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 #13

On the epic roadtrip of 2012, we stayed the second night in Oklahoma. I recall how thick the air felt, and a lot more bugs than I liked. It was nighttime when we finally stopped, but in the morning we traveled through the eastern part of the state on I40. I was very surprised to see rolling hills, farms, and colorful landscape in this part of Oklahoma. Being from a beautiful area of the U.S.A. (Oregon of course!), it was enlightening to see other parts of America that held their own unique beauty.

Memories Journal #12

In May 2012, I was laid off from a job I had for only 18 months. It was a devastating feeling, but the day after they let me go I realized it was a big relief. With the little bit of savings I had, I decided now was a good time for that mid-life crisis, and so my husband, 6 year old daughter and tiny dog jumped in our Subaru and we toured the United States for three weeks. The next few memory journals document this epic roadtrip.

On that first day, we drove straight for 14 hours with few breaks. From Oregon, we ended up just north of Zion National Park. America never ceases to amaze me with the beauty we hold in this land, and Zion did not disappoint. 

Memories Journal #8

In 2003, I tried doing a sales job that I ended up really hating. It did take me to some new places I would normally not travel too. One of those places was the Yakima Valley in Washington. I sold industrial brushes to agricultural industry, which meant trying to get that sale from companies or farmers that grew apples. One of the most difficult jobs that I have a great respect for. After two years of that job, I decided to be an accountant.

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 #10 and #11

I am a west coast gal, and never thought about visiting a place like New York City. It seemed like a different country to me, and almost a little scary. I couldn't be more wrong! In 2010, my family and I flew back east for vacation. My husband and I stayed in a quaint hotel in Greenwich Village, and explored Manhattan on foot. Central Park was my favorite part of the city. 

This sketch is taken from an actual photo my husband took of the Flatiron building.

On that same trip, we visited New Jersey. Our destination was the beach in Pleasant Point, and spent the day on Jenkinson's Boardwalk. Even though it was very hot, it was another great memory made with my cheeks sore from smiling so much. This sketch was also taken from my own camera of the boardwalk.

Memories Journal #7

In 1999, I moved to Arizona thinking there would be a better life for me in the desert. I thought I would be tan all of the time, and never cold. Well, I stayed very pale and cold because being outside in 110 degrees was terrible. The air conditioning was constantly running, which is why I stayed cold. However, northern Arizona is absolutely stunning. I loved the red rock, the high altitude and cooler temperatures. A year after moving to Arizona, I moved back to Oregon as I was not cut out for all of that sunshine.