View allAll Photos Tagged Portland
With Seattle sketcher Gail Wong, I rode a Bolt Bus down to Portland for the day to participate in this annual event. It was my first real trip to spend any time in downtown Portland and was impressed with the architecture and culture of the city. I definitely will be back.
This building caught my eye because of the color around the windows of what seemed like a warehouse, only to be told by a passing mail courier that in 2012 it was the site of MTV's 28th season of 'The Real World', probably one of the original reality shows.
There were over a hundred sketchers attending the event and I met many great sketchers whose work I've enjoyed online and can now put a face to. I went back to Seattle that night on the bus, a bit much for one hot day (90+). Next time I'll stay for the weekend and why not, Portland has a lot to offer a sketcher.
Okay, this was worth the trip. A beautiful sunrise at the Fort Williams Park in Portland, Maine. The park is in Cape Elizabeth (which is really Portland). The major attraction is the Portland Head Light (a lighthouse) but this is the Ram Island Lighthouse (I believe) that sits in the middle of the bay.
Confused yet? Just go. It’s an awesome place. My followers know I’m working on a Photography Park idea. I could use this place as a blueprint. It’s open for sunrise and it's beautiful. There must have been 20 photographers working the place at sunrise (5:21AM) but there are so many angles it never felt crowded.
Nikon D7000 -- Nikon 80-200mm F2.8 ED
170mm
F8@1/320th
(DSC_3247)
©Don Brown 2015
Sasquatch spotted in Portland, PA, wandering around the parking lot at Fuhrer's Tavern & Grill! You have been warned!
© Rick DeCosta Photography 2010
A Winter sunset at the Portland Headlight Lighthouse in Portland, Maine.
A mere 35 seconds with the B&W 10 stop filter on a very windy afternoon on the coast around Portland, Dorset.
This is a different view of the Portland lighouse. I loved this one and thought you might, too !!
My daughter is here with me and doing fine - we slept on and off last night - she is feeling some better all ready. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support - you are the best. Smiles and hugs, Nana :) !~ ♥
Taken from City Grille in Portland, Oregon. If you use this picture, do not cut off the marking in the corner and credit it to www.PDXPipeline.com
Portland developed a reputation early on in its history as a hard-edged and gritty port town. Some historians have described the city's early establishment as being a "scion of New England; an ends-of-the-earth home for the exiled spawn of the eastern established elite." In 1889, The Oregonian called Portland "the most filthy city in the Northern States," due to the unsanitary sewers and gutters, and, at the turn of the 20th century, it was considered one of the most dangerous port cities in the world.
As Portland's largest and most recent lighthouse, the Trinity House operated Portland Bill Lighthouse is distinctively white and red striped, standing at a height of 41 metres (135 ft). The tower is approximately 114 feet. The lighthouse was completed by 1906 and first shone out on 11 January 1906. Portland Bill Lighthouse guides passing vessels through these hazardous waters as well as acting as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel.
The only operational sternwheel steamboat surviving in Oregon is the Portland, moored at Portland, Oregon, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This image began as a 120 b/w film negative, which was scanned to a cd as a .jpeg, then brought into photshop. From there I thorougly screwed up. But, it looked pretty cool, so here it is.
Dan & Louis Oyster Bar, Portland, Oregon
This is a wonderful object because it combines three things that were immensely popular in the early twentieth century: commemorative china, patriotic imagery, and pride in one of the greatest engineering projects of the age.
At its center is a map of the **Panama Canal**, flanked by American flags and topped by the date **1915**. Around the map runs a ring of miniature monthly calendars, turning the plate into a functional household object as well as a souvenir. The owner could consult it throughout the year while also displaying support for a project that symbolized American technological prowess and global influence.
For a modern audience, it is important to remember how extraordinary the canal seemed at the time. The Panama Canal had opened to traffic in 1914 after a decade of American construction efforts. Newspapers treated it as one of the wonders of the modern world. By connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it dramatically shortened shipping routes and transformed international commerce. To Americans in 1915, the canal represented progress, engineering skill, national ambition, and the country's emergence as a world power.
The plate itself was likely sold as a commemorative souvenir or promotional premium shortly after the canal's completion. The inclusion of the 1915 calendar suggests that it was intended for display during that year, making it almost certainly contemporary with the event it celebrates rather than a later retrospective.
What especially catches the eye, however, is the border.
The decorative rim belongs to the final flowering of the **Art Nouveau** era, although by 1915 Art Nouveau was beginning to give way to Art Deco and other modern styles. The border is astonishingly delicate. Rather than relying on heavy ornament, it consists of flowing, organic lines that seem to grow naturally around the edge of the plate.
The design incorporates several characteristic Art Nouveau features:
* **Whiplash curves**—long, fluid lines that sweep and bend like tendrils or stems.
* **Stylized floral motifs** that are suggested rather than literally depicted.
* **Asymmetrical organic forms** that appear to unfold and intertwine.
* **A sense of lightness and movement** rather than rigid geometric order.
The cobalt-blue edge is particularly effective. The color deepens toward the rim and fades inward, creating a luminous halo effect. The dark blue provides a visual frame while allowing the fine black and gold line work to remain airy and refined.
What makes the border so successful is its restraint. Many commemorative plates of the period overwhelm the viewer with flags, shields, eagles, portraits, and inscriptions. Here, the designer allows the central image to carry the historical message while the border supplies elegance and sophistication. The result is a plate that feels more artistic than purely commemorative.
There is also an intriguing contrast between subject and decoration. The center celebrates one of the largest engineering projects in human history—a massive excavation that reshaped a continent. The border, by contrast, evokes vines, flowers, and delicate natural growth. The plate thus marries two powerful themes of the early twentieth century: faith in industrial progress and affection for the organic beauty celebrated by Art Nouveau designers.
If this plate was indeed made for the 1915 market, it would have appeared at a fascinating moment. Europe was already engulfed in the First World War, yet Americans were still celebrating the completion of the Panama Canal and looking optimistically toward a future defined by technology, commerce, and international connection. Seen from that perspective, the plate is not merely a calendar. It is a small, beautifully designed expression of American confidence on the eve of a dramatically changing world.
As for the border, I would not hesitate to call it one of the most refined decorative treatments I have seen on a commemorative calendar plate. The map tells the story; the border reveals that somebody cared deeply about making the object beautiful. That combination may be one reason the plate still catches the eye more than a century after it was made.