Stay gold

Portland sunsets never cease to amaze me.  The other evening, the sky looked like it was on fire.  Like a moth to light, I was completely drawn to the orange sky.  So beautiful, yet so temporary.  I'm reminded of Robert Frost's poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay.



Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.





If you've read The Outsiders (one of my favorite books growing up), then you're familiar with the famous utterance based on Frost's poem, "Stay gold, Ponyboy."



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



Given the tragic event in Boston on Monday, I haven't been very productive this week.  It's hard for me to paint a beautiful scene when I feel sad.  Art is such an emotional and personal process, even when painting landscapes.

march madness

Red Moon, oil painting, 18 x 18 in.

If you are a project-oriented person like me, then you probably get utter satisfaction in checking off completed tasks on to-do lists.  So you can imagine how I felt when I finally finished Red Moon this week.  The two photos above show how the oil painting has evolved over the past few years.  The initial painting was based on a memorable sunset in Hawaii.  When motivation to finish the painting waned, I scraped and sanded the paint off.  And I started a new scene inspired by the Columbia Gorge.



I really do enjoy working in oil, but acrylic paint lends itself more to my painting process and style right now.  I like to work on a painting in concentrated times, and sometimes I am just too impatient to wait for paint to dry before layering. 

Red Moon and several other original paintings (including those shown above) are currently displayed at Grand Central Bakery on Hawthorne, which is a popular walking neighborhood in Portland. There are a few local stores that carry my art prints, but this is the only place in Portland at the moment that is showcasing my original works. 



Although these pieces are showing locally, they are available for purchase in my Etsy shop. 

In the midst of my recent painting frenzy, our family spent an afternoon with friends at a sweet little lake in Battleground, Washington.  Being out in nature is the biggest stress reducer for me.  When hiking through the forest, I can clear my head of pending deadlines and just enjoy being in the moment.  It's also where I gather all my inspiration. 



Looking out onto the still black lake, I knew that I was going to have to paint the scenic landscape. Here are some shots showing progress on my latest painting:

 I have also been busy the last couple of weeks making new weavings. 

I'm noticing that I'm drawn to bolder and brighter colors lately. 

new shades for summer

It could be the onset of spring, but I think it has more to do with 80's nostalgia.  I finished off this weaving while watching Pretty in Pink with my husband.  It's amazing how I can remember the lyrics to songs from 30 years ago, but, more and more, I can't remember where I set my keys down!

out and about in Portland

I did officially turn a year older this past weekend, and so did my husband.  That's us in the right photo waiting to be seated at a favorite breakfast place.  It was a low key birthday, which is the way I like it.  No frills and cake.  Just nice cards and messages from loved ones. 

my week

new painting in my etsy shop

/// big island ///

something about the way the water meets the mountains that reminds me of hawaii

latest vintage find

the cat seems to approve

 celebrating birthday no. 13

yup, i'm officially a mom of a teenager

new handpainted rocks and weavings for my pop-up shop at maven collective

:: here thru the month of march ::

                                                                                                                                                         image courtesy of maven collective

coveting pretty much everything in the se portland shop

including a hanging skull and cornucopia of small ceramic vessels

portland's garden sanctuary

Perched atop Portland's western slope is a traditional Japanese garden, complete with koi ponds, wisteria arbor,  and tea house.  Some consider it to be the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan.  

We decided to visit Portland Japanese Garden on the busiest day of the year- free admission day.  Even with the crowds, the place was still very tranquil and idyllic.  I loved all the winding stone paths and lush moss blanketing much of the 5.5 acres.  

One of the central features of the garden is the Moon Bridge.  The structure and scenery reminded me of Claude Monet's Giverny estate in France.  My husband and I were there 15 years ago, and I took this photo of the famous foot bridge.

Monet was an avid collector of Japanese woodblock prints.  The large water garden at the Giverny home was inspired by his collection of Japanese art.  He planted azaleas, bamboo, wisteria, and, of course, water lilies- which became the subject of 250 of his oil paintings. 

My favorite spot at the Portland Japanese Garden was the Natural Garden
with its stone steps, cascading streams, and fluorescent greenery.  When you sit for a moment and take in the scenery, it's quite meditative and soothing. 

The beautiful and peaceful imagery from the gardens has stayed with me these past few days.  And, with spring just around the corner, I'm thinking I might try to bring a bit of Japanese influence into my own garden.  We don't have a pond, but I can think of a few great spots for some white gravel and moss.  I'll keep you posted with any successful progress!

limited-edition "portland" print

Today, I hand pulled the first 10 prints of my latest linocut.



The paper I used is made from flax straw + denim and t-shirt remnants.  Very cool stuff.



Read more about the new print here.  Then watch this amazing printmaking demonstration . . . so effortless!

weaving 101

In September, I finally signed up for a weaving class at an arts center in my neighborhood.  For years, I have looked through the windows of the weaving class and have long envied the folks working on the looms.



