A piano (05-19-12)

We were visiting some friends, and I drew the fine piano in their living room...

This piano, all glossy black, was a beautiful instrument. I wanted to to feel how smooth and polished the wood would feel, and let my fingers run over the keys, and conjure melodies out of it as if by magic...

ArtSpark and Brasserie Montmartre (05-17-12)

ArtSpark was hosted by Sweet Hereafter this month. The usual hipster crowds mixing with various subcategories of Portland coolness were treated to displays set by I [Heart] Art: Portland, PDX Pipeline, RACC, and other sponsors. I was too busy filling out entry forms for the drawings to take the time to sketch the goings-on. I was particularly interested in the Nomad Brush, a very cool brush to paint on the iPad... And best of all, I was thrilled to win it! (Bwahahah!)

I drew the faces on the iPad screen with
the kiddie version of the Nomad Brush.

Afterwards, I briefly stopped by Church to visit some lady friends who were working on various crafts projects.

And since the night was still young, I took the opportunity to stop by the Brasserie Montmartre where, for their first anniversary, there was 60s French music hosted by French DJ Cecilia Paris, and a nice ambiance. I took advantage of the free fries, free cheese and olives that were offered, and ordered my usual Coke with Grenadine. Comfortably set to observe the scene, my attention was caught by a Retro style couple sitting at the bar. The back of the guy's black T-shirt said "Teach Your Children to Worship Satan"; pretty outrageous... :)

I was perfectly placed to work on this study (while munching on french fries and sipping a delectable Coke with Grenadine), I could work over my sketch and give it a finish I rarely have or take the time to do. Nice results.

artMOB Meeting in Milwaukie (05-16-12)

Curious about how ideas, plans and decisions are made that affect the local community, I decided to attend one of the meetings of the artMOB, the local organization that focuses on the arts and cultural events for the city of Milwaukie.

As an artist, my personal opinion is that organizations that focus on the arts and cultural events seem to engage in a lot of talk... And I can't say that my opinion was changed in this case. Lots of good intentions, and ideas for projects that denote sincere intentions and an attempt at innovation, but...

And I don't know why, I felt kinda like a fifth wheel at this (public) meeting...

The artMOB committee

Staff Liaison Beth R.

OSU Chamber Choir in Portland (05-08-12)

Our daughter Valérie told us that the OSU Chamber Choir was going to sing at First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland tonight. Not to sound biased, but I wouldn't miss a chance to hear Valérie sing, and besides, the music was beautiful.

Bad Sketch

Well, this is a particularly lousy sketch, one I would normally not even want to post, but since today was our anniversary, why not mark the moment after all?

Many, many years...

 

PDX Urban Sketchers at the Chinese Garden (04-21-21)

The Portland Urban Sketchers met at the Lan Su Chinese Garden as a group, to sketch or paint. As usual, I got there so late that I might as well have not bothered going (and that's exactly why I make myself go, even if late...). I was so late, that it was almost closing time, and a nice man at the gate let me in for free; he probably felt sorry for me...

I don't feel very confident with color, but made a valiant effort to paint with my small portable watercolor kit.

Entrance Gate

Clackamas County Meeting (04-19-12)

I don't claim to know much about politics, but the soon-to-be-coming TriMet ligh trail project sure gets some people riled up. In that light, it's interesting whenever one gets a chance to observe the local political process.

There was a public meeting at the Clackamas County headquarters, and people had a chance to speak their minds regarding the project. Testimony ranged from statements that the light rail would be a positive influence on this part of the woods, to panicked warnings that crime will engulf the whole area,  and ruin Clackamas County forever. The funny thing is, from my experience driving on McLoughlin Blvd./Hwy. 99 on a regular manner, there ins't much to be proud about the succession of strip clubs, car dealerships, empty lots, rundown empty stores, and ratty trailer parks that punctuate it... The light rail might in fact contribute to a cleanup of the area!

