I’ve been busy in April enjoying working on various creative projects that don’t have anything to do with my work, such as messing around with making yard art and turning a giant cardboard roll into a huge pencil. It’s been fun to work with my creativity in a different way-3D!
In other new, I’m a big reader and the highlight of April for me was a gathering with my book club in Quincy. We have members in Seattle, Portland and Deer Park so Quincy was the closest we could get to the mid-point. On my trip to the Airbnb I stopped off at the Feathers-a basalt column ridge that is just 10 minutes off of 1-90 and is very popular with rock climbers.
I was able to just walk up to this cool formation and watch the rock climbers working on scaling them.
I was absolutely charmed by the gap between two of the “Feathers” and the sliver of sunlight field beyond it. When I stepped through, I discovered that I had parked in an unofficial parking lot as I looked out over multiple tents pitched around a larger paved spot. Children ran around laughing and voices floated down from the climbers up above my head.
Our Airbnb was one of these modernist houses on the Cave B Winery complex. I’d highly recommend it. The location is stunning and you can walk to the lip of the gorge (as well as the Gorge Amphitheater venue!)
This shows you the view of the Columbia.
Some of the group wanted to do some wine tasting, so I sketched as we sat on the lawn.
Yellow bells and the below columbia variation of the arrowleaf balsamroot that I see in the Spokane area were both in bloom, but the major flush of spring growth is probably happening right around now.
So cheery!
We walked part of the Upper Ancient Lakes Trailhead and this is the view of Frenchman’s Coulee from the top of a cliff. You can just see the waterfall in the distance, descending the fatherest cliff on the right. New goal-returning to hike out closer to the waterfall some day!
I continued my drive west and stopped at the University of Washington to catch the tail end of the cherry blossom bloom at the quad. There was a lot of rain and wind on my way over the pass and you can the cherry blossom petals fallen like pink snow on the ground.
I was lucky that there was a break in the weather so I was able to squeeze in a sketch in around an hour. I had my hood up and cinched against the wind for most of it. Thank goodness for gortex!
Even past their prime, the trees are just stunning!
Further progress on the sketch!
The cherry blossoms got into everything!
Final sketch!
Finally-if you’re planning to go out and about for First Friday (the 5th)-I’ll be hanging out at the new Spokane Art School location on 2nd with my fellow teachers for the faculty art show. I’d love to see you!