Painting Summer Memories

With the continuing days of summer, I have a collection of visual happenings taking place into July.

The third and final of the Eden Vale Winery Plein Air Workshop ties up neatly the class while it sparks the beginning of this journal page. The demo I selected was simple when compared the to previous "architectural" image from the day before. I selected this contrast-y silhouette of these planter pots against the rich background. I kept the foreground wall and bricks abstract to drive your eye to the pots. Those I waited to detail out until the entire image was dry ~ giving me great hard edges and brilliant colors. Later in the afternoon during our critique time, the gentleman with whom I make arrangements at Eden Vale, Aaron, dropped by to make sure we were comfy and happy. With a beautiful venue, terrific participants and  perfect weather, how could we have been anything but content?

Later in June, the Applegate Valley had advertised it's summer celebration at Cantrell-Buckley Park. The lovely site right on the meandering Applegate River was to have food and music and we head all the way out to the park on the 16th of June . . . only to see the sign advertising the event for, you guessed it, the following weekend!! That next weekend found me with many deadlines and when I'd completed my tasks, we arrived at the celebration - - just as things were closing up. Argh! But, Ro still snagged a glass of local wine and I my camera and we relaxed down by the river. This memory captured a tiny, brilliant yellow bird dipping in and out of the water just in front of the river's rock and a teeny lil' hang glider from the annual hang gliders nearby competition.

With the first weekend in July comes the annual Salmon Celebration. An all weekend event way out on the Rogue River includes honoring the salmon catch and the Native American Indian reverence for this harvest. We traveled out for the salmon roasting dinner and prayerful dedication that precedes it. T'was such a joy seeing people nested into camping nests and children enjoying the river. Gramma Agnes was there to contribute to the energy and I loved watching how the elders were honored as they were gently glided to the front of the dinner line. There is so much our current society could learn from the Native American traditions. Here I've savored the manner, smell and wildness of the roasting salmon, cut in large slices, speared and poked into the ground next to the glowing red fire pit for slow cooking. Ahhhh, the sweetness of summer here . . . in southern Oregon.