Peach rose by D’Lacie.

Peach rose by D’Lacie.

In other exciting news… The 3rd annual Portland Tattoo Expo is coming up just around the corner, and we still have a few spots left if your the type who likes to show off your tattoos. October 7-9, 2011 are the dates, so mark it on the calendar, and call the shop to set up appointments before we’re all booked up. This year it will be out at the Expo Center conveniently near the Max, for those who don’t drive. Even if you don’t want to get tattooed that weekend there will be tons of portfolios to peruse, tattoo contests to win and other entertaining shenanigans.

In other exciting news… The 3rd annual Portland Tattoo Expo is coming up just around the corner, and we still have a few spots left if your the type who likes to show off your tattoos. October 7-9, 2011 are the dates, so mark it on the calendar, and call the shop to set up appointments before we’re all booked up. This year it will be out at the Expo Center conveniently near the Max, for those who don’t drive. Even if you don’t want to get tattooed that weekend there will be tons of portfolios to peruse, tattoo contests to win and other entertaining shenanigans.

Optic Nerve is pleased to welcome Ross Carlson to our shop! He’ll be starting September 15th… So if you haven’t already seen his work, stop by this month and meet our new tattoo artist.

Optic Nerve is pleased to welcome Ross Carlson to our shop! He’ll be starting September 15th… So if you haven’t already seen his work, stop by this month and meet our new tattoo artist.

Iiiiit’s Last Thursday everyone!!! This month we are happy to have Mr. Robert Newhouse. For those of you who have spent any time on Alberta he is one you won’t miss, always around and always wearing a cheery smile. The last couple of years he’s been working with glass, and this show is all about it.

“Thank you Optic Nerve: It’s been great getting to know you, I hope we have classes together next year. Stay cool.” -RN

Today’s last Thursday everyone!! And….. It’s sunny! Come out for the art and food carts and fun on Alberta today! This month Optic Nerve is featuring the artwork of Rabbit. Come out tonight for the opening from 6-10pm. Rabbit says, “ive been making art since i would hold a pencil. its in my blood. my sister, our mother, my mothers sister and their mother, my grandmas mother (you follow) all artists. this is something that i will always be doing until i physically cannot. the paintings im creating today are intended to make you laugh and be left slightly confused. well… at least thats what they do to me. i have no idea most of the time where i come up with this crap. however you see it…take from it what you will.” See you tonight!

Today’s last Thursday everyone!! And….. It’s sunny! Come out for the art and food carts and fun on Alberta today! This month Optic Nerve is featuring the artwork of Rabbit. Come out tonight for the opening from 6-10pm.

Rabbit says, “ive been making art since i would hold a pencil. its in my blood. my sister, our mother, my mothers sister and their mother, my grandmas mother (you follow) all artists. this is something that i will always be doing until i physically cannot. the paintings im creating today are intended to make you laugh and be left slightly confused. well… at least thats what they do to me. i have no idea most of the time where i come up with this crap. however you see it…take from it what you will.”

See you tonight!

“Beauty and the Beast” is our 3rd annual Drawing Board Rejects: NW Tattoo Artists’ Art Show. Over 40 artists, live music from Blind Bartimaeus and River Twain, food, drinks, and tons of awesome art. Come out, bring your friends and money to buy some art if you see something that you can’t live without. The show has had an awesome turnout the past couple of years, we expect this year to be even better. Ninkasi Brewing is going to be providing beer!!! Yay! We ♥ Ninkasi! *Participating artist’s- The group photo will be at 8pm inside the shop. Please, be here for the photo.* Participating shops, this year so far, are: Art Work Rebels-Portland Adorn Body Art-Portland/Beaverton Classic Tattoo-Grass Valley Freaks and Geeks Tattoo-Portland Grizzly Tattoo-Portland Infinity Tattoo-Portland Jaded Soul-Gresham Jade Mermaid-Portland Lady Luck-Portland Living Art-Gresham Lucky Devil-Seattle Modern Electric Studio- San Fransisco Pussycat Tattoo-Milwaukie Robot-Portland Sea Tramp Tattoo-Portland oh, and of course, Optic Nerve Arts.

“Beauty and the Beast” is our 3rd annual Drawing Board Rejects: NW Tattoo Artists’ Art Show. Over 40 artists, live music from Blind Bartimaeus and River Twain, food, drinks, and tons of awesome art. Come out, bring your friends and money to buy some art if you see something that you can’t live without. The show has had an awesome turnout the past couple of years, we expect this year to be even better.

Ninkasi Brewing is going to be providing beer!!! Yay! We ♥ Ninkasi!

*Participating artist’s- The group photo will be at 8pm inside the shop. Please, be here for the photo.*

Participating shops, this year so far, are:

Art Work Rebels-Portland
Adorn Body Art-Portland/Beaverton
Classic Tattoo-Grass Valley
Freaks and Geeks Tattoo-Portland
Grizzly Tattoo-Portland
Infinity Tattoo-Portland
Jaded Soul-Gresham
Jade Mermaid-Portland
Lady Luck-Portland
Living Art-Gresham
Lucky Devil-Seattle
Modern Electric Studio- San Fransisco
Pussycat Tattoo-Milwaukie
Robot-Portland
Sea Tramp Tattoo-Portland

oh, and of course, Optic Nerve Arts.

