and we're off!

i received my very first idea via postcard from denmark!  

[thank you carmen for your wonderfully inspiring idea.]

i can't wait to get started on this new project

... and i double can't wait to receive more!

tomorrow promises to be a day of sunshine, and:

cinco de mayo festivities

afternoon barbeque with ribs by chef sandro

beer

badminton

friends (big and little)

movies projected onto barns

AND 

bowling.

i'm coming to really enjoy what happens when the sun comes out in portland.

love illuminated

... this is a photo of my mama and i a few summers ago.  her beauty and radiance is a constant inspiration to me. 

sun setting on a cherry tree

... this is the backyard at my new work, alu.  it's gonna be a beautiful summer.

open call for ideas...

i've always been fascinated by ideas and imagination and how the pictures people have in their minds about other people's ideas vary so greatly.

i have just begun a project and i'd like to know if you would like to work with me.

i will be collecting your

ideas      visions       themes      ... or anything you want to see a picture of

if you would like to share any of those things with me,

 i will then take a photograph of my interpretation of your idea...

and i will send you the photograph in an envelope made just for your image.

please send your idea to my mailbox.

jamie evans

4213 se 26th ave.

portland, or. 97202

ps... i will be documenting the process to eventually make into a book of ideas.  if you don't want me to use your name, let me know and i'll make one up for you.

pps... anything goes.  

... this is somebody else's idea on my face.  

a good time for art

the past month has been a mind-altering and inspiring time for art. i have had the opportunity to see some phenomenal works and collections of art. today began with a field trip to the portland art museum with my art education class. i must admit to being a bit skeptical, but instead had my mind blown by recent acquisitions of beautiful works by van gogh, matisse, monet, toulouse lautrec, raushenburg, kiki smith, ... i found myself on my knees a few times after laying eyes upon some particularly marvelous works by louise bourgeois (a firecracker of a woman born the same year as my tiny nana who reminds me more than a little of her) and marcel duchamp.  for a museum in a not-so-big city, i was amazed by the breadth and magnitude of their collections (a great many pieces have been gifted to the museum) in their contemporary wing alone.
this week especially has gotten me to thinking about the division between thinking about and feeling art. the spark for these thoughts came after seeing portland-based artist marie watt speak about her recent work. her work focuses on indigenous cultures, ideas about home, and community-building (through well-fed sewing circles). she was refreshingly open and presented important social commentary with honesty and depth of emotion.
my exposure to the art world during the past few years has been in thinking about art, dissecting art, and sterilizing the most beautifully messy aspects of the artistic endeavor.
i had almost allowed myself to disconnect from the importance of art as therapy. not only in creating art, but in looking at art do we have occasion to celebrate and feel.

...neither photograph adequately represents the grandeur of the each piece. the first by marie watt, entitled braids, is over 10 feet tall and 22 feet long. the second by kiki smith, entitled saint genevieve is about 8 feet tall and 12 feet long and is equipped with a motion sensor that plays the sounds of wolves crying. they are both incredibly evocative.

excerpt from 'letter to a friend'

recipe for a beautiful day:

[from the backyard]
sunshine
clove-scented blankets
birdsong
dandelions

[from the farmers' market]
arugula
sweet baguette
venison pate' (country-style)
crumbly sheep cheese
the knowledge of shared delights

[from the pantry]
mint mate' (cold)
coarse sea salt
olive oil

mix in desired quantities and enjoy!

... yesterday was an inspired day, a tickler of a day. it was sunshine and warmth and silliness and a sweet introduction to a sultry summer.

the first law of thermodynamics

'the first law states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. it may change form, go from one place to another, or be degraded into less usable forms.'
-moran, human adaptability

YEAH! so, energy becomes a shape-shifter. it degrades, and regenerates constantly, taking on different forms and adapting to the environment as it sees fit to maintain homeostasis.
each and every little thing we do has an effect on the environment (living and non-living). our interactions, foodsteps, consumption, etc. affects the people, terrain, and resources in this messy, confusing, exhilarating system we call life.

it kinda blows my mind a little.

... speaking of energetic resonance: i have a new friend. he's two.

first thursday

i got my first real taste of the art scene here in portland last night. i mingled with a refreshingly diverse segment of the population during 'first thursday' in old town. the balmy evening enticed a plethora of individuals out into the open air; asian couples in mercedes', hipsters on fixies, hippies, street kids, white and blue collar alike. the art, like the people, was a top-notch representation of said diversity. there was a really special show at the pony club featuring the art of two new friends, david wien and seth neefus, along with a variety of other wonderfully talented artists (including a surprise appearance by animal sleep stories, the works of daria tessler). the most simultaneously intriguing, and anxiety-inducing opening was at the core gallery. the gallery itself is 3 1/2 feet tall and required entrance through a crawl space on hands and knees (which for the claustrophobes of the world, like me, is very scary). the collaborative efforts of artists alisha wessler and cin shepard, as well as the audio soundscapes of stirling myles produced '2 years under olaf's sun', and eerily beautiful exhibit in an uncanny space.
... as an added bonus, i got a mini beer tour hosted by an awesome new friend. it was nice.

i'm falling in love...

observations:

people say 'thank you' when they get off the bus.
geared bicycles far outnumber fixed-gear bikes.
it sometimes snows in april.
there are lots of co-ops.
i once went to a supermarket for my favorite ice cream. it was a ghost town.
jury's out on the hipsters. they might be nice.
lots of musicians don't ask people to pay for their shows.
the water company has replaced water with beer in its municipal supply.
people smile.
communities participate.
the only year-round farmers' market is 8 blocks away.
the most common bumper sticker is a green heart inside the state of oregon.
it is sold at supermarkets and co-ops alike.
the largest used bookstore in the country lives here. it's big.
it's easy to fall in love with yourself when you're looking.

a break from inessential insanities

i am revisiting 'another roadside attraction' again (for the third admittedly hedonistic time) and can't keep my mind from a particularly poignant (albeit silly) passage. this passage is like a song on repeat in my internal walkman... headphones on loud, giving my boots a run for their money around this new city.

'there are essential and inessential insanities. the latter are solar in character, the former are linked to the moon.
inessential insanities are a brittle amalgamation of ambition, aggression, and pre-adolescent anxiety. garbage that should have been dumped long ago. essential insanities are those impulses one instinctively senses are virtuous and correct, even though peers may regard them as coo coo.
inessential insanities get one in trouble with oneself. essential insanities get one into trouble with others. it is always preferable to be in trouble with others.
in fact, it may be essential.'

--the brilliant modern-day sage of facetious, tom robbins