The Portland Six

 

With my so-so camera I walked a misty path around the city streets of Portland with my husband Saturday night. Shooting from vantage points atop the seventh floor of a parking garage to the point blank position in front of street vendors. When the ceiling is low the city sounds are muffled and appear more intimate. The rhythm of a five-gallon bucket street performer echoed yet clung to the thick air. The architectural detail of the old buildings never bore me. Public art is abundant in this city creating a playground for my senses. Nostalgia, restoration, renovations and new construction meld to envelop my version of an urban utopia. I didn't have my ipod but if I did I would of been listening to this...

Who the heck am I anyway?

So what's it called when a person is so involved every minute of everyday that they loose track of time and wonders "who am I?" Progress? Craziness? Perseverance? Accomplishment? Insanity? Yes is my answer to all. I miss my camera. Every now and then I'll put it in my bag and never take it out. If I'm not entrenched in homework, class time or work I'm running through the streets of Portland to get in my car to drive the long commute home. Sometimes I run in the direction of where I parked days before only to realize at 7am that morning I parked somewhere else. I eventually find my car, which sucks up more time. Now as the daylight is shorter I'm relieved when my bottom hits the bucket seat. I plug in my ipod (typically start with something like this CLICK ME!)(makes me feel a bit surreal in my urban crawl), crank up the seat warmer, take a few deep breaths and wiggle my way onto the interstate. In the home stretch I listen to my youngest practice the piano for a half an hour live via my cars killer stereo bluetooth feature.

Someday these amazing life's efforts will funnel into something spectacular. Not to say the experience is anything less but big things are stirring and I'm rather inquisitive as to where they'll land.

Along the Way...

There are times I wish my eyes could preserve a captured moment for reproduction instead of having to reach for the camera and possibly losing the moment. In doing it the fumbling time consuming way...I've documented some bits of time recently, things I saw that caught my attention. Possibly music or environmental sounds are attached to the experience, possibly silence...although with this selection not likely. This remake [click] makes for magnificent bridge traveling. This [click] makes for some introspective city strolling (and the stop motion video makes me smile).

Pensive Sunshine

Summer's in full swing and I'm soakin' up the sunshine.

This is all I've got...[click]

Official Inspiration

 Inspiration from the garden.

 Inspiration from someone else's garden.

Officially inspired.
[click]

Lettin' It All Go

Spending time at the coast refreshes the creative flow,

cleanses the fragmented mind,

enriches the...well.....you get it.

I brought along this [click], this [click]
and this [click] to pass the time.

Bare feet are required:

while cracking crab

shooting oysters

and grilling salmon.

Realize pedicures & sand don't mix,

beware of expired sunscreen

and by all means sit on a rock in a big floppy hat and stare for a while

then soak in that hot tub until there isn't anything to think about

(not that there really was to begin with)

This & That w/no Surprises or Pizazz

This July 4th I chose to stay behind and comfort an old friend. One who has had his fair share of explosive holidays (13 to be exact). It sounds like a war zone out there. In our part of the country fireworks are magnificently large and readily available to anyone willing to support the local organizations that sell them at the sidewalk stands. Our streets are lined with American Flags and the sweet smell of BBQ invisibly streams through the air.

Hand whipped made from scratch Vanilla Lemon Blueberry Mousse for my people as the firework mortars blast outside my kitchen window.

A hike to Elowah Falls on a warm sunny summer day.

Taking it all in.

A graphically prepared photo ready for encaustic work.

A cropping of a mixed media painting in it's infant stage, many weeks to go until completion.

Summer Solstice

Studio desk.

Old art.

Finally some sunshine.

And tasty fruit.

I've got some things going on that take time. Time to be in the moment, take it all in and move from that spot without expectations. That's when my imagination flows best. I am preparing for a gallery jury, slowly working on commission pieces, preparing encaustic photography and conquering anything that falls between the lines. Summer means my life will continue on it's fast pace yet the lazy days will reign over any stress and chaos. The family disperses during the day and always comes together on the front porch at dusk. There's an odd sense of relaxation when the sun sets at 10pm. As if there's plenty of time to accomplish everything that needs to get done. This [click] and this [click] are making me smile.

Silly Rain

A little something the rain made me do.

(click on play even if you don't see a screen)

Bee Girl

I finally finished my Bee Girl painting a year after starting it. There's a story in there somewhere. I couldn't help but write it in my head as I painted. I used old torn book pages, mica disks, oil bars, aluminum & copper leafing, acrylics, colored inks and a stablio pencil to complete her. I think the only thing I left out was the encaustic wax. She has turned out to be a mixed media piece, as all my painting do. She's already SOLD! but booked for a few appearances here and there before traveling to her new home in a sweet little girls room. I find it amazing each and every time I complete a piece, their final state is typically very different from the vision I originally create in my head.