
S Britt on his creative process
We checked in with Portland illustrator S Britt and asked him what part of the creative process he enjoys the most: ‘I enjoy seeing the final piece and comparing it to the original idea or sketch. It’s oftentimes surprising and yes, sometimes disheartening to see how the numerous changes throughout the process affected the finished illustration. Personally, I love simplistic, somewhat imperfect art, so I tend to prefer my illustrations that are more facile and spontaneous (think: defective and dim-bulbed). The more labored over projects tend to feel a bit wooden and lifeless to me at times’.
‘Later I can look back on them and truly appreciate all the sleepless nights and canceled play dates, but I usually have to distance myself from such projects for a few whiskey-soaked weeks. Still, it’s nice when complete strangers come up to me on the street and ask, “Say, aren’t you that guy who did that one thing?” It’s always nice to be recognized for your achievements, don’t you think?’
Tagged: Portland, Portland illustrators
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Like its name, Beast is straightforward and simple. This Portland-based restaurant offers up prix-fixe six-course menus of uncomplicated yet refined dishes. Each week the cuisine changes according to apparent inspiration from the fields, forests, and moods of the owner and her culinary team. Foie gras bons bons may share the menu with pork, pork liver, and sour cherry pate. Read more

Portland-based illustrator and graphic novelist Theo Ellsworth has a style that is odd and surreal enough for the thirty-something indie set, but also have an innocence about them that would suit children’s books — his drawings are dense enough to keep people of all ages staring at all his weirdo characters and animals. Read more
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Sixth Pommery Exhibition Sons & Lumieres
How much better can it get than little dollops of contemporary art interspersed throughout the breathtaking setting of Champagne Pommery’s Domaine in Reims, France. The most interesting part here is that this is an ongoing tradition at Champagne Pommery, going all the way back to the 19th century ‘when Madame Pommery commissioned sculptor Gustav Navlet to carve four bas reliefs for the estate and later had the famous cabinet maker and glass artist Emile Gallé create a solid oak Pommery barrel that holds up to 19,816 gallons (100,000 bottles). This barrel was displayed at the 1904 Worlds’ Fair in St. Louis’. The upcoming Sixth Pommery Exhibition, Sons & Lumieres, will be curated by French artist Bertrand Lavier and will include ‘everyday objects often set in difficult spaces’. Read more

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In a very serendipitous moment the other day, I walked into the cafe, Picnic, the latest arrival in my Fort Greene, Brooklyn neighborhood. Not only do they serve some of the best coffee I have ever tasted, but the store is a virtual paean to Brooklyn illustrator Claudia Pearson. I can’t wait to snap up her Tribal Alphabet book. A copy for a friend’s kid and, um, a copy for me. Read more
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