PDX Contemporary Art is pleased to present Winter blooming, an exhibition of new work by Jeffry Mitchell.

The changing of seasons brings a new feeling. Autumn and its moribund wetness is ushered away by the bright clarity of winter. The crisp sting of cold air and the blanketing of snow draws us inward and indoors in search of warmth and comfort. This hibernation creates spaces of gathering, sharing, and contemplation. There is great delight to be found in the bleakness of winter.

The welcoming of colder seasons also brings with it an urge to decorate—adorning a tree with ornaments or making cozy a domestic space. Winter blooming features a variety of work—drawings and prints in artist-made frames, handcrafted wooden furniture, ceramic vessels and sculpture, small porcelain and pewter figures, bronze elephants and andirons, and plaster tables. The use of different materials is important to Mitchell, who, under his grandmother’s tutelage, learned a variety of decorative design and handicraft. His affection for simple materials like pen, paper, scissors, and glue remain and he continually returns to these craft roots in his art practice.