Field art at the frontline of struggle

Image via WikipediaIn Portland, Oregon, thousands of un-housed individuals are constantly persecuted and attacked by local police, rent-a-cops hired by the businesses, and by random thugs, for the crime of attempting to survive.  Especially during the weeks preceding the Portland Rose Festival, "the official festival of Portland," the police is busy driving camps out of the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, under the bridges and other prominent downtown locations, utilizing the city ordinance prohibiting camping on public right-of-way.

This year, local activist organizations Right 2 Survive, Dignity Village, and Sisters Of The Road, as well as representatives from Seattle's SHARE/WHEEL have set up an impressive camp-out gathering that is a cross between a protest, a block-party, and a mini-Rainbow Gathering, on the sidewalks of Southwest Fourth Avenue between Alder and Stark Streets.  This is done in response to the long-standing tradition (and now officially codified in the city ordinance 14A.55.010.C) that allows the parade spectators to camp overnight on public sidewalks starting on Thursday before the Grand Floral Parade on Saturday morning.

In solidarity and honour of this direct action, I have created an acrylic painting (aptly titled "Right to Survive") depicting the street camp and demonstration at the intersection of Fourth and Washington.  It is presently on display on the exterior wall of the former Greek Cucina site, on the southwest corner of the intersection.  It should be up until the parade, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. (allow 30 to 45 minutes before the first float arrives at the intersection, from the Portland Veterans' Memorial Coliseum via Grand Avenue and Burnside Bridge.

Related articles:

• http://streetroots.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/homeless-amass-along-the-rose-festival-parade-route-along-sw-4th-and-washington/
• http://streetroots.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/u-s-soldier-holds-a-sign-supporting-homeless-vets-at-downtown-protest/
• http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/rose-festival/Grand-Floral-Parade-to-feature--94859494.html
• http://www.kgw.com/your-pics?cid=71576&c=y

November: Sarah's art all over Southeast Portland! Come to one or all!

By pure coincidence various opportunities opened up for exhibit opportunities this summer, and they are all opening during the first week of November (coming very soon!).

Thursday, November 4 (One day only, only three hours!), 7-10 p.m.
Sometimes a Great Notion
Siren Nation Women's Arts and Music Festival
at Albina Press on Hawthorne
5012 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 97215
(Event info: http://www.sirennation.com/festival-art/)



Friday, November 5 (the show runs through December 31)
Opening party 7 p.m.-9 p.m.ish
The Portland Tarot Show
at Splendorporium
3421 SE 21st Avenue 97202
(Event info: http://portlandtarot2010.blogspot.com/)



Friday, November 5 (the show runs through the end of the month)
Opening party 6 p.m.-midnight
Facing Fear
at Launchpad Gallery
534 SE Oak Street 97214
(Event info: http://launchpadgallery.org/category/exhibits/

 

More updates follow on Twitter (@SarahMorrigan) or Facebook (search for IrisCat Designs).

Re-introducing Art Windows from IrisCat.

Art Windows.  Why get a "window splash" if you can get a real art from a real working artist?  IrisCat is proud to relaunch this after a period of re-evaluation.

This summer, after a period of re-evaluation and hiatus, IrisCat is redefining and relaunching the popular window painting service to do what IrisCat does the best.  It has come to Sarah that even calling it a "window painting" does not do justice.  After three years in business, some people have mistakenly called it a "window treatment", and even more people have mistaken this for a "window splash."  The problem is that they all serve different purposes from different technical approaches. What IrisCat Designs does is a commissioned temporary or semi-permanent works of art reflecting the artist's distinct style informed by various disciplines such as illustration, hand-drawn letterings, and acrylic and watercolor paintings.  Generally, this suits much better for a smaller-sized project.  Unlike other businesses in the area providing window painting or "window splash" services, your project will be done by a real working artist with experiences that include solo and juried shows.

IrisCat Designs is here to provide an elegant, perhaps smaller, and light-hearted (but not grotesque) alternative for businesses that are conscious of the images they project to the community.  With all this, the prices are remarkably affordable (varies by various factors), and whenever feasible environmentally sustainable methods and materials are used.

http://iriscat.info/artwindows-windowpaintingalternatives.html

Madison, NJ chamber, art council and schools bring community together with holiday window painting

 

“[Window paintings] will not compete with your window display, but help to enhance it... The window painting will help tie in all the stores and create a beautiful and festive atmosphere throughout our business district for the holidays."

-- James Burnet, executive director, Main Street, Madison, NJ.

I am looking for a similar project in which several stores on a same stretch of a street would have a thematically coordinated, serialized window paintings. If anyone know of a neighborhood community and business organizer who can spearhead an effort like this, please contact Sarah Morrigan.

Iridia Creative launches StoreCats.info

[caption id="attachment_221" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="directory and resources on felines in retail and business environments"][/caption]

Today the new website StoreCats.info officially went online. While focused primarily on Portland, Oregon at the moment, StoreCats.info aims to bring resources for business operators who would like to build a sense of community and attract more business through having a "store cat" in a retail or other business environment.

Simultaneously, the site seeks contribution of information, cat stories and pictures from the general public, allow public comments and ratings of cats.

StoreCats.info. Get your kitty fix. Support your local shops.

See live window painting in action on Nov. 19

I will be working on a relatively large window painting project on Thursday, November 19 from around 9 a.m. till done (in about 3 hours) in Johns Landing, South Portland.

This is a chance for those who would like to see how it is done. I will also be giving out 25% discount on anyone who stops by and makes a reservation for their own location on the spot.

