Last weekend I got all dolled up to go to the Latke Ball (Portland’s answer to New York & LA’s Matzoh Balls), a yearly blowout where young people in the city can come together to celebrate one night of Chanukah. In years past I have been heavily involved in planning events like this, my typical calendar month held 2-3 major group events. I was looking forward to the chance to get fancy and see some friends. What I didn’t expect was the reaction I got when I turned up at the party- “Oh my god- you’re actually here!” It turns out my study bubble has been a lot more intense than I thought it was; I’ve effectively fallen off the radar in my own community since at least the summer.
So what have I been doing this whole time? Mostly I’ve been reading every forensic art and anthropology book I can get my hands on in coffee shops across the city, making copious notes, and practicing however I can (while also balancing my work as a freelance designer and artist). I thought I’d put together a little overview so my friends know… it’s not you- it’s me (and all of my books). I don’t think this trend is slowing down any time soon, so consider this an open invitation to join me at the coffee shop, or in my living room, and we can nerd out on separate things, together.
Does She Have Any Wrinkles? Composite Practice With Friends
I will note that this was generally a very silly exercise and I recognize that it absolutely does not reflect the seriousness of an actual composite interview.
Composite drawing is a tricky thing to practice, as there are only so many aspects of the interview and drawing process that can be mimicked in a study environment (by yourself, I’m sure workshops are great). It’s generally frowned upon to traumatize your friends for the sake of study, so when my best friend offered to choose some faces to describe to me for the sake of practice, I was all for it. I was unsure if I would get to use much of the interview techniques I had studied, but it turns out, trauma or not, describing a face in detail is not second nature to most people, so I had the chance to ask a variety of clarifying questions.
Composite drawing created at the direction of a friend.
The photo my friend based her descriptions off of.
My favorite clarification exchange went like this:
Me: How old is she- young, mature, senior?
Friend: Um… She’s. Mature.
Me: Ok, does she have any specific wrinkle patterns, smile lines, crows feet maybe?
Friend: Um. No. She doesn’t have any wrinkles.
For this exercise I sat across from my friend while she had a reference picture in view to refer to. We tried to keep the process as serious as possible, but given the un-serious circumstances, I’d say we did the best we could. It was very hard not to laugh when I saw who the miraculously wrinkle-free mature woman was. Together we went through the basic steps of creating a composite drawing, starting with a rough lay in of proportions, moving towards refining the features together (“No, you can see all of her eyelids, and her eyebrows are much higher”), and finally when she was pleased with the likeness she revealed her reference photo to me.
Composite drawing created at the direction of a friend.
The photo my friend based her descriptions off of.
We went through this process twice in an afternoon, the second drawing was much more tricky. The light in the room was beginning to dim, and we went back and forth much more intensively about the shape of the face and features.
How Deep Is Your Face? Making notes, more notes, and better.
As an art student I trained in classical figurative style art- proper anatomy, proportions, and rendering. Most of that knowledge was literally surface level- what we can see with our own two eyes of living subjects. Studying forensic art has required a much deeper dive into scientific anatomy than the one course I took at the age of 18 (where I may have spent half of my time writing haikus to my roommates). My study habits as a young adult were… inconsistent at best.
Sloppy first draft notes, referenced from Forensic Art & Illustration
Cleaned up second draft notes. When possible I’ve been using my own model skull, Ruthie, for reference.
Various frontal landmarks demonstrated via Ruthie.
Various lateral landmarks demonstrated via Ruthie.
Basic skeletal components referenced from Human Osteology
Facial muscles referenced from Forensic Art & Illustration
The difference between studying at the end of my adolescence and studying now as an adult is staggering- mostly because I actually take notes now, and have seen fit to improve on my first scribbles. I have to add the caveat that these charts, while the drawings are done in my own hand, the information has been referenced from Karen T. Taylor’s “Forensic Art and Illustration” and William Bass’ “Human Osteology”.
All I Want For Christmas Is Someone Else’s Front Teeth – Thanks, Family, For Understanding
The most amazing thing I have learned this year has nothing at all to do with forensic art, or scientific anatomy. This year I discovered a well of support and faith from my family and friends that I truly never knew the depth of. Last year around this time I had begun exploring skeletal anatomy in my fine art work, by the spring my exploration had turned to direction and study, and by summer I began actively pursuing a career in forensic art. This exploration has pushed me out of my usual comfort zones in many ways, one of the most awkward things I’ve had to get used to is asking for help, but that has enabled me to make the largest strides in my studies. I asked my mom a couple months ago if it would be an insane thing to ask for a skull for Christmas- not really expecting anything would come of it. This weekend (compromising timing between Chanukah and Christmas), I was presented with a 3D printed skull that I can practice facial reconstruction on.
