We are looking to amp up our art community involvement, so we decided to see if there are Oregon artists out there who follow us, buy art or framing supplies from us and support us who would like to share their fine art tips and techniques with us. 

We especially would like to hear from under-represented artists, meaning those who are women, differently-abled, BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), LGBTQIA, mixed race, a combination of any of the above or something else that we just have forgotten to write here (So sorry).  If you'd like to share with our Oregon art community, please click on the button below and fill in the form. 

If we have enough participation, we'd like to post these Fine Art Tips & Techniques once or twice per week on our blog.  Thank you so much for all you do. We love you and hope to hear from many, many of you.  

You're qualified, if you:

1. live in Oregon
2. do fine art/illustration/traditional visual art (it doesn't matter your level of experience or which medium)
3. have tips or techniques to share about your process and main medium (could be mixed medium too)
4. have images/videos showing your art and specifically the technique you want to share
5. have a website or online place where we can see your art and we can share on our blog

Here are examples of techniques or tips you could share with us (just ideas to get your started, but not limited to only these or any of these):

1. A unique way you use your medium that you came up with on your own that helps you create your art
2. Something you discovered after you got out of art school or after you took an art class
3. A tip that saved you time, money or made it easier for you to create art
4. How you made the most progress on what you create
5. The thing you know the best that you could teach to people (do you teach art?)
6. How you keep up a daily art practice
7. How you create public art without it being commissioned (maybe, even guerrilla style)
8. The most important art lesson you learned and what you think everyone interested in art should know
9. Your favorite art brands and why you chose them above other brands
10. Making art on a budget
11. How to keep your art fresh
12. How to gain art followers or any art career tips

We love the unusual and quirky as you may know from our in store art collection that we display on all the walls and from being a long time customer of ours.  So of course, we had to send you some quirky Independence Day Wishes with these unusual and artsy animated gifs.  Some of them even give you some ideas of quirky art and craft ideas to do.  In any case, we hope you have a fun 4th of July.  You mean so much to us!  Thank you for being loyal customers and being a part of our artist community!  Fireworks and red, white and blue fun below!  

Let's not forget that so much of our American history includes our black Americans.  They have forged our country and deserve celebration during our Independence Day festivities.  We believe it's a great way to show our love of this country and all its people. 

Black artist, Kadir Nelson has been creating beautiful art to show us that blacks are full of strength and dignity and they are true patriots.  We can especially see that in his book, "The Undefeated" which he talks about in this short, video interview.  Click on the image below to watch it. 

When you're done, watch the video reading of the full book, "The Undefeated".  You can watch it by clicking the image below with the book's title.

Should these videos make you feel artistically inspired and you need some art supplies, you can always put in a curbside order at this link.

The 4th of July is in only a couple of days, as of this blog post.  We will have BBQ's and eat watermelon and set off fireworks to celebrate. We also think it would be super celebratory to do some patriot drawings with these kid artists.

​Below are 3 drawing projects by kids and for anyone who wants to make some festive, patriotic art.

If you need any art supplies, click on this link to get all the art supplies that you need.  Happy drawing and happy 4th of July!  We love you and wish you the best celebration!

The overcast weather won't last forever in Portland, Oregon, so when then sun comes out and the days get warmer, why not show off more skin with henna body art? 

You could paint your roommate's, kids', sister's or mom's hands, backs or legs with amazing henna art designs or you could do it to your own hand and legs as you'll see in the video below.  Click on the image to watch the full video and how to create the intricate design pattern. 

Of course, we always encourage you to be brave and make your designs own too.  When you're done, you'll have a beautiful design which will last for a few days.  It will give you plenty of time to show off in the summer sun.

If you don't have a henna body art kit at your home, you can get it from out website.  Click on this link to see all the kits we offer you.

Usually, during the summer, we'd recommend going outside and doing some cool art projects like sidewalk chalk drawing or urban sketching.  But we see in the forecast for Portland, Oregon, we're in for a few more days of overcast, cooler weather.  What do we recommend during the less summery days of summer?  When it feels a little colder than summer should be, it's a great idea to get out that bag of clay and do some fun sculpture projects like a clay dragon!  

In the video below, Trista the artist shows you step-by-step how to make a clay dragon.  It's a fun way to take advantage of cooler weather and gray skies.  Your clay won't dry as quickly as on a hot, sunny day, giving you more time to sculpt as carefully as you need to.
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Of course, we wouldn't leave you hanging if you don't have a big bag of clay at your home.  You can get a full clay art kit, including tools and the clay on our website.  Click this link to be brought to the full clay kit.

Find more clay art projects with Trista the artist at this link.  Her other how-to-videos include a pinch pot fish, coil pottery, and an animal face, among other fun, clay art projects.

We have seen a lot of posters that show their support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement, but we have seen a lot fewer protest statements on shirts.  Why not raise your voice by making a BLM screen printing tee-shirt?  Why not wear your voice and support even if you cannot be heard very clearly while wearing a mask (Do you have a hard time speaking clearly through a mask on too)? 

​Watch the How-to-Screen-Print video to make your own protest tee-shirts.  Click on the image below to be brought to it. 

Once, you figured out what you're going to design on your new protest tee-shirt, we have plenty of small screen printing kits that you can buy from our websites to get you started.  Click here to view our screen printing kits.  We love you and are so proud of you for standing up for black lives!

In case, you didn't know it, June is Gay Pride Month.  We support and love your LGBQT+ art customers and their art. 

And in case you didn't know it, there are quite a few BIOPOC visual artists (black, indigenous people of color) who are LGBTQ+ and who are breaking boundaries with their art.  They are opening our eyes in new ways and leading the contemporary art scene.  Below are links to take you on an adventure to see new art by these artists who we happily celebrate all year long, but especially during gay pride month.  

In case, any of their art inspires you to make some gay pride art like a rainbow flag to show your solidarity, please place a no-contact, curbside order with us at this link.

1.  On NBC News:  12 Queer Artists Who We Making Us Pay Attention

​2.  On Artsy: 15 Young LGBTQ Artists Driving Contemporary Art Forward

​3.  On Them:  7 Queer Artists Who Are Changing the Game

​4.  On The Guardian: Celebrating Queer Artists of Color

​5.  On Vice: Devan Shimoyama's Fearless Paintings of the Queer Black Experience

We have been seeing all kinds of messages of solidarity for black lives in our neighborhood.  Posters are posted in windows, on fences and doors.  Drawings in chalk on cement sidings and the sidewalk have declared that black lives matter. 

​If you too would like to show you're in this with us  and support this civil rights movement, you could download one of these beautiful protest posters by black artists.  Click on the image below to be brought to the page and read about the black artists who made them.

If seeing them makes you feel inspired to make your own protest posters, we recommend placing a no-contact, curbside order.  Click on this link to be brought to our order form.  We have large paper, paint markers and anything else you can think of to support this important movement happening now.

Now, that it's warm and sunny, whenever we walk around our neighborhood, we see all kinds of great sidewalk chalk art.  It always makes us happy to see everyone outside and doing such creative things. 

​Here is a list of some over-the-top amazing sidewalk chalk projects to make your neighborhood the best dang neighborhood out there because these projects are taking your sidewalk chalk art up about 30 levels from fun to amazing! 

All ages can do these projects; adults and kids.  You can make them as simple or as challenging as you want.  Whatever you decide to do, spread love and joy because we could use it during this difficult time.  We can get through it with our creativity and support of each other.

If you need any discount sidewalk chalk, you know we've got you covered.  Click on this link to purchase online.