Sketch Saturday

Bread and Friendship

Some of you might know (in the blogging universe sort of way) my friend Helen from the UK.  She's one of the Twelves, as well as the author of various blogs (From Down the Well, Plan Create Succeed) and we write the blog Tea and Talk for Two together (Well, we have, but we're behind, and we will again.  Another story.)

Anyway.  Here's Helen.  And I have this picture of her looking rather contemplative (or perhaps tired and hungry because this was during our lunch break on a big shopping day) because until a few days ago, she was right here visiting me.  And what a lovely time we had.

It's kind of amazing how you can meet someone online -- through a blog or group -- and really get to know them, so that by the time you meet in person you are already fast friends.  I don't think that people who do not interact with online friends understand this (in fact, they look at you rather oddly when you say you met someone online, have you noticed?)  This was not our first time getting together in person, so we knew that we have a real and not just virtual friendship.  But because we live so far apart, time together feels miraculous and precious.

Our time was packed with fun things, but I what I want to share today was a stop at a charming bakery.  Helen is an avid baker and I am an avid appreciator of baked goods, so when Helen suggested that we seek out the Wild Flour Bakery on our way out to the coast, I readily agreed. 

It's in the little town of Freestone, between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay. Look at these cool doors -- perfect for a rustic, brick oven bakery, yes?

 

There was a long line of people inside, but waiting gave us time to read the menu and drool over the options.

When you get up to the counter, you can see the gorgeous array of baked goods.

We bought bread for a picnic by the ocean, and some bread to put in the freezer for future eating, and some scones for later in the afternoon with tea or coffee, and some scones for the next morning, and some for the freezer...  Suffice it to say that the bread and scones were yummy and the car smelled deliciously of bread for the rest of the day.

There was a charming garden around the back of the bakery where we were invited to wander.

I especially liked this door to the orchard.

From there, we continued to Bodega Bay where I introduced Helen to the funky, Alfred Hitchcock-Birds themed general store, then on to a point overlooking the ocean where we ate our picnic lunch.  We shivered a bit then headed inland just a mile to find sunshine and warmth and hot coffee. We poked around shops, visited several artist studios (having the good fortune to be making the trip on an Art Trails open studio day), and came home bread-laden and contented.

Even though Helen left a few days ago, I'm still basking in the pleasure of that visit.  Yesterday, I pulled out these very photos and painted a page in my sketchbook to commemorate the day.

Aah, a good friend, a day trip, and a bakery.  Perfect!

Winner of Sarah Ann Smith's DVD!

I used the Random Number Generator and it picked number 11, who is "MVPat," otherwise known as Pat Dicker.  Thanks, all, for commenting -- Pat, I know you will enjoy Sarah's video!  Congratulations!

New Art Quilt DVD by Sarah Ann Smith -- Giveaway!

 

I was delighted when I learned that my friend Sarah Ann Smith was making a video workshop for the folks at Quilting Arts Workshops, because Sarah is a talented art quilter and very creative in her approach to her art.  I've admired her work for a long time, and I was excited to see her process.  I offered to participate in her blog hop to announce this great video workshop, because I knew that I'd want to share it with you all.  The video workshop is available in both DVD and digital download formats -- either way, once you have it, you can watch it again and again. 

What a terrific workshop this is, jam-packed with good information. When I sat down to watch it, I was thinking of a friend of mine who is a novice quilter, just starting out to try original designed art quilts.  So as Sarah explained in clear detail what she uses, how she approaches design, and how the technique works, I was very impressed and thought it'd be an ideal workshop for someone relatively new to art quilting.  But as I watched, I was surprised at how many good tips I learned in this, too. Even experienced art quilters will enjoy and learn from this workshop.

In the workshop, Sarah covers:
   *  What supplies she uses (in specific detail), and most imporantly, WHY she uses what she does
   *  How to choose fabrics, including a great section on using colored pencils and fabric paints to stretch your fabric stash
   * Great tips on working with fusibles
   * Tips on color and composition choices, and the importance of contrast
   * How to choose a photo to translate into fabric
   *  Working with thread and choosing thread colors
   * Thread painting

Being a somewhat less-than-precise quilt artist myself, I especially appreciated Sarah's encouraging approach to just making it work, even showing how cutting "blob" shapes may work just as well as precise pattern pieces.  She's my kind of quilter!  

