Meet the Artist Show!

Friday, March 28
Free Admission!

Cathy Lai, February Featured Artist

In a million years, I never dreamed that I would be able to pick up a brush to paint for real.

Growing up, my family ran a rice farm in Taiwan, so we were by no means rich. My parents worked very hard to put food on the table and pay for our school tuition. When I was in junior high, families and friends were aware of my artistic talent, but becoming an artist was not an option for me. I believed it wasn’t a financially stable profession, and my dad couldn’t afford to buy those pricey supplies. He even struggled to provide the small pencils that I needed for my homework. In the old days, there was only one path I could follow: Study hard, work hard, and succeed.

I moved to Portland, Oregon from Taipei, Taiwan in 2000 with my ex and my daughter. I went to a community college while I simultaneously owned a dollar store. When the marriage fell apart, we sold our business, and I worked for Wells Fargo. After I graduated from college, I fortunately got a job offer at Daimler/Freightliner Truck as a 3D/2D Design Engineer. During the design process, I used my creative abilities to work on anything from 3D bracket designs with heavy cables to 2D dimensioning drawing, then finished on colorful PowerPoint presentations for manufacturing.

Working 10-12 hours daily, I felt a health warning signal that was silently approaching me. I met my husband Mark in 2020, and we were married two years later. Mark convinced me to take a break from the job I loved, and we moved to Pebble Creek. Three months after we moved here, I was depressed and found myself stuck in a boring community with no shopping malls around. One morning, we decided to check out the Creative Arts Center. I was caught by the art created by all the clubs, especially the painting Art Club - Bingo!!!
Read more about Cathy's art journey Feb. 2025

What's happening in February?

February will be a busy month at the Creative Arts Center, with art classes in various mediums as well as several member-only events, a benefit of belong to the club. In addition, Open Studio is held every Tuesday-Saturday except when there is a class. So, whether you are already a member or thinking of joining, please see which of these classes appeal to you!

Please consult the classes and event calendar on the PCArt Club website, www.PCArtClub.org, for costs, supply lists and other information.

Feb. 1: Modern Mixed Media Portraiture with Mallory Condrath “Modern Mixed Media Portraiture.” Unleash your creativity as you explore portraiture through the lens of modern mixed media.

Feb. 8 Colored Pencils with Barbara Dahlstedt Discover the joy of creating your very own colored pencil treasures from an award-winning artist and teacher. This class is designed for beginning to advanced artists.

Feb. 11: Graphite Pencil Drawing with Carla Cebrelli. Experienced artists call this class “a must” for artists at all levels.

Feb. 14 & 15: Painting Mentorship with Ed Sprafkin. The fundamentals of impressionistic representational painting in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor and gouche. Paint from your own reference photo or from one supplied by the instructor.

Feb. 20: Painting Spring Flowers with Thee instructor will use Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Watercolors. Great for students just starting out in watercolor, as well as a perfect way for the seasoned painter to learn something new.

Artist Registration Deadline Feb. 28

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