Aaron Cunningham begins his creative process with an extended planning phase. He begins with a subject, either imaginary or historical, and generates attributes around them in order to set the scene. He is very detail-oriented, focused and has a regimented sense of organization. In addition to painting, Aaron is also an aspiring novelist, song writer, and musician.
David Howard enjoys drawing houses and landscapes. His mediums of choice are aquarelle, crayons, and oil pastels. David is a man of few words, so it may be hard to glean information from him about the deeper meanings of his work; he simply prefers that his work speak for itself. Lately, he has been experimenting with drawing images from popular culture including rock bands, celebrities, and scenes from his favorite TV shows.
Jim Mary improvises in his art, just as he would when he was traveling the country in his younger days. He loves to tell stories about hitchhiking and living in communes during the ‘60s. Jim’s gift of gab, sense of adventure, and rich, although slightly provocative, sense of humor is indicative of the art he creates: His works are stream of consciousness, letting spontaneity sculpt each composition. Despite his groovy youth as a flower child, Jim’s art tends to be of a darker nature, depicting creatures from scary stories and unsettling origins. Despite the grim subject matter, his expressionistic tendencies and subtle humor make his mixed media work quite palatable to viewers and collectors.
Frank Mendoza is an intuitive mixed media artist who “goes with the flow” when creating art. Due to a serious injury sustained at a young age, Frank has limited motor skills on the right side of his body and must use his non-dominant hand to paint and draw. Frank’s positive attitude and ability to overcome his challenges compliments his rich imagination and his unique interpretation of the world. He once told me that the reason he likes art is “because you can do anything you want… as long as it’s on paper”.
Robbie Mitchell has the eye of an illustrator and a meticulous hand. He gravitates towards drawing urban environments and technological structures that he remembers from his past. The paranormal has a strong place in his imagination and many of his pictures feature U.F.Os or other strange phenomena. Robbie’s philosophy on art is that “the more you put into it the more you get out of it” and his detail-oriented style attests to that.
Andy Nacoste hails from Northeast Portland and is proud of it! Back in the day, he was a professional boxer and two-time contestant in the Oregon Golden Gloves. Nowadays, Andy relaxes by drawing portraits, cars, and homages to the heroes of boxing.
Patrick Steen considers himself a poet and a rocker. He dreams of starting a rock band and using his lyrics to edify society about man’s folly and the divinity of Earth. After a traumatic injury, however, Pat has been hesitant to write new poetry and has since transitioned to watercolor painting. This creative shift has been quite successful due to Pat’s passion for self-expression and exploration of his poetic themes. Pat’s paintings depict the grandiosity of the natural world and the unseen forces which shape it beyond man’s control.
Terry Wright believes “an artist’s work is never finished”. He is dedicated to illustration and painting, using it as a way to explore his imagination and learn new skills. For Terry, art is a way to learn through intuition and express his interests, desires, experiences, and sense of humor. Terry is very dedicated to his work and aspires “to be known as an unknown artist” in the Portland arts community.