I'm excited to add that Sarah and Quilting Arts are making some free copies of the this video workshop available to blog-hoppers, and I'm giving one away here!  If your name is selected and you are in the US, you can choose the hard-copy DVD workshop or the digital download (hooray for instant gratification!).  Any winner from outside the US will receive the digital download.

To enter, leave a comment here and provide your email address.  You have until midnight (PST) on Wednesday, October 9 to leave a comment, and I will randomly draw a winner on Thursday, October 10.

If you don't win it here, you will have other opportunities by going to the following blogs on the designated days.  And if don't happen to win it, you can buy it via the Quilting Arts store or from Sarah's website.   Good luck! I know you will love owning this DVD.

October 5:          Sarah Ann Smith   http://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog 

November 14:     Marie Johansen   http://www.musingcrowdesigns.com/

November 16:     Brenda Gael Smith   http://serendipitypatchwork.com.au/blog/

November  19:    Jaye Lapachet    http://artquiltmaker.com/blog/

November 21:     Susan Brubaker Knapp   http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/

November 23:     Lisa Walton    http://www.fibreinspirations.blogspot.com/

November 26:     Daphne Greig   http://daphnegreig.blogspot.com/

November 28:     Sarah Ann Smith  http://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog 

I Need a Barn

I had a lovely day yesterday.  Over the last year, I've been helping my friend Paula learn to quilt.  Well, I helped her with her first two, which were for twin grandbabies.  Since then, I haven't done anything other than marvel in delight and amazement at how eagerly she has taken to it. She's made about a quilt a month since then, and has recently completed a small art quilt which just floored me with its delicate artistry and beautiful stitching.  It's always fun to share the love of quilting and recruit a new member to the club -- but it's been truly inspiring to see how her excitement has led her so far so fast.

And yesterday, Paula invited me to join her for a sewing day at her sister-in-law's house.  So I met Marge, another sister-in-law Pat, and several other very nice women, and we sat together visiting and working on our respective projects.  Quilters are such nice people -- I heard it said often, but it's true.  And quilting with others is enriching on so many levels.  I love feeling the echo of women through the years, working with fabric together.

Marge hosted our get-together in the barn on her property.  (That is not it above; that's an old barn I drive by frequently and love for its elegant aging.)  Her barn is really a modern workshop, built for her husband's garage and workshop activities some years back, but clean and bright and suitable for all sorts of purposes.  It was a warm but rainy day yesterday, so we had the big garage-type door open and had the pleasant sense of enjoying the outdoors without being outdoors.  Marge had laid down carpet remnants and set up big tables and it was perfect.

I know I'm lucky to have a dedicated bedroom to use for quilting, so I can make my messes and leave it all there in progress when I need to turn my attention to something else.  But gosh, I get such a thrill when I see the big spaces that some folks have for their work -- basements or full attic spaces or, yes, barns. 

So I am thinking today that I need a barn.  Maybe my garage has a new life ahead for itself.  Who knows?!

Iowa Bound?

 
If you happen to be anywhere near Des Moines, Iowa between October 2nd and 5th this year, you can see the Twelve by Twelve "Colorplay" series of quilts -- all 144 of them!  Look, there's the pink and blue sets   (and can you guess who chose the pink theme?!  Hee hee hee.)  The collection will be at the AQS Quilt Week at the Iowa Events Center. 

Oh yeah, and there will be about 1600 other quilts for you to see there, too.  You can find out all about the show here.

Putting Pieces Together

When I started my blog 9 years ago, and named it "Going to Pieces," I never realized how appropriate that name would be.  At the time, I was thinking about how many things I juggled as a working mom and wife and quilter and artist.  I'd started the blog to talk mainly about quilting, and of course "pieces" seemed perfect for the bits of fabric and thread that surrounded me and the bits of time I used to cram creative play into my day.

Nowadays, "going to pieces" is appropriate in ways I'd never have anticipated.  I've had some big life changes, the biggest of which has been separation from my husband of 20 years. My daughter is 17, with needs far different from those she had when she was a kid in elementary school. A lot of elements in my life -- legal work, creative work with fabric, home-keeping -- are still there.  But a lot of pieces have changed, too.  Over the life of this blog, I learned about Miss C's Asperger's syndrome, I got a puppy (now a still-rambunctious adult dog), I started singing in the community chorus, I've learned a lot about drawing and watercolor painting, and I've made some wonderful new friends.  There are core things in my life that are the same, and there are core things that have changed.

