Not his day job

Justin L'Amie at the First Wednesday opening of his solo exhibit at PDX Contemporary Gallery.

On the first Thursday of every month, new art exhibits open at the galleries in the Pearl District. This year, First Thursday falls on the Fourth of July so the receptions are being held on First Wednesday.

When the economy tanks, art is one of the first "luxuries" to suffer in the downturn. It was heartening to see the crowds in all the galleries I visited tonight. The heat wave broke today, and the weather was perfect for strolling.

Justin is a young man who works at the Pearl Bakery. I didn't know he was an artist until I saw a postcard with his image on the bakery counter where invitations to Pearl District art events are displayed. I decided that if I could I would attend his opening, just to offer a little encouragement.

I hadn't seen any of his work before. Watercolor, gouache, ink images drawn from nature, meticulously crafted with repetitive marks like those found in Van Gogh's reed pen drawings. Some of his pieces included collage work, and there was sculpture as well. All in all, a handsome body of work. His first one-man show, I think.

It was difficult to choose which photo to post. The other one I liked was full of gallery visitors and showed the energy of the event. This is a more traditional, static pose but I wanted you to see Justin's art. More here.

Good luck, Justin! I wish you much success as an artist, even though I'll miss you at your day job.