Fame and Glory! (04-04-12)

...Naw, really, this is really cool: Imagine my surprise when I opened the paper and saw that the article about my art classes that the local paper, The Clackamas Review, had published was not just a tiny side box somewhere near the back page, but a half page article with a photo of me! Very, very cool!..

PDX Urban Sketchers Meeting at my Studio (03-31-12)

Today, a small group of the Portland Urban Sketchers braved the cold weather to come sketch at my studio. Although we had initially planned to work on some sketches of the yard, the cold made us retreat to the coziness of the studio, where we enjoyed each others' company with cake, snacks, and lemonade.

I have to admit that I enjoyed the selfish pleasure to be able to peek into other people's sketchbooks, and admire their skills and proficiency at architecture and urban scenes...

Grimm Shoot (02-29-12)

I spent a fantastic day working as an extra on the set of the Grimm TV series which is filmed here in Portland, with lots of time to observe people and sketch at leisure. ...Best of all, they even fed us some pretty good catered food!

It was a fun experience, especially to see the actors filming a scene; I even had a chance to quickly draw actor David Giuntoli as he entered the set. As for the extra work, that was pretty cool, I walked back and forth (holding my pen and my sketchbook) down a back hallway of the old-fashioned Police Station.

Waiting to be called on the set

Detectives and policemen

Top: the hospital set, turned into a waiting area for all the extras
Center: filming a scene inside the police station
Bottom: view from the hallway

Top left: a homeless person
Top right: a sleeping policewoman
Bottom left: a burly-looking guy (see photo above)
Bottom right: two detectives

Left: a technician
Right: David Giuntoli

Portrait: Julia (02-05-12)

A nice little portrait of Julia which, I think, captures self-confidence, charm, and fragility...

Miss Jules...

In Memoriam (01-18-12)

I did this drawing in memory of Nyle S. whose wife is a dear friend...

Portrait (12-11-11)

A quick portrait of Kim E. who has a lovely smile.

I was a vendor at the DaVinci Arts Fair (12-04-11)

Here is what my table looked like at the Da Vinci Arts Fair. I was selling blank cards of my pen and ink drawings and some knitted scarves (too bad I don't make jewelry, because I'd have made a killing...Sigh...)

Model Call for Portland Bridal Show (12-04-11)

My oldest daughter Moso wanted to audition for the Portland Bridal Show, and asked me to take her to the model call at Benson High School. Since I was there, I figured, I might as well try out for "mother of the bride." Alas, neither of us got selected :(

While I was waiting, I did this quick sketch of the judges' table; I like that just a few lines give an idea of the bored poses.

Belgians in Portland (12-01-11)

After living for years in the Portland area, it was quite a nice surprise to find out that there is a group of Belgians who meet once a month to have a drink and chat!
The meeting place is Bazi, a small brasserie off of Hawthorne Blvd. which, despite less-than-stellar service, has the distinct advantage of offering a large selection of Belgian beers and Belgian-inspired Happy Hour menu items.
Everyone is pretty nice, and it's always a pleasure to meet, and to know that despite the language barrier (most attendees are from Flanders, while Yours Truly is from Wallonia and speaks French) we all have this small country we cherish in common.

RACC Open House (12-01-11)

What a party! The Regional Arts and Culture Council had an Open House to celebrate their move to their beautiful new headquarters in the Park Blocks. Large windows; lots of exposed bricks and natural wood.

Artist Leslie E. at left

Despite the cold, the place was packed. I walked around and observed people.

"Performance art is so powerful. How did you attach the harness?"

 It was the usual art scene, people talking and networking, drink in hand.

Signature removed to protect the Mayor's privacy.

 I was very pleased to run into Sam Adams, the Mayor of Portland. I got him to sign my sketchbook!

MAP Meeting at Rex Putnam High School (11-30-11)

Since I live within the area concerned, and curious to see what has been finalized for the McLoughlin Area Plan, I decided to attend the meeting that had been scheduled at Rex Putnam High School.

