One of my favorite people died last month.

At seventeen, I’d already been out of traditional school for a couple of years. (Welcome, fellow dropouts!) I had trouble dealing with my peers and couldn’t handle high school, so I took an alternative path. With a little help from special people, I had a GED by sixteen and was taking courses at Portland Community College. My studies focused on writing and photography. I was mainly interested in photography. If I studied hard enough, I could be the next John Waters!

First things first. I’d learned a lot about film, but had limited still photo experience, other than a Kodak Instamatic that hung from my rear-view mirror. So I spent $180 on a snazzy Minolta SLR and signed up for basic 35mm photography at PCC. That’s where I met Paul Blixt.

Paul was an energetic man in his early 50s. He looked just like his picture, hair always perfect and smile omnipresent. His pleasant voice was easy to listen to, and after lecture he would be looking over your shoulder, offering constructive hints and asking pointed questions if he saw something problematic approaching. He’d let you fail, then explain where you went wrong.

He was a decent, principled man, stranded in a sea of hippies and students of “higher” learning. While he was hipper than he looked, he had a fatherlike presence that kept us in line. Despite his high morals, if he judged you, he kept it to himself. Except when it came to portfolio grading. His reviews were kind, but could be brutal to the ego of the uprising “artists”.

He hated solarised prints. Never, ever use a solarised print in your portfolio.

In a time when celebrities are dropping like flies, we tend to overlook the regular folk who quietly inspired a generation of artists and wannabe artists, while gently providing a positive role model for those of us who needed one.

A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2009, in Kern Park Christian Church, 6828 S.E. Holgate Blvd., Portland, OR 97206. All his friends are welcome.

Related Posts

• July 3, 2009 -- Show PAM your ink (0)
• April 8, 2009 -- Capturing the “Essence of Portland” (3)
• February 28, 2009 -- Love coffee and photos? You’ll love Encrusted! (1)
• February 24, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Conspiracy (0)
• February 19, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: steel (0)

If I were told Portlanders had more tattoos per capita than other cities, I would not be surprised. Tattoos have the ability to be both personal and public at the same time. They can be used to permanently mark significant events, an artistic vision, a current (or past) relationship, or other journeys in our lives on our bodies for either the whole world to see…or limited to a select few depending on the location.

For instance, there’s the hidden not-so-hidden tattoo I got at Sea Tramp a couple years ago. It’s relatively simple to understand to anyone who sees it, yet the meaning and its placement probably require a bit more explanation to get a sense of the “why.”

You probably have a story about your tattoo, or tattoos, as well. And now, the Portland Art Museum would like to see your ink. As part of their new exhibit, “Marking Portland: The Art of Tattoo,” the museum is asking those who were tattooed in Portland to submit photos via Flickr for possible inclusion in the exhibit.

The exhibit will be on public display through September 7, 2009.

Starting this month, the museum will offer free general admission on the fourth Friday of the month from 5-8PM. Also, if you have a Bank of America card (ATM, debit, credit), show your card on the first weekend of the month and you’ll get in for free. (The Portland Art Museum will be closed on July 4, but will be open on July 5.)

Related Posts

• August 25, 2009 -- Try walking in his shoes (3)
• July 8, 2009 -- He preferred Hasselblad (0)
• April 8, 2009 -- Capturing the “Essence of Portland” (3)
• February 28, 2009 -- Love coffee and photos? You’ll love Encrusted! (1)
• February 24, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Conspiracy (0)

If you had to take one photo expressing life in Portland, what would it be? Which part of town would you visit to capture it? Would it be scenic and beautiful or something a bit grimier?

Radio station KINK-FM is looking for the best photo showing the “essence of Portland.” The winning photo will serve as the cover of their latest “Plug-In Portland” local music sampler.

Visit the radio station’s site to get most of the specifics on how to submit your masterpiece. (Someone from their legal team needs to re-read what’s been posted and clean up some things…) That said, I believe the contest ends Thursday, April 30, so you have about three weeks to capture that essence. Good luck!

