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. 

Happy Spring Sale

My favorite time of the year is here, hurray! To celebrate, I'm running a special promotion in my Etsy shop for the next few days.  Spend $50 in my shop and get an art print (up to $25 value) for FREE! Read more about the sale here.

new work

new print, Destiny

I finished a new painting this week.  I initially wanted to call it Journey Home and then my husband said that it sounded like a movie about a lost dog and cat.  So Destiny it is. 

Whenever I paint a mountain in a scene, I typically imagine myself on a trail coming towards it . . . as if I'm being called to it.  Mountains have a deeper meaning for me than just mighty forces of nature.  They are a representation of God and His mighty nature.  I believe that God is all around us, but there's something about being on a mountaintop that does make me feel closer to Him.  And I don't think it's by coincidence that God reveals Himself and His plan for His people on mountains. It was on a mountain, after all, where God tested Abraham, spoke to Moses, and where Jesus was transfigured.

mini-painting, night radiance

work in progress

Although mountains are a favorite subject of mine to paint, I took a break from it one day this week and started this ocean scene.  Painting the ocean can be intimidating, or maybe that's just how I feel when I'm standing in front of it.  A mountain is still, whereas the ocean is constantly in motion.

I'm happy that this painting has come along rather smoothly.  I think I'll continue with the ocean theme with the next wood panel piece.

Starting in April, my art will be on display in Grand Central Bakery on Hawthorne.  So this new painting will be part of the show. 

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!

new print, "beyond"

February tends to be a difficult time for Portlanders.  After months of gray, rainy skies and the cold, we start looking like Gollum from The Hobbit.  Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but you get the point.  We are all chomping at the bit for some summer weather.  And I'm no exception. 

Our family had a blast last summer exploring the Pacific Northwest.  And we hope to continue the adventure in upcoming months.  Until then, I'll keep the fireplace crackling and daydream via paper and paintbrush. 

My latest vision of summer grandeur is captured in a new work called Beyond.  I've made it into a print that's now available in my Etsy shop.  And, this week, you can get it for 25% off the original price! 

I recently discovered that the sugar cane paper I've been using for my art prints has been discontinued.  I have one box left, but I'm transitioning to using premium paper made from bamboo fibers.  Although there are a lot of paper options for artists who want to make their own prints, there actually aren't very many eco-friendly choices.  Fortunately, the bamboo paper is nearly identical to the sugar cane paper.  So I'm relieved that the change hasn't been too problematic and that I can still offer eco-friendly prints in my shop.

a little bit of r + r

After a crazy holiday season for my husband and I, it was time for the two of us to get away for a bit.  We headed to the beautiful and remote Oregon coast.  As many of you know, it rains a lot in western Oregon, which keeps some tourists away.  But, if you're a true Oregonian, the drizzly coastal weather doesn't faze you and even the horizontal rain is tolerable.

In the three days we were there, we passed just half a dozen folks on the beach.  At first it was a little eerie to have the beach (more like the entire town!) to ourselves.  But we quickly got over the "left behind" feeling and embraced the solitude.  At one point, my husband decided to explore a tunnel in a hillside and I combed the beach for small treasures- one of my favorite things to do.   I found some shell pieces and a couple of small driftwood to use with my latest wall hangings. 

The three on the left are my newest additions.  This week, some weavings and art prints are headed to a shop in Moss Landing, California, which is between Monterey and Santa Cruz.

I didn't find any new rocks on the beach to add to my collection, but I did find some time to paint a few stones from a previous trip.  

The one remaining rock in my Etsy shop is the little black one, and it'll probably be awhile before I paint more rocks.  This month I'll be working on an exciting new project.  My art will be on a product!  I'll share more down the road once the process has commenced.  I also regularly post updates on Twitter and Instagram if you want the latest news or listings of available work.