So the quilting metaphor of life as a jumble of pieces continues to be amazingly apt.  The pieces aren't what I thought I'd be working with.  Some have frayed.  New pieces have been introduced.  And every day is about taking the pieces I have and appreciating the pleasure of putting them together into something beautiful.  I've even been thinking about how my own whims about what I'm in the mood to sew on any given day -- a simple, pieced functional quilt, or a complicated original art quilt -- provides an appropriate metaphor for how I feel about other aspects of my life.  Some days it feels like doing one simple thing is all I can manage.  Other days, I feel ready and able to tackle a big, new look at an original design. 

I even think that the inside of my brain feels like the way my sewing room looks.  Bits of different things all over the place, lots of things in progress. Sometimes I can get it all organized, and at other times it feels like I'm lost in the mess. 

My blogging has been wildly erratic.  Well, most things in my life right now feel rather erratic, really.  But that's okay.  I'm learning that happiness is about finding the pieces of joy and contentment and connection and friendship and truth and seeing that they are coming together to make a picture that pleases me right now.  You know how sometimes a piece of ugly fabric or a bit of an odd color can provide just the right touch of uniqueness to a quilt?  I'm thinking that's a relevant metaphor too.  Those weird, ugly bits are part of the quilt that make the bright colors sing and make the whole thing mine. 

I could go on an on about quilting metaphors for life lessons.  But I'm thinking right now that "going to pieces" isn't just about coming apart, it's about putting pieces together.  That's what I'm doing these days. 

Maybe a cinnamon roll?

I finished this simple quilt recently and sent it off to a special friend for her birthday.  It's always so gratifying to finish a quilt!  It's partly why I like sewing on quilt bindings -- it's the signal that I'm almost done, and I can relax with hand-sewing in front of the tv.  This quilt binding's accompaniment was a few episodes of Masterpiece Theater's "Mr. Selfridge" which I'd recorded but not seen. 

This is a jelly roll race quilt -- if you've not made one, you might give it a try as they are very fun.  You can watch a tutorial here if you want the details on how to do one.  You don't even need an actual jelly roll -- just a whole bunch of 2.5 inch strips of fabrics you like. 

Even without any border or added fabric, it makes a perfect lap sized cuddle quilt.  I'm happy to report that my friend has received it and seems quite delighted.

Every day creativity

I have been thinking a lot lately about my creative practices.  I'm not very disciplined, really -- I don't march myself off to my sewing room each morning at 9am, nor do I have a detailed list of creative goals that I track with subtasks and checklists and such.  But even while I'm loose about these matters, I do try to make time for something creative every day.  That's goal #1. 

Lately I have been breaking up my errands with stops around town to sketch.  I am surprised at what I can do in 20 minutes, actually, and I often end up thinking that I do better if I have less time, as when I take more time I start to over work the watercolors. 

Today, I ran my errands and then parked my car across the street from this house which I've always liked.  I used to drive by it every day taking Miss C to elementary school, but now I'm in that neighborhood less often.  I enjoyed a very pleasant hour sketching and painting and this time I didn't spill the watercolor water into my cup holder, which I did last week. 

A side benefit of this new practice is that when I'm out and around, I look at things as drawing and painting subjects in a way  I didn't before.  (It's like when you're focused on machine quilting, and everything you see could be a quilting design.)  I'm noticing all sorts of new things in the place I've lived for years. 

Loopy and Meandering

Well, hello there!  It's been a while since I've blogged ... even though I've been home, I've had a flurry of things to check of my August to-do list, so I've been getting things done.  That always feels satisfying.

But look -- I have finished another quilt!  I can't show the front as it is a gift and it has not yet been delivered, but I thought I'd show you the back.  I wanted to try a meandering loose feather, and I was even brave enough to do it in a contrasting thread on the back so the pattern really shows.  It suits the front and it worked just as I'd hoped.  And it was fun to figure out another design, too.  I spent several evenings in front of the TV filling pages with doodled meandering feathers to warm me up, and that definitely helped.

I've been sketching, too. 

I sure am learning a lot as I do each page in my watercolor journal.  There's always something new to figure out.  How to compose and draw the scene, what to do with detail, what to leave vague, how to manipulate the paint, mix the right colors... It's all pretty new to me but I'm enjoying the process. 