Thank you to everyone who has been so generous to me- with their time, their patience when listening to me talk about some of the unsavory things I’ve learned, and now by providing me with a chance for practical study. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world this holiday season.
(Notes about my trip to the IAI conference in Atlanta)
Last week, as I was picking my way down the steep front steps of my AirBnB in Atlanta to get into my Lyft (if this sentence isn’t a complete time capsule for the gig economy, I don’t know what will be), I was stopped by a monarch butterfly. It landed on my shirt and I paused halfway down the steps- I’m not one to rush a visit with a butterfly. It lazily flapped its wings and poked about with its funny coiled antenna, and as soon as it had come, it was gone- off to another flower, or to land on another jet lagged soul. Later that night, after I had returned from a day of lectures and learning, I was sitting at the dining table talking to my host, maybe about the lost 9/11 flag, or maybe about her history as an anthropology major- I’m not sure, we were just idly chatting after a long day. I felt something land on my hand, and my immediate impulse was to shake it off (there had been an incident with a very large spider the night before), but before it was gone, I looked and saw that it was a little orange ladybug.
The next morning, I was bumped off of the waitlist into the workshop I had been most excited to attend, and in my giddiness I entered the classroom chattering, as I sometimes do, and told the professor about my visitors the day before. He smiled and cocked his head, and said, “You know, that’s what the Chinese would call ‘double happiness'”.
I’m not sure double happiness even covers how I feel about my time in Atlanta. Every day was a delightful mix of purpose, study and meeting more kind, interesting and accomplished folks than I could have imagined or anticipated.
102nd International Forensic Educational Conference
My journey to the 102nd Annual IAI conference started early this Spring, when I was reading “The Girl With The Crooked Nose”, a sort of thriller biography about Frank Bender, a titan in the field of facial reconstruction. The IAI was referenced, so I looked it up and saw that they had a conference coming up in August. I started browsing through the lecture titles, and was rolled by a class titled, “Let’s fingerprint that dead body!”- I took a screenshot and sent it to my dad, sure that he would also appreciate that funny bit of professional enthusiasm. I added that I’d like to attend, though it might be a pipe dream for this year- he responded in true dad fashion, “You are going!”. I wasn’t sure if this meant a) he believed in my ability to figure it out or b) that he was going to help me get there. It turned out to be a little of column a, a little of column b. Over the next few months we worked together to figure it out, and 2 Saturdays ago I found myself on a plane on my way to Atlanta for my first professional outing in a field I’ve dreamed of joining since I was a teenager.
When your name is on a badge, things are getting real.
As soon as I saw this, I knew I had found my people. I mean. Really.
Day 1
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely horrified for the 5 hour plane ride, and subsequent first 10 hours in Atlanta prior to the conference. Some thoughts included, “What have I done? Why am I here? What in the world do I tell people when they ask me what I do? Will anyone even talk to me?”- I found some answers to those questions in short order at the opening reception, where I met up with Paloma Galzi of Galzi Forensics Limited, who I had connected with through Instagram a few weeks earlier. Soon after arriving, I was profoundly relieved to find the community of artists to be extremely welcoming and friendly.
So the answers to my panicked arrival questions-
What have I done? Taken a huge step towards the career of my dreams.
Why am I here? To learn from people who have already navigated this path.
What in the world do I tell people when they ask me what I do? Right now I’m learning as much as I can, but I hope to be working in the field soon.
Will anyone even talk to me? Uh, yeah, a lot of people, so many that it’s kind of overwhelming in a wonderful kind of way.
The week was a blur of activity- workshops, lectures, the dreaded ‘networking’- the entire time I was constantly surprised at how supportive, warm, and genuine the other artists were, and how humble they are about the incredible work that they do.
Day 2
Day 2 was mostly lectures, and therefore mostly doodling and note taking.
The first morning’s address included a short speech from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and he quoted The X-Files.
Being a total creep at breakfast by drawing the ladies at the other table.
Doodling through the PCAST Report Panel.
Day 3
I had a run in with a butterfly (see above), and attended a workshop called ‘Court and the Forensic Artist’ taught by Paul Moody.
Day 4
On Thursday I got to attend a workshop called ‘Sculpting The Human Skull’, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. We worked from anatomical casts and had our choice of 6 skulls, 3 male and 3 female in 3 different ethnicities. I chose to work on a female Asian skull, because I liked her smile. It’s been about 12 years since my last sculpture class, and I felt it at first, but after the first hour or so of struggle it started to come together for me again.
