Ardis DeFreece

My current artwork, research, and writings focus on the intersections of nature and human intervention. I am inspired to create work that reflects the changing nature of our environment and the everyday objects, people, creatures and places in that environment. Representational Painting and drawing are my primary methods of art making, though I also create installations, artist books, picture books, and more. Most recently, I have shown my larger works at the Oregon Zoo Education Center, Columbia Center for the Arts, and Hatfield Marine Science Center. Currently, I am working on a picture book on Oregon native White Oak habitat and researching the history of paint.

I am the Chair of BFA Thesis at PNCA at Willamette University and an Assistant Professor in the Foundation and Painting & Drawing Departments and a graduate of the MFA in Visual Studies program at PNCA. I have been teaching art to adults and children through schools, workshops, and community education programs in the US and abroad since 2000. As an educator, I hope to encourage my students to find their own voices through their work.

Along with teaching, and art making, I enjoy public speaking on art and ecology. I have had the pleasure of speaking at conferences and symposia at colleges, universities, science centers, and art centers in the Pacific Northwest region and beyond. The rest of the time, you will find me traveling and in nature, exploring with the people I love.