Road Trip: Portland, OR
I’ve often heard that Portland is a great city.
Over the course of the summer, I had several people suggest that my bold style of contemporary pop art might do well up there.
That was good enough reason for me to start planning a road trip.
I had three main Objectives:
1) Investigate the Art Scene – See if it would be worth the investment to stage a fall or winter exhibit up there; 2) Shoot Photos for my ongoing color series, “Urban Hues”. 3) Vacation, Baby! I currently live in a little NorCal town, so I gotta soak up the creative culture of a big city any chance I get.
I packed my bag and headed north on the I-5 into Oregon.
There’s a song by Sublime that gives a shout-out to Eugene, Oregon, so I stopped off there for coffee and a walkabout.
As I approached Portland, thousands of twinkling lights appeared on the night horizon and I was giddy with excitement from the effulgent energy of the city.
People were right. Portland IS a great city. The people are friendly and the triple soy lattés are delish.
It’s a clean, environmentally-conscious city where public transportation, cyclists and pedestrians were considered top priority by the city engineers.
Plus, ART matters in Portland. Public sculpture is displayed on sidewalks and street corners about every two blocks.
There are murals on walls and art exhibits in every café, salon, boutique and coffee shop. Heck, there’s even framed work by local artists in the bathroom at Whole Foods!
I visited the amazing Japanese Garden, which is perched high atop a hill overlooking the city.
Midway up the hill are the International Rose Gardens, featuring numerous plots blooming with multiple varieties from several countries.
Anchoring the hill is the 400-acre Washington Park, which was brimming with youthful parents, frolicking kids and one forgotten ice cream cone.
This is my friend, Kendra. Also an artist, she encouraged me to visit Portland after seeing my “Bomb Pop!” exhibit in Ashland. She hosted my visit and educated me as to the Best Of Portland.
A half-hour south of the city are huge cliffs with gorgeous waterfalls and trails that meander through lush forests.
The misty ambiance reminded me of the island where King Kong lived before they hauled him off to New York City. Kendra was more of a Star Wars fan, ‘cuz she thought we might be attacked by an army of Ewoks.
We were both wrong – instead we were attacked by giant fuzzy CaterKillars!!
After a few days in the city, the ocean was calling me. I hit the coast and went jogging on the beach in Lincoln City. I snaked down the twisted ribbon of Highway 101 as angry waves pummeled the cliffs at the outermost edge of Oregon.
By this time, my camera’s card was full and batteries drained. I cursed that I could not capture the breathtaking beauty of the coastal scenery or the quirky little seaside shanty-towns dotting the trail.
I arrived back in Mt. Shasta recharged and inspired. My head was swimming with incredible scenery, creative culture, new ideas and positive memories.
***
Regarding my Objectives:
1) Although there are many great art galleries in Portland, the market is still a little soft and the supply (of art) far outweighs the demand (of buyers). I decided to hold off on efforts to exhibit up there for the time being.
2) I shot plenty new images for my “Urban Hues” series (which I’ll be posting soon) and plan to stage my first photography exhibit next year.
3) As for the Vacation aspect, Aww yeah, Baby! This was surely one to remember!
Welcome to Nikolas Allen Art dot com. I am a Contemporary Pop Artist with a background in music, advertising and video production. 
Comments
Nik~
LOVE the pictures and your photography is wonderful, as usual!
Portland looks beautiful. And as always, you look like you just turned 30.
Bravo!
Xo~
T
>> Tina - HaHa! Thanks, kiddo, you are too kind!
Glad you enjoyed the post. I appreciate you taking the time to check it out….xoN
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