About the Artist
Artist and Proprietor Marian Drake
Marian Drake
Portland Postcards was a surprise enterprise for Marian, conceived in January 2005. In the self-portrait above, the artist is seen as only a small part of Nature, which surrounds her. This photo was made possible with help from Marian's friend Phyllis. Marian has been taking Nature photographs since about the age of nine. She took her camera around the US on family camping vacations to the Missouri Ozarks Mountains, Minnesota inland lakes, Lake Michigan, upstate New York, and as her father discovered also discovered hidden Natural treasures in Texas and Oklahoma. She had a yellow "cloud" filter which she used to capture billowing cumulus and feathery ice clouds in the skies of Texas long before color film was available. She is a self-taught, intuitive photographer. She is now learning the tricks of working with printers of photography,and learning how to use her new pristine Canon A-1 camera!
with camera at Portland's Laurelhurst Park.
First Professional Photos
Marian "accidentally" became a professional photographer as part of a technical writing job assignment she had, several years ago. With a team writing group, she did English-to-English translation and writing of the Operations and Maintenance Manuals for the Vancouver, Washington, Wastewater Treatment Plant. She presented the idea of adjunctive photographs to the Project Manager, and he agreed.
She would be glad to show some of these photographs to anyone who asks; however, the originals are property of the Vancouver Wastewater Treatment Plant and the City of Vancouver.
Drawings and Mixed-Media Paintings
Ten of Marian's photographs and paintings were exhibited at the downtown Portland Three Lions Bakery for over a year. This was before the Three Lions chain decided to discontinue gallerying.
Portland's Streetroots Newspaper has published several of Marian's contour drawings, and also her skateboarder drawings.
"Never Give Up, a Character Study" was on the masthead of the Streetroots website for about a year.
There are about 15 technical photographs published in several of the Vancouver,USA, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance
Manuals.
Another lifelong interest of Marian's is drawing. She discovered watercolor, then mixed-media painting more recently. After spending several months doing countour drawing of people at Portland's Powell's Bookstore cafe, and on public transit, she realized she loved drawing skateboarders. This is now her primary interest in drawing.
Young Man with Wedding
Ring and Skateboard
"Blue Poppies"
(Ranunculus)
Man Sleeping on the Bus
Goldfish Mandala
Boy with Skateboard
Buy Blue
Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the Mississippi River. What a thrill we kids had, wading across the Mississippi, where it is but a shallow stream, issuing from this lake. [see photo at right]
Marian is now learning the tricks of working with printers of photography,and learning how to use her new pristine Canon A-1 camera! She took her first
night shots in September, 2007, fifty years after the
Lake Itasca, Minnesota shot at right.
Lake Itasca, Minnesota. Taken from the Drake family's campsite in 1957, when Marian was 15 years old. She used a small box camera, and 620 Kodak film.
Marian's early work 1957
Professional Exhibits.
