First the Ranch . . . then an "Art Amble"

For years now, I'd been wanting to go visit and paint at this lovely couple's ranch. I see Carolyn & Rob nearly every Ashland First Friday Artwalk as they cruise thru the Art Center and stop at my studio. Last year I even had a date to go out . . . but something came up. This year I actually made the 30 mile round trip out past Ruch (a tiny town in the Applegate Valley) and on to Buncom (a deserted mining town) ~ and on to the Ranch. What spacious rolling greenery, dotted with rustic buildings and wildflowers! Plopping down admist the long grass and wondering group of cows (who found me very intriguing), I selected the ole' barn and the first building homesteaded in 1865. I love the colors/textures in the wood against the cool greens of the trees 'n grass. Of course, I didn't get it finished but polished up the sky and details at home in my studio. The visit only made me thirsty to return for more plein air time.

The adjacent journal page records an onsite sketch and event in Jacksonville. The local art group, Art Presence, in Jacksonville has finally mustered the interest and energy to support the revival of our Third Friday Art Amble. Several businesses have agreed to show various artists at their stores and artists offer up their works and possibly some refreshments. This image was from the first of the Art Ambles and I was located at the Applecellar Bakery. It was a well attended chance to bring the public into local stores, see local artists and even see them demo their process.

I choose to work in my very portable journal, of course. This picturesque setup of bread loaves, wheat in a charming wrough iron basket sat in the corner of the wooden-floored shoppe full of yummy breads and bakery goods. I sketched as patrons came in to buy goodies or just peek at the art work.

The Art Presence business card actually complimented the subject matter that I'd selected for my sketch . . . so I included it, nestled just below my windows for previous butterfly and pink rose inserts.

I always go back to my "illuminated letters" which begin my page text to fill in the colors. I think of how to harmonize the entire wide-open double page spread. For the left page I brought in rusts and ambers from the Art Presence business card and bread crusts, and from the left side, I used the greens and brown madders of the barn and scenery over to the right journal letter. Color . . . can things get any more juicy :) ?!?!

Arriving Home & Heartbreak

The final entry, ending our Mexico travels . . . brings me, at long last, home. Awwwwwwwwwww, home. Such a simple word, but how very much it holds with in those four letters. Little does one value nor realize what "home" really feels like until you are away ... for a good length of time.

We left Redding, nesting along familiar routes and sites. Often we travel south from Jacksonville towards California so it's like seeing ole' friends driving this road. As we pass the agricultural fields freckled with olive trees, some cherries and stretching fields, one of my hallmark sites is Mt. Shasta (can you see it there, far in the distant horizon?), her first sighting here in this sketch, top left. Once weaving thru the mountains and over the Siskiyou Pass, we coast down into the Rogue Valley. My heart begins to relax, soften. An anxiety begins to disappear. Sights like the pink mornin' fog across the valley from Ashland, makes me smile. We stop in Medford and unhook the RV from the PT Cruiser, thinking it would be easier to quickly back in the RV into our driveway. This affords me a quiet, wide vantage point and I nearly cry seeing the joyful giant poppies crafted and planted by Cheryl Garcia (http://www.greatmetalwork.com/Exhibits.aspx) in the South Stage Cellars vineyards just south of Jacksonville. Of course, this view went into my journal! I'm happily home.

The adjacent page is a less joyful statement. Some conversations about Mexico and the possibility of moving there have caused some tension and very personal introspect for my hubby and I. This illustration hopefully gives you a "feeling" for my experience. I relish these kinds of emotional posts (not the painful part) but the invention of how to express outwardly, my inner. You can see I've incorporated an actual needle and (from my wonderful "Assemblage Artist Friend, Dale Muir) an actual porcupine quill! Love to hear what you, my readers take away from the image - to see if I was successful.

I remain . . . blessed and loving being home. Appreciate your traveling all the way to Mexico and back with me. Now my daily adventures here in Southern Oregon begin. You see . . . the lessons n-e-v-e-r end :)

Nor do I want them to . . .

Arriving HOME . . .

