‘Labor Of Love’ Realized…

By Artist Robert Perlman

By Pat Hansen

A labor of love has come to fruition after nearly a year of hard work in the form of Portfolio2 Gallery. The best way to describe it? An ultra-unique gallery featuring the work of professional graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, architects and interior designers—launched on January 1. Most offerings in Portfolio2 Gallery are one-of-a-kind or limited editions—and have not been available until now.

The Gallery is a culmination of my 30-plus years of design practice, a private penchant for creating and collecting beautiful art and decades of personal friendships with great designers around the United States.

Throughout my years of professional work as a hands-on manager and creative lead at Hansen Design Company, I always reveled in pursuing my own artistic endeavors—where I was my own client. In this realm, my art was free to take any direction, yet was undeniably design-influenced. In early 2017, while ruminating on how I might sell some of this personal work online, I had what I considered to be an epiphany. How many other professional designers were making art outside the parameters of their careers where they created strictly for clients? I suspected quite a few, and began to contact many design friends around the country, posing the possibility of an online gallery of artwork that she and other designers could create “on the side.”

The response was immediate, and my invitations to offer others’ own personal works on the new site were readily accepted. Portfolio2 today is proud to represent a group of some of the country’s leading designers, photographers, illustrators and architects—and we’re thrilled that others are in the process of joining. Noted Chicago designer Greg Samata said, “The idea of an online gallery to aggregate designers’ independent work is a brilliant one. It’s an opportunity to make an extraordinary body of work available to the general public.”

Portfolio2’s featured artists have worked for decades in the design industry, creating art for clients and commercial use in branding, promotions, advertising, packaging, environmental work and more. Artists come from all corners of the United States—from Seattle to New York City and California to North Carolina. Most are members of the United States’ foremost design organization—the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

Featured Portfolio2 artists include:

Seymour Chwast – Esteemed illustrator and founder of Pushpin Studios, NY; AIGA Medalist;

Mel Curtis – Well-known fine art photographer whose work is in the permanent collections of Microsoft, Google, Seattle Art Museum and Corcoran Museum, WA, DC;

Pat Hansen – AIGA Fellow, global speaker and jurist, Seattle Design Legend Award, and founder of Portfolio2 Gallery;

Iskra Johnson – Award-winning calligrapher; Seattle Art Museum collection;

Michael Mabry – Prolific, award-winning San Francisco designer; AIGA Medalist;

Claudia Meyer-Newman – Designer, teacher and artist; exhibited since 1985;

Rosanne Olson Accomplished photographer including work for New York City Ballet; author of three books including This is Who I Am;

Brian O’Neill – Designer and ceramist; American Crafts Council juried shows;

Ryan Ovsienko – Widely exhibited designer, photographer, and master of computer manipulation;

Robert Perlman – Lettering master, painter, and sculptor;

Laura Pollack – Accomplished designer and award-winning pastel artist;

Juliet Shen – Highly exhibited and recognized painter and designer; and

Anne Traver – AIGA Fellow, design and brand consultant and now a ceramist trained in France and Italy.

To shop, just visit www.portfolio2gallery.com and browse by type of art, or artist’s name. Works include paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography, ceramics and crafts. Shipping is free!

Portfolio2 will continue to add more artists and to develop and promote the brand throughout the year. Here’s to an artful 2018!

Pat Hansen is founder and creative director of Hansen Design Company, and now, founder of Portfolio 2 Gallery. She can be reached at 206-285-3000 or pat@hansendesign.com, or info@portfolio2.com.