Portland artist Stephen O'Donnell has married his creative self-portrait with 33 creative writers from the Pacific Northwest in his book, "The Untold Gaze".  Each writer takes one of his paintings and creates a story, poem or flash fiction about the artwork.  The results are whimsical, strange and even heartbreaking.  His portraits are whimsical and fun, allowing the writers to easily play with the imagery.  It is a perfect pairing that we think you'll highly enjoy.

Get the book at Portland's very own Powell's Bookstore.

Get all the art supplies you need to create your own playful, gender-bending, self-portraits with I've Been Framed.

For about 3 moths, since July 2020, we've featured 12 fantastic Oregon artists, sharing their techniques and tips of how they make the art they create and why they do what they do.  We've enjoyed widening our community and spreading the artistic joy with them.  Unfortunately, we have no more artists to feature.  You see, no one else has submitted their info to share their art with us. 

Until we get more artists, we'll have to pause this wonderful part of our blog.  If you'd like to be the next artist to be featured with us, please fill out the form at the this link.  We'd love to hear from you and continue spreading the art love.  

Here are the 12 artists we featured over the past 3 moths:

1. Ruth Armitage: https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-to-make-experimental-texture-with-heavy-body-acrylic-paint-with-abstract-artist-ruth-armitage#/
2. Curtis Settino:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/painter-curtis-settino-encourages-artists-to-open-up-try-different-mediums#/
3. Alleyvision Couple:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/alleyvision-shows-us-how-to-double-the-oil-painting-fun-in-their-collaborative-paintings#/
4. Maggie Wauklyn:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-artist-maggie-wauklyn-keeps-it-simple-flows-with-it-to-make-perfectly-imperfect-art#/
5. Christa Paolucci:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/dont-be-afraid-to-make-ugly-art-whimsical-animal-and-nature-artist-christa-paolucci-advises#/
6. Katarina Zarate: https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-artist-business-woman-katrina-zarate-hustles-everyday-in-portland-oregon#/
7. Benz & Chang:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-artist-benz-chang-uses-frisket-monochromatic-watercolors-to-create-a-magical-vintage-looking-painting#/
8. Val Hubbard:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-playing-gets-abstract-artist-val-hubbard-ready-for-the-final-painting#/
9. Marybel Martin:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-combining-traditional-digital-art-creates-a-unique-style-for-artist-marybel-martin#/
10. Neil Cochran:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/how-nudging-oil-paint-opened-new-ideas-for-artist-neil-cochran#/
11. Serena Barton:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/excavating-abstract-histories-and-ruins-in-oil-and-cold-wax-artist-serena-barton-shares-her-layered-painting-technique#/
12. Addie Boswell:  https://www.ivebeenframedpdx.com/blog/paper-cutting-artist-addie-boswell-reveals-her-process-to-creating-a-childrens-book#/

Portland Open Studios Tour is a long tradition in Portland, Oregon, happening every October.  This year, they adapted to the pandemic and are making virtual tours, artist talks and live studio visits, trying to make it as fun and interactive as possible to support their many artists and their many fans who come out to visit the artists each year.  Click on the above link to learn more and see all the participating artists.

Despite artist and author, Samantha Dion Baker, having to take care of her 2 children, she still finds a way to draw her day.  She shares her personal techniques, struggles, and materials in her pretty book, "Draw Your Day:  An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal".  Just seeing the little drawings she does each day, makes you want to keep up your own daily drawing practice.

Get the inspiring book at Powell's Bookstore.

Get all the art supplies you need at our art store, I've Been Framed.   

The Cardboard Bernini is another art documentary that we highly recommend to you.  It's about cardboard artist, James Grashow who, during the filming, creates a monumental installation after Italian artist Bernini's epic fountain.  It takes James several years to create the massive art project and you watch as it unfolds and comes to life. 

​What's more impressive than this huge undertaking is that he plans to destroy the work after it is finished, by placing it outside in the rain to dissolve into mush.  The whole project is amazing to watch.  You're left with awe and loads of inspiration.

