Tripping back to the past

Road trips that is. Several years ago Don and I made an epic road trip in the dead of winter from San Diego to the Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood in Oregon to go skiing. I won't tell you how long ago because it will make me feel old but the fact that we did this in our little orange (yes, orange) Datsun pick-up truck with the camper shell on the back should give you a clue. That and the fact that we were childless at the time.

It was a fun trip and the fact that it was in November meant that we had most of the camping all to ourselves. We camped at wonderful places like Bodega Bay, Russian River, and Cape Lookout along the way. We took lots of pictures because those were our "photography days". Much later I used our photos to do a few paintings of the places we visited.

One of my favorite places was Cape Lookout is located near Tillamook, about an hour and a half west of Portland.  It was such a dramatic beach to come upon after winding through the old growth forest. We were the only ones there and its stark beauty as stayed with me all these years.  A couple of years ago when we drove back from Washington we took a little side trip to see it again. Unfortunately it was getting dark and it was not the same experience but I hope to visit again.

Today, I finally got it together and listed one of those paintings.

Vacation Inspiration

I am SO excited! We just booked a spring vacation in Yosemite. I estimate that it has probably been at least 15 years since we've visited the most awesome national park in California. Even better, we will be accompanied by a close friend whose never been there.

We have some fond memories of YNP over the years but this time I am looking forward to gathering inspiration for paintings. The first time we went was when our daughter Karin was about two. We camped just below El Capitan and that night Karin accidentally touched the top shade of the propane lantern and burned her tiny hand. I say accidentally but two-year olds are curious so obviously it was our fault for not being more cautious. Bad parenting! The park was dead quiet but for the howling of a toddler. We took her to the "hospital" in the park and they told us all we could do was put ice water on it. So all night we held her tiny hand in a stainless sierra cup filled with cold water. In the morning she was fine and acted as if nothing had happened. Crises averted!

That same morning we woke to voices of camp neighbors preparing to climb El Capitan which for those unfamiliar is a sheer vertical rock face rising to a majestic 3,000 feet above the valley floor. The acoustics in the valley are such that you can occasionally hear people on the rock but when you look all you see are tiny specs moving up or down or swinging from their sleeping apparatus stuck to the side of the granite monolith.

I can't wait to see everything again and feel that sense of awe when we come out of the tunnel at Inspiration Point and the whole valley is spread out before your eyes. It is going to be awesome!

Hurry end of April!

2012…New Year, Productive Year? Hope so!

Happy New Year loyal followers. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas (or however you celebrate the holidays) and I apologize for being lazy these last few weeks. I am sure you understand though. Christmas kind of sucks the life out of most of us at least for a while—as enjoyable as parts of it are. Anyway, I am back and determined to make this a better year.

I even have a list! I find that I do better when I can check things off. Or more often move them to the next day at times. Just being honest. So today my list has nine items.

Last year was my year of being set free. And I am not talking about retirement from the county office. THAT was the year before. 2011 was my year to forget about old ideas when I paint and not to be so worried about ruining a sheet of paper. And more importantly to paint for my own satisfaction and not just  to please someone else. Although I did do three commissions. I guess in a way that is being set free too since I usually say no to those. That is only because I have to love what I am painting or at least connect with it.

This year I am determined to make my Etsy Shop grow and to be in the studio every day. I find I am happiest with a brush in my hand and several sheets of pristine Arches paper stretched and waiting for me to throw paint on. Although this year I am going to be playing around more with my three new things—Yupo Synthetic Paper, Aquabord, and Watercolor canvas as well as enjoying the new porcelain palette that *Santa* brought me.

I have also decided that I want to explore portraiture. This was brought on quite unexpectedly as I became smitten with a watercolor portrait of my favorite actor, Tom Hollander. It was in a news article and I decided to look up the artist, Michael Frith. I even emailed him to find out if I could buy a print. Long story short: I can't afford his work though he was very kind to chat with me about it. After putting that out of my mind (I was determined to own that painting) I decided I would make my own. I did paint Tom a couple of years ago in the character of John Ruskin when he was playing the role in Desperate Romantics but was not very satisfied with the results. So, THAT is on the agenda. Meanwhile I decided to try my hand at another face I love. That of our 3 year old grandson, Colin. I will share that with you here as I am pleased with it so far. It is not quite there but very close.

For any other watercolor artists out there I highly recommend Aquabord for portraiture. It is nearly impossible to ruin it.

Before I put everyone to sleep here I will wrap this up and wish you all a very happy, healthy, productive 2012.

Christmas Dessert

We are officially ready for Christmas. I am happy to say that we did not over do anything this year.  I did decide not to make my traditional Bûche de Noel (Yule Log cake for you non-Français readers. I have been making it for a bazillion years (that translates into at least 35) and it is delicious. However, it IS a Christmas Eve dinner tradition and since we are having our family dinner on Christmas Day this year due to family time conflicts that was my way of opting out as lame an excuse as that is. This year we will have  something different. Last night Don and I were able to successfully replicate out favorite ice cream from Swensen's. There used to me Swensen's Ice Cream Parlors all over but sadly most have closed that are within easy driving distance. Lately the only one we have been to is the "mother ship" in San Francisco—a tad far for dessert cravings.  I digress. The ice cream flavor in question is none other than Swiss Orange Chip. Simply the best ice cream flavor on planet earth though SOME will tell you that it has to be something from the rival shop called Fenton's. But pay no attention. So, we decided that we NEED some SOC for dessert on Christmas. We went out and bought an ice cream maker and put to the test the recipe that Don found a little while ago online (thank you Nate) and to our surprise and delight it is an excellent replica. Personally I think I would have to have a side-by-side blind test to tell the difference. I'm not one to keep a good thing a secret so give it a go. Here's the Recipe.

Now to keep from eating it all before Sunday.

So… what is YOUR traditional Christmas dessert?

Merry Christmas from San Diego

Just popping my head in here to apologize for the lack of posts. I am blaming the holidays. That said, my faithful followers have probably been too busy to read anything here anyway. I promise to get back here very soon. 

For now, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas (or however you celebrate this time of year) and a Happy and Healthy New Year. See you back here soon! xx

Rev Episode 4

I am not normally one to be addicted to television. I can usually take it or leave it. I never watched 'Lost' or sat glued to 'American Idol' or any other cultish TV shows. Last night we watched Episode 4 of the long awaited and utterly brilliant 'Rev' series 2. Each week I eagerly await each episode of the program me like a child waiting for Santa. It is almost like a drug addiction and I don't know what I will do when it ends beyond wearing out my series 1 DVDs, waiting for series 2 DVD, hoping for a third series. Silly I know, when there are so many other things to do and think about but the series does touch my soul and keep me sane in a muddled world so it is important to me.

Episode 4 is still stuck in my brain. Adam (played by, you guessed it, Tom Hollander)  told a story at the end that dealt with explaining death to small children and it was so touching I can't stop thinking about it.

I recorded the last little bit and sent it to our daughter and son-in-law which at that very moment were on the road to go to a funeral of a grandparent—their two young children probably sleeping in the back of the car. Perfect timing for that one.

Christmas Music

Today I am listening to Christmas music while I work. That said I would like to share an artist I discovered last year and have been chatting with occasionally on Facebook.  David Tolk kindly signed two CDs for me (long story) which I gave to Tom Hollander last March when we went to London. David is a brilliant musician and a lovely person. This particular track  is a favorite and even more so now that David gave me a little backstory on it. The heavenly voice is that of his 16 year-old daughter recorded 12 times and mixed to sound like a choir. It gives me chills.