McLoughlin Blvd.

McLoughlin Blvd/Hwy. 99 is an eyesore. The necessary-evil-throughway from Portland to Oregon City, it is littered with car dealerships, parking lots, and strip clubs. There are practically no sidewalks, the traffic is intense, and is quasi-impossible to cross on foot. The focus of this meeting was to present the improvement ideas and concerns that had been brought up during several planning meetings over the course of the last several months.

Oak Lodge Citizenry

There was a large crowd present, and people were given the opportunity to "vote" on some points of the presentation given by the planning committee by clicking on audience response cards that had been provided.

Now, most of the people present seemed to be in their 50s, and a majority of them were men. Not your Portland hipster crowds, but more like the type that go hunting or fishing on the weekend. I was sitting in front of a group of reactionary Neanderthal types, who seemed to take pride in voting down anything that was presented on the screen, and were snickering like middle-school kids at terms such as "job incubator area."

One of the proposals that was met with strong opposition was the idea of Section 8 housing being built at the site of the Elks Lodge, suggestive that these people think that such housing would bring undesirables to the area. I briefly wondered whether this reflected more than just an economic class concern...

From what was said during the Question/Comments part of the meeting, one gathers that these people don't care that any improvements be done to McLoughlin Blvd. They like it as it is. I can't understand the mindset, given the trashy looks of the highway, the abundance of outdated mobile home parks that border it, and all the side streets with potholes! Clearly, we are not in Beaverton. No. Leave everything as it is. Just don't anyone touch their homes, and bring on Walmart!

As for me, I would love to see a Trader Joe's, and if there is one now on SE 82nd Ave., -McLoughlin's twin with used car dealerships and unsavory characters-, there is no good reason to not have one here also. I am sure that (at least many of) the residents in this area, such as people who live in homes in the vicinity of River Rd., would support it.

Self-Portrait (11-27-11)

...Although a common thread runs throughout, self-portraits looks different because the end result is affected by one's self-perception at the moment.

Traveler with a Heavy Heart

Alliance Française Get-together (11-21-11)

I went to the Brasserie Montmartre for a get-together organized by the French Alliance. French folk singer Tété was present (in town for a concert). I took the opportunity to do a quick sketch of him and asked him to sign my sketchbook.

French chanteur Tété

Dark-haired beauty

I did this sketch of a striking young woman who sat across from met; her hair was black, and with the eyes the darkest shade of dark, she looked like an Iranian princess who had stepped out of the One Thousand and One Nights into Modern Times...

My friend Sian A. likes to participate in French Alliance activities. I enjoyed the relaxed, informal ambiance of this particular meeting.

Plucky Maidens Junk Fest (11-19-11)

I was a vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest at the McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove. During a lull in the afternoon, I did this sketch of the area near my booth.

Cool things to buy

Art Spark November Event (11-17-11)

The November Art Spark event was at Vie de Bohême, a wine bar in Southeast. I was a bit annoyed that they would charge $ 3 for a Coke with Grenadine, and their Happy Hour dishes were of the crusty piece of bread with puréed olive variety, but for 4 Bucks! 

Schmoozing for the Arts

So I hung out some and watched the crowds. It was as usual, more arts administrators than artists -everybody loves the Arts, everybody supports the Arts-. There was a tedious-looking recycling-themed Bingo game, undoubtedly to get people to talk with each other, that I didn't event want to bother with, since the room was totally dark and the cards were illegible. After a presentation by RACC staff ("I don't know what I'm doing, but I sure love it!"), some other organization with a purported recycling-cum-arts-focus called Create Plenty presented their program, with a very pregnant young woman gushing over and over about an ongoing fundraiser of some sort. Then, there was a drawing, and I won a weird bag made out of an old Joe Camel t-shirt turned inside out, with some homemade cleaning products in used glass jars (one of them with a Tostitos label still on).