Telluride Plein Air ~ En Route and Arrival

We leave Moab, Utah early for the last leg of our road trip to Telluride, Colorado. The road repair avails us more time to drink in and photo the changing terrain. As we near Colorado, the landscape becomes more arid and we hit pockets of small communities as we climb onto mesas. Once on top the highest mesas, then we weave down into lush green meadows and creek curl curves.

One of the most exciting homes I saw (but wasn't quick enough to photo) was a house carved deep into the undercutting of a red rock ridge so that all I saw was the door to suggest lodging. I imagined the cool, curved walls of the cozy nest behind the wooden door. Creativity comes in so many fascinating forms.

There's effervescence stirring once we get to Norwood . . . I know we are close ... I can see the San Juan Range just beyond this mesa's edge (can you see them in my sketch?). I know several people who choose to live here in this quiet, non-pretentious town, rather than bustling Telluride. And as we stop at the grocery store for a munchie, I experience the warmth and simple-ness of this sweet lifestyle. And that part of me that loves country living aches . . .but I know, there are bigger parts of me that need fed in other ways. Isn't it educational to watch the human personality? realize all these different parts of one's self and try to feed the important ones? Anyway, this sketch was a compilation of images from the Norwood mesa.

Following two motorcyclists into Tellluride, we drink in the liveliness of main street. We stop at the Steaming
Bean for their delicious Chai Tea (remember, last year I swore it was good I only discovered their Chai the day I was leaving?) aiming to slow down, settle in.

Once we find, greet, get settled into my friend's cheery nest and have a quick bite, we decide to take advantage of the free Wednesday Concert up at Mountain Village (up on the ski mountain). It's our Cody's first ride on a gondola, and he fares well except for feeling a bit cramped for space with some playful children sharing the cab. We also discover he's not a fan of those open woven surface stair steps (great for getting

snow off your boots - but not too fun for multi-padded puppy feet). So we detour around on the dirt at the base of the gondola.

A large crowd was already settled onto the grass before the stage and we wiggled in. Ro sampled his first high altitude alcoholic drink (and was silly for the reminder of the evening) and I did a slow and meandering contour drawing of the crowd and clock tower. Often the contour drawing isn't what you'd planned (like this one) but it's offers up a fun way to later take snippets from photos and drop in some personality between the lines of the drawing. I actually love how this ended up looking - and it still has some of the moment's spontaneity!


Up for our first full day in Telluride, we breakfast and head out on foot errands. Roland has a medical situation he needs to check out, so we include the local clinic in our agenda. While sitting outside in the warm mountain air, I start a sketch of what looks like a blossoming onion. I barely get the shape down and an elder gentleman sits across from me - - and soon we are wrapped in conversation. Seems he lived here in Telluride back when the roads, like Society Turn, were just being carved into the mountains. He told me hair-raising tales of some of that work, and how his family had ranched here. Eventually, he and his wife split their year between Texas for the winter, then back to Telluride for the summer. He seemed a content, gentle mountain man. I love the mix of magic that can color one's life on a road trip. And it's just begun!

Back to our cozy room. Roland takes a nap and I get my lil' studio space all set up. I'm glad I've brought my very own favorite lamp and devise space for pens, brushes etc. Ok ... I can stay here now!!

Ending Workshlp Trickles into Sunset

With the remaining time at the Journaling Workshop (see previous post), we'd hoped to go outside, but the day is chilly and pretty windy. Luckily we have a wide panoramic window and use it for my next process, my "Awareness Meditation". And although you can't see my beginning contour line drawing, it gave the basis for this rich page. When the contour lines were done, I began painting and coloring in the scene with my watercolors and even writing in tiny text that curved and danced around various shapes created in the drawing. I did later drop in a side view of Yelena, who sat next to me, as she worked in her journal. I can't tell you how happy I am with this page on so many levels. What do you think?

The adjacent page came from one of my Journaling "Clinics" held monthly in my Ashland Art Center Studio. April's focus was "Sunsets". With sunsets and their extreme colors, you really have to be in a bold mood. As usual, I start with a teeny bit of wax crayon (mainly as reminders as to where the different colors end and begin - - and to serve as "fences" which stop one color from flowing into the other), note where I want to save my whites and begin with my yellow (Aureolin). I've wet most of the sky area and jump from yellow, to pink (Quin. Rose), then to orange (Pyrrol) - - using a lot of pigment to water ratio. I do dip into my darker orange (Brown Madder) and some cooler red (Aliz. Crimson) for variety and richness. And while the page was still wet, I began to drop in some blues (Cerulean, Thalo and Indigo) and purples (Thalo Blue and Quin. Rose). When the page was dry I began to add the Indigo Blue landscape silhouette and finally, the delicate tree branches poking into the page from the left. The five seeds window-ing thru at the bottom right were a happy accident that occurred when I worked on the following journal page. You'll have to stay around to hear that story!

When I was finishing up this journal spread, I had to make some adjustments. Because the sunset was so strong and dramatic, I did have to pump up some of the values and colors in the opposite page. But I was happy eventually and deliberately wanted the branches and teeny text from the left page to help you traverse into the tree branches of the right page. The end result . . . a pretty dynamic duo to savor, eh?

A Tumble of Creativity for Retreat Tuesday

Tuesday breaks gorgeous. Following a calming yoga session down by the lake, we gather round the breakfast table and munch ~ between smiles.

