For the love of Journalfest

It has already been weeks since I returned from Journalfest 2011, the week after returning my body and mind shut down and only wanted to sleep, and then sleep some more. All those long nights & days of 3-5 hours of sleep for weeks on end, prior to driving to Seattle, had finally caught up to me. Regardless, this didn't and still hasn't dampened my creative high I am still on. My mind has been on a constant fast forward, thoughts and ideas have been rushing in SO fast I can barely keep up with them. Even as I write this all I truly want to do is turn on the music, turn off the computer and phone and submerge myself in my studio. I don't want to work on upcoming Christmas gifts, cards, and all the other items that have become my tradition over the years. I want to be selfish and work out some of these ideas in my head that are starting too ooze out my ears only to be lost moments later. I really need to keep a notebook next to me at all times so that I don't forget all these ideas. It would really come in handy for the days and weeks that I can't think of a thing to create.

I am still working on the journal pages I started that week...So I will post them as I complete each page. For now I want to share some pics I (and new friends) took while at Journalfest.

My first day of workshops began selfishly, I wasn't teaching and I wanted the day to be about me and absorbing the class I was signed up to attend. Wanting to go a little incognito for the day, I tucked my hair under my favorite green cap, grabbed a quick cup of coffee and quietly slid into my classroom chair. Little did I know Mardie Rhodes, whom I had met over the summer at Tracey Moore's workshop, was to be my table neighbor. (She is such a wonderful woman!) Then Julianna Coles entered the room wearing her cowboy hat, boots, and hip holster (with cap guns)! She is a bundle of pure joy, I took a liking to her instantly.

She ended up squishing us together into very uncomfortable quarters, nobody's personal bubbles were safe! And don't get me started on her choice of music to put icing on the uncomfortableness... It was all for a reason and I just went with it.... She took me to places I hadn't gone since my college days in art classes.

"over 40 years" ~ mixed media

This "mess" truly took me out of my comfort zone, but I went in with an open mind and no judgments. In doing so, I found a little piece of unexpected authenticity. My heart strings are drawn to this little figure that emerged in the fog. She has a lot to tell me, and as I work on this page I think her voice will be heard. Even as I write this, I am seeing and hearing more of what she has to tell me. (click on the image to see it bigger)

"he loves me...he loves me not..." ~ mixed media

While starting this next page all the drama of one's relationship with a first "love" kept creeping into my mind. My sweet daughter had been calling me during the week giving updates and asking advice about her first big crush...which brought up lots of memories for me... so naturally I had to capture the moment.

"cut to the core" ~ mixed media

This page began as an experiment of drawing on masking tape (loved it!) and ended up being the "bridge" between the next to drawings. I saw it as a "cutting away the negative to make room for the positive"

"beauty...negative" ~ mixed media

 We were to draw the ideal beautiful person, then write down negative traits we think we have around her.

"Shadow Self - positive"

Next we were to draw one of our table neighbors, they became our Shadow Self (the part of us who tries to discourage our efforts) then we were to list positive attributes we think we have around the shadow self. [David Baxter and I were paired up. He was great fun to draw and an even better sport about it.] The "bridge" was the reconciliation between the two portraits. Not sure if it all makes sense the way I have described it, but I guess as long as it makes sense to me that is what is important.

It was an exhausting day, and I loved every moment of it! I did exactly what I set out to do, renewed my creative juices and didn't question the process. It was refreshing. To top it all off, over the follow few days I had a chance to get to know Julianna more. Words alone can not express the connection I felt with her. The closest I can come to describing it is a "soul sister". That isn't meant to sound cheesy or anything. It is what it is.

Julianna and I at the masquerade journal jam on the last night of Journalfest

Next up, the classes I taught and the wonderful "students" that shared the next two days with me!!!

Friday was a day full of origami and image transfers, as the Transferring Memories class learned over a dozen different image transfer techniques that they were able to incorporate into two little origami books.

Here are the class examples:

I think my favorite part of teaching is just after giving a demo and everyone heads back to their seats. You can hear a pin drop, very clearly. I love hearing the creative juices flowing and the occasional hmm from someones iPod. Next best thing would be to walk around the room and see what everyone is creating. So much food for the soul.

Diane and Jody hard at "work"

Tammy made a fun book full of fairies, trolls and creepy little characters... so cool

Ty and Marcia were getting VERY experimental with their transfers. It was fantastic to see. My favorite part, during the time I spent with them, was when I told Ty I'd get him some clean water to remove the paper from his transfer... and he told me, "Why? I have water right here." then he proceeded to soak his transfer in the dirty paint water... LOL... Hillarious!!!

Jody England Hansen took a moment to look up for me. :) She is such a sweet woman, I so enjoyed her positive energy!! She makes some amazingly beautiful books which she taught the following day.