The class was very helpful in brushing up on specific anatomy and being able to take a deeper look at what makes every skull unique and different. It was a treat to have the guidance of Dr. Daniel Marion, who is in so many ways a master in this field. Towards the end of class we had a visit from Karen Taylor (I’m not starstruck or anything), who casually walked past my skull and informed me that I’d given it the mandible of an elderly person- it was a quick fix, and it definitely opened my eyes on the importance of the subtle details involved in creating a likeness. Being able to work alongside artists who are leaders in the field compared to my nearly utter lack of experience was very humbling.
By the end of class I was so attached to my skull that I couldn’t consider not taking it home- which presented some interesting challenges. I was one of the only artists not staying in the hotel where the conference was held, so it meant that I got to carry her around with me all evening until I went back to my AirBnb, and so thusly, I named her Ruth- wither I goest, she goest! I have to say, the residents and Lyft drivers of Atlanta are pretty unflappable, and we only mildly startled one waiter.
6 skulls, 9 artists, 8 hours.
A rough beginning.
Thanks to Karen for evidence that I can not stop smiling around skulls and clay.
Finished frontal view.
Left profile.
Right profile.
Ruth came with Paloma and I to dinner.
…and passed through TSA with flying colors.
Day 5
The last day of the conference was also the second most exciting workshop for me- it was called ‘The Composite Sketch Tune-Up’, and consisted of a deep dive into pushing value scales in drawing (the lightest lights to darkest darks and everything in between). I had been so looking forward to this session that I brought my travel easel with me from home- because when I nerd out, I really nerd out. So naturally, in my excitement, the morning of the workshop I promptly left the easel behind at my airbnb… Luckily I made some friends last week and one of them was sweet enough to haul my forgetful self back to go get it- thanks!
Working from value 1-10, I accidentally drew Harry Connick Jr.
Representing the scale of contrast on light skin.
Representing the scale of contrast on dark skin.
The beginning of my drawing process, copying an example using frontal lighting and a full value scale.
Reproduction of an example using frontal lighting and a full value scale.
The night ended with a banquet, and it really felt kind of like the end of summer camp for me. I enjoyed my week so much, and all of the wonderful people I met, that I really could have just kept doing that for a while more. Fortunately, I have other workshops to look forward to next year, and of course I’m hoping I’ll be back for year 103.
So glad I got to meet Paloma!
A small portion of the amazing group of people I got to meet.
Before the gift bags were ransacked. Not pictured- all of those lighted bags were blinking. All of them.
Punk Pesach:How to have the most irreverent seder ever plus a downloadable haggadah ().
Worst Date Ever: A short review of a completely repulsive evening. It’s relatable! Unfortunately.
Eternal Flame: On “functional morbidity” and embracing the creep.
Punk Pesach
2017 has been a wild ride so far, and we’ve only wrapped Q1. With this in mind, when a friend and I started text-shouting OI OI OI back and forth one morning last month, somehow Punk Pesach seemed like a natural fit. Passover is my favorite holiday to host- something about insane standards and high stress dinners appeal to me- except this year I vowed we would ‘take it easy’ and make it into something fun. So in order to take it easy and go light on myself, I agreed to host 9 people in my studio apartment, make dinner and create an abbreviated haggadah for us to use.
For those of you not familiar with Passover, here’s a really quick run-down: It’s a roughly week-long festival, during the first 2 nights you celebrate by attending seders, which are typically super long (and sometimes kind of dull), before you can have dinner and be merry, you read the story of Passover from a haggadah, which is like a little guidebook for the seder. Seder just means order- so read this book, do it in order, et voila, you have pesach-ed.
This year I think was my favorite year ever for Pesach, I was delighted that everyone got into the round robin reading of our super short seder, especially those of my friends who created a character for their reading. To any concerned grandmas out there- we all went to a super respectable Social Justice seder the next night, so don’t worry to much about us. Worry a little bit- but not too much.
Below is the abbreviated Haggadah I created for the occasion, feel free to snag it for yourself! All content (hand lettering, illustrations, storytelling) was created by me, except for the prayers, because I’m not 1000 years old. It prints double sided and folds in half, and cost about 2 bucks at Fedex for 15 copies, so it’s economical too!
