We “scampered up” (as Harriet J. Connor used to say) to Portland Monday to see SRH and continue our training for a street Band…
and for me to get to play with his toys…
but we worked in a nice visit with George and Phyllis where we saw the big version of Johanson’s painting…recently back from Seattle…”Mirrored Porch”, 1984,
and this is of particular interest to us as we have a small version of this painting that George made for R…2007…
we talked about Louis Bunce (this was a “research call”) and they shared some photos of Louis including this one with Doll Gardner, Louis, George and Milton Wilson…
Louis painting to jazz…Jim Smith’s group “The Way out”
and, well, fun…
Tuesday we headed into a full art day running some books by Blackfish Gallery where Carol Benson and husband Michael Knutson are showing together…nice vibrant show…
across the street to Upfor where I kinda loved these oddly nice paintings by Ralph Pugay…
and then to PDX to see the VERY nice Storm Tharp show…here was R’s Favorite…
and mine…
Jane Beebee said ROSE COTTAGE refers to Tharp’s favorite Joan Mitchell painting called “Rose Cottage”, 1953…here it is, for just an art historical moment…
by now though, we needed a break and a tuna sandwich before going on to the museum…
The big show at the museum now is selections from the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Collection…
and though various of our correspondents were under-whelmed by the show, we liked it. First highlight a painting George had shown us in the show catalog the night before and the photo just seemed sooo dark…and the painting isn’t…(Geoge on the left in the eyeshade, Louis Bunce in the dark jacket, then Mike Russo, Jack McLarty, Sally Haley, Don Normark, and Phyllis on the right in profile…)
the docent was telling his group “and he’s still painting”… true enough…
and then other work by “friends”…Henk Pander’s portrait of Arlene…
a nice James Lee Hansen sculpture…
LOTS of Louis Bunce pieces…
Other things of interest included this nice big Katherine Ace…
Rick Bartow
…and I was delighted to see the Bay Area artist Squeak Carnwath’s painting…
“Will or Won’t”
since I’ve been sending these cards out for years…
I was also particularly taken with these two Morris Graves paintings…the first is the catalog cover for the show and is way more vibrant in life than in my not too good photo…
Next Stop the really beautiful Blue Sky photo show. Blue Sky Gallery opened 40 years ago and we were members right away. Membership cards in the early years were spatulas, collapsible cups, and so on. We have ALWAYS been big fans and members and were delighted with the show. Go see it…lots of nice photos from “away”…but LOTS of nice photos made right here by Oregon photographers.
or my iPhone panorama version (I’ve been “playing” with panorama)
FAVES:…Winston Link, there’s just SOOOO much going on in this photo, transportation wise…
and then this Abelardo Morell photo from his giant pinhole series that still knocks me out…
By now our energy was waning but we managed to get upstairs to see the newly hung and augmented room of Charles Heaney paintings (the museum owns 376, I noted on the label)…
but wait…what about this early Johanson?
and what about these gorgeous beaded bags from 1900-1920???
Enough. Off home. Try to go look this month.
On The Way 
I’m exhausted! Next scamper up here, stop by the Lumber Room. They have a very captivating show. I’ll probably post something for next week.
Bonnie- Thanks for the Squeak Carnwath. She is heavily involved with Magnolia Editions. Don has even gotten her into doing tapestries. I used to enjoy looking at her little books there. Which reminds me, I’m still waiting for Godot. Era said he should arrive any day/ I hope Godot gets here before Baby Audrey. Don’t ask!