to April 30, 2018. Hours vary. See www.fineartscenter.com/augusta for details.
Meanwhile….
Waiting to hear from the Guardino Gallery (Portland, OR) to see if there’s room for my work next year; Smack Mellon Art Gallery (Brooklyn, NY) UPROOT exhibit call for showing November 18-December 31, 2017; Antenna (New Orleans, LA) open call, again for a limited showing in 2018.
About Mickey
Micheline “Mickey” Stefanie Ronningen was born a Boomer near Los Angeles, California. She spent her early formative years being led around by her three older sisters while escaping “Huge snapping turtles!” in Des Moines, Iowa, corn fields. Then the family moved to Chicago. Her flatlander status being well established, Mickey made the drastic move to the partially mountainous Pacific Northwest after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Today Mickey's creative outlets include fine art, writing, editing, gardening and landscape design, performance, and dealing blackjack. Creative pursuits began with refusing to talk until age five (she made up her own language), drawing pictures at the age of four and writing fictional illustrated stories by age nine. Performance work developed at age sixty-five with recurring character work on IFC's "Portlandia." (Mickey plays Carrie Brownstein's mom.) Pursuing fine arts was well established with a summer spent at the Ox-Bow School of Art and eventual full-tuition scholarship and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at SAIC.
Mickey's current passion is to develop her artistic statement in the studio and find the audience for her fine art work, while working on marketing and sales. She fully intends to blog more often; see "Just Saying" [above] for any current and past essays.
Today Mickey's creative outlets include fine art, writing, editing, gardening and landscape design, performance, and dealing blackjack. Creative pursuits began with refusing to talk until age five (she made up her own language), drawing pictures at the age of four and writing fictional illustrated stories by age nine. Performance work developed at age sixty-five with recurring character work on IFC's "Portlandia." (Mickey plays Carrie Brownstein's mom.) Pursuing fine arts was well established with a summer spent at the Ox-Bow School of Art and eventual full-tuition scholarship and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at SAIC.
Mickey's current passion is to develop her artistic statement in the studio and find the audience for her fine art work, while working on marketing and sales. She fully intends to blog more often; see "Just Saying" [above] for any current and past essays.
Artist Statement
I use abstraction because I find it lends clarity to those murky and otherwise undefinable transient states of being. Abstraction is basic to our thought processes. As an art form, it also can allow viewers freedom from potentially limiting and reality-based associations. My style is necessarily contemporary.
I am intrigued by the invisible (such as feelings and sensory experience) and enjoy the challenge of giving form to things and ideas, translating such essentials into color, shape and composition. All the while I honor those aspects directing one’s humanity and life course. Additional elements offer respect for humor and the restorative power of the meditative state.
Currently the materials I use to make such statements include archival paper, canvas, Claybord, pens, ink, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, pigment markers, paint and graphite. Pens offer a fine line element; markers are typically somewhat bolder. Colored and watercolor pencil offer specific textural differences. Ink may allow a wondrous drip. Paint provides solidity. I always begin a composition with graphite. The composition evolves as the statement evolves. Sometimes an artwork’s origins demand discovery, sometimes I’m way ahead of the process.
My ideal viewer appreciates color, balance and imbalance, a sense of play, a sense of identity and a sense of mystery. Many of my compositions invite meditative thought. I enjoy encouraging viewers to wander and safely embrace the unknown. Welcome fellow travelers….
I am intrigued by the invisible (such as feelings and sensory experience) and enjoy the challenge of giving form to things and ideas, translating such essentials into color, shape and composition. All the while I honor those aspects directing one’s humanity and life course. Additional elements offer respect for humor and the restorative power of the meditative state.
Currently the materials I use to make such statements include archival paper, canvas, Claybord, pens, ink, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, pigment markers, paint and graphite. Pens offer a fine line element; markers are typically somewhat bolder. Colored and watercolor pencil offer specific textural differences. Ink may allow a wondrous drip. Paint provides solidity. I always begin a composition with graphite. The composition evolves as the statement evolves. Sometimes an artwork’s origins demand discovery, sometimes I’m way ahead of the process.
My ideal viewer appreciates color, balance and imbalance, a sense of play, a sense of identity and a sense of mystery. Many of my compositions invite meditative thought. I enjoy encouraging viewers to wander and safely embrace the unknown. Welcome fellow travelers….