Diana created a travel journal about a recent trip she and her husband had taken. It was very fun to watch her figure out how she was going to  use her image transfer techniques in this book. I look forward to seeing the finished book!

Tammy proudly presents her little origami book! 

This sweet young lady worked SO hard on her book and was determined to leave the class with a finished book. It took some doing but we got it all together by the end of the day!!

Saturday's workshop to come soon!!

Memories of the Oregon Coast

For years Dave and I have talked about taking the kids to the Oregon Coast, camping all along the way. So past winter I talked to my parents about the possibility of them going with us. In April we booked our campsites, 10 days...a different camp each day. Sounds like fun I thought to myself!

As the days got closer, the stress started to build. Work was finally picking up, which meant long hours in the studio, Dave was scheduled to be out of town the week prior, kids were home and wanting to be entertained... is this all really worth it?? Do we really have time to be gone for 10 whole days?

Thankfully, the week we were to leave Dave was able to take an extra day off to help get the camper ready while I focused on getting the food ready. Lots of cooking and freezing dinners. Mom, dad and my niece arrived late on Thursday night. We were ready to leave town by 10:30-ish the next morning. It always feels a bit strange once we are actually in the car, camper in tow, and pulling onto the interstate. It feels a bit like a mental tug-o-war.  Did I forget to pack the emergency kit? Yes, it is in the camper. Did I forget to email such-and-such client? Yes, you told them last week you were going to be gone. Did I get the alarm clock? Yeeesss.... it is in your bag. Not until I am a good 20 miles away does my mind settle down enough to start enjoying the ride.


Friday ~ August 6th
Our first destination: 365 miles down I-84 to the Dalles in Oregon. As we traveled closer to the Columbia river the wind started picking up, then hundreds and hundreds of windmills started appearing on the landscape. The Columbia was rippling with waves and the windsurfers were taking advantage of wind and waves. We had planned on stopping at some of the large dams that are located on the Columbia, but we arrived a bit too late for a tour. Dad was disappointed, thankfully we were camping in-between two different dams so we were able to stop at the second one the next morning.

We stayed at the Memaloose State Park camp ground next to the Columbia River. My first entry into my Visual Journal .... while hunkered down behind a rock to get relief from the wind, I was sitting in Oregon while drawing Washington on the other side of the Columbia River.

Saturday ~ August 7th
The next morning we visited the Boniville Lock & Dam and the fish hatchery. Both places are quite interesting. As I mentioned my dad loves seeing dams (must be the engineering aspect) and Dave works for Idaho Power, so the two of them had lots to see. At the fish hatchery, we enjoyed the sturgeons...they acted a lot like pets. Coming up out of the water to look at you and entertaining (showing off) to all those that watched from the window down below.

Next we traveled down the Old Highway 30 to see the Multonmal Falls. Unfortunately it was a Saturday and the parking was terrible, definitely no room to park a truck and camper...so we moved on down the road.

The old HWY-30 was originally built for the Model -T cars so it is a bit narrow, but the view along the way is gorgeous. I'd love to travel it during the fall months when the trees are changing colors!

We did stop at the Vista Home overlooking the Columbia. While everyone walked over to see the sites, I stayed behind and sketched from a top the camper. In total we drove about 90 miles to our next campsite, the Milo McIver State Park.

Sunday ~ August 8th
We stayed right next to the beach at Nehalem Bay. It was very windy that evening, but that didn't stop us from running over the sand dune to the beach. Hailey sat in a chair and painted her very first Plein Air painting in watercolor. (I still have sand in my traveling water color kit to prove it.) I was very proud of her.

WE fell asleep to the sound of the wave crashing onto the shore...it was heavenly. The next morning I woke bright and early to a calm and peaceful beach at low tide. I found a huge full sand dollar. I was very excited. Alex saw one down in a tide pool that he couldn't reach. So I rolled up my sleeves and pants and reached down to grab it...I emerged a moment later unsuccessful and my entire left side dripping wet. I didn't realize that you sink very quickly in wet sand...Yikes.

Monday ~ August, 9th
It was foggy and overcast the whole time. We stayed just above Newport at Beverly Beach. The trees at the camp ground were really amazing...wish I would have had the time to draw them.

Instead Dave and I took the kids to the Devil's Punchbowl tidepool. Then ended up buying them hot chocolates...Alex made us all laugh with his chocolate evidence. He had no clue that the ring on his face was there.

Tuesday ~ August 10th
We stayed just above Newport on Monday and just below on Tuesday. So we had plenty of time to see the sights. We went to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and the Aquarium. So much fun! However, I think all the kids really enjoyed the quick trip Monday evening to Ripley's Believe It or Not shop the most... It was a bit crazy, creepy, and weird...just perfect entertainment for three youngsters!

