Studio Arts Connection bringing watercolor, yarn arts, jewelry making, and gallery space to Roseburg

ROSEBURG, Ore. — A new creative studio is getting ready to open in Roseburg, offering a peaceful place for locals to make art, learn new skills, and connect with other makers.

Studio Arts Connection, owned by artist and designer Sharon Bedford, is expected to open in early February (February 3rd) at 1350 NE Stephens St. #10, next to Subway.

Bedford said the studio will offer a mix of hands-on classes, open studio drop-ins, and a small gallery space for local artists, with a focus on building a calm and welcoming creative community.

“I will have open working drop-ins as well as formal class times so we can build a peaceful community,” Bedford said.

A lifelong artist with deep creative roots

Bedford said her love for art started early, long before Studio Arts Connection became an idea.

She has been making art since grade school and said her talent for drawing helped shape her professional career. She worked in Engineering Services as a Mechanical Drafter, Technical Illustrator, and Graphic Artist, using her skills in detailed drawing and design in a more technical setting.

Her early art background included mediums like pen and ink, pencil, and charcoal, and while she experimented with acrylics, she said watercolor was always something she truly wanted to learn.

From California to Roseburg, and finally watercolor

After moving to Roseburg from California, Bedford said she decided to pursue watercolor more seriously and enrolled in a class at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association, where she studied with Bill Malhoff.

She described the experience as fun and rewarding, and said it helped push her forward into the watercolor community.

Over time, she joined the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and describes her painting style as Realistic Expressionism.

Retail storefronts, gallery space, and years of building experience

Bedford said Studio Arts Connection also reflects years of experience running creative businesses.

“In my days, I have had several retail crafter type stores which also had a gallery space for my work,” she said.

She said she also built up a strong inventory over the years through past ventures, including a store she ran in Morgan Hill, California in the 1990s, where she accumulated many of the glass beads she still has today.

Bedford said she also held onto a large supply of yarn from when she closed a downtown store in 2014, which helped give her a head start as she began putting together what Studio Arts Connection would become.

From local markets to a permanent studio space

For the past several years, Bedford has been a familiar face to many in the community through her work at the Umpqua Farmers Market, where she sold handmade items including knit hats, fingerless mitts, and bohemian-style vests and tunics.

She also brought her paintings, bead jewelry, and sculptures to the market, and later expanded her vending to the Eugene Saturday Market over the last two years.

But after traveling every weekend for setup and teardown, Bedford said she eventually felt burned out.

“I got burned out traveling with the set-up and tear-down every Saturday,” she said.

That shift, she said, helped lead her toward creating a studio space that would allow her to teach, create, and build community in one location.

A studio built on community and purpose

Bedford said she has also been part of an online artist mentoring group called “Created to Thrive” by Matt Tommey, which encouraged her both personally and creatively.

She said the experience helped her grow, and reinforced her desire to create a space where other people could come together and reconnect with creativity.

“In my quiet time with Jesus, I felt led to open a Studio space to connect with other makers and create a peaceful place to create art / crafts,” Bedford said.

What Studio Arts Connection will offer

Bedford said Studio Arts Connection will focus on classes, creative learning, and open studio time, with options for people who want structured instruction as well as those who just want a calm place to work.

Planned offerings include:

• Watercolor painting and techniques
• Crochet and knitting instruction
• Writing and selling patterns online
• Copper wire weaving and jewelry-making
• Open working drop-ins
• Scheduled class times
• A gallery space featuring additional teachers and artists

Bedford said she will also carry a selection of supplies, but she is keeping the studio’s inventory focused rather than trying to compete with larger stores.

She said she plans to carry natural and luxury fibers, along with real Czech glass beads, and some seed beads, threads, needles, and jewelry-making notions.

She also said she hopes to carry a brand of watercolor paint made in Oregon.

Supporting other local shops, not replacing them

Bedford said she encourages customers to bring their own supplies when possible, and also to shop locally around downtown Roseburg for additional materials.

She said she plans to start with her existing supplies, but encourages people to support other local stores, including the fine art store downtown, yarn stores downtown, and larger retailers like Michael’s for anything she doesn’t carry.

“I just can’t carry everything,” she said.

First class set for Feb. 4

Bedford said her first watercolor class is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m., with a Valentine-themed project focused on creating hand-painted cards.

The class will include a lesson on painting Valentine cards, finding card blanks, and printing personalized sentiments.

Bedford said she also plans to teach students how to reuse a painting design for multiple occasions by pairing the same artwork with different messages for different people.

Supplies will be included, and she said gel pens are encouraged.

Opening date and location

Bedford said she hopes the studio will be open by Feb. 3, but noted the space may still be in the process of being arranged as opening approaches.

Studio Arts Connection will be located at:

1350 NE Stephens St. #10 (next to Subway)

How to follow updates

Bedford said community members can follow her work and studio updates online through:

• Facebook: Sharon Bedford Designs
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/4sharonbdesigns 
• Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/sharonbdesigns
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/4sharonbdesigns

More information about upcoming classes and open studio times is expected to be shared through those channels as the opening date approaches.