Side 1Side 2
Worst Date Ever
Eternal Flame
One of the very best parts of the last year of my life has been embracing all the weird stuff that makes me, well, me. I’ve always heard that happens as you get older- I have to say, it’s certainly just less exhausting, and way more fun just to be myself. I’ve tried to fit into a lot of molds throughout my 20s that just weren’t for me. I think this week I’ve really reached peak ‘Grace’ though.
The first part of that was a routine trip to Powell’s last weekend, where I picked up “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Lessons From The Crematory”. If you’re into dark/funny memoirs, I highly recommend this book. In particular, I read a phrase that completely struck me- Caitlin Doughty describes her childhood as “functionally morbid”, and I thought, “Me too!”. She goes on to describe that term as being generally a normal, happy go lucky person who has some um.. different interests. I started drawing my name in bones as soon as I could spell it, and by 4th grade I had read every scary story/paranormal book in the school library. My teachers were so concerned that they called a meeting with my dad about it. I couldn’t help it- the stories scared the heck out of me, but I was hooked.
In addition to this completely fascinating memoir, I was also introduced to the podcast “My Favorite Murder”, which is 2 comedians, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark discussing their favorite true crime stories. I’ve been completely immersed (and maybe sleeping with an extra light on). If you’ve got a slightly morbid sense of humor and a love of being scared, you should definitely check it out.
One of the things I really appreciate about the book and the podcast is the frank and open discussion of anxiety. I guess when the main subject matter is as taboo as it is, anxiety is small potatoes, but I really appreciate that there are successful interesting women out there talking about dealing with anxiety in a high profile way.
So I guess I feel like it’s all coming full circle this year- and there are more people like me out there in the world than I assumed. Functionally morbid kids unite!
Last month I took a trip to the Frye Art Museum in Seattle on the suggestion of a friend who had fallen in love with their salon style gallery. The recommendation was apt- I fell in love with it immediately. Of course, with 3 Bougereaus in one room, how could you not? I appreciated the mix of late 18th and early 19th century portraiture, and especially some of the wilder lesser known pieces.
The Glorious SalonGraphite Schmutzler.Doodle with copic markers.
You’ve Got Mail: The Postcard Project
For the holidays this year my dear brother gave me the gift of an art supply spree- because he’s the best. I meant to space out my purchases and really give them thought and planning… and then I walked into You’ve Been Framed on Foster/Powell and I just couldn’t help myself. Or rather, I helped myself, to a lot of incredibly fun things I wouldn’t have normally splashed out for, one of which was a package of blank postcards. I’ve been slowly working my way through them and enjoying the small scale and finality of them as a medium. Clearly I’ve been heavily influenced by my dark wave playlist recently- why name your own pieces when you can let Morrissey and Depeche Mode do it for you?
Where Have All The Artists Gone:A note about Portlanders losing their shit and why it’s all going to be ok.
Creative Portland 2016 Round Up:Interviews with real live creatives still doing their thing in Portland.
The Creative Portland 2016 After Party: You can’t have a fancy photoshoot without a party to follow it up.
Where Have All The Artists Gone?
The Mercury, Willamette Week and OPB are all sounding the alarms- Portland is losing is creative lifeblood at unprecedented rates. Rising rents and tech bros are shoving the painters and writers and musicians out, paving the way for the “Silicon Forest”. To the dismay of natives and less recent transplants, it seems like the city is hemorrhaging talent. The comedians are leaving; the old guard musicians are protecting their living rooms with axes, and the artists are being unceremoniously dumped out of their low rent studios in favor of high-rise condos. Amid calls to “Make Portland Shitty Again” and crowdfunding campaigns aimed at tossing out the dread Californians, I wonder sometimes if they are right.
I cannot claim I have been immune to the mini-nationalist feelings overcoming many Portlanders- condemning the Californians for ruining our fair city, nevermind that I am one of them (but seriously dudes, please do update your plates, you’re making the rest of us look bad). We love to sound alarms. We like to sit with our fear sometimes- it’s comforting, like a bristly little lapdog that doesn’t like anyone but us.
There is no denying that Portland is changing at a fast clip. It is changing just as the rest of the country is changing- most of us are navigating our way out of one of the largest financial calamities to happen in our lifetimes. We are dealing with city zoning policies that were written before the drought in California made this Pacific Wonderland a fine proposition for thousands of its water starved residents, and countless others from across our nation who saw a spark of something beautiful here.
Portland is going through some intense growing pains- that is certain. That doesn’t mean that wonderful things can’t come out of this growth spurt. In this issue of State of Grace, I want to highlight the bright sparks I see in Portland now. The creatives are far from gone- who we are is just changing.