That evening we were greeted by an amazing sandcastle on Beachside. I spoke to the gentleman that made it. He had spent all day on it! Apparently he makes a different one on each beach he stays at. I only drew the top portion in my visual journal.

Hailey, Alex, Mickenly and I all heading to the water in the fog.

The next morning Dave and I found a large crab buried in the sand. So I took it back to camp and cooked it... Oh my goodness, it was the best crab I've ever had....mmmm.

Wednesday ~ August 11th

We drove another 88 miles south to Sunset Bay State Park near Coos Bay. We had a great time hiking around near the tide pools. This is definitely a spot Dave and Hailey want to come back to. The beaches are becoming more and more beautiful with their rocky cliffs and little islands. We didn't get to spend quite enough time here since we didn't arrive until early evening and left mid-morning. I slept fantastic the whole time we were near the beach. I also started waking up earlier than everyone else... I almost felt like an early bird rather than the night owl I am accustomed to.

Thursday ~ August 12th

After a long and stressful afternoon of washing clothes at the laundry mat (in Coos Bay) and becoming separated.... we finally arrived at Harris Beach. Our last stop in Oregon. This was my favorite beach site of them all. The camp ground was huge with lots of campers, but the site we stayed in was great and secluded. The best part was the beach was within walking distance and the hike down to the beach was breathtaking. There was a huge tide pool that we all enjoyed exploring, luscious fern covered rock formations towering overhead and plenty of open beach to play in the sand & water.

Dave and Alex exploring the beach

Hailey drawing the rocky views, using charcoal she recovered from the campfire pit.
Yep, I was a proud artist mom that evening.

Friday, August 13th

At last the Redwood Forest! One evening was NOT enough time. We met Greg, the hitch hiker, just before we entered the park. He gave us some great advice on which trail to hike. We weren't disappointed either! The old growth area of the forest is spectacular. I look forward to spending multiple days there next year hiking the many trails. As we left the forest all the other trees we saw seemed so unimpressive in comparison

to read the adventures of Greg Clarke, our hitchhiking friend, visit his blog here: thehitchingposts.wordpress.com

For the first time since we left I didn't sleep well, kept waking up during the night... could have been because there are bears in the area and I was a bit freaked out about it. My mom however, being the special mom she is, sprinkled moth balls all around the exterior of our camper while we were on our hike. She heard from a ranger, who works in Yellowstone, that bears do not like the smell either. Not sure if it was the moth balls or we were just lucky, but the bears didn't visit us that night. 

Saturday, Aug 14th

The next morning we headed back up to Oregon and then  in-land to see Crater Lake....

We had a long drive ahead of us, so we weren't able to stay at Crater Lake for very long. Regardless, the drive up the mountain was impressive, the Lake was breathtaking, and the drive back down the other side made you feel like you were on top of the world looking down. You can see for MILES and MILES... the mountains actually gradated from dark blue to pale powder blue just like you might see in a photographers photo.

Sunday, Aug 15th
Saturday night we stayed at La Pine campground out in the desert about 70 miles from Burns. We all wanted a shower that evening, but decided against it since the showers were on 2 min timers and the water was cold. ): Alex and I awoke on Sunday to the sound of coyotes howling at the first light of the day. After breakfast, we headed across the hot Oregon High Desert. Wouldn't be so bad if we could drive 65-75mph.... but no, it was 55 all the way. Dave was nervous about getting a speeding ticket if he drove faster than 55, given the area we driving in it would have been a high probability for a ticket so 55 it was... I decided that living anywhere with in a 75 mile radius of  Burns was not my cup of tea.

Hope you enjoyed coming along with us as we explored the coast. And just for the record... I'm still finding sand in the crevices of my journal.... =D

Formal Dinner party

I still sit in awe at the realization that my baby girl is going to be 13 in a few short weeks. She was just going into kindergarten...wasn't she?

Her two best friends have birthdays during the summer as well, so us moms thought it would be fun to have a combined 13th  birthday party. The girls helped plan it, initially the Mad Hatter tea party was the theme but it morphed into each girl decorating a hat to go with a formal dress. So we moms organized a special dinner, complete with menus, and decorated my patio to look like a little french bistro...complete with a candle lite chandler, twinkly lights, and billowing curtains.

The girls each dress up in their new formal dresses, hats of their choice and heals. We helped the girls do their hair and makeup and when they all arrived we escorted them to their table.

Here Kimo (one of the dads) is serving the first course of the 6 course meal!! The girls loved every moment! 

After dinner was over their other friends, who arrived during dessert and had to wait in the "parlor" until dinner was over, where brought to the restaurant for cake. After the all that fun and it started getting dark the girls changed clothes and they all play flashlight hide/seek/tag until midnight. It was a great party and so much fun!!

Happy 13th Birthday to my sweet Hailey and her best friends!!

These girls are awesome!!