A few years ago I found myself on a sidewalk in downtown Portland downing a bacon covered bear claw late at night and thought to myself, “This town does live up to the hype.” A lot of Austinites love Portland and it’s no surprise. The two cities share a lot in common – a strong biking community, a love for the outdoors (when it isn’t 105°) and a thriving creative culture. That said, I was inspired by some of the things that make Portland great and of course the Pacific Northwest totem poles when I designed this poster. 18″ x 24″ and 3-color.

All in all, it was a totally fun project and a second version might be in order down the road. I’m thinking the next totem pole needs some characters from Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fugitives and Refugees” – a local ghost, a santa from the Santa Rampage and maybe even that 2.5 lb. hair ball that’s apparently an hour south of the city.

Below are a few pieces from the creation process:

Then the printing magic happens… and done!