On the home front, Miss C got all four wisdom teeth removed 10 days ago, and she is doing beautifully.  She's not quite up to munching on popcorn or other seriously crunchy things, but she's almost healed and eating without pain mostly.  So that's a nice milestone passed.

We are counting down the days to a trip to see Taylor Swift in concert, which was one of Miss C's Christmas presents this year.  This year I will be prepared for the hordes of sundress-and-cowboy-boot-clad teenage girls and their glittery signs.  Or maybe that is out of fashion for a Taylor Swift concert nowadays?  I will find out.  I wonder if C will be humiliated if I wear my red cowboy boots.  Probably.  Then again, she's at the age where most things I do humiliate her so maybe it doesn't matter. 

Summer Celebrations

Oh, it is so satisfying to finish a quilt!  And in the same month I started it in, too.  Who'd have thought?!

The fabrics are mostly from a collection called "It's a Shore Thing" by Jack and Lulu.  It looks like they still have some of these fabrics here, by the way, in case you have fallen in love with these fabrics the way I did. 

It is now draped over the back of the navy couch in the family room, where it looks summery and festive all at the same time.  I like how this quilt and the bannery look of the triangles reminds me to celebrate a little bit every day. 

Now I suppose I should use finishing-a-quilt excitement to pull out a UFO and finish that, too.


I hope your summer is full of little celebrations, too!

Drive-About: Portland

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I am still happily remembering my Pacific Northwest road trip, so here are some photos from my second destination, Portland, Oregon.  It astounded me to realize that although I've lived in California for most of my life, I'd never been to Oregon at all.  So it was fun to get into that state, and especially to see Portland about which I've heard so many nice things.  And the best part was getting to spend time with two good friends (and fellow Twelves), Terry Grant and Gerrie Congdon.

First stop was Terry's house in Beaverton, where I had the pleasure of sleeping in her studio/guest loft for two nights. It was fun to be there in person after watching the studio being built and set up on Terry's blog!  I was not surprised to find that Terry and I could talk easily (and long into the night) and that her husband Ray was a wonderful, easy-to-talk-to, and interesting guy. 

 Terry and I had a very fun day visiting some Portland sites.  I snapped the picture of the arched entry to Portland's Chinatown, above, as we were driving around the city.  I really enjoyed the International Rose Test Garden, where new rose varieties are tested and on colorful display.

We spent several hours at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, which was serene and beautiful and full of wonderfully artful details.

We did a bit of sketching there, sitting companionably side by side. (And this is where I managed to drop not one, but two travel brushes into the pond when they slid out of my pencil case and off of the bench.  Plop!) 

I tried a scene but became engrossed in sketching the patterns of window grates and details.

 From there we ventured to something on my Must-See list for Portland: Powell's City of Books.  What a fabulous (and huge) store.  And look, they even carry a certain quilt book that is a must-have for art quilters!
 

The next day, I met up with Gerrie and her daughter Stephanie (co-creator of the 3191 blog and books and world of gorgeousness) for lunch.  We had a delicious Thai lunch and caught up on family and creativity matters.  Amazingly, Stef had just done an article on Astoria, Oregon in the latest issue of the 3191 Quarterly, which she gave me as a guide to a future destination on my trip.  (More on Astoria later but it was very fun to have Stef's guide when I was there to see it a bit through her eyes!)

Gerrie took me to a few of her favorite spots, and we even had a funny random encounter with Project Runway winner Michelle Lesniak Franklin. 

We wandered into a clothing store with prints that caught our eye, and there she was. (No, unfortunately -- no Tim Gunn in sight.) We acted all cool and casual, but after we walked out, I rethought the moment, and went back in to tell her how pleased I was that she'd won.  She'd been my favorite in the season and I'd been rooting for her!  She was very funny and nice and I was glad I went back to gush a bit at her.

Gerrie took me to her local farmer's market, where she choose dinner fixings and I took photos of the beautiful vegetables.

We ate some of those asparagus with our very wonderful dinner! 

I got to see Gerrie's humongous basement studio (the full footprint of her house!) and I enjoyed seeing Mr. C again, too.  I also fell in love with her dog Scooter's expressive and lively personality.  He's larger than life, that dog. 

I feel like I barely scratched the surface of that wonderful city, but it was time to go.  Portland is now on my "have to go back" list!

