Our blog today is focusing on works created by artists who have been inspired by Portland and, in particular, the architecture and urban appearance of this city. Rental Sales Gallery represents artists from all across Oregon and southern Washington, but many of them are from in and around Portland and have been inspired by the city that they see every day.
The works created range from Jean W. Thomas’ dynamic oil paintings of massive structures in the Port of Portland to Susan Caricaburu’s boldly abstract, yet realistic city scenes to Rich Bergeman’s contemplative photograph of the arches of the iconic St John’s Bridge. These, and so many more pieces by these and other artists, show just how powerful an influence on imagination and artistic creative this city can be.
These and other cityscapes can be seen by both coming into RSG and by visiting our website. If you search using the term “Cityscapes/Urban” in the Style drop-down menu of our Gallery Catalogue, you will be able to discover these works and more. We hope that you enjoy your urban exploration!
Jean W. Thomas
Jean W. Thomas is a professional artist who has been creating works since her childhood. After years of teaching both children and adults, she is now mainly concentrating on her studio painting. Over the years, her works evolved into bold, dramatic interpretations of scenes, with a focus on vivid color, strong design and interesting textures. Though varied, one theme that she often returns to are the famous Portland bridges and the towering cranes and other structures of the Port of Portland.
Kevin P. Farrell
As a studio realist working in a traditional style, Kevin strives to capture the atmosphere, mood, and sublime beauty of the man made or natural environment. As he explains: “My goal is not to document a scene as realistically as possible but to capture a sense of experience and emotion.” A hiatus from the arts came to an end when he moved to Portland and was inspired to begin painting again by the city’s architecture and the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Kevin has proudly been a member of RSG since 2007.
Susan Caricaburu
Born and raised in Montana, and now at home in Portland, via the San Gabriel mountains of California, Susan is an artist who proudly takes inspiration from “everywhere – on the open road as much as walks in the village”. She has produced a striking series of views of Portland, combining richly-realized realism of the architecture with bold bursts of color, creating a more abstract feel of the pieces. Susan has only recently become an artist at RSG and we are delighted to have an opportunity to showcase such original visions of this city.
Rich Bergeman
Rich fell in love with photography in 1985, “the first time I looked through the ground glass on an old 4×5 press camera”. For the past couple of decades he’s been investigating and interpreting local histories of the Northwest through photographs of what’s been left behind, such as this stunning image of the arches of the St John’s Bridge in NE Portland. Beginning with large format film cameras, Rich now also works with digital cameras and his home-made pinhole camera, capturing beautiful urban and natural landscape images.
Yong Hong Zhong
A product of New York’s prestigious La Guardia High School and the Pratt Institute, Yong Hong Zhong worked for many years for the Walt Disney Company. Working on featured films, including ‘The Princess and the Frog’, he refined his skills in story telling, color and composition. The knowledge and experiences he acquired from the animation industry continue to be an invaluable influence in his art. Recently, his focus has shifted to his passion for traditional painting. Inspired by many different forms (but in particular the early California impressionists), Yong’s subject matter varies from landscape to portrait to still life.