Related Posts

• November 12, 2009 -- Getting KINKy (2)
• July 8, 2009 -- He preferred Hasselblad (0)
• July 3, 2009 -- Show PAM your ink (0)
• July 1, 2009 -- What’s In A Name? (4)
• April 22, 2009 -- From Our Mailbox: Les Sarnoff Public Celebration 5/17 (0)

By Angel O'Brien

Tomorrow is a big day for my friend Angel O’Brien. She owns Ladybug Organic Coffee Company, one of my favorite coffeehouses in the St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland. It’s a very special place.

At Ladybug, all the coffee, tea and deliciously original food (which is made from scratch and on-site) is organic. The napkins, disposable cups, and pink plastic straws are all biodegradable. (I wrote a lot more about Ladybug’s efforts to be sustainable here.) And often, afterhours, you will find the lights on for neighborhood committee meetings and fundraising events.

But that’s just business as usual. What’s different about tomorrow is that Angel’s outstanding photographs will go on display for the first time. I am not only a fan of Angel and her beloved Ladybug coffeehouse, I am also quite enamored with her artistic eye for detail.

Encrusted, a photographic depiction of the remnants of coffee bliss, is series of gorgeously rich photos of the art we customers leave behind in our cups. For a sneak peek at what to expect at the show, you can view several pieces scheduled for showing in Angel’s Dirty Dishes set on her Flickr page. Even more brand new, never exhibited before pieces will be revealed at the reception.

If you love coffee and photography, you’ll love Encrusted. Please join us at the Ladybug on March 1st between 4-7 pm for the opening celebration!

Ladybug Organic Coffee Company
8438 N Lombard Street
Portland, OR 97203
www.ladybugcoffee.com
503-715-1006

Related Posts

• March 20, 2010 -- Falling in Love With the Bean (0)
• February 21, 2010 -- 30 Years of Loving Portland (3)
• July 29, 2009 -- Danes Love Dwarfs (and you can too) (0)
• July 8, 2009 -- He preferred Hasselblad (0)
• July 3, 2009 -- Show PAM your ink (0)

Conspiracy by reidab

Everyone is invited to share Portland photography with the OurPDX community by participating in the OurPDX Flickr group.

Related Posts

• March 25, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: The vibrant greens of … Winter (1)
• February 19, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: steel (0)
• February 17, 2009 -- Announcing the OurPDX Photo Pool (0)
• February 18, 2010 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Anamorphic Pinhole Series~5 (0)
• January 8, 2010 -- PDX in Your Pictures: The Ride is Called The Screamer (0)

steel by Sellwood Street

Everyone is invited to share Portland photography with the OurPDX community by participating in the OurPDX Flickr group.

Related Posts

• April 13, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Steel Bridge at Night (1)
• February 24, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Conspiracy (0)
• February 17, 2009 -- Announcing the OurPDX Photo Pool (0)
• February 18, 2010 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Anamorphic Pinhole Series~5 (0)
• January 8, 2010 -- PDX in Your Pictures: The Ride is Called The Screamer (0)

There’s a lot to see in Portland. And there are a lot of photographers capturing it. I’m excited to announce we have created an OurPDX Flickr Pool to feature photography of Portland. Anyone can contribute to the pool – simply join the Flickr group and add your photos. Here are the guidelines:

• We’re looking for contributions of photos of anything Portland-related. Events, bridges, buildings, artwork, and so on. If it’s related to Portland, it’s welcome in the group.
• These photos will potentially appear in two ways: as thumbnails included as part of the OurPDX website (showing the most recent photos added to the group), and occasionally we’ll highlight an image by featuring it as a post on the blog. All uses of photos will link back to the original photo on Flickr.
• By posting photos to this group you agree that OurPDX Networks may display your photo on the OurPDX website.
• Only “safe for work” photos, please.

I look forward to highlighting some great Portland photography here on the blog. Join us on Flickr.

Related Posts

• October 9, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: They Left Out Snow… (0)
• October 8, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Silver Dude on the Bus (1)
• October 7, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Portland Sky (2)
• October 6, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: Bike Parking (0)
• October 5, 2009 -- PDX in Your Pictures: All Tucked In For a Nap (1)