In honor of the creatives who are still hanging in, I present the First Annual Creative Portland Issue, celebrating a diverse group of fantastically talented folks that call the Rose City home. This is only one small cross section of a huge number of writers, painters, artisans and designers who are still surviving and thriving here. There is hope for us all yet.
Creative Portland 2016 Round Up
I sent 9 fabulous people several questions and asked them to pick 3 to answer. I was pleasantly surprised at the open and raw answers I received back, I was also happy to laugh out loud at a few of them. I of course also shamelessly threw myself into this to make it an even 10.
Sara Thomas, Ad Copywriter for Cash, Creative Writer for Fun
What did you want to do when you grew up?
Astronaut. Then veterinarian. Then marine biologist. Finally someone told me you needed to be good at math to do all of those things and I am very much not good at math so my dreams were crushed. FUN TIMES. BUT I can write sorta good so here I am, decidedly NOT in space. FUCK YOU, MATH.
What is your biggest fear as a creative?
Writing ad copy happens in such a defined space–reach X people using Y strategy. Those guidelines provide a degree of safety/comfort that just isn’t there when it comes to creative writing.When you take away that safety net shit gets real spooky real fast. You’ve got a hundred different worries in your head: is this boring? Is this hack? Has this already been done… but BETTER? It can be intimidating as hell to try and write something worth reading, but on the other hand it’s usually more fun than writing radio scripts.
What is your dream job/commission/assignment?
All-fart-joke stand-up comedian. Staff writer for Difficult People. The person that mists Chris Pine with a spray bottle when he needs to glisten with fake sweat.
What is the strangest thing you’ve been hired to do related to your creative medium?
The strangest painting I’ve been commissioned to do was for an Italian family I nannied for. The mom took a photo of her 5 and 9 year old sons in very sincere “macho” poses with their shirts unbuttoned and bought me a 4’x5′ canvas to paint it on for their living room. I love doing brooding portraits but that felt a little silly.
Why do you create what you do?
I paint portraits because I enjoy exploring the concept of identity. I have always been inspired by unconventional forms of self expression and how gender is performed. I like to reevaluate what those things mean to me and feel each piece is a self portrait in some sense.
What is your dream job/commission/assignment?
My dream project would be to make elaborate, high-concept costumes for stage. I have always loved musicals, drag and burlesque and would love to create over-the-top couture pieces that have an element of humor to them.
Madison Russel, animator & illustrator
Tell me in a tweet why your medium matters to you:
I love the frantically meditative process of animation. Creating beautiful, moving stories from paper, pencil, and ink is my favorite thing.
What is your spirit animal?
I’ve always been a big fan of Sagittarius Serpentarius, or the secretary bird, not only because its extremely cool scientific name includes my astrological sign, but because it makes a pale face and red rings around the eyes look fabulous. Also, besides being gorgeous, secretary birds are awkward and sometimes a little klutzy, and I can relate to that.
What did you want to do when you grew up?
When I was in sixth grade I spent hours and hours copying all of Glen Keane’s Tarzan drawings before I had any idea who Glen Keane was, so I suppose it’s no surprise that I became an animator. This followed many years of wanting to be Jim Carrey when I grew up.
I’ve always dreamed of one day editing in Spanish, preferably in Spain. I’d need to build my language skills significantly to make it happen — but moving to Spain would help a lot!
What did you want to do when you grew up?
First a teacher, then a magazine editor.
Kenneth Gordon, Writer
Why do you create what you do?
I write scripts because story is how I interface with the world, so it is the best way I can contribute and create change. My drive is to innovate within the collaborative visual media (film, comics, TV, video games, and theatre), whether it be to delve deeper into a given genre or to re-frame how a given demographic is portrayed.
What is your dream job/commission/assignment?
One dream of mine is to helm large-scale collaboration between the animation and comic industries of Japan and the USA.
What is your spirit animal?
One spirit animal that’s particularly dear to me is the penguin. Besides being awesome, I see penguins as apt representations of the often invisible creative process. They do not soar in the sky or run fast on land like other birds, but instead they are masters of the subconscious depths of the ocean. They posses great patience and sense of community, which is so important for creative individuals to harness.
Brian Joines, Writer
What work are you most proud of?
Probably IMAGINE AGENTS. I feel like that book really represented a lot of who I truly am as a writer/person, beneath the tectonic plates of sarcasm I usually wear.
What is your dream job/commission/assignment?
Yikes…there are so many properties/characters I’d like to get my hands on, or ideas I’d love to have an opportunity to explore. For the sake of this, let’s say THE DOOM PATROL.
