Harriet Levi

"Wild Landscape" acrylic on board 18x24

 

  I started my artistic career in the 1960’s at the Boston University School of Theatre where I designed costumes for the Tufts University Theatre, the Kennebunkport Opera Theatre, and the Charles Playhouse. After attempting to do the costumes for Doctor Faustus at the University of Oregon while parenting two toddlers, I postponed my “artistic life”. For the next 35 years I taught preschool, worked for Head Start, and then worked in higher education in parenting, early childhood ed, and eventually found my calling in coordinating and teaching Women’s Studies. After retiring from 21 years at Clark College, I was then free to return to art. I  work primarily in acrylics and wood, but also explore pastels, inks, watercolors, and multimedia.   While I love trying new genres, such as monotypes, and water media, I always return to acrylics, where I can imbed objects into the paint, use many mediums for different effects, and place my art in wooden boxes that I build to make sets for my paintings, often done originally on canvas. I often adding branches, figures, and other elements into the shadow box for a third dimension.  I am fascinated by the idea of the artist as a voyeur, peering into other lives, and the art of looking itself. I often have hidden messages about myself, and society, some are less hidden, as in my seven deadly sins. They look somewhat humorously at sexism, racism, body image, greed, and other delights of modern culture. I have shown in numerous group and solo shows in Portland, Newport, Tacoma, Spokane, and in online galleries. I have also been in 5 shows in South Korea and will be travelling to Vietnam to show in an international women’s exhibit in June of 2012. Here is a link to a book I made about my June 2011 trip to Korea. I am very active in the Oregon chapter of the Women’s caucus for Art and  regularly participate in OWCA group shows. www.oregonwca.org   www.nationalwca.org All of my work is for sale, and prints are available on request. 2012 EXHIBITS    JANUARY      Group Exhibit Evolve Gallery at 100th Monkey Art Studio. Opening reception Friday January 6 from    6-9 p.m. 110 SE 16th Avenue      Geezer Gallery group show. First Friday opening Jan. 6th 6-9 p.m. Multnomah Village, corner of SW 31st and Capital Hignway in the Loaves and Fishes Building   FEBRUARY OWCA group show on sensuality Geezer Gallery. First Friday opening February 3rd, 6-9 p.m. address above.    APRIL      First Unitarian Church Art Fair, April 20, 21, 22. Friday evening gala and opening reception,      Saturday  10-6:30, Sunday 10-2.  12th and SW Main in downtown Portland.    JUNE First Unitarian Church Art Wall group show, every Sunday through July 29th and by appt. other days. International Women’s Art Exhibit, HoChiMinh City, Vietnam, June 21-28.    SEPTEMBER OWCA Group show at the Singer Hill Café in Oregon City