When you look at Oregon artist Jimmy Pickering's work, there is something familiar about it. In addition to comparisons to those he calls his inspirations — people like Dr. Seuss and Edward Gorey — Jimmy Pickering's art seems to come from something that is common to all of us: our childhood. To some, Pickering’s work may seem frightening or macabre, but most of his creations are meant to be representations of his "imaginary friends."

Pickering's lastest exhibit, 180° Delirium, is now showing at the Benjamin Benjamin Gallery in Portland. According to Pickering, 180° Delirium celebrates those who have maintained a connection to their childhood creativity: "This world of imagination is often perceived as delusional and those who remain in it are in a state of permanent delirium... For me what this show contains is my constant state of delirium, the place I find comfort in, the imagined friends in my head."

Pickering has been creating art since he was a child, but it wasn't until a trip to Disneyland that he experienced a reckoning. Pickering credits this early visit to the theme park with providing a moment that made everything make sense.

"Disneyland was very important for me because where I was raised, which was in a small town in Oregon, [Disneyland] was a very, very different environment; it was a very big escape. I had never experienced anything like that. I had experienced it in my imagination, but I didn't really know that something physically existed that way. It was like sensory overload."

After seeing the imaginative landscapes, characters and fantasies come to life through theme park rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, Pickering knew what he wanted to do. He realized that people visiting the the theme parks weren't afraid of the imagery, but were excited, enthusiastic about and fascinated by these environments.

"It made me see that bringing something from my imagination into reality was possible," he says.

Since then Pickering has had an amazing career in such fields as sculpture, painting, animation and illustration. He has worked for Hallmark Inc., Universal Studios and even Disney, which brought it all full-circle for him.

"It was such a dream job working for Disney," says Pickering. "I worked at a division called Walt Disney Imaginarium, which designs all the theme parks. So ironically I got to work, all the time, on projects for Disneyland, my original inspiration." 

Pickering now focuses full-time on his career as an award-winning artist, author and illustrator. His goal is to continue to push himself creatively and expand into even more mediums. His work is on display through Saturday October 29 at the Benjamin Benjamin Gallery.