The last time I took a weaving class, I was nine years old.  We never got to floor looms, which, as I've been learning these past few weeks, involves a lot of mathematical calculations and tedious threading.  I thought that I had decent math skills (and patience!) up until now.  Adding and multiplying allowances, shrinkage, fringe, ends per inch . . . huh? 



I did manage to finish my weaving sampler, which I had been working on since the start of class!

One of the things that spurred me to sign up for a weaving class was the purchase of a vintage miniature loom at an artist's estate sale.  Knowing very little about weaving, I bought the loom on faith that I could get it to working order.  I brought the loom to class, and my instructor pointed out that it was missing a heddle, which is the part of the loom that holds the threads in place to create an open space for the shuttle.



After scouring the internet for a heddle, I decided to make my own.  I
figured if the loom was 80 years old, surely I could macgyver a working
heddle.  So, I did, out of quilting plastic template and craft wood. That's it, the piece hanging from the top bar.

Here are some photos capturing the process.

You can imagine my excitement when it worked!  I finished my first weaving on the little loom just a few days ago.

And I'm almost done with my second piece! I'm planning on selling these weavings at the upcoming Holiday Market in Portland,  November 30 thru December 1. 

supporting the arts at a local school

Last year, I helped launch an arts fair at our neighborhood elementary school, and somehow I ended up chairing the event this year.  (Note to self: avoid eye contact at next parent volunteer meeting.)  So part of my crazy fall schedule involves after school meetings, event planning, and networking.  I also managed to eek out an illustration for the poster design.



There will be about 30 local vendors (a number of Etsy sellers) participating in the Holiday Market.  For the next few weeks, I'll be working on new inventory for the show.  I'm thinking more paintings on cedar wood slices and rocks.  And I'm hoping to have a 2013 calendar ready by then.



If you're in the Portland area at the end of this month, please stop by and say hello.  The Holiday Market is a great way to shop for handmade gifts and support a local school. Twenty-five percent of all sales goes back to the arts program at Capitol Hill- yay for art in schools! With the proceeds, we are hoping to update the kiln and stock classrooms with art materials.

my week

This is my favorite time of the year in Portland.  The late afternoon light is ideal for shooting pictures, there's a slight crisp in the air, and I can start wearing layers.  I love scarves, in particular.  The beautiful hand-dyed scarf is from Driftwood & Fossil.   



Our family had a couple of outings this weekend.  On Friday, we took advantage of free admission night at the Portland Art Museum.  We spent an hour looking mostly at the works of Oregon artists.  I can't wait to come back in a few weeks to see the upcoming exhibit, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece. 



On Saturday, we drove to a farm outside of town to pick some apples, asian pears, tomatoes, and raspberries.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.  On our way home, we witnessed the stunning sky and moon.  Mt. Hood was in a purple glow.  I had never seen anything like it before.



My time at my art desk has been limited this week, but I did start a marker drawing inspired by a trip to central Oregon in August.  One of my goals this fall for my Etsy shop is to add more 11" x 14" prints.  I just listed a larger print of In the deep dark woods.   I'm hoping to finish a couple new print designs this month, including the one shown above.

i heart portland

Downtown Portland is just a five minute drive from our home.  So is this lush forest . . .

Tryon Creek State Park is a sanctuary in southwest Portland with 14 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.  We pass the park on a daily basis, so we often have the good fortune to see wildlife while running errands.  The most recent sighting was a doe and two fawns jumping out of the thicket.  There were echos of squeals in the car when Bambi 1 and Bambi 2 ambled across the road. 

Portland boasts the largest and smallest U.S. park in city limits.  The green hills bordering the city center is Forest Park, which stretches for 8 miles along the Willamette River.  Wildwood Trail, the longest hiking trail in urban boundaries, is 30 miles long and can be accessed just minutes from downtown Portland. 

Another trail not far from Portland's urban center is Marquam Trail.  This summer, we hiked Marquam Trail to Council Crest, which is the highest point in Portland.  Locals also know it as the popular make out spot at night.  But I, ahem, wouldn't know anything about this.

Council Crest

A couple of weekends ago, we visited Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge for the first time. Located 15 miles southwest of Portland, the watershed is home to many species of birds, mammals, fish, and plants. 

Our highlight was seeing two egrets at this marshy pond.  If you look closely, a white one is perched on a leaning tree and the other one is flying.



I love that Portland offers its dwellers so many places to retreat from the mad dash of city living.  It's on these hikes and strolls through forested lands that many local creatives find perspective and inspiration.  Inspired by Forest Park, Colin Meloy of Decemberists and artist Carson Ellis collaborated on a children's adventure book called Wildwood. It was my nine year old's favorite summer read.

in the little details

My brain is on constant overdrive.  Sometimes it thinks so loudly my husband tells me to turn it off.  Being out in nature is actually one of the few things that relaxes me.  There's something about the roar of the ocean or the sound of the wind in the trees that subdues my mind.



In His created beauty, God calls out to me to be still.  And I listen so that I can see.  I see all the wondrous ways He created this earth, and it's a reminder of how much He cares for me.  The tiniest pebble on a beach can have beautiful markings.  If He cares about these little details, I know that even the most insignificant things in my life matter to Him.