Alvord desert in watercolor

This is one part of Oregon I have never been, and I would like to see this one for myself. At the foot of the Steens mountains lies a dry lake bed approximately 12 by 7 miles that just receives 7 inches of rain each year. Most of the time, it lies parched and cracked. Hot springs also are in this remote part of Oregon. Most people don't think of Oregon having desert areas, but in fact a large chunk of this state is desert landscape. It's the northwestern part of the state (and most populated) that receives the rain. This is painted on watercolor paper with ink outline.

Go By Train-PDX train tower

Another symbol of Portland, Oregon is this train tower where the Amtrak pulls into the City of Roses. In this Oregon series, I was using only watercolor, but somehow I forgot about that this time and this turned out to be in gouache. Another fun painting to add to my Oregon landscape series. 

Great Blue Heron in Oregon

This past summer, we took a drive west from our home towards the Oregon Coast. We took the scenic route, and passed by some wetlands. In those wetlands was a Great Blue Heron standing in the water looking for its next meal (I assume), and that gave me the idea for this painting in gouache on canvas board. I'm very pleased with this one and it is now hanging in my living room to remind me of the beautiful birds we have here in Oregon.

Cannon Beach, Oregon in watercolor

If you are an Oregonian that resides in the Portland area, you are probably quite familiar with Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. This is a painting in my Oregon landscape series that I am very pleased with. I used few watercolors in this and I believe that helps this stand out. I've outlined it in fine liner, and really impressed that I go the reflection pretty good! This is now framed hanging in my living room.

A trip to the Oregon and California border at the beach

This month I graduated from college with my bachelor's degree. I decided not to walk during my graduation because I had attended online 100% of my entire education. Instead, I wanted to take a camping trip to celebrate. My choice was to the California Redwoods initially, but settled on Harris Beach State Park at the southern Oregon border with California right at the beach. On the way down, we stopped at the Oregon Vortex. This place was definitely strange and I highly recommend it. Below is a photo of my daughter and I inside the House of Mystery.

I reserved a yurt (9 months in advance!) for us to sleep in. I figured having this over a tent would be a lot more fun, and I'm glad we did.

Harris Beach State Park is right on the beach, so we were able to hike down easily to enjoy the ocean. The issue I do have with Oregon State Parks is it's not really camping. You are essentially sleeping in a big parking lot that has a lot of trees and a lot of people. These campsites fill up very fast, which is why I had to reserve this yurt exactly 9 months in advance-the soonest a reservation was made available.

We also stopped at the Trees of Mystery, a roadside attraction that allows visitors to walk along a trail of giant trees, and ride the Sky Trail. My daughter and I rode this and it was worth the wait.

Of course we had to drive through Jedidiah National Forest to see the Redwoods with a stop at Smith River.

When it came time to go home, we took the scenic 101 up the coast. One of our stops was at the Oregon Dunes and Coquille Lighthouse. 

Although not far from home, it was one of the best vacations I have taken with my family. This area of the west coast is one of the most beautiful.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

It is my opinion that we focus too much on National Parks but not enough on National Monuments. These are places where there might be historical significance where National Parks are protected scenic areas. Well, if this isn't a scenic area, I don't know what is. The John Day Fossil Beds lie in Central Oregon, and it's a place I would like to witness for myself. These hills are incredibly alive with color and life from another time! Oregon is an amazing place, we shouldn't just be known for forests and rain. These is part of my Oregon landscape series in watercolor.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse in watercolor

From the Oregon landscape series, this is one of many lighthouses along the Oregon coast. This is the tallest of all Oregon lighthouses and is quite close to the funky town of Newport (I recommend seeing this gem of a town!). Is this lighthouse haunted? I wish I could find out for myself personally. Sketched in ink and painted in watercolor on 100% cotton paper.

Lake Gii-was (Crater Lake) in watercolor

In 2014, my husband and I were in Southern Oregon for a half-marathon and spent a couple of days roaming the area. One excursion we made was to Crater Lake-about an hour northeast of Medford. The scenery near Crater Lake is volcanic and amazing to me. Thousands of years ago, Mt Mazama exploded and created what Americans call Crater Lake. We've made it a National Park and touristy souveniers and T-shirts are sold at the shop. You can spend the night in the lovely lodge too if you can get a reservation. 