West Coast Urban Sketch Crawl

Yesterday, I ventured down to San Francisco for a day of sketching fun.  I met up with a bunch of other sketchers from all over the place, and we took part in the first annual West Coast Urban Sketchers' sketch crawl.  Actually, July 13 was World Wide Sketch Crawl Day, so there were sketchers meeting up in cities all over the world yesterday.  It was a very fun way to meet other sketchers and participate in something that felt bigger than what was going on in my own journal.

We met at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, which is a beautiful old building that has been revitalized into an active market with food stalls and shops.  On the weekends, a busy farmer's market lines the outdoor areas and more tents with arts and crafts are set up in the plaza across the street.  It's a lively, colorful spectacle.  Yesterday was remarkable as the typical morning fog had burned off early, so it was unexpectedly sunny.  Most everyone had come prepared with long sleeved shirts and jackets for the usual SF summer weather (the coldest winter I've ever spent, to paraphrase Mark Twain).  So there was a bright blue sky and fresh sea breeze.  In the midst of all of that is an ever present drummer whose lively beat feels like part of the natural rhythm of the place.



The organizers of this event (Jana, Jim, Laurie, and others) not only had a schedule and maps for everyone, but also had "swag" bags from Blick Art Supplies with charcoal, sketchbook, and acrylic paints.  Everyone scattered to draw.  I first settled across the street from the ferry building with two other sketchers, and that's where I drew the scene up above.

From there, I moved to our original meeting place in the big island plaza in front of the building, and turned away from the ferry building to paint the craft stalls across the street.  I am intimidated about adding people to scenes, but I added just a few here.  In reality the place was swarming with people. I watched as a sketcher next to me did a gorgeous loose sketch of the crosswalk and the stream of people flowing through.  It was inspiring and something I'd never have thought to even try.

From there, I wandered into the ferry building to find lunch.  It's gorgeous in there, and would have been a great place to draw if it weren't for the crowds of people.

I had a delicious mozzarella, salami and arugula sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery, and then was fortified to continue.  I wandered through the building to the back side which faces the bay.  I found a sunny bench, enjoyed my sandwich, and then set to work painting.  I bravely added some people-ish blobs, and used my artistic license to eliminate the terminal port which actually blocked most of the view of the bay bridge.  

While I was working on this sketch, a mom and an adorable little girl sat down next to me.  They were interested in what I was doing, and the little girl -- Nikko was her name -- told me shyly that she liked to draw.  I pulled out my notebook and she made this lovely princess for me:

They left, with her mother promising to buy her a child's set of watercolors so she could paint like I was.  That was a very happy encounter!

By then the back of my neck was feeling uncomfortably sunburned, so I went inside to find a cold drink.  I braved the long line at Blue Bottle Coffee and ordered a New Orleans Style Iced Coffee.  I'd never had that -- hadn't even heard of it, actually.  Here's how they describe it: "A sweet and thick iced coffee, cold-brewed with roasted chicory, then cut with whole milk and organic cane sugar."  It was delicious. 

Having an hour before our final meet-up, I wandered around the side of the building, found a patch of shade and sketched the little pier for the Tiburon ferry.  While I was sitting and sketching, I heard the most intriguing snatches of conversation as people walked by.  "But you know, that's what happens when someone dies..."  "and now that I am aware of my inner child..." "no way, I said..." It's one of the things about sitting somewhere and drawing I like best, how you hear bits and pieces of people's  conversations streaming by.

 

By then, it was time to meet at the Gandhi statute behind the ferry building.  We laid our sketchbooks out on the ground and had fun seeing what everyone did.  There was lots of oohing and aahing and general admiration.  

 All in all, it was a fabulous and inspiring day. 

Feeling Beachy

Some time ago -- over a year ago, I think -- I came across a collection of fabric that I just fell in love with.  Aren't those the happiest, summeriest fabrics?  I just love the little flip flops and clams and sunglasses and beach umbrellas.... I couldn't resist getting a bundle of fat quarters, and when they arrived I mixed in some other fabrics from my stash (the lobsters! the stripes!) that seemed to fit.  And I put it in a bundle in a closet for that undefined point in the future when I'd be in the mood to start something new.

Well, the right time was yesterday.  Subtle, yes, working with all of that red white and blue on a hot July Fourth?!  I'm going for simple, just a beachy banner sort of thing.  And I'm loving it. It's just what I'm in the mood to be doing.  Just look at those beachballs!  And seagulls!  Don't they make you happy? 