We have a jam packed day with wide variety and some of my very favorite processes. Jean leads off with a mesmerizing contour drawing process. Now I love this exercise when I can totally give myself to the moment. But ... durn ... this year my brain kept chattering. So this years image was scattered and spotty. When I'd finished the initial image I felt I'd best go in and explain some of the significance in my confusion. I still love the rich memories that flood back with this on site meditation  Here's some of us punctuated among-st the shore line.


Our amazing Chef Izzy has given us the option of learning how to "pull the feather" from our soon-to-be-dinner squid. We learned that this feather-like, transparent spine must be removed for cooking. Delicately Izzy demonstrated how to tenderly pull the very breakable item from inside the floppy squid. I was successful at getting mine out without breaking the spine. Here I've mounted it for posterity in my journal. A very different experience for me!

Following a tantalizing lunch, we head to the Sequoia Cabin for some studio work. Delving into our "Animal Mandalas" touches an inner place in me, and usually when I witness how it speaks to the other participants, I'm quite moved. This year I was given a "Chipmunk". When I'd completed my research around this lil' guy, I knew how appropriate he was to me for where I am in my life. And off I trotted creating this delightful mandala (don't worry, I did further research for image references once I got home to finish it up like this!). But I smile each time I see this busy lil' guy and all he represents to me.

Our final journal work for the afternoon came out to look like this for me. This writing process is always fun and has become more frivolous each time I do it. Then, once home I find an illustration to accompany the deeper meaning of the words. I loved this in-flight swan ... with his secret message.

But do you think our activities are over? Heck no!! We'd planned on dining around the campfire followed by our musical Beth, pulling out her guitar for singing around the cozy fire. With thunderous cumulus clouds traveling overhead we decided to eat in the cabin but, launched out to our proposed fire site after dinner. What a riot! Old songs we'd not heard in years and then, getting everyone to sing and laugh at the harmonies. With great melancholy we finally doused the fire and returned to our cabins for a satiated nights slumber.

Can tomorrow be even better? Wait and see . . .

Monday's Makings at the Women's Retreat

Having slumbered with visions of swaying pine trees, lapping lakes and creative genius dancing in our dreams, we all were up early. The first activity is to amble down and nest into a cozy spot on the granite peninsula at the west end of the shore. Flat 'n sandy with a calming view of the mornin' lake, it's a perfect spot for our daily yoga. I lead the Sun Salute and it always takes me a day or two to get relaxed with doing the breathing and speaking instructions/suggestions at the same time. I find it such a centering time, greeting the beauty of the Sierras in silence, inhaling deep of the pristine air and knowing the link between nature and myself.

We relocate to the Sequoia cabin after breakfast at the Ponderosa cabin. The Sequoia is our "creative" cabin and we cover a full gambit of generalities, questions and suggestions about journaling. We seem to have covered most of our planned material quickly and it allows a bit of free painting time before lunch. I choose to do a simple contour drawing and later fill in color where I want.

Lunch is yummy and Jean and I have received a request to do a tandem painting of the same subject matter. To demonstrate how differently we approach a scene, I start with saving my whites, applying my wax crayon and then start with under washes. I hand it over to Jean while my image dries and we ping-pong back and forth til done. A fun revelation for all of us!

Our major goal for the afternoon session was to relax, express ourselves and get acquainted. What better way than . . . making your very own paper doll from scratch . . . in the dream version of yourself?!?! Well, some of my fantasies include carefree hair, naturally beautiful Jamaican skin and narrow thighs (don't we all have these silly images in our head?)! So here's my doll, with properly bending joints and wacky yellow french knots embroidered for curly hair. As most of you know, I work slowly, so we never got her clothed beyond the under ware . . . but she surely made me smile!

The full two page journal spread falls together spontaneously. With the paper clay "cloud" insert on the left and the negative hole cut out to protect that "cloud" I have created challenging design elements to work with for the next few pages. I love how the pink and purple hiking boots reflect back those same colors in the shadows of the cloud's under-belly. And just looking at the page . . . all those frivolous or frowning moments flood back . . . don't you just love journaling?

Adventures into "Stitched Window" Journaling

This journal page entry seems to contain some sort of adventure energy. It must have something to do with it being Spring and the re-birth of life and vitality ~ because I'm daring to do things that thrill and surprise me.

I'm testing out a new venue within the Ashland Art Center where they have opened a new gallery in the back part of the building. I'll have my pieces on display on the main floor (will continue with my studio on the second floor too). Along with this venue goes a weekly, 4 hour shift on the "Creator's" register.

The contour drawing that began this entry came from our training session. I was looking to entertain another "stitched window" in my journal, specifically for one of my private student's class. I did the small painting of this "most intriguing artist" at the far right of my contour drawing, cut it out and then cut out a window that echoed a similar shape as my small painted image. To stitch the window together, I'd wanted to use a special yarn I'd just purchased ... it was this nice warm copper color with copper metallic threads woven thru it. I wanted it to express the warmth and camaraderie I felt in the training room but, integrated with my anxious irritability, and flashes of impatience. I felt the metal thread would indicate that. But after I'd gotten the holes punched and attempted to sew with the yarn, I realized I couldn't use it. Too clumpy :( So, on to a thread that could work.

To stitch the page, I had to clip a bulldog clip to my lamp, that gave me access to both sides of the page. I add some french knots (from my previous life as an mad embroider) to mimic her beautiful white hair.

And eventually, tah-dah, I got it all completed. Here's the finished wide view contour drawing the a few added color spots to add intrigue and carry you across the page. Hope it tantalizes!