Christopher Shotola-Hardt opens his art exposition at Blackfish Gallery in the Pearl District in the beginning of October. The title of his show is Elegy for the Birds, which comes from a Greek word meaning a song of mourning.

He had this to say about his concentration, “it’s a very loving, positive, tribute to someone who has passed away. Elegy for the Birds has very strong, environmental, ecological undertones.”

His concentration focuses on different types of birds, and takes inspiration from Eastern European art from the early 1900’s. Mr. Shotola-Hardt’s family immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe, and this influences his art greatly.

The colors of his art pieces all follow a similar color scheme, with muted tones and the common theme of sea foam, which is one of his favorite colors. 

Mr. Shotola-Hardt has been teaching at Wilsonville since its opening in 1995, and has been teaching AP 2D Art since 1996.  During the school year, Shotola-Hardt spends around 8-20 hours a week in his studio, making sure all his pieces are ready for his upcoming shows.