ONA is pleased to have Gigi Grinstad this month in our gallery. Come out and see her lovely paintings tonight from 6-9 for Alberta’s Last Thursday Art. “Gigi Grinstad currently lives in Portland and has been living in the Pacific Northwest nearly all of her life.Her current works are made using encaustic, which is a beeswax-based medium, and oil paint,  and often incorporate elements of collage or assemblage. Recently she has been enthralled with the challenges of depicting water and waves. She is inspired by found objects, patterns, and nature, and is particularly drawn to the ocean.She would be pleased for you to contact her at gigignome@yahoo.com.”

ONA is pleased to have Gigi Grinstad this month in our gallery. Come out and see her lovely paintings tonight from 6-9 for Alberta’s Last Thursday Art.

“Gigi Grinstad currently lives in Portland and has been living in the Pacific Northwest nearly all of her life.
Her current works are made using encaustic, which is a beeswax-based medium, and oil paint,  and often incorporate elements of collage or assemblage.
Recently she has been enthralled with the challenges of depicting water and waves.
She is inspired by found objects, patterns, and nature, and is particularly drawn to the ocean.
She would be pleased for you to contact her at gigignome@yahoo.com.”

Tattooist Amanda Myers, from Infinity Tattoo, is our artist for May. Her sweet little girls will be keeping us company all month. The gallery opening night will be last Thursday, April 28th. We’re thinking positively about sunshiny last Thursdays throughout the summer. “I have been a tattoo artist for close to 20 years and co-owned Infinity Tattoo for close to that many years. During this time I have also kept my love of textiles and fashion alive with various projects of the fabric type. I have always been a doll lover. My mother sewed and was super crafty as well. She made us numerous dolls as well as ran her own doll business. I am proud to continue her legacy. ..She’s alive and well and making beautiful things! I got my BFA from California Institute of the Arts ,focusing on costume design. Making these dolls satisfies my passion for outrages fashion and costumes, and of course these ladies deserve a portrait of them too. The Sea and animal theme you see wandering around comes from my love of the ocean and all her critters and the beloved beasts on land.” -Amanda Myers

Tattooist Amanda Myers, from Infinity Tattoo, is our artist for May. Her sweet little girls will be keeping us company all month. The gallery opening night will be last Thursday, April 28th. We’re thinking positively about sunshiny last Thursdays throughout the summer.

“I have been a tattoo artist for close to 20 years and co-owned Infinity Tattoo for close to that many years. During this time I have also kept my love of textiles and fashion alive with various projects of the fabric type.
I have always been a doll lover. My mother sewed and was super crafty as well. She made us numerous dolls as well as ran her own doll business. I am proud to continue her legacy. ..She’s alive and well and making beautiful things!
I got my BFA from California Institute of the Arts ,focusing on costume design. Making these dolls satisfies my passion for outrages fashion and costumes, and of course these ladies deserve a portrait of them too. The Sea and animal theme you see wandering around comes from my love of the ocean and all her critters and the beloved beasts on land.”
-Amanda Myers

ONA is excited to welcome Adam Goldthwaite to our gallery for the month of April, his sculptures are awesome, stop by tomorrow night from 6-8pm for the opening. Adam Goldthwaite, is a self taught, Portland based visual and performing artist. His interests include music, acting, metal work, set design, silicone makeup fx, puppetry, and ceramics to name a few. ” the more I know, the more I know that I don’t know.” quotes Goldthwaite. ” and that drives me to say yes before saying no, or even worse, I don’t know, or worse still, I can’t.” Goldthwaite draws on all his interests and skills to create what he calls ” stream of consciousness portrait sculpture”. They are slab built, one of a kind ceramic creations. There are no molds or photographic references used to render these souls from clay. Only mental and muscle memory. So, not surprisingly many of the timeless faces he creates have a familiar, universal, almost archetypical aura.

ONA is excited to welcome Adam Goldthwaite to our gallery for the month of April, his sculptures are awesome, stop by tomorrow night from 6-8pm for the opening.

Adam Goldthwaite, is a self taught, Portland based visual and performing artist. His interests include music, acting, metal work, set design, silicone makeup fx, puppetry, and ceramics to name a few. ” the more I know, the more I know that I don’t know.” quotes Goldthwaite. ” and that drives me to say yes before saying no, or even worse, I don’t know, or worse still, I can’t.” Goldthwaite draws on all his interests and skills to create what he calls ” stream of consciousness portrait sculpture”. They are slab built, one of a kind ceramic creations. There are no molds or photographic references used to render these souls from clay. Only mental and muscle memory. So, not surprisingly many of the timeless faces he creates have a familiar, universal, almost archetypical aura.

ONA will be participating in an open discussion on the Ed Hardy Tattoo the World film with POW Fest this Thursday night at the Hollywood Theater at 7pm, after the film is over. The Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival (POW Fest) places a spotlight on women filmmakers by showcasing their work and strengthening the community of women in film. POW Fest empowers women to find their voice and to share their stories through innovative and quality filmmaking. We feature the work of today’s top women directors, honoring the true pioneers while providing support and recognition for the next generation of leading women filmmakers.

ONA will be participating in an open discussion on the Ed Hardy Tattoo the World film with POW Fest this Thursday night at the Hollywood Theater at 7pm, after the film is over.
The Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival (POW Fest) places a spotlight on women filmmakers by showcasing their work and strengthening the community of women in film.
POW Fest empowers women to find their voice and to share their stories through innovative and quality filmmaking.
We feature the work of today’s top women directors, honoring the true pioneers while providing support and recognition for the next generation of leading women filmmakers.