All of a sudden, we’ve flashed back 100 years, what would you be doing in 1916?
Ideally, writing for the pulps. Realistically, probably lashing out in a syphilitic rage.
Doing it wrong. I’m always a little nervous that I’ve completely misunderstood the brief, or perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it looks good- I’m very nervous that somehow I have some blinders on and can’t see some glaringly obvious problems in my work.
What did you want to do when you grew up?
I definitely wanted to be a mermaid for a good chunk of kindergarten, but mostly I think I’ve just wanted to do what I do now, which is really lucky. I remember getting a book on Toulouse Lautrec as a kid and reading about how he had to fight his wealthy parents to allow him to be an artist- I felt very fortunate even then that I knew I would never have to have that fight. My entire family is made up of creatives of some sort, so it was never even taboo to think I could make a living off my art- my grandparents did it, my dad did and does do that. It’s a lucky thing to be an artist and be able to figure out how those before you did it and trust that it will work out.
Tabitha Donaghue, Writer & Jack of Several Creative Trades
Tell me in a tweet why your medium matters to you:
Writing expels the carbon dioxide from my soul so the oxygen can rush in
What is the strangest thing you’ve been hired to do related to your creative medium?
Once I made a line of nerd themed underwear called Galactic Understatement. I just hand painted nerdy things on them, like ‘aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper,’ and pacman with ghosts. Nobody hired me to do it, but I was astounded by how many people are willing to buy cute (new!) handpainted underwear from someone sitting on the sidewalk at Last Thursday.
What work are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the short stories that gush spontaneously, entire and finished even as they emerge for the first time, that somehow sometimes strike me like lightning from a small concept or flash of inspiration. My favorite is always the last one that happened.
Also I really damn love those murals I left outside my windows in San Francisco.
What work are you least proud of?
I guess I have issues. I couldn’t think of anything here. There is a lot of stuff I’ve done that turned out unyieldingly crap and I just got rid of it after a decent mourning period…but all of it was and continues to be important to my development and finger reaching as a maker and a human. I’m a firm believer in failing until you get it the way you want it or until you fling it against the wall and leave it forever.
Tell me in a tweet why your medium matters to you:
Everyone deserves great design.
Why do you create what you do?
My work methodologies are underpinned by a broad and evolving set of ethics. I strive to understand the existing physical and social context of the project and create a space that responds to those conditions in a way that is simple, yet unexpected. I want my architecture to empower those that inhabit it, to be flexible to their needs and evolve over time.
What is your biggest fear as a creative?
My perfectionism.
Clark Young, Leather Worker & Man of Mystery
Clark is the creative mind behind Corvid Designwerks, his interview will be updated very soon.
I’ll just fill this space here until then.
And here too.
So hopefully it all aligns right.
Until I can fill this in. It’ll be worth the wait, I promise.
The Creative Portland 2016 After Party
This whole exercise began as an excuse for me to invite people to get dressed up and eat many different cheeses together- I truly am a master of justification. Also, you can’t ask a bunch of people to sweat it out in gowns and suits for some photos without feeding them, that’s really why people hate courthouse weddings, after all.
Many different cheeses!Trader Joe’s finest.More cheeses!This was supposed to be a cannoli cheeseball. Cheese bowl worked fine.
I am going to end this article with some advice you won’t regret taking:
Throw a party for people you like.
Go all out, just because.
Put on fancy clothes once in a while just because they make you feel good.
You Can Be Anything! Screw Society’s Standards!Cover.
Napoleon Complex? Nah! It’s Simple! Thoughts on a recent commission.
I Wanna Be Your Dog – What’s Wrong With This Picture? A scene with the New York Dogs.
Napoleon Complex? Nah! It’s Simple!
I recently had the pleasure of working on a personal commission that brought together my love of classical art, and my enjoyment of silly juxtaposition. A modern take on the ultimate Dude-Bro, Napoleon.
Markers, Helmets & Motorbikes: Essence of Dirt.I spent a day at this ladies only dirt bike campout in Washougal, WA and got to pretend to be a super cool person for a day.
The Actual Bridge of The People: Self Governed Sellwood Bridge. I commute over this sumbitch every day, I am unwisely going to share my tactics and observations for having a better commute out of far SE.
Out on the Town with One-Liner!My little party game is getting brave and being played places other than my living room. Read on!
This is an actual thing that happened. Keep scrolling.