Native Americans, who have been in this region far longer than Americans, see this place very different. It IS a sacred place, I have felt something while on my visit there. To witness this beauty for yourself is a privilege, visit with gratitude, respect and honor for the Klamath tribe. 

Crater Lake and the Klamath

History of Crater Lake

Painted with love, admiration and watercolor on 100% cotton paper.

Multnomah Falls Oregon

Entry number three of the landscape sketchbook is of Multnomah Falls. I was very pleased with the initial outline sketch, but disappointed in my choice of greens for the foliage. Green is one of the hardest colors for me to capture, yet ironically I have a green aura.

Still learning...

St John's Bridge, Portland Oregon

Portland is known as Bridge City because we have so many. The most beautiful in my opinion is the St John's Bridge in NoPo (North Portland for you non-locals). This long sketchbook is a new experiment in drawing iconic places in Oregon up close. After painting 20 quick landscapes in my memories journal, this one will have more detailed sketches. I am trying to use fewer colors but still capture the image I have of the landmark. It's definitely a new learning curve, and has got me thinking it may be time to take a formal watercolor class next year. 

Memories Journal #19

Our family reunion in 2014 was such a good one, we decided to repeat it but with even more family. In August 2015, I rented a vacation home in Sunriver Oregon. This is a resort town that is popular for skiing in the winter, along with fishing, hiking and golf in warmer months. This time, we had more family come, plus my new Icelandic Sheepdog puppy Kaela who was just a few months old. There were a total of 11 people and 4 dogs! 

What I love about Sunriver is the serenity of the river and surroundings. Pathways follow the community so it is easy to just wander for hours.

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:

Memories Journal #9

After a difficult divorce in 2001, I took the plunge again into marital bliss. There was no fancy wedding, but on July 16, 2004 I married my husband (as of this blog now 13 years) in Newport, Oregon. You never know what you are going to get with the weather at the Oregon coast, but this day was flawless in sunshine. How beautiful I felt in a big white dress at the courthouse with my sunglasses on. One of the happiest days of my life.

Memories Journal #4

Southern Oregon is a place like no other. Golden hills, pear orchards, volcanic areas to the east, coastal mountains to the west, and the Rogue Valley is deep. I spent 8 years of my childhood here-from age 6 to 14, and feel like it is truly home. It does not have the rain fall that Portland does, and it can get hot. What is really unique about Southern Oregon is there are not one, but TWO table rocks very close by. I hiked one during a 6th grade field trip, and was amazed by the unique nature there. This sketch shows one of the table rocks. I truly love this area with my whole heart, and feel complete when I go back to visit.

Memories Journal #5

In 1987, my family moved from southern Oregon up to Portland to find steady work. It was a very low point in my life, but I understood it was necessary even at age 14. While the bigger city had malls and a much better selection of things for a teenager to do, it did not have the same feel of home as southern Oregon had. The Portland Oregon area has remained home for nearly 30 years since.

Traveling vicariously by Art Journal

Even though I am such a homebody, I fantasize about traveling to places that are majestic and stunning. This is another art journal by Pentalic that I am filling up with places on eARTh that capture my attention and longing to experience that nature. This is a long work in process, but here are the first 9. Number 1 (Kirkjufell, Iceland) I am hoping to see in person next month. 

Kirjufell, Iceland. Hope to see this mountain in March 2017!

Canterbury Plains, New Zealand

Southern France

Arizona-I have seen these cacti up close, and they are amazing

Redwood Forest, California. Mind blowing to see these gigantic trees in real life

Colonial Del Sacremento, Uruguay

Crater Lake, Oregon. This is an incredible sight in person, never get tired of see this work of nature

Sagano bamboo forest, Kyoto Japan

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

September in Washington County Oregon

On a 5 X 5 canvas board using my favorite M. Graham Gouache paints. Another painting of nature and human isolation, this was inspired by driving through the backroads of Washington County Oregon, not far from where I live.