Gallery Mission
The American Red Cross Life's Crossing Community Gallery is aligned with the Red Cross values and fundamental principles. The goal of this gallery is to create a welcoming and relaxing environment for staff, volunteers and those they serve.

The gallery, located inside the Red Cross at 3131 N. Vancouver Ave. in Portland, will serve as a bridge to our local neighborhood through our arts community.

Call to artists and submission information
Download the consignment agreement (PDF)

Don Jarman

About the artist

Don Jarman has had a life time interest in fine art beginning in grade school, continuing into high school and beyond. Encouragement did not come from his family and when he approached retirement he actively participated in classes and different mediums.

Don has been painting seriously since 1983. It began when he was a member of the Portland Opera Make-up crew. He began to take watercolor classes at PCC Rock Creek to improve his "blending" skills.

When Don moved to Southern California in 1985 he continued to take art classes submitting his art to a number of art shows in the Long Beach, CA area. He began taking beginning classes and advanced to the criteria of "Advanced" artist.

In 2001Don returned to live in Beaverton, OR and became a member of the Village Art Gallery in Cedar Mill. Don creates fine art in pastel, watercolor, oil and acrylic continuing to take classes through PCC, Elsie Stuhr Center and Multnomah Art Center.

Considered a "narrative" painter his paintings usually tell a story or depict a special person. Don is a retired ordained minister earning three degrees one being a Doctorate from a Claremont, CA graduate school. He is fond of quoting Henri Matisse, "All art worthy of the name is religious. Be it creation of lines and colors, if it is not religious, it does not exist." A view of his art will testify that he likes to tell a story through is paintings. In the light of the Matisse quote his paintings are not heavy handed religious documents but more of illustrations of life and beauty.  Don also takes pride in the fact that his children, grandchildren and step children are all involved in some form of fine art. His wife Sharon is an accomplished quilter sharing with Don the love and interest in color and design.

Kathleen Buck

Kathleen Buck 31925 NE Canter Lane Sherwood, OR 97140 503-625-5747 kbuckcheney@comcast.net www.KathleenBuckArt.com

Artist's Statement

I believe that a single gesture or movement can reveal the essence of a living creature, and repeated observation has taught me that this is true for both human beings and animals.   I strive to capture a moment in time, and express the energy and joy found in the moment. Movement also creates exciting angles that allow me to compose background shapes that can be as strong and interesting as the shapes of the subjects.

I paint primarily in watercolor and acrylics. Watercolor provides a luminosity that enhances the energy of the moment; acrylics encourage a layered painting style with great depth.  I am exploring painting with acrylics on canvas with a palette knife.  I find that the knife allows me to use rapid strokes to form texture, which helps accentuate the motion in the scene.  Luminous bright colors and a strong use of light and dark patterns recreate the excitement and energy of the moment.

In the future, I want to continue using moving figures to capture a moment in time, and to explore the essence of invisible forces, such as, wind, speed, music or joy, in the instant they touch the subjects of my paintings.

I have been a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon since 1994.  I am active in the Arts Alliance of Yamhill County, which annually sponsors the Art Harvest Studio Tour, in which I have participated since 1997.  My work has been accepted into and won awards in numerous juried shows, including the Northwest Watercolor Society Members Show, five Watercolor Society of Oregon shows, Beaverton Showcase, Coos Art Museum, the OSU Forestry Center, and the International Pinot Noir Festival.  I have won awards for my paintings in the 2005 Watercolor of Oregon Fall Show, the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, and several Village Gallery juried shows. People worldwide collect my work.

Currents Gallery in McMinnville, Studio II in Tigard and the Aurora Gallery in Vancouver WA currently represent me.