Meanwhile, in Portland...

Naomi's mom was in town last week, which was a great excuse to go to the Portland Art Museum. The current exhibit centers on Monet's Waterlilies, displayed between collections of the Japanese woodblock prints that Monet was excited about at the time, and some European prints inspired and influenced by the Japanese prints. It was so cool! Go see it if you get a chance! First Thursdays are free, and you can get in with your Portland library card using a Discovery Pass!

The Japanese prints often focused on daily life, nature, and seasonal moments, so I made my own homage with watercolor.

Two of my favorite prints were:

Snowy Morning At Koishikawa, by Katsushika Hokusai

I like the combination of people/buildings/nature, and the way all 5 people have really distinct poses.

The Reflections (Loguivy), Henri Rivière

Look at how the buildings and the top of the hill are out of frame, but you can see them reflected in the water! AAAAA so cool!

I did one more banner for the talking-about-transportation table at the PSU Farmer's Market:

I tried so many different versions and ended up going with my first idea. Oh well.

Last week Barry and I participated in a roundtable discussion with some other Portland cartoonists who do "political" comics. We talked about our work, political cartooning, and the comics scenes in Portland. We had a great discussion that could have gone on for hours! I'm least familiar with David Walker's work, but as you can see I really liked what he had to say.

(left to right: Barry Deutsch, Shay Mirk, David Walker, and Kristen Rogers Brown)

The discussion was in preparation for an event in the fall. From Melissa Delzio, one of the organizers:

Save the date Oct 9th, 2025 for an event about the history of political cartooning in Portland, and its contemporary evolution! We will interrogate the illustrator/comic artist's role in political movements, why it matters in today’s media landscape, and learn how the artform is evolving. This event is a collaboration between PNCA and Portland Design History.

I don't know if or how Barry and I will be involved in that event--possibly sitting at a table and hoping someone buys our books?--but I'll keep you posted!