Last weekend I got the extreme pleasure of observing the fruits of my labor in action and watching badass ladies do even more badass things. Earlier this year I helped the genius behind SoulCraft Moto, Kandy Longstreet (pictured above) create some cool stuff (like hand lettered and illustrated posters and t-shirt designs) to advertise her ladies only dirt bike campout in Washougal. When she invited me to join the campout armed with my box of sharpies, I knew I couldn’t resist.
Cooler ladies than me about to hit the trails.
This was my third visit to Washougal, but this is the first time I felt a real palpable energy buzzing through the trees. As soon as I pulled off the road, I was surrounded by the sound of 2 strokes and 4 strokes whipping through the hillside, all around were about a hundred women in armor and helmets, looking like the coolest tribe from Mad Max.
I can take credit for the poster and lettering on the sticker- but my favorite new cap was courtesy of Women’s Moto Exhibit.
Being around all these cool chicks on bikes made me giddy. I got myself set up in the mercifully shaded tent to draw on stuff (they were even more badass for being in the 90 degree weather in full armor). Seeing all kinds of stuff with the hand lettering I created stamped on it got me even more pumped- usually you send off your work for a job and maybe see it floating around in pictures on the web, this time I was surrounded by shirts and stickers and hoodies with my work on it-super surreal. The only thing that would have made it better was not having 2 broken toes, but I will ride next year!
Fearless Leader modeling a custom helmet and screen printed tank- her vision, my design.
Have I mentioned that Essence of Dirt took place on International Women’s Ride Day? So not only was I surrounded by over a hundred fearless women from all over the Pacific Northwest (even Canada!), but women all over the world were meeting to make some noise.
“How about something patriotic?”“What have I got to lose? Draw on my bike!”
The hours flew by as I got to draw on weird stuff and hang out with the stellar women who made the whole event run so smoothly. I left Washougal that evening with my ears buzzing and a grin on my face- and I only got a small taste of the full campout. Next year I’m renting a bike.
Fearless Leader takes the teeter totter on her 80 from the 80s.
Last year saw the opening of Portland’s first pedestrian/mass transit only bridge, which has been dubbed “Tillikum Crossing: Bridge of the People”. I would like to argue that title however for the Sellwood bridge, which is currently a masterpiece of neighborly self governance. Having been in a state of constant construction for the past few years, and currently boasting no stoplight on the eastern entrance, it’s a bit of an obstacle course.
When I moved to Sellwood 2 months ago I ran into a morality crisis I had not had to navigate in the Alphabet District (where the moral crisis is whether or not to leave a note when you inevitably bump into 5,000 Subaru’s while trying to parallel park). I found that my commute could be cut down by an impressive 20 minutes, if I chose not to take the main street leading to the Sellwood Bridge in order to get to my job in the burbs. It felt wrong at first, to leave everyone else stranded on Tacoma while I whizzed down Miller (and by whiz I mean carefully meander in and out of parked cars so both lanes of traffic can actually get through, while also not running over the sweet but speedy and erratic Catholic school children on 15th).
I’ve come to terms with this moral gray area by making a compromise- instead of being super greedy and taking the last street before the bridge, I enter the fray on 7th. I feel even better if I let someone in from the 6th intersection, and I feel like a goddamn superhero if I can let someone make a left turn onto the bridge from 6th. Remember that whole no stoplight thing? There aren’t even stop signs at 6th, so drivers who take the side streets really are at the mercy of all the patient/road ragey souls who have waited their turn on Tacoma.
I would like to take a moment now to apologize to everyone I commute with- I’m sure I just sold out our shortcut, fellow shortcut takers, and I’m sorry the folks on Tacoma haven’t figured this out already- but they’re probably from Milwaukie anyway, so whatever (I’m looking at you, Enoch).
The first prints!
International Table Top Game Day came and went a couple of weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to score a table for One-Liner! at our local game emporium, Guardian Games. Up til now, the game has only existed as my original drawings and digital copies that I sell here– for ITTGD I made the first printed copies ever. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little bit when I got handed the stacks of card stock with everything looking all profesh and shiny. This was after an entire week struggling with my outdated home printer and a head cold. The visit to a real printer was totally worth it.
Guardian was packed to the gills with enthusiasts and game designers- it was great seeing so many people enjoying themselves and discovering new games! My favorite part was seeing what people came up with for the latest expansion, Nerds! I honestly don’t have captions in mind when I draw the cards, I still want it to be fun for me to play, so it’s fantastic when someone writes something totally unexpected and hilarious.
