Travis and I headed to Portland for my first group art show in Portland at the edgy and distinctly urban art gallery, “TheCompound” located in the Pearl District.They represent independent and underground Japanese artists and also just plain old wickedly talented artists and here is a blurb about the show concept to the artists from Ryuichi the curator.

The show  features Japanese artist Ryuichi Ogino (Ogi).  The title of
the show is “Idealistically Hypocritical”. The concept for the show is
“MASH UP”.  Mash Up was inspired by the DJ technique of combining two
different songs to create one composition.   Ogi wants to mix other
artists works with his own for a unique installation show. The only constraint is the
size.  The piece needs to be 8.5″ x 11.75″.  Subject and medium is your
choice.

The painting titled “Struggle with Ego” was my submission and there were probably forty other artists participating as well. The place was PACKED, exactly how an art opening should be and upon chatting with Ryuichi I discovered he was heartfelt in his hopes for people accepting all expressions of art including the wide range that made up his Mash up. It was soooo much fun and inspiration to be around so much creative and youthful energy and art! Check them out if you can, their retail floor boggles the imagination as well. Then onto salon77 where a mix of my originals and reproductions filled the walls and the owner Sara had an elaborate and tasty spread of appetizers, champagne and beer for the many art lovers who stopped by.

http://www.compoundgallery.com/gallery/2010/09/09.php

http://seventyseven.us/

PS Don’t ask me why some of the text is white and some of it is blue, I have no idea…

Here is a little watercolor I just finished of Auguste Rodin’s sculpted figure of a condemned man and in the words of Rainer Maria Rilke, “The man who carried the key. In him there is still life enough for many years to come, but all of it is compressed into this final hour.”

I haven't used watercolors in around 7 years but this was fun.