Tag Archives: outsider artists

Old Soul

Lisa Griffen, Old Soul, mixed media on 8x8" wood.

Lisa Griffen, Old Soul, mixed media on 8×8″ wood.

This is the fourth of my ten paintings for the Big 500 show at Peoples Art in Portland. There was about half a day when I considered painting over the figure that was emerging in this painting but I kept going with it and I love the way it turned out.

Sunday was the deadline so my paintings are all turned in. This is my third year doing this show and it now feels like an annual tradition: get the Big 500 paintings done and then the holiday season really starts!

Red Scarf

Lisa Griffen, Red Scarf, mixed media on 8x8" wood.

Lisa Griffen, Red Scarf, mixed media on 8×8″ wood.

Baby, it’s cold outside. She’s all dressed up in her scarf but her nose is still red.

This is the third of my ten paintings for the 8th annual Big 500 show at Peoples Art in Portland. It opens Saturday, Dec 12 with a high-energy reception and runs through mid-January.

Wise Beyond Your Years

Lisa Griffen, Wise Beyond Your Years, mixed media on 8x8" wood.

Lisa Griffen, Wise Beyond Your Years, mixed media on 8×8″ wood.

This is my first painting finished for the Big 500 show at Peoples Art in Portland. This is my third time participating. Every year I get my boards and plan to finish my paintings before Thanksgiving…and every year I’m still working on them at the start of December! One down and nine to go!

The show opens with a huge reception on December 12 at 2 pm, with music, snacks, a canned food drive for the Oregon Food Bank, and thousands of pieces of original art priced at $40 each. It’s always a good time and I’m looking forward to being a part of it again.

Outsider artist Andrew Blythe

I became aware of the work of New Zealander Andrew Blythe through the Outsider Art Facebook page. After looking through an album of his art, which uses pattern and a limited palette, I clicked on the Youtube video of him talking about his work.

He said, “I try to beautify my beasts.” That floored me. You know when you read or hear the perfect phrase and think, “I wish I’d thought of that”? With that line, Andrew Blythe nailed something I’ve been trying to say about my art for the past few years.