Somewhere in the Cascades

In Oregon, we have many forested parks-some in the city and some in our multiple mountain ranges. At the western base of the Cascade mountains here in Oregon are some of the most enchanting places to explore. It's real treat to walk through these spaces, and I always wonder what we cannot see with our eyes. 

One such place is very sacred and not easy to get to. Opal Creek Wilderness is one of Oregon's gems, and in August of 2020 my husband and I made the 7.5 miles out and back hike to see this amazing spot. Incredibly, we had it all to ourselves. I waded into this pool, and yes the sunlight was magical.

Sadly, just a couple of weeks later, this pristine area was devastated by a wildfire. I am very grateful we made this hike when we did and captured it with amazing photos.

The old growth forests of Oregon inspired my imagination to find the hidden folk of these magical places. This is a second of a series using ink and watercolor to portray what I always hope to find during those opportunities of trekking through the Oregon woods. At the base of an ancient tree lives someone who has made a cozy home.

Americana series-9 mini snapshots of the USA

Working at an art supply distributor has its perks. I was able to score these 4 x 4 mini canvases as a discontinued deal for next to nothing, and I turned them into something! America is a diverse landscape that I have great appreciation for. I doubt just these nine paintings capture all of them, but here are my viewpoints of the landscapes of America. Notice I did not do a big city as these represent escapes to the beautiful American countryside. All of these painted with acrylics.

Starting from top left:

• The covered bridge can be found many places, especially in rural America.
• This is obviously O'ahu, but it is definitely an escape!
• The southwestern desert has amazing saguaro cactus.
• Lighthouses also can be found in many areas of America, including the Great Lakes.
• Route 66 is the all American road.
• The high desert regions of Native Americans is very sacred.
• The mountains and lakes of the western USA hold a special place in my heart.
• The Great Plains is our bread basket, usually not a destination but just as important to America.
• The beach, which also can be the ocean, lakes or rivers that Americans escape to for recreation.
  

A visit to the mountains

This past weekend, my family and I took drove to Mt Hood-about 2 hours east of my home-to get some cool mountain air. We had been experiencing a lot of smoky air due to the wildfires this month (August), and this was a great opportunity to get out of that bad air. Of course, it rained while we spent the weekend in a rustic little cabin, but I did get some time sketch Mt Hood up close. I used the 400 series by Strathmore because they offer it in a 6" x 18" landscape. This allowed me to capture the profile of Mt Hood with some detail. I also used M. Graham watercolors because I love the brilliance. It turned out very well for having to sketch this in the car due to the wind continuously blowing my hair in my eyes.

Last week, as we were preparing for our weekend getaway, I sketched the mountain from a view at Trillium Lake. This was done on Bee Paper watercolor postcards, and I made it especially for my pen friend in New Zealand. Mt Hood reminds me a lot of Mt Taranaki on the north island of New Zealand. It's nice to be able to exchange artwork with another person on the other side of the world, and it was her artwork that has inspired me to teach myself sketching and painting. This was the postcard I made for her: