my portland oregon « Jill Bliss

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lucy’s new wheels

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

thanks to everyone who has participated in the lucy art fundraiser sale, her vet bills are mostly paid and i can concentrate on being her Seeing Eye Person! we’re both adjusting to her sudden blindness, and very appreciative for everyone’s kind words and financial help!

yesterday we found this treasure on craigslist. the idea being that newly-timid lu can still accompany me on my neighborhood errands and we can still enjoy some hiking trails together. this baby has all-terrain tires!

after our maiden voyage earlier today though – bringing more fundraiser packages to the post office – i realized an 85 lb. cart + 30 lb. dog + packages = heavy! a little more online research revealed that all-terrain radio flyer carts [shown below] are half the weight of the garden cart. the one with wood stakes is the best, weighing in at 35 lbs, while the one with red stakes is still ok at 46 lbs.

i wonder if anyone in portland knows someone willing to part with their radio flyer, or is willing to trade one for our garden wagon?

lucy loved the wagon ride, and all the attention she received riding in it!

Posted in i love lucy, my portland oregon | 6 Comments »

studio tour!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

oooh, one of my new favorite sites, spacepdx.com, came last week and photographed me during a workday in my studio spaces. lots and lots of photos for you to vicariously live a day in the life of me and my dog lucy. check back often to check out the other “neat people and the spaces they grace” here in portland.

Posted in my portland oregon | 3 Comments »

dance, dance, dance

Monday, January 11th, 2010

i downloaded images from my camera today in anticipation of updating my online shop tomorrow [more anima art posters and cards! ... and more!] and found these photos as well.

the other night i and a few friends found ourselves in a huge warehouse full of people dancing, playing music, and hula-hooping. cirque du soleil meets burning man.

my favorite was the fabric rope dance finale [above]. the dancers would climb and wrap themselves in prettily-colored hanging fabric “ropes” while doing insane gymnast moves high in the air. neat!

Posted in my portland oregon | No Comments »

designing and drawing info.!

Friday, January 8th, 2010

at psu, i’m teaching a class on problem solving and idea generation skills in the graphic design department! right now, we’re deconstructing other people’s work, then it’s on to photography, drawing and writing as idea-generating strategies, before launching into more typical graphic design projects.

as far as other classes i teach… some of you might remember that this past summer i led a series of nature drawing workshops here in portland, and hope to do that again this summer. anyone can email me at jill@jillbliss.com to be put on the mailing list for those.

lastly… i’m currently working on a nature drawing book, among other goodies, for chronicle books, which will be available next fall!

Posted in i love design, i love flora + fauna, my portland oregon | No Comments »

busy week!

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

so, here’s why it’s been so quiet on the blog this week. it’s my first week of teaching, and there’s a ton to learn and get used to. even with just one class that meets twice a week.

like: getting dressed, eating breakfast and leaving the house at a certain time each day. like: talking to other people before noon. oh yeah, and coming up with lesson plans and getting to know all the students and the program!

Posted in my portland oregon | 2 Comments »

the original califoregon!

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

a few years back my friend brittany powell and i did a collaborative art show together that we called “califoregon.”

a sharp couple who visited me at the san francisco renegade christmas craft fair clued me into the original “califoregon” idea: the state of jefferson! oh, thaaaat’s what that barn on highway 5 is all about!

Posted in my artwork, my portland oregon | 1 Comment »

my wish came true!

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

for the past two months i’ve vocally hoped it wouldn’t snow here in portland until i got back from san francisco. i arrived home late last night, and got my wish in the past hour while walking the dog: it began snowing!!!

word is it will turn to rain in a few hours, but i hope the word is wrong. i want to go sledding in the park like last year!

Posted in my portland oregon | 1 Comment »

holiday snow days!

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

another day, more snow! despite the inconvenience of canceling my holiday travel plans, i’m enjoying the unexpected time off and slower pace that all this snow is bringing us here in portland. last night i was able to go on an evening sledding expedition in a local park. the best run was the 50 feet of steps and three landings now transformed into a prime ski/sled run! i kinda have whiplash today from it, but it was totally worth it!!!

i was also able to pack orders today and get them to the shipping store. i’m also working on new poster designs for the new year, and some other fun projects i’ll be able to report on soon.

Posted in my portland oregon | No Comments »

happy holidays!

Friday, December 19th, 2008

this week has been a busy one between packing the last of the website orders that will make it in time for christmas and various potluck parties at friends’ houses. ah, potlucks! i love them. although we still try to support local restaurants in these tough times as much as we can – who doesn’t love someone else cooking and doing the dishes? – my group of friends and i have begun organizing quite a few potluck parties. it’s a great way to save a little money while still enjoying good food and one another’s company.

as those of you who are on my email list already know, i’ll be out of the studio for the holidays next week and unable to ship orders as usual. all orders placed from now until the 28th will be shipped on the 29th when i return. i’m looking forward to more good food and good times with friends and family in the next week, and wish you the same!

Posted in my online shop, my portland oregon | No Comments »

snow days!

Monday, December 15th, 2008

yesterday was controlled chaos at the crafty wonderland event here in portland! just as predicted it began snowing at 8 am, which is not very common in portland, and apparently didn’t let up until the afternoon. the crowd turn out was still good despite the odds to get to the convention center! thanks to everyone who came instead of sledding or building snowmen!

that’s my boothmate bishop lennon, above, in our booth with a shopper. below, one half of apak models one of my birds.

one of my favorite things about craft fairs is trading with other vendors. once the crowd of shoppers thinned an hour or so before the official close, i scored some awesome gifts for myself and friends and family. while i can’t show you my gifts for everyone else until after the holidays, here’s what i scored for myself:

that’s a handknit 14k gold chain necklace from little purls [actually this was so rad i paid cash for it, as did betsy walton for her own longer sky blue version], a replacement fleece top from texture clothing [i got one of these several years ago and wore it so much it fell apart], a cutting board made by a cabinetmaker glueing scraps together from other projects [website unknown], owl and mushroom ornaments made by marcy from the shop called shipwreck in eureka, ca. last but not least are my new pdx rain magnets from my boothmate bishop. she did a brisk business with felted plush pdx raindrop magnets, but sadly i missed out on those!

just when bishop and i thought we may very well be stranded at the convention center because none of our car friends had snow-enabled cars, our friend [and hero] ryan saved the day with a rented honda element with chains on the tires. celebratory beer and pizza was consumed before trudging home in the snow and collapsing in bed.

the snow is still on the ground today, so now i’m off to organize a sledding party…

Posted in my events and shows, my portland oregon | No Comments »