Grace dispensing her publishing wisdom… and i must say that being surrounded by all of that amazing furniture didn’t hurt either. chairs… drool…

Amy telling us about her path from 9-5 worker to self-supporting artist.

i was just reading D*S and learned that last night’s meet up had to most attendance of all across the country! go portland!

work by maya hayuk

hopefully someday they’ll have a portland section on their blog. in the meantime we’ll keep reading about the great things happening in sf, nyc, and la. and if you’re in sf tonight go check out their show! details are here.

i was just reading one of my favorite blogs, Black Eiffel, and came across an entry about Silhouette Masterpiece Theater.

i really love the whimsy in this piece and i had to share it!

i thought i’d say happy valentine’s day with a print titled love birds tree from not too pink.

not too pink is another artist that we currently have in the gallery. she likes things pink, but not too pink…

we made some improvements to the space since the last show and i think it really feels finished now. i even have a beautiful custom made desk by DJL studio to sit at!

here a few photos. we’re still sorting through them, so i’m sure we’ll post more as the week goes on…

before the doors opened:

and a few shots during the evening:

vincent looking satisfied at the end of a great night.

hi, cassie here. today perfect bound included me in their Registry Bliss series! go here to read it. i’m flattered…

thanks so much perfect bound!

ok, out the door and what do we see - a 15 foot U-haul truck parked on the street outside with the words “art & cheese” on the outside.. of course we looked in - who wouldn’t! and what do you know - it was my old neighbor from Sky & Boat and she’s holding the cheese… say cheese!

around the corner past the Gilt Club (resist the urge to drink more) we stop in and chat with Val & Jeremy over at Ogle. they are such nice people. Val is always challenging us with new and innovative showings - plus they have that awesome space to show some really big pieces which is great since there just aren’t many people out there willing to do that. plus, they have some of the best eye glass frames out on the market. in fact i bought my last pair from them. and when they weren’t going to be ready for my wedding last June, they gave me a loaner pair - and they even matched my tie… sounds like fate to me.. woo-hoo!

we then headed out the door, only to run into Kaebel Hashitani, owner of Sequential Art Gallery. the man, my lovely readers, knows how to dress.

is that? could it be? yes it is - it’s a tiny toons vest and matching tie! which is even more cool cause our two crazy cats are named Pinky & the Brain. i think we’ll be seeing more of Kaebel and his antics in the future - perhaps a showing here at Genuine imitation?? hmmm?? could be? anyway, we didn’t make it in - there was an intimidating guy dressed in a dinosaur costume that was sort of blocking the way - ok, he wasn’t blocking the way, but he definitely made me think twice about going inside. he kind of reminded me of what a 4th grader might look like if he had made the costume himself - and i actually mean that in a good way!

anyway, we rounded the corner and got distracted by all the hipsters at Rake watching some sort of alien language-fest set to musical instruments and eventually were just to damn cold and called it a night! and that was it… back home with a freshly made oatmeal cookie and a little Colbert Report and ready for bed shortly thereafter.

so, that’s all for now - we’ll be back with some post-opening pics and stories to tell next week and remember, if you’re in the area Saturday the 9th from 5-9 stop on by and say hello - or just say “Authentic!”

a happy gathering

creative thursday paints sweet pictures full of cute animals.

about creative thursday:

What started out as one day a week, Thursdays, set aside to be a bit more creative while working a 9 to 5 job….Creative Thursday, has become a full time business featuring the art of Marisa Haedike, or as I like to call it a dream come true.

Passionate about following your heart and your dreams, while living creatively - my hope is that even a little bit of this passion comes through in my art and encourages you to go and live your dreams.

come check out her work in person tomorrow night!

this print from browningtonforest captures the love theme of our show lost + found perfectly!

about browningtonforest:

JB Louie is the artist behind Browningtonforest. She left her career as a textile designer to work exclusively on her own artwork. She creates paintings and prints, as well as handcrafted products featuring her artwork.

“I’ve always found awe and magic within the forest. I spent most of my free childhood hours roaming the forest behind my house, right outside of Harriman State Park in NY.
These days I spend most of my time in my studio in a little tree filled corner of Los Angeles, CA.

May your life be filled with Peace and Love!”

in addition to prints she also sent us some pins, mirrors and other treats!

escort

ubiki has contributed some prints to our upcoming show. he lives in las vegas and this is his first art show!

lilymoon also sent us some mirrors and pins with her illustrations on them and they came in the cutest packages ever! they’re almost too pretty to open and i had to share them with you.

the perils of a polkadot princess

lilymoon has sent us some gorgeous prints all the way from her home in cyprus! we’re very excited to have some of her work in our show, lost + found, opening saturday february 9th.

she says:

I enjoy:
1. Watching people smile
2. Painting
3. Making paper boats out of sweet wrappers

come check out more of her work in person this saturday!

At Redux was Seattle’s Art Ghost. I got to talk with Eric and Liz for a few minutes and found out that they had just arrived from a nice rainy 3 hour drive down south for their first ever show in Portland. Seems odd to me that more Seattle folks don’t come down to Portland to show their works - and vice versa for that matter. Maybe after a successful showing here, they’ll be excited to do it again.

