(Above: A pointillist painting — art created using patterns of colored dots — titled Rufus in the Morning, is the work of Emerald Art Center member Don Ferrell and is on display in September at the Emerald Art Center, along with work by Meredith Ferrell. Their joint exhibit is called Together in Art.)
Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Member shows
Emerald Art Center members Don and Meredith Ferrell are featured in September with a show called Together in Art.
His portion shows his affinity for a painting style called pointillism, which creates the image by using tiny dots of color rather than lines or solid splashes of color. Historically famous artists who used the pointillist technique include George Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, and Camille Pissaro.
In creating a pointillist work, Ferrell starts with color dots and describes the process as allowing the dots themselves to determine a pathway to the finished painting.
In her case, Meredith Ferrell presents richly colored acrylic paintings, which are much brighter than her more customary mediums of watercolor or silk painting.
Guest artist
California artist Robyn Drake, based in Half Moon Bay on the northern California coast, also has her work on the walls at the Emerald Art Center in September, with a exhibit called Untamed and Indomitable.
Her style varies widely, from seascapes and florals to still life and also includes nudes and other figures as well as animals, including her own Andalusian horse, Patrón, and her raven named Hector, whom she views as symbols of freedom and loyalty. Her professional background also has included saddlery and horsewomanship. She attributes her approach to life and art in part to her upbringing on an Iowa farm, where “Life there was unforgiving, and in that way, it shaped me to walk this path — untamed, indomitable, determined, and high-risk tolerant.”
In addition to displaying her art, Drake will lead an alla prima floral painting workshop at the Emerald Art Center from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26. Alla prima refers to wet-on-wet painting, which emphasizes “gesture, value structure, and simplified forms.” Participants also will have the option of experimenting with oil-and-wax painting, a technique Drake developed. Cost of the session will be $50 for Emerald Art Center members, $60 for non-members, and participation is limited to 12 participants. (See emeraldartcenter.org for details and sign-up.)
Images and embroidery from the Latin American community
Also on the walls in September are photographs by Diego Sebastián Hernández Zapata, that reflect everyday life in Mexico City, from street scenes to symbolic rituals, in a show called Discover Mexico City Life. Images in the show were captured either with a cellphone or a Nikonos Calypso camera. For more information, go online to dshzmedia.myportfolio.com/
Embroidery by Marcella Figueroa Zamilpa
Memories of My Homeland III is also on display in September, featuring embroidered scenes that share the experiences of Latin American women from the Eugene-Springfield area, including memories, traditions, and the vivid colors of everyday life.
Special guest artists include Maricela Figueroa Zamilpa and Fabiola Marroquin. (The annual project is coordinated by Jessica Zapata, with support from Rose Oakman, Educator for Community Engagement and Well-being at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, along with Eugene Arte Latino and Comunidad y Herencia Cultural, in collaboration with the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Emerald Art Center.)
September at the Emerald Art Center
When: Through Sept. 26, 2025
Where: Emerald Art Center, 500 Main St., Springfield
Regular gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Special reception and art walk: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
(Artist Meredith’s painting, Dragonfly in Her Lily Pond, is part of a two-person show, Together in Art, on display in September at the Emerald Art Center; her acrylic work is displayed less often than her watercolors or silk paintings.)