We'd reached Redding, California and decided to stay, rather than push a day that was aggravated by strong headwinds and side gusts. We nested in a Starbucks parking lot after shopping at the nearby Trader Joes. And slept well.

You could feel it in the air when I woke up . . . we were goin' home today!!! I even skipped some of my exercises to get us on the road quickly. But the day emotionally spiked with an early, disarming sound. CRASH - SCREECH - CRUNCH - THUD ! ! ! I jumped up to throw open the curtain of the RV to see what was crashing thru things. Way on the other side of the parking lot, was a vehicle careening over, thru and across all the small concrete islands, then, down the landscaped hill to the street, slamming into the asphalt and continuing across the lanes, smashing into the front of an apartment building on the other side of the street. Oh MY WORD!!!! When I finished my yoga, I walked over to see how the clean up was going with all the police, ambulance and tow trucks. One lady, apparently the one who's apartment now had a giant hole in the wall was out front wrapped in her bed quilt. These situations always pop me back into gratitude. Thankful it wasn't me and prayerful for those involved to learn the highest lesson from their experience. Made me think even more, "get me home, get me home".

Leaving Redding in the pale mornin' fog soon warmed to hazy California sunshine. The classic cows dotting the green fields in front of the white ranch/farm houses made me smile. Farther and farther up Highway 5, the fields change from cows to olive trees and, then we start to see key hallmarks of our "home" getting closer. This was the first shot where I could clearly make out Mt. Shasta . . . see it w-a-a-a-a-y in the distance? Soon, we began climbing, passing Lake Shasta, who's water level was up from when we'd left in November.

We are seriously approaching the Oregon border when we get a close-up view of snow capped Mt. Shasta. I can feel excitement growing! Around another corner I see the Crag Rocks off to the left, poking into the sky surrounded by lush evergreens and cloud fluff. Once over the Siskiyou Pass, with it''s clear roads and blue sky, strewn with white clouds, I could just take "home". The pale, moist haze hung over the barns and wide spans of grazing meadows around Ashland.

At Exit 24, we pull off to unhitch the RV and the vehicle. I'll drive the car home and Roland can just back the RV safely into it's spot next to the house. I'm tailing the RV shooting photos and smilin' at the familiar. Those giant Golden Poppies int the South Stage Vineyards are the fine craftsmanship (or would that be craftwomanship?) of local Jacksonville Cheryl Garcia (http://greatmetalwork.com/). As we meander into the green corner of the Rogue Valley where Jacksonville is nestled, you can see the old Jacksonville red brick high school in the distance. Still trailing Roland in the RV, we breathe in our hometown . . . with all it's historic charm . . . and turn left up Third Street. At the first "Bump" sign we stop, I pause as Roland backs in, then, I pull in to his right. Engines off. We are HOME!!!

Following some basic unloading, the afternoon brings sunshine and I snap a shot of our precious abode. How can I thank you for following my travels and supporting this adventure from the comfortable chairs in your cozy homes? I had so many friends, new and, more 'seasoned', who have sent me love and trusted in our safe return. I thank you all, because your energy was absolutely with me. I'm humbled . . . and home. :)

My Journaling Journey . . .

Some of you may be wondering . . . what happened to my journaling during this trip to Mexico. Never fear, remember, it's my passion.

I tried to dabble in painting while we were driving down here. Actually, the olives were a successful demonstration of "how to paint while riding in an RV passenger seat". They actually brought up some interesting thoughts. Roland and I have read recently, a book we first say mentioned by Pima Chodron, entitled "That Bird Has My Wings" by Jarvis Jay Masters. He's a death row inmate who now practices Buddhism. While we were at this rest stop where we found the olives, a prison transit vehicle was also stopped. I watched as the women, chained together, used the restrooms and then boarded their vehicle. I took me back to tales Jarvis had told about prison life. My feelings bounced between compassion edged with fear and then perplexed by my emotions. Anyway, it's a fascinating book, rather enlightened us about other cultures actual life conditions. I'd recommend it. Back to the journaling, after time, I realized that I wasn't able to do the more complex paintings while en route. Also, my memory began to confuse the days if I didn't write down soon where and what was happening ~ therefore I just stuck with the writing while in transit. But as always, its helped me sort out my feelings and more exact words ~ good stuff for my brain and spirit.

