In Fall 2015, local artists teamed up with Soaring Hearts Artists to create paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and other works. The pieces will be auctioned tomorrow to benefit the Soaring Hearts art program (part of ALSO -Advanced Learning Systems of Oregon). Parris Foley is the dynamo who maintains the Soaring Hearts studio at her Infusion Gallery in Troutdale. She coordinated all the artists for this event.

For me, it was a rich experience to work with Janie — a young woman who is talented at painting, enjoys sipping lemonade, and whose favorite apple variety is Jazz. We created our painting, “Granny Smith’s Red Delicious Jazz Gala,” side by side. She had her eye on the Jazz apple, and it kept us focused because she knew she couldn’t eat it until our work was finished!

As a natural science illustrator, I tend to measure everything twice. Janie is very spontaneous. She drew the initial apple shapes holding her brush like a Sumi-e artist and worked just as quickly. I was shocked! Don’t we need a grid??

From there I mixed some colors and offered suggestions, but Janie knew what she was doing. Lastly, each apple needed a highlight. Dab. Dab. Dab. Dab. Janie nailed it. Then she grabbed the Jazz apple and took a bite.