MY ART SCOUT

I really do love working for Portlandia and I love when a new season airs. I have read the scrpirts, gathered and placed the art but now I get to see all put together. The magic of television(interent) always amazes me. It's like magic.

Portlandia Season 7 Episode 1
Keep an eye out for your favorite Portland art in the show. When you see it please feel free to take a screen shot and post it to:
Portlandia
Facebook
Twitter
Thank you to all the crew and artists for making this happen.

In the background here we have a pice by Jessica Brackett that is so cleverly coordinated with Doro and his room service uniform.

Season 7 airs next month and below are a few of the artists who contributed to the local art for set design. Keep an eye out for these and other jems starting Jan 5th.

Thank you to all the wonderful local artists who made Season 7 a total success:

Louis Delegato
Kieth Ryan Davis
Paul Rutz
Jessica Brackett
Joanie Krug
Liz McDonald
Rosemary Cohen
Sandra Carlson
Erika Lee Sears
Diane Irby
Natasha Baca
Micheal Pratt
Justin Mayo
Christian Fazio
Jeske Paanakker
Darla Boljat
Elizabeth Higgins
Kathryn Jtineant
Erin Cadena
Tara Gelien
Tracey Riehl

This year one of the thank you gifts was a bottle of local liquor. One of our artists is fresh out of high school so I went out and bought her a gift certificate to my favorite art supply store, Columbia instead. We are so happy to promote the art of a diverse group of artists and look forward to another year.

I can't wait till you all post your photos with your art on set. Portlandia Season 7 airs on IFC in Jan 5th!!!!

Card art by Chris Haberman

It is that time again!!! Portland artists please submit your art for a chance to have it showcased on Portlandia!!!

Art Scout is looking for artists to submit art for the set design of Portlandia season 7. All mediums including watercolors, paintings, photography and other wall art. Submit up to five images labeled with; size, medium and artist name.

This is not a paid gig and there is no guarantee your art will be filmed but it is insured and it is an opportunity for international exposure, bragging rights and you will have an opportunity to be an extra on the show.

The art will be on loan from July 20th to October 10th. Submit your art today, if selected you'll be notified by the 18th. But if you don't hear from us right away fear not we are doing things a little differently this year and will be filming in blocks. So there will be plenty of other opportunities through the next few months.

Thank you in advance for your support. We love being able to keep the art local and authentic.

Send submissions to myartscout@gmail.com

In his loft space with a blue checkered linoleum floor in NE Portland, Christopher Bibby can be found working primarily in oil and oil/wax on canvas and panel. When I walked into the studio the music was turned up, and he was practicing salsa steps, an apropos introduction to the kind of light-hearted whimsy that is infused into his art. For him, beauty is not high concept but rather, quite concrete. It is a simple input-output equation which relies on a process of geometric extraction and color filtration.



As a young man, Christopher Bibby began selling watercolor vignettes on the streets of Glasgow. It was art for the everyman; each piece was unassuming in size but nonetheless captured the attention of an audience and catalyzed his career as an artist. Christopher found an innate joy during his early days in Glasgow being able to support himself by making art. He put in the time and commitment, improving and evolving to where he is today. More than twenty years later he stills believes that art should be accessible for everyone, and he has engineered reproduction methods that incorporate the original mark of the artist’s hand.

Currently Christopher’s work can be broken into three thematic categories: landscapes, cityscapes and most recently, wine country. Of all his work, the landscapes are defined by the most abstraction with flat planes of color and heavy use of outlines. There is order and harmony in their composition and subtle suggestions of familiar places. Christopher’s cityscapes feature minimalistic skyscrapers, existing as monolithic symbols dependent on bold color and shape to transcend the limited personality of steel. By definition cities are full of people, but without figures, the chaos of man fades away and the paintings become spatial meditations.

In his pursuit of capturing beauty, Christopher’s recent choice of wine country is a logical addition to his oeuvre. Along with the elements of abstraction he uses in his other landscapes, these works stand apart by his treatment of light-- an inner glow and warmth radiates from within the canvases. Signaling his interest in this new direction, Christopher maintains a studio in Hood River and will spend the summer there surrounded by the inspiration of the area’s hillside vineyards. His studio will be open to visitors. But he recommends a stop first at nearby Betty’s Diner for a slice of Marionberry pie.

Interview and photos by Alexandra Hasson
For more information visit iambibby.com. 

Jenn Feeney is a printmaking artist based out of Bite Studio in SE Portland.  When Jenn discovered monotype printmaking at William Park’s studio after she moved to Portland in the late 90s, her informal relationship to art was transformed. Ever since, she has been dedicated to the art of the monotype, pushing the traditional boundaries of printing by her process driven experimentation.

Jenn’s upcoming show Reaction-Effect will be held at First Presbyterian of Portland and is the current spark that has inspired her time in the studio. Working in oil, Jenn’s aesthetic inquiry puts a microscope on the visual reaction the inks have to the solvent Gamsol. Her work captures the possibility of organic cellular formation, but is balanced by controlled circular boundaries—giving the viewer a glimpse into a world that is a safely contained petri dish full of life.  For her show, she has expanded the size of her prints, spotlighting her elaborate process and willingness to explore the capabilities of the medium.