So since we've arrived here in Ajijic, I've been busy my pigments and I . . . filling my pages. I'd left some space on each page for images I'd envisioned and sometimes I was pleased. Not always ... but this journal isn't about perfection ... and so on we go. I was to say too, that I'm having some difficulty getting good lighting when photoing these pages too. So pardon the dull colors, I'll next attempt shooting outside or in direct light.

This first image is a blend, from us leaving foggy, grey Jacksonville melting into the hills of Los Banos where we spent our first night. Have to admit it was the first night I've ever spent at a truck stop, but it was amiable. We first tried parking away from the hub of trucks but, were asked to move. In the morn, we had become sandwiched tight between trucks with their motors running (we guessed to for electricity ~ that began us imagining how much gas they could save if they used another method ~ but that's another story). I'd slept well, surprisingly. Guess the roar of the engines just turns into, what's it called, "Grey noise"? The sunrise thru the truck next door was lovely, don't you agree?

The next day we are off and travel all the way down to Palm Dessert. I always love coming into the Palm Springs area, all those happy, waving wind mills greeting you as you come around one particular bend. Roland has researched all the Walmarts, and we find this one and locate where to park for the evening. When we were trying to start the PT Cruiser that evening we found the battery dead. With this particular auxillary brake system we have on the PT, it might draw a little power.

So we hope that's the culprit and plan on going to Sears in the morning for a new battery. As we leave Palm Springs, I do a lil' contour drawing of the namesake for the area . . . palm trees. Simple but fun.

And here's the full page beginning to my journaling of this Mexico adventure. We're on to the next day . . .

Britt Festival Opening Festivities

Yes, this day finally felt like Spring is actually approaching for real. Our small art group, "Art Presence", created to present more professional quality art and artists in Jacksonville, was thrilled to be part of this event. In concert with and celebrating the opening night of the Britt Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/) Jacksonville closed off both the north and south parts of 3rd Street adjacent to the main street. One side was for the artists and the other side, for wine pouring and music.

The day blossomed gorgeous, sunshine and clear blue skies (it was rainy and 40 degrees last week). Our "Art Presence" officers arrived at 9am to tape off the booths and shortly, the artists began arriving. Town was already hopping and by noon the people were swarming our booths, delightful, lively music dancing through the atmosphere ~ ~ and Summer-ready faces ALL smiling.

We artists had debated the event, as to possible sales, but as usual, just being visible and available for personal relations was the real pay off! I had a previous client come by and tell me they were interested in me doing a commission for them. Later in the day, a local business owner, who'd been sampling three of my giclee prints, dropped in to let me know he wanted to purchase two of them!

As the afternoon passed, I took up my journal, to start in a sketch. I nested in a corner of my booth, out of the hot sun, and captured this nicely cropped vantage point. I was most pleased with the brick effect I acquired with use of my favorite wax crayons! What you think?

Once all packed up and delivered back at home, we opted for a quick Boca Burger in town and a weird "Freckled Lemonade" (where one had to fish out the strawberries from one's lemonade).

On our after dinner walk, I was complaining that it was way past time for our local deer to birthing their sweet babies and that I was suffering "fawn with drawl". I swear, not ten feet further we came across our first fawn nestled in deep grass with her mom (of course, I didn't have my camera). But the next morn, out our kitchen window we saw these tiny twins hobbling clumsily across our back yard. OH, they are so adorable!!!

I have to admit that this time of year, ending of Winter and the flurry of Summer, punctuated with the start of the Britt Festivals, is one of my favorite parts of the year. After a couple months of grey rain and a town of quiet (although I love our lil' green wood burning stove that glows warmth and charm into our home), I relish flood of visitors touring through our sweet Historic Town of Jacksonville, the cascading of live music around 3pm when the Britt performance of the evening practices up the hill from us and floral blossoms and green are every where. Does life get any better?