things i'm fond of today

un cuadro by gabi piserchia

natural wonders.
left: annular solar eclipse by hiromitsu t.okra
right: eastern oregon by david ewald

handmade dolls by ryoko ishii

vintage bedspread hand-dyed by liane tyrell of enhabiten

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musical marriage proposal in portland:

Handpainted push pins are back!

Between shopping for a used car,  rebuilding a major rock wall in our yard, and finishing six paintings for an online show, I haven't had much time lately to just "play" at my art desk.  Two nights ago, when I should've been working on my final painting, I picked up a small bowl of old bingo markers instead.

I counted enough wood markers to create three sets. So, I grabbed a skinny brush and started painting some new designs.  Not surprisingly, I ended up with a mountain theme.

The handpainted push pins are now in my shop here.  I may create additional sets, but, only after I see some progress on that darn rock wall . . . oy, my back!

New print: In the deep dark woods

From time to time, I'm asked if I sell prints of my original paintings for sale in my online shop.  The answer has always been 'no' for a variety of reasons.  For one, my paintings are usually on wood panel.  And since my art prints are made in my home studio, it is either too difficult or just not possible (due to size) to scan my paintings.

After going back and forth on the idea of using a specialty shop, I finally decided to give it a go this week.   I had just one of my paintings professionally scanned since digital imaging services are not cheap.  Although it'll take a few sales to cover the cost of that one scan, I have to admit that I'm extremely impressed with its sharpness and color matching.  And, when running a test print, I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

I'm excited to say that the new print of In the deep dark woods is now available in my shop. And, for the next week, the art print will be listed at $20 (versus the original price of $25).  To see the listing, go here.

i heart portland

Portland has its share of nicknames.  There's City of Roses, PDX, Rip City, Stumptown, and P-Town, which is the most commonly used name by locals.  You may also hear Portland referred to as Bridgetown due to the cluster of bridges in the center of town.  There are a total of eight bridges within walking distance from downtown.

Most of the bridges are quite historical, dating before 1926.  The oldest is Hawthorne Bridge (1910), which is my favorite.  It also happens to be the oldest vertical-lift bridge in the United States that is still in use.  One of my first Habit of Art blog posts was on a simple embroidery piece I had done of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Hawthorne Bridge

Here are a few more photos I snapped over the years of Hawthorne Bridge and other Portland bridges.

Stalled on Hawthorne Bridge due to the lift.

Broadway Bridge

Burnside Bridge

St. Johns Bridge

My nine year-old daughter is currently learning about Portland bridges in her class.  For a class project, she chose to paint the Sellwood Bridge.  She worked hard on the painting, and I love how it turned out!

pottery habit

I don't condone hoarding unless it involves beautiful pottery. . . a rule I established in my household just today.  And it certainly doesn't help my pack rat instincts when lovely ceramicware can be snatched up for a few dollars apiece.  This weekend, Multnomah Arts Center in SW Portland is having an art sale on pottery and other handmade goodies.  Here are some of the things I brought home with me.

a wood-fired vessel, perfect for coarse salt

unique pencil or brush holder that I had to have

I actually got this wonderfully textured bowl a couple weeks ago from the "sale" corner.   This is where items are donated by students or teachers in the ceramics department, and all profits go right back to the arts center.  The bowl was just $5.  What a deal!

The art event at Multnomah Arts Center is just today and tomorrow.  If you do end up stopping by, don't forget to look under the tables! There are boxes full of pottery, and they don't mind if you rummage through them. 

While we're on the topic of pottery, I thought I'd share with you my latest experiment with a Pebeo Porcelaine Outliner.  The two cups were made by my uncle who's a potter.  Tea for two, anyone?

new work: alpine trail

The sun is shining once again in the Pacific Northwest, and it is truly glorious.  My eyes have yet to adjust to the brightness- granted, I do work in a cave (aka my basement) all day.  I've been drawn to neon colors lately, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with the sunshiny weather.

I just finished a small work yesterday called alpine trail.  While I was working on the piece, I snapped a few pictures.  I arranged the photos in a slideshow so you can see the progression of layers.




I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I'm working on six new originals for an online show.  I'm currently working on painting #3.  The show goes live June 5, but I thought I would give you a little peek of the two completed paintings. 

Also, my art prints are now available at Silver Moth in North Portland.  I had a lovely chat with one of the owners, Rita, who is an artist herself.  The shop carries a mix of vintage finds and handmade goods, and all at affordable prices.  I love my new (well, used) striped ceramic jar I got from Silver Moth.  I'm not sure what to store in it yet.  Maybe tea bags?

my photography: people

When I take pictures of people, I try to be as inconspicuous as possible.  It's usually just my camera in hand (no fancy studio equipment),  and I keep instructions for posing to a minimum.  Unless, of course, I'm trying to get the attention of an infant.  In which case,  I'll break into babble talk to get the baby to look up. 

For me, portrait photography is more about documenting a moment in life than staging one.  This is one of the reasons why I enjoy taking photos of small children.  Kids can't really fake a mood.  If they are not happy, they are going to let you know.  Fortunately, kids are also easy to please.  And, usually, a tasty treat or talk of bunnies will do the trick. 

My favorite portraits are those that capture sheer human emotion, like joy, love, shyness, surprise, and even annoyance.  And, I always look for those subtle nuances between couples and siblings that make a photograph more memorable and genuine.  It helps that most of my clients are folks that I already know.  The mother shown in the photos above used to be my daughter's preschool teacher.  These photos of her family were taken just last weekend.

If I had the time, I would shoot in black and white film again.  Back in the day, I even developed the pictures in my darkroom.  Today, my equipment sits in a corner collecting dust.  I consider photography to be my hobby, however, and not my profession.  So, I'm okay with where things are at the moment, especially since I get to paint and draw throughout the week! Now if only I can squeeze printmaking into the mix, my creative life would seem perfect. 

Art Sale!

The first day of May holds a lot of childhood memories.  I would make paper baskets and fill them with flowers from our garden.  Then I would hang them on neighbors' doorknobs, ring the doorbell, and scurry away as quickly as possible.

To continue this tradition of spring giving, I thought I would add a coupon code to your May Day basket.  From May 1 - 6, enter MAYDAY at checkout and receive 20% off your entire order in my Etsy shop.  Click here to start shopping.

Happy May Day everyone!