2010 Hiked Over & Out

 A hike in the Pacific Northwest is always a magical feast for the senses. This was my last one of the year.

 I find moss covered rocks and remnants of fall leaves soothing & cocooning. I know it will be here for me when I return time & time again yet I still take photos and they always expose new perspectives.

 The forest emanates mystery with a content stillness. It's living and happy to do so right where it is.

 A mythical creature could appear and for some reason it would seem like a natural occurrence.

 The smell of a freshly cut Doug Fir was thick in the crisp air, cut down before it clobbered a hiker by accident.

 Nature creates the most amazing art. How could I not take a photo of this??

 This hike hosted historical treasures of bygone days and a way of life that is no longer necessary (although to create survival skills through critical and creative thinking while executing a good sound work ethic are virtues I believe are important during any lifetime).

To say I was inspired by my surroundings would be an understatement.

Swirlly Candy Canes in the Kitchen

 

In a wee little nook of my kitchen I have created a chalkboard space for doodling, listing and dreaming.

 

The way it works is...I begin with a whimsical drawing; grocery lists begin to sprout; random sketches (usually of 14 & 21 year old boyish nature) develop until the board is fulled to the edges and flowing with creativity (which seems to make the grocery lists unimportant).

 The nook gets a lot of foot traffic passing by. The inspired brains of this household dabble here and there, breaking up their busy day for just a moment or two.

 This time around I was inspired by 1990's clip art.

It just wouldn't be me not to include the swirly, spirally coils I seem to be so fond of.

Of course I had to make it my own with sprinkling polka-dots and twisted candy cane boarders.

I recently had the opportunity to create a stop motion animation video. Someday I will post it, in the meantime...I am thoroughly impressed with the process and talented folk who endure the long hours and tedious details it requires. I can see the efforts in this one...

Tiny Encaustic Goddesses all in a Row

Tiny Ballerinas...

 Tiny Beauties...

 Tiny Divine Goddesses...

 Tiny Hearts...

 Tiny Mermaids...

and Teenie Tiny Goddesses.

A 52 piece collection of tiny art for a holiday sale in Portland. Priced so affordable you'll think I've lost my mind! The introduction of these sculptural encaustic nuggets marks the beginning of exploration into their many personalities. I am currently working on specialty themes to add to their persona and will post them on my etsy site. As oddity art they provide whimsy with a giggle as they exemplify the Goddess within every women.

All Goddess blocks are re-purposed wood scraps from previous projects. They are original doodles and altered copies of my original mixed media art...soon to come on etsy as well. They all have hanging options and some stand alone. All are encased in encaustic wax medium. Click on them to get a better view and check the etsy site in the near future if your interested in having or giving some of your own. You can always send me an email of interest in the meantime!!

Enjoying this as I create....

A little Bit of This A Little Bit of That

A few projects that have kept me busy. An encaustic triptych; a charcoal portrait and an illustrated vintage diva queen encased in encaustic medium, all while enjoying things like this...

The Portland Six

 

With my so-so camera I walked a misty path around the city streets of Portland with my husband Saturday night. Shooting from vantage points atop the seventh floor of a parking garage to the point blank position in front of street vendors. When the ceiling is low the city sounds are muffled and appear more intimate. The rhythm of a five-gallon bucket street performer echoed yet clung to the thick air. The architectural detail of the old buildings never bore me. Public art is abundant in this city creating a playground for my senses. Nostalgia, restoration, renovations and new construction meld to envelop my version of an urban utopia. I didn't have my ipod but if I did I would of been listening to this...

Who the heck am I anyway?

So what's it called when a person is so involved every minute of everyday that they loose track of time and wonders "who am I?" Progress? Craziness? Perseverance? Accomplishment? Insanity? Yes is my answer to all. I miss my camera. Every now and then I'll put it in my bag and never take it out. If I'm not entrenched in homework, class time or work I'm running through the streets of Portland to get in my car to drive the long commute home. Sometimes I run in the direction of where I parked days before only to realize at 7am that morning I parked somewhere else. I eventually find my car, which sucks up more time. Now as the daylight is shorter I'm relieved when my bottom hits the bucket seat. I plug in my ipod (typically start with something like this CLICK ME!)(makes me feel a bit surreal in my urban crawl), crank up the seat warmer, take a few deep breaths and wiggle my way onto the interstate. In the home stretch I listen to my youngest practice the piano for a half an hour live via my cars killer stereo bluetooth feature.

Someday these amazing life's efforts will funnel into something spectacular. Not to say the experience is anything less but big things are stirring and I'm rather inquisitive as to where they'll land.

Along the Way...

There are times I wish my eyes could preserve a captured moment for reproduction instead of having to reach for the camera and possibly losing the moment. In doing it the fumbling time consuming way...I've documented some bits of time recently, things I saw that caught my attention. Possibly music or environmental sounds are attached to the experience, possibly silence...although with this selection not likely. This remake [click] makes for magnificent bridge traveling. This [click] makes for some introspective city strolling (and the stop motion video makes me smile).

Pensive Sunshine

Summer's in full swing and I'm soakin' up the sunshine.

This is all I've got...[click]

Official Inspiration

 Inspiration from the garden.

 Inspiration from someone else's garden.

Officially inspired.
[click]

Lettin' It All Go

Spending time at the coast refreshes the creative flow,

cleanses the fragmented mind,

enriches the...well.....you get it.

I brought along this [click], this [click]
and this [click] to pass the time.

Bare feet are required:

while cracking crab

shooting oysters

and grilling salmon.

Realize pedicures & sand don't mix,

beware of expired sunscreen

and by all means sit on a rock in a big floppy hat and stare for a while

then soak in that hot tub until there isn't anything to think about

(not that there really was to begin with)

This & That w/no Surprises or Pizazz

This July 4th I chose to stay behind and comfort an old friend. One who has had his fair share of explosive holidays (13 to be exact). It sounds like a war zone out there. In our part of the country fireworks are magnificently large and readily available to anyone willing to support the local organizations that sell them at the sidewalk stands. Our streets are lined with American Flags and the sweet smell of BBQ invisibly streams through the air.

Hand whipped made from scratch Vanilla Lemon Blueberry Mousse for my people as the firework mortars blast outside my kitchen window.

A hike to Elowah Falls on a warm sunny summer day.

Taking it all in.

A graphically prepared photo ready for encaustic work.

A cropping of a mixed media painting in it's infant stage, many weeks to go until completion.