Bolivia Bug

I believe South America in general is very under-rated. I've never traveled there, but so many places in this continent fascinate me. Bolivia is a country that most don't pay enough attention to. It is landlocked, but has so many places that are interesting. Ametrine is mined there-a natural occurence of Amethyst and Citrine! Salt flats, and Lake Titicaca (what a fun word)! La Paz is a city in Bolivia, and has it's own interesting facts (dead llama fetuses offered in the city, and a town square clock that runs backwards??). This small canvas board photo is a modified replica of a lonely street in La Paz with a VW beetle parked. I added my touch of South American colors to it in gouache. I hope to visit some beautiful places in South America someday.

Memories Journal #21

During my Iceland trip, I took the opportunity to drive my daughter to Snæfellsness peninsula. This narrow strip of land is just northwest of Reykjavik. We left at about 7am to make the all day road trip to see places very few get to see. We continuously stopped to take in the remote and serene landscape. It was like being in another time and dimension I recall. On the northern side of the peninsula is Kirkjufell mountain, one of the most photographed mountain in Iceland. It has a dramatic shape, and was incredible to see up close. I had planned a long stop here with lunch, pictures, and just to be in the moment at such a beautiful place. I even brought my skechbook, but even that seemed like time wasted in just being in the presence of this mountain. I took many photos that day-March 29, 2017-another unforgettable day in fulfilling a dream come true.

Assateague National Seashore National Park

I've never been to this national seashore, but it's on my list to someday visit. I imagine a 4th of July long weekend walking these beaches, witnessing wild ponies, admiring the lighthouses, eating seafood. This is Tom's Cove and is replicated from the National Park website. This is a bookmark size painting laminated, and is my 'window' view from where I sit to work so that I may remember that life isn't all work. Painted in watercolor.

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.

Reyna shawl in Yellowstone

When the yarn designer/creator Knitted Wit came out with a National Park series, I was all over that. I had to have the Yellowstone colorway, and would find a compatible pattern. I finally decided on a the Reyna pattern because I'm a beginner with shawls. This turned out to be one of my favorites, and I see myself wearing this frequently!

Mountain Bluebird in watercolor

I have never seen one of these birds as they dwell more in the Mountain states, but they sure do look sweet. I picked this out of the National Audobon society book for North American birds. Watercolor in my bird journal (paper).

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.