“Okeanos,” a black bamboo, fused glass and waxed linen thread sculpture by Charissa Brock at RiverSea Gallery.

ASTORIA — RiverSea Gallery presents two art exhibitions this weekend.

“Aqueous” is a solo exhibition of bamboo sculpture by nationally recognized Oregon artist Charissa Brock, who is lauded for her creative use of bamboo in all of its many forms. This body of work features the artist’s kiln-formed glass in masterful combination with bamboo and other organic materials.

Exhibiting in the Alcove is “Beyond the Surface,” a solo show of encaustic paintings by Portland artist Karen Story. This series is inspired both by her lifelong connections to water and her love of the figure in art. Whether depicting figures and relationships, landscapes suffused in water, or abstracted currents, the paintings in this show offer a soft romanticism and a spirited use of color.

Both shows open Saturday, June 11 with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. during Astoria’s Second Saturday Art Walk. All are invited to meet the artists, enjoy live music by David Crabtree, and complimentary small bites and beverages. The work will remain on view through July 5.

Brock’s elegant sculpture conveys a sense of strength, rhythm and grace, much like the forms from nature it alludes to. Though determinedly abstract, the work in this show is loosely based on a maritime theme, with forms that suggest waves, shells and vessels. Pattern and narrative are created through various techniques of using bamboo to create structure. Split stalks are precisely arranged into serried stacks to build solid forms that sometimes cradle stones, while soaring arcs sketch delicate shapes that seem ready to move with the wind. Woven strips and basketry stitches provide pattern, binding and tension, while rattan and cast paper are used in supporting roles. The artist’s own kiln-formed glass punctuates each piece with glimmer and color.

The artist has worked with bamboo as her chosen medium since 1999 and has demonstrated an unflagging desire to explore new permutations of using the plant in her artwork. Bamboo is a continually renewable resource and one that Brock considers unlimited in its use as an art material. She gathers the raw material for her work from gardeners, bamboo enthusiasts and commercial growers around Oregon. After at least six months in storage to remove moisture content, the stalks are hardened with heat before being cut, split or peeled.

Since 1995, Brock has been exhibiting regularly in gallery and museum shows throughout the U.S., and her work is held in corporate and museum collections. She has been featured in nationally published fine art magazines and many other periodicals for the past 16 years. She has taught and lectured about working with bamboo and kiln-formed glass in many venues; as near as the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology on the Oregon Coast, and as far away as Zurich, Switzerland.

Story’s chosen medium is encaustic, a mix of beeswax, pigment and tree resin, and her work is process oriented, with an emphasis on the many layers below the surface. The encaustic mixture is heated to melting point and applied to a wooden panel using a brush. Each layer of wax is fused to the preceding layer with a torch, allowing the layers to meld, while building a complex and varied underpainting that is visible through the translucent, luminous surface.

Encaustic painting demands flexibility from the artist due to unexpected changes in composition, form, texture and color when heat is applied. Building and scraping back layers lends an archeological feel to this method, as there is much digging back into and revealing the history of the painting.

Though the ever-changing nature of water is challenging to capture artistically, since it is translucent, transparent and reflective, Story has capitalized on the fluid nature of the encaustic process to create inspired depictions of watery environments.

Majoring in printmaking and painting at PNCA in Portland, Story was the recipient of the Louis Bunce Scholarship award and the Printmaking Department scholarship award. She exhibits regularly in Portland, her work is owned by the Portland Art Museum and by many private collectors, and she has been a represented artist at RiverSea Gallery since 2014.

RiverSea Gallery is located at 1160 Commercial St. For more information, call 503-325-1270, or visit riverseagallery.com