Regardless, the art that was up was wonderfully delightful - from robots and space ships to magical beasts. They start with previously painted works - I’m guessing that they pick them up from thrift stores and yard sales. They then take these pieces and add their own little part to it - it is almost as if the original painter had drawn the background for them to tell their story on. In some ways, I feel bad for the people who originally painted the pieces - they obviously put their heart into it and for whatever reason, it just wasn’t what the world wanted. But what’s nice is that the lovely folks of Art Ghost saw a story in that piece and wanted to tell it - lifting it from it’s dusty grave and giving it a new life.

Anyway, we chatted for a few minutes about robots and unicorns and all things magical and eventually the conversation veered from art into a discussion about my strange fascination with magic. What can I say, I like seeing it - but I hate when someone approaches me and tries their witchery on me.. like when you’re eating! What’s up with that?! I mean, I’ve got a mouthful of food and you want me to pick a card? Uh uh… the funny truth is, I’ve never had a magician do that - but I have seen it on TV and that is enough to make me feel uncomfortable. Regardless, I think we all agreed that people who performed for others while they are dining are just kinda strange. Anyone else remember that guy at Cafe Lena who would play accordion on Sundays.. *shivers*

Go check out Art Ghost at Redux before they disappear…

The only other show that i got to see was over at Grass Hut with Martin Ontiveros - Rock and Roll Fantasy.

As usual, Martin did not disappoint. There were some great paintings, hand made plush monsters and the release of the Ojo Rojo toys by Gargamel & Friends. Martin told me that this show really celebrated the two things he loves most in this world - metal and mystical monsters - and to that I say … that’s awesome!

check out the full line-up of goodies on Grass Hut’s blog …

Anyway, that’s all from me. We will be heading down to our old stomping grounds Old Town this Thursday for another fun night of art and mayhem… and don’t forget our next show “Lost & Found” this Saturday the 9th in St. Johns - until then my friends, enjoy the snow!

knitty, knitty

ashley g is another artist contributing to lost + found next weekend.

here’s what she has to say about her art:

“I’m 26 years old. I have loved arts, crafts, creatures, and nature my entire life. I enjoy focusing on portraiture and capturing a brief moment in time. My artwork tends to be simple, but with a sophisticated or stark color palette. I believe great emotion can be conveyed in a simple gesture or look. The characters I create, whether monsters or little girls, are simple, humorous, empathetic, and a little bit pathetic.

I strongly believe in what you’re happiest doing at five is what you will be happiest doing your entire life. Growing up, I endlessly drew and embroidered onto washcloths that my grandma gave me little creatures and animals that I desperately wanted to live in the woods of my backyard. In my mind these creatures had tiny, magnificent, ornate lairs in the trunks of old trees (which I also drew, along with maps of how to get there). And although these creatures were elusive and shy, they always decided to befriend me. Over the years, my creatures have become decidedly more design-driven, put a part of me is still just drawing little friends to have.”

fawn robotic

continuing with the installments on artists in our upcoming show, today i thought i’d share a little bit about chris brindely.

from his bio:

“I’m 24 years old and I’ve been drawing since I can remember. For as long as I can remember it has made me content. I’m a firm believer that once you’ve found something you love you hold onto it. You nourish your relationship with it and allow it to grow with you, as you grow.

In 2005 I graduated from the Maryland institute college of art, with a BFA in illustration.

I have an enormous amount of things in my head and feel its necessary to share them with others. I don’t like using reference, and I prefer to use my memory of things to guide what I make. I’m interested in the division between the idea of something and the actual thing. I’ve got kind of a weird process I use to generate new things from combining the ideas of other things. I spend way too much time in my head.”

ashley is showing in our next show, lost + found.

ashley’s artist statement for lost + found:
From the creatures you meet, to the things that you eat, from the loves that you’ve lost, to the treasures you’ve found, what good is love without a little loss? My work emphasizes the importance of things we hold dear like our hearts, our trinkets and our friends, both human and not.

trish grantham, one of our favorite artists, has a sneak peek of her house on one of my favorite sites, design sponge, today!

i thought i’d share some of the gorgeous photos with all of you.

click here for the full post and more photos at design sponge. you should check it out. it’s worth it!!

kara burke is one of the artists showing in our next show, lost + found, in two weeks.

from her bio:

“My young days were great. Riding mattresses down the staircase, constructing my very own pterodactyl costume out of green felt, getting to be the “block” in my elementary school’s christmas performance and of course being pulled in a sled in the middle of the summer (thank you Louie). It’s the small moments throughout life that really mean something big. Those are the memories that will always remain stuck.

I grew up in the suburban midwest, where the best pop is known as Vernors and the lakes really are great. I later moved east, to a small town just outside of Boston. By small, I mean tiny. Daily activities involved braking for wild turkeys, roller-skating on gravel and waiting for those very consistent snow days.

As soon as high-school ended, I decided to venture west, the bay area is what we like to call it. I received my BA & BFA in illustration from the University of San Francisco & California College of the Arts. This is where I stopped drawing from just real life and began creating images derived from my childhood. I admit it, some of them were dreams.