Although she works full-time outside of her art practice, Jenn fills her spare time with art. When she is not at the studio, she runs the Portland Artists Social Guild and is involved in several other artists groups to help build community and support the creative pulse of the city.

Reaction-Effect opens April 12, 2015 at First Presbyterian (1200 SW Alder St) from 11:30 am to 1 pm and will also feature Carole Murphy (sculptor) and her students. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 9 am to 12:30 pm and the show closes June 7th. ­­You can also find Jenn’s work at Bite Studio which is open to the public every first Friday of the month from 6-10 pm.  -  Alexandra Hasson

Are you are an artist looking to reach new audiences? Please check out the video from the Creative Clubhouse.

The Creative Clubhouse was an inspirational event organized by the forward thinking of  Maker's Nation, BridgeLab PNCA, Freelancers Union, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network  and Work Made for Hire and one of the most informative events of Design Week.

The panel discussion I was asked to be a part of was organized by one of the most business minded artists I know, Rebecca Shapiro. She put a great group together includingGary Hirsh and Jolie Guillebeau. The topics were very relevant to artists and creative small business owners. Including how we have found some of our best opportunities and how we remain motivated and true to our art.

After moving into larger office space within the Central Eastside Industrial District to accommodate its growing team, Clarity Innovations  found itself in need of art that identified with their vision and values while also maintained its commitment to sustainability within the local community. Finding a balance between creative expression and professional decor for visiting clients was the challenge. Through a series of consultations, Art Scout found a mix of art that exceeded their expectations. Art Scout aided with the purchase of six pieces for their permanent collection, plus one rotating art piece on lease for their lobby. 

Photographs taken by Andrew Ferguson at the Creative Imagination Collaboration at Art from the Heart.

The Creative Imagination Collaboration was a huge success and I have had many request to post the images of the art work. So here are the before and after photographs of the collaborative works. Thanks again to everyone who supported this event, especially all the wonderful people over at Art from the Heart, there has been talk of making this an annual event so stay tuned.

Artists seldom collaborate on a single piece of work. But when Lake Oswego mixed-media artist Shannon Passon got an opportunity to team up with David Marquoit, she jumped at the chance.

Marquoit isn’t a well-known artist, but he is one of the most prolific at Art from the Heart, a combination art school, studio and gallery for adults with developmental disabilities in Northeast Portland. The abstract artwork completed by Passon and Marquoit is one of 13 pieces that will be auctioned off at the gallery during its “Creative Imagination Collaboration” event on September 19.

“Everybody can be an artist, and the art they’re making at Art from the Heart is really valuable,” says Passon, who had previously purchased a piece from the gallery as a gift. “I thought it would be an exciting challenge just to collaborate with anyone, but I especially want to support what they’re trying to do.”

GO SEE ITCreative Imagination Collaboration

6-8 p.m., Sept. 19 
Art from the Heart, Portland, OR

View more details »


Art from the Heart is an 18-year-old program of Albertina Kerr, which provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. The auction is the brainchild of Bridget Larrabee, an art consultant who connects Portland-area artists with local buyers, and who has helped sell and showcase art from Art from the Heart participants.

Program Manager Emily Conradson says Larrabee’s idea intrigued her because it offered a novel opportunity for her artists to bring “more relevance” to the broader art community. “Any time we can connect with other artists, it really validates what we do and inspires the artists who we’re supporting,” says Conradson.

This past spring, a dozen professional artists chose an already-completed painting by one of five Art from the Heart contributors, including Marquoit.

Although it is difficult for Marquoit to express himself verbally, Passon said she could sense his enthusiasm for the work's colors and patterns. "I really wanted to get a sense of who he was as an artist," she says. "It’s very hard to collaborate with another artist if you don’t know who they are."

Conradson says Marquoit spends most days at the Art from the Heart studio, drawing and painting works she describes as “pretty abstract.” She helped him cut up several of his works into 2-inch squares and reassemble them into a patchwork that caught Passon’s eye. “It was a really exciting color palette and it was really geometric, which is something I respond to in my own work,” says Passon.

Passon, whose primary work is encaustics, or hot wax painting, says she found inheriting a piece of art to work on “a little bit sacrilegious.”

“You want to preserve and value what this artist has created, but at the same time put your own vision into it,” she says. After much consideration, she says she decided to add amorphous land masses and flowing water, “blending the idea of geometric with more fluid shapes.”

Marquoit finds it difficult to express himself in words, Conradson says, but was interested in meeting with Passon and examining the finished product. Passon says his enthusiasm shone through in their interactions. “His pure joy for art reminded me of why I’m an artist to begin with.”

Bids at the September 19 auction will start at $200. Half of the proceeds will be split between the Art from the Heart artist and the program; the other half will be split between the professional artist and Larrabee. Other prints will be available for purchase, and Larrabee hopes to set up a painting station where attendees can put their own mark on a work by an Art from the Heart artist.

The auction is right around the corner, Sept 19th 6-8 pm at Art from the Heart 3505 NE Broadway St, and I am so excited to share with Shea what we created, I hope she likes it...

So the painting is done! It was really tough and I really  sympathize with all my artists and the process of getting your idea from your brain to the canvas... Now I know for sure I could never be a fine art artists. The self doubt and the problem solving involving made me want to go back to the selling of the art and run away from the making of art. So hug an artist today and let them know how much you appreciate the beauty they provide for us all. Now time for the mounting.