Art, music, art, music - I like to balance these two things and the last couple of days have been a fine mixture of both....including a little hackey sack with strangers, chocolate ice cream and general wandering....

After a beautiful morning of sunshine, basketball and hackey sack, I headed over to the NW Printmaker's Association...a co-op for over 150 printmakers who rotate exhibitions and have monthly exhibitions. The day before, I had happened into the gallery, pulled in by a particular show going on, only to find out that the artist would be speaking there....so here are some pics of that artist....a very warm and well-spoken man in his eighties with a lifetime of art experience...and still,,,the same advice comes out - practice drawing, and always keep practicing. I left with a print of his and more motivation to keep sketching (which i have been doing lots of at the festival). The night before, the Portland Jazz Orchestra put on one of the best shows I have seen here...a double repetoire of Mingus and Holland....2 of my faves, and they were great. Last night, I went to a very old church downtown called - The Old Church....featuring young artists of Portland...something in the water here -- they come out knowing Coltrane:)....a beautiful backdrop of an acient organ set the scene.....Top pics are from my wanderings....a nice mural on a retainer wall, and the fast food lot - a cuisine hotspot for portlanders on the go.