Which makes me think... Some people are very good about sewing their seasonal projects so that they are finished when the appropriate season comes around.  This quilt, finished, would have been perfect to have draped over the couch yesterday and all of this month.  But I can't ever get myself to work on stuff out of season.  I feel like making Christmas thing at Christmastime.  This isn't the best for planning purposes, obviously.  How about you? Do you work on summery things in the winter, and get your winter projects done in the summer?

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day, everyone! I hope you are spending the day doing whatever you enjoy.  Me, I'll be spending this very hot day inside doing some sewing and some reading, to be followed by a hot dog barbecue.  Quiet but fun.

By the way, this fabulous needlework design, "Independence Inn," is by my sister, Laura  Perin.  You can buy the pattern here!

Drive-About: First Stop

I am home from my Pacific Northwest "drive-about."  What a wonderful trip it was -- I spent time with wonderful friends, and I saw a lot of beautiful places, and I spent a lot of time in the car having a good time listening to audiobooks, singing along with music, and thinking my own thoughts.  One of the fun aspects of this trip was sketching and painting along the way.  I really enjoyed working on an illustrated journal as I went along.

It was good for me to travel alone at this point in my life.  I've not done that in ages, in over two decades, probably.  I remembered how much I enjoy driving and seeing the way the terrain changes as you go from place to place.  I loved being able to pull off and explore whatever I wanted along the way.  I loved being able to open the sunroof and let my hair blow crazily without any complaints from the back seat. I thought a lot about how I probably wouldn't have felt that comfortable doing a 2-week road trip alone when I was in my 30's -- I would have felt too self-conscious, too wistful about wanting a partner, to worried about what might happen.  Now, in my 50's, I've lost the self-consciousness, and I figure I know how to avoid and/or get myself out of most scrapes so that wasn't a worry.  And at this time and at this age, I treasured the time alone to just be me and enjoy what I enjoy.

I started my trip in Ashland, Oregon, a place I'd never been to before but always wanted to see.  It's about a 5 hour drive from home so it was not a driving day.  And Ashland turned out to be as charming as everyone has always said it is.

 The downtown area is full of cute shops and restaurants, and the surrounding streets had charming bungalow and older style homes.  Especially coming from brown, summery California, I appreciated how lush and green everything was.

I stayed at a charming bed & breakfast, Anne Hathaway's B&B.  I could have stayed for two days just sitting on the inviting porch.  It was a wonderful place to sit and sip coffee in the early morning.

 I was also amused at the stuffed moose over the front door.

I saw "A Midsummer Night's Dream" while I was there, which seemed perfect for my first OSU Theatre Festival Experience.  It was held in the outdoor Elizabethan Theater, which was a marvel all its own.  I didn't take any photos during the play (obeying the signs of course) but here's one that gives you an idea of the theater:

I checked out the three(!) fabric stores in town, and had a very fun experience at one called Quiltz which also carries needlework supplies.

 As I was roaming about, I spotted several designs by my sister, Laura Perin.  When I asked if I could take pictures to show to Laura, they got so excited to hear that I didn't just know her, I was related to her.  They treated me as if I were the sister of the queen.  They raved about how much they loved Laura's designs and made sure to show me the special bin they have for her patterns.

I can see myself returning there, now that I know how close it is and how wonderful it is.  And next year's line up of plays looks great too. 

It was a wonderful first leg for my trip. 

Too much fun to blog...

I have been the worst blogger over the past months, due to life taking some unexpected turns. But now, I'm glad to report, that I'm off on a road trip (a "drive-about," my friend Alan calls it) and I've been so busy having a good time that I've not had time to write about what I've been doing.

However, I've had my trusty camera with me, so here are a few pictures. Here's the sweet bed and breakfast where I stayed in Ashland, Oregon, called Anne Hathaway's B&B:

Here's a scene from beautiful Lithia Park in Ashland where I sat and sketched for a bit:

Here's what I now know to be Table Rock, which I spotted from the freeway somewhere between Ashland and Portland:

My friend Terry Grant and I had a lovely time sketching together at the Lu San Chinese garden in Portland:

I'm now in Port Townsend visiting friends and enjoying the gorgeous scenery and having all sorts of fun. I'll continue on my drive-about to hit some other places over the next week, and perhaps I'll have more time to catch up here.

 

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