Portland Art Museum

After a chat, a bagel with lox, and a terrific cup of Stumptown coffee, I headed over to the Portland Art Museum. Every first weekend of each month, Bank of America card holders are able to get in for FREE. Thank goodness for free activities in Portland. I perused the China exhibit, the sterling silver collection and the contemporary art. It was amazing to walk around and take my time looking at things. By far my favorite kind of paintings are the ones where you can see each brushstroke. I imagine the artist in their studios deciding how each stroke created warmth and depth in their painting. I am not a huge fan of the portraits but I do love me a nice landscape.

My three favorites were:

Brett Reichman's "And the spell was broken somewhere over the rainbow"
This is close to what the painting looks like except there are three clocks in three panels of different colors.

Joseph Raffael's "Wind on Water"
This picture is the closest thing I could find to the painting that I saw but it will give you the same effect. He has now inspired me for my next painting.


William Trost Richards' "Marine, 1884"
This is much more impressive in person and in color. I must have stared at this one for at least five minutes. I kept hoping to see the ship in the back bobbing with the motion of the waves.


There was also this huge plate, probably eight feet high, that was made of tiny silver octagons all pieced together. The effect was half kaleidoscope, half fun house mirror. So awesome!

I took an illegal picture of one light installation (it made me giggle) and some of the lanterns hanging between the two buildings.









It turned out to be a gorgeous day out, sun shining and even a glimpse of blue sky. I hope the same weather for tomorrow's outing!