Should it inspire you to create some art and you need art supplies, please make an order with us at this link.

Portland, Oregon artist, art director, illustrator and author, Elizabeth Haidle is offering an online illustration course to help artists process the heavy things we're dealing with at this moment in our society.  In her own art practice, she has been creating personal power symbols to help her through her struggles and challenges.  She thought others might benefit from learning her art practice and creating their own.  It's called, "Illustrating Personal Power Symbols".  

The course is for 30 days starting October 4th.  If your'e interested, don't wait.  Her courses usually sell out soon.  Register by clicking on the link above.  Should you need art supplies for the course, make an order with us.

Artist Serena Barton says she's an archeologist at heart.  Ruins, history and forgotten pasts inspire her layered oil and cold wax abstract paintings.  She lives and works in Portland, Oregon, actively teaching and exhibiting all around the city, including an online oil and cold wax course and shows at Gallery 114 in the Pearl District.  She'll be a participating artist in the annual Portland Open Studios Tour which will be virtual this year due to the pandemic.  Without further ado, let's watch Serena's amazing layering and texture painting technique.  We love seeing her roll, brush, scrape and chisel away until the painting is perfect.

Make sure you check out more of ​Serena Barton's work on her website and Instagram account.  She also has an online course that teaches you how to use oil and cold wax.  Find it on her website.  

Artist Myriam Tillson shares her knowledge of gouache painting with you in a 4 part workshop that takes you from the basics to painting a landscape and an eye with gouache paint.  The best workshop is when she teaches you several methods of blending and lets you decide which ones work best for you and what you're trying to accomplish with gouache.  

The series is:

1. Gouache 101
2. Basic Gouache Techniques
3. Gouache Landscape Tutorial
4. Gouache Eye Tutorial

Should you need any gouache painting supplies for this workshop, please place an order with us at this link.

The Collector, a documentary about Allan Stone, a man who hoarded art for over 50 years, was one of the most fascinating and interesting films about art that we have ever seen.  You not only get to see how obsessed this man is with art as it takes over his home, but you see how it has brought him much success in art as it leads him to opening up a very successful New York gallery. 

It's filmed by his daughter who had made art documentaries, so you get to hear her point of view of her father's art collection obsession.  We give this film 5 stars and 2 thumbs up.

The link to watch it is on Amazon Prime is here and you can watch the trailer at this link.

We are amazed that art keeps going and adapting to the state of the pandemic world.  Pictoplasma's annual international art, design and animation conference which is usually held in Berlin, Germany, has adapted and for the first time offers it online for free for everyone.  For 2 days, they'll open 2 online channels where you can listen and watch artist talks, do live workshops and watch animations with many different methods and styles from around the globe.  Here's what they say about the conference:

• This year’s first ever, fully digital ‘Pictoplasma in Isolation’ awaits all global character pioneers, creatives and enthusiasts for a special celebration of contemporary character design and art.


• This September 18 + 19 we’ll be broadcasting more than 40 inspiring artist talks, 77 hand-picked animation shorts, 36+ hours of home entertainment spread over 2 channels during 2 intense days = endless character joy…
• … all for FREE, and all to the safety of your own 4 walls, wherever you are!

It's live broadcast only and starts at 7am PST in Portland, Oreton or if you're in Berlin, Germany that's 16:00 CEST. Click on the link above to register for it.

2 live worshops that we think you might enjoy are:

1. INHALE, EXHALE—A CREATIVE WORKSHOP WITH NATHAN JUREVICIUS:  Do you feel stuck for ideas or in a creative slump? ‘Professor’ Nathan Jurevicius’ workshop is a crash course in unblocking your mind and allowing thoughts to flow freely. 
   Nathan will take you through a series of subconscious doodle exercises, breathing life into ideas and finishing up with a rigorous fan art sketch-a-thon.
2. STAY AT HOME WORKSHOP WITH JON BURGERMAN:  Join Jon Burgerman as he rummages around his Brooklyn apartment (or studio) to find things he can turn into a character. Then in the second half join Jon as he turns you into a character whilst you turn him into one!