IITGD was a great time, I loved seeing reactions to the game- its nice to have confirmation outside of my living room that people have fun with it! Since the outing at Guardian Games went so well, I decided to take it out for another test run (with my boyfriend and co-creator) at the weekly game night at My Father’s Place, which literally looks like someone’s dad’s basement bar from the 70s.
The winner: “Every wedding has it’s oddball table.”
This time I left the table entirely- not gonna lie, I freaked out a little bit at leaving the cards behind. Luckily they were in good hands with our friend, I will never doubt him in the future. I was happy to hear that the game continued to be enjoyed for a few rounds, before a drunk lady crashed the party, as they do.
Personal favorite caption for one of my favorite cards: “Only poor people hide their wealth in a mattress!”
It’s pretty scary bringing this game out in public and hoping people will like it- it feels a little bit like the first day of school, or going on stage for a talent show. So far so good, thanks for being nice to me Portland!
This issue is devoted to my lady heroes, Audrey Hepburn and Tina Fey (plus some other Tina’s). I had planned one more article for this issue, with one more super awesome lady, but I over scheduled myself this week with promoting my game, One-Liner! at International Table Top Game Day, hosted by Guardian Games and having 2 broken toes. Please accept my apologies and take the next 2 weeks to ponder the true message of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell, which I will reveal in the next issue of State of Grace (message from the future, this never happened). In the meantime, please enjoy the Tina Scale personality quiz!
What is This: A short explanation of State of Grace.
Becoming an Artist: How did this happen to me?
A Life Well Curated: How to live your truth & look great while doing it.
What is This?
State of Grace is a mini-mag published biweekly(bimonthly, bi-yearly?), right here, for you, by me (Grace). My friend came up with the title in a fit of cleverness, and was banned to the pun porch for a few minutes before I realized it was great. The goal of State of Grace is to make you laugh, or chortle, or at go ‘huhm.. that’s.. funny.’, which I accept as an in person response and interpret as great praise. Each issue will be modeled on a different print publication- see if you can guess!
So, without further ado- issue 1, volume 1!
Becoming An Artist
People come to creative professions in many ways. What I find to be a super common and effective route is to be the kid the teachers are a little concerned about (but generally like); there is a fine line between being the artsy kid, and the scary kid. During your time as a budding artiste, your parents should get a lot of phone calls about ghosts in the bathroom, strange notions about something called a ‘leather bar’ in your latest storybook, and general looks of concern when all of your school projects could have been made by Wednesday Addams.
A Life Well Curated
(How To Live Your Truth & Look Great Doing It, Especially In Portland, Please don’t take this advice.)
Over the years, I’ve lived in almost every major city on the West Coast. I partied in LA while being dangerously broke (the LA dream), I lived in a tiny studio apartment that left me dangerously broke in Silicon Valley (the second Silicon Valley dream, behind being rich). Now I’m working on living the Portland Dream- which from what I’ve read and observed means being painstakingly unique by means of ‘curation’. Just like every other good Californian who is absolutely ruining this area, I would like to share with you how you too can achieve this dream! I’ve included a handy photo guide, which you can add to your vision board while you work on living your truth.
Begin at home: Everything must be arranged to be perfectly charming, but effortless at the same time. This actually takes a lot of effort, but it must only look effortless. I added the cat treats to let my friends know, “I’m human too, I also leave things around higgledy piggledy.” Some friends of mine intentionally leave their laundry on the floor to give the same effect, while other leave their lawns unmowed for months at a time. This is trademark Portland empathy.
Treat your look like art: Living authentically means treating yourself like a precious work of art. Your look must speak to your divine truth- and be instagram worthy while you are walking along Mississippi Ave. Everyone knows Portlanders never carry umbrellas, so I have taken to wearing a shower cap on days with a more than 20% chance of rain. I see this as a pragmatic solution, with a fashionable twist (I’ve accessorized my shower cap with a dahlia, but have fun with this idea, make it your own)!
Live like every day is field day: Portlanders love quirky sports. If you aren’t part of a sport typically associated with children or senior citizens, how can you let your inner child (or grandma) out to play? Keeping your inner child/grandma caged is cruel- that is why I take every chance I can to watch my friends play bocce ball- from the sidelines, just like I did as a kid.
Leave no stone left un-curated: I tried to curate my cat, but she didn’t get it. That is ok because I am gentle with myself, and I don’t let others’ feelings warp my inner truth. If Leeloo doesn’t want to be curated… that’s just her authentic choice.
I could go on and on about how this was a well thought out critique on our social media culture, and the dangers of how we present ourselves on the internet, versus real life… But I would be lying. I just started doodling, and this happened.
Grace V. Anderson 