The method I use for window painting eliminates the need for toxic chemicals or possible damages to the windows. The non-toxic paint, durable for about six months once dry without discoloration, can be washed off with soapy water and typical consumer window cleansers (such as Windex) albeit with some patience, so there is no need for paint thinners or other volatile chemicals that can harm people's health and the environment. It also reduces the possibility of damages and scratches to the windows.

It will be at the Water Tower Postal Annex on Southwest Boundary Street between Corbett and Macadam on November 19.

Art show opening Sunday, June 28

The Five Rogues plus One

a group show

featuring
Darren W. Alexander | Troy Ennis | Larry Patrik May | Rick Miles | C. J. White

with

Sarah A. Morrigan

June 28 - August 17, 2009

Opening Reception: Sunday, June 28, 2009 - Noon

First Presbyterian Church of Portland

1200 SW Alder St

It's your business. Dream it up, and do it, in style.

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Iridia Creative Production has launched a new marketing campaign and doing it in style! The tagline here is "dream it up, and do it, in style." More than anything else, small businesses and community organizations are manifestations of someone's visions and dreams. Entrepreneurs literally "dream up" -- envision, innovate and create -- and set the world of the future in motion. In this difficult time it is a common temptation to cut down on what one may perceive as "non-essentials." As a result businesses become too boring and sterile for owners, employees and customers alike (remember that it is the experience that counts in all aspect of turning up the profit), innovations are stymied, and customer communications suffer. I believe that the time has come to do it -- and get it done -- all in style. Even if heaven forbid some people were to fail, I'd like to see them fail in style, not just fail like a roadkill.

For the rest, I am here to help you achieve what you dream up -- in style.

Free public domain clip art by Sarah

Check out Sarah's new clip art... and best of all it is free for you to use. These pictures are all drawn with Inkscape 0.46 on ASUS Eee PC 900 running on Easy Peasy.

You are invited to an art fair this weekend.

The Episcopal Church has been in recent years very supportive of arts. Long before the emergent church movement rediscovered the value of arts in spirituality and communal worship, many Anglican parishes established art programs to connect children to art in the context of spiritual formation, to provide forum for emerging artists, and to better incorporate fine arts, music and performance arts in the life of the church.

In this spirit, Portland's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (147 NW 19th Avenue) will be host to its ninth annual art festival. This year the show features over 95 artists.

This is also a good opportunity to personally meet many local artists and artisan crafters including Sarah.

Event details: http://www.trinity-episcopal.org/08TrinitySite/sections/music_arts/artists_among_us.html

Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10.

Pillar of Light

This is one of the three pieces inspired by the Filianic Scriptures.

Upon the Heaven are these words inscribed, the words of thy salvation. Upon the Heaven in signs of fire before the dawn of time. Upon the Crystal Tablet that passeth not away... The world is but a shadow, yet it is a shadow of Truth; and at the ending of the age shall the world be redeemed. Neither a leaf upon a bramble shall be lost, nor a blade of grass pass into nothingness. But thou, My child, of all the world, thou alone hast power to choose; and thus art thou called maid, for maid is she that hath the power of choosing. Fix then your will upon the Truth and your heart on the Spirit My Mother, for by your love shall the world be redeemed, even to the last blade of grass. In thy work praise Her and in thy resting, in thy speech and in thy silence. For thou wert made one with Her, and this is thy true estate. It is good for a maid to till the soil, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to build and to weave, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to serve maids in every way, but it is better to live with her Lady. She that liveth wholly with her Lady is the servant of all the world; no labour is so great as this, nor so greatly to be honoured. 

-- Pillar of Light

The verses are from the Madrian Scriptures.

cats, cats, more cats

See "Recent creative actions" for the earlier post on this.

For more pictures go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74030&id=581200221&l=2a28063906

little snippets of scenes from portland

I am shooting a series of silent short video clips from ordinary scenes of Portland, Oregon. You can watch them on YouTube.

Space and Light

As Portland enters into the majesty and splendour of the spring in its fullness, I hope you are enjoying the lights, colours and air of this lovely city.

For those who cannot, here's a new photo series of mine, Space and Light.

Enjoy!

 

Sarah Morrigan
Iridia Creative Productions

Practice makes perfect

When I was in middle school my art teacher was a graduate school MFA intern. He always had a little notebook or sketchbook and he would draw just about anywhere -- at a coffee shop, subway station, on the train, and so on.

For an artist, this is a good habit to develop as it helps improve perceptive skills and ability to translate what one perceives onto paper in a relatively short time (which also requires the artist to discriminatingly capture "the essence" of an image). It is sort of like how a good writer tends to have a journal with her at all times. Constant journaling also helps inspire future creations.

About a week ago I was waiting outside a restaurant on an exceptionally busy evening (in the end I waited for about an hour and 20 minutes). I drew this on a notepad with a pencil and then a Sharpees -- in about five minutes.

I was in a meeting with local business owners networking. I happened to sit next to someone who was just starting a coffee shop in Portland and heard she was looking for someone to design a signage. I came up with an idea, drew something quickly and showed it to her. (And I got the project on the spot!) Note that this design differs quite a bit from the final product (of course), but the main ideas are the same.

[caption id="attachment_45" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Southeast Grind (2009) - rough sketch"][/caption]

My point is this: if you are an artist, be always ready and prepared -- you'll never know what inspires you. It's also the same with writers. You cannot be an artist or a writer only every once in a while.

Two new paintings with ocean theme

[caption id="attachment_35" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Dance of Solitary Splendour, by Sarah A. Morrigan (2009); acrylic on ceramic panel, H 12.5cm x W 30.0cm"][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_36" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Pacific Northwest Sunset, by Sarah A. Morrigan (2009), acrylic on ceramic panel, H 12.5cm x W 30.0cm"][/caption]

Recent creative actions