I find enjoyment in unveiling the simple moments in life. You could also say that this is my way of holding onto my youth. In that case, I don’t think I’ll ever age, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

we got to meet some new people and get to know the people of st john’s a bit better.

right to left: jamie from atomic daylight, thomas from the neighborhood assoc., ian, the guy who clued us into this whole event, and a little bit of me.

ast night we went to opening of the paper milk offices in the historic olympic mills building.

paper milk is the joint venture of local artist trish grantham and greg klaus, owner of the fantastic greg’s on se hawthorne and right here in st john’s on n lombard, just up the street from us! we have some of trish’s postcards and paintings right now and we’ve always been fans of her work. it was really great to check out the new offices. so great! it was full of wonderful little touches.

the lovely trish grantham

t was a fun evening…

also, a big thanks to rachel for letting us use her camera. you’re the best!

we have another series in from Cardboy:

CardBoy Sneaker Series One
Blind Box

CardBoy is a unique mini figure that when opened, the packaging transforms into the head of the character. The design pays homage to classic sneaker boxes from the modern era. This series features eight characters, each one comes with accessories, and packaged in blind boxes, with one limited chase figure.

Details: All 8 figures wrapped in a 200% card sneakers figure.
Produced by: Playbeast.
Artist: Mark James
$79.99 set - 2 sets left!!

Kimmie Hutchins, an Oregon native, moved to Portland in 2001 and after the success of curating a small gallery decided to venture out on her own. Her work is both sad and playful. Each image is simple yet sometimes disturbing. Currently a full time artist, Kimmie has steadily been building her body of work and her name.

As a self taught artist Kimmie had many influences growing up and has always been drawn towards pop-culture and the ever expanding low brow art movement. Her work incorporates simple graphic scenes where sad girls and curious animals invite you in to take a look. In her previous works, dark-eyed characters lounged amidst huge fantasy flowers, rooms were wallpapered with adhesive alphabets, and robots and giant bees conducted mysterious transactions with a semi-autobiographical heroine in striped socks. She has spent the last several years perfecting her precise, linear style and playful imagery.

Kimmie hopes to continue painting and growing as an artist. With constantly evolving work, she has a bright future ahead.

here’s the flier for our next show, lost + found.

we’re excited to be showing so many talented people!

This Saturday January 19, 5-8pm
St. Johns Community Center, 8427 North Center Street

Bring the whole family!
Meet up with friends, neighbors, and our local business community in our second annual community event featuring:
FREE FOOD from many local restaurants & cafes
LIVE MUSIC brought to you by PROPER EATS
Puppet show from MUDEYE PUPPET Co.
St. Johns TRIVIA sponsored by LEISURE PUBLIC HOUSE
Children’s reading by ST. JOHNS BOOKSELLERS
Great RAFFLE packages from many great local businesses

we are donating two packages of prints to be raffled off.

after we close the shop at 6 tomorrow night we’ll head over there, so if you’re around come check it out!

hope to see you all there!

we are pleased to announce our next show, Lost + Found, opening feb 9th at 5pm.

over the next few weeks i’ll be writing about some of the artists that will be showing with us.

today i’m beginning with kendra binney. this will be her second time showing with us and we’re very happy to have her back!

from her bio:
“Kendra Binney was raised in a small mountain town with no shoe stores. Most of her time was spent barefoot treading through the miniscule world of spiders, snakes and all things hiding in the grass. She transfers this closeness with the small and obscure into her paintings. Through scenes of dripping landscapes and insecure, vulnerable characters, she illustrates a world draped in memories, remorse, and fragile realities. Seen through pastel washes and shiny candy coatings of resins, her works evoke both nostalgia and contempt. They are at once gentle and cruel, sweet and unsettling.Kendra currently lives in Portland Oregon. She spends her days all alone in a small studio with no windows. Here she paints, daydreams, and paints some more.”

and on a completely different subject: it’s SNOWING!!

i don’t know how many of you are in portland, but it hardly snows here and it’s really exciting when it does, even though it almost never sticks…

i’ll be back with more tomorrow!

unicorn vs godzilla.

piano girl. i think this one might be my favorite, but it’s just so hard to choose. they’re all really great…

this awesome series of miniature blind-box plush designed by Shawnimals is sure to bring style and class to your backpack, beltloop, cell phone or wherever else you can think to hang one on. twelve different Ninjatown characters including the elusive and scary Mr. Demon…

check out celina monte’s review of the show in the vanguard.

chas bowie said some great things on the mercury blog.

sarah wrote some really nice things about us on her blog view from the north.

we also have a cool Cardboy series from Mark James: the Cardboy CMYK Cartridge Set!

you turn these cool little packages inside out to make the toy itself. the Cardboy Cartridges series features four characters - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. they’re certainly the cutest toner cartridges i’ve ever seen..

for our first blog entry i thought i’d share some photos of our new gallery. having spent the past five years in the everett station lofts, we decided strike into new territory last august and went looking for a new gallery space. we found a great space in the up and coming st. john’s neighborhood in portland, oregon.

here is what the space looked like when we got the keys: