Woo-wee, it is scorching hot out right now! I hope you’re staying cool where you are. I’m enjoying looking back at my memories of an overnight canoe trip with the Spokane Riverkeepers at the end of July. Lots of swimming, sketching, and delicious food!
There were around 20 of us in three big voyaging canoes. We left from Porcupine Bay and paddled down to Detillion campground with a stop off for painting on a beach along the way and a dip in the river.
We set up camp at Detillion, had a delicious lunch of sandwiches and fruit and I was delighted to see quite a few of my students sketching even outside of “class time.” More dips in the river and a quick paddle to a jump-off rock followed.
The campsite had beautiful views of the river and the bank on the other side.
PT, one of canoe guides, had always dreamed of having people paint the sunset on a paddle trip. We paddled out to the river, rafted together and with some bobbing around whenever a motor boat went by, made PT’s dream come true. It was gorgeous and a lot of fun.
We went on a night paddle that was extraordinary. The sky was completely clear and the stars were brilliant above and below us, reflecting in the water. Absolutely stunning and I will have to do a painting inspired by it at some point. The sun and warmth made for an early morning so I got up and immediately started drawing the giant coffee pot on the propane stove. More delight in finding two of my students up and painting as well.
I documented Alex making us breakfast-absolutely fascinated by the beauty of the eggs in a mason jar, glowing in the early morning light as well as Alex’s interesting sartorial choices. Yes, that is a very faded pink baseball cap on top of the cowboy hat. He informed me that the pink hat was part of his “brand” and that he found the cowboy hat in a dumpster in Tuscon, AZ. his dog, which is half coyote, was eating curry out of it. The dog’s name is Gus and rode along with us in the canoes, but remained aloof of human silliness.
I did a demonstration and some instructing on our final morning. The demo still needs scanning (the technology is resisting me!), but here is a sketch from the beach where we stopped for lunch on the way back to Porcupine Bay. The cliff was made of clay and the sediment floated in the water and changed the color as it got closer to shore. Swallows nested in the cliff. Fascinating and beautiful.
The whole trip was absolutely wonderful and a joy. I hope that the Riverkeepers offer this trip next summer and I IMPLORE you-come join me on this magical experience!
I traveled to Edmonds, WA for the 3rd annual Sketcherfest and was thrilled to meet several artists I’ve followed for decades and, thanks to a generous friend, listened to some amazing artist talks. Sketcherfest is a sketchbook festival where I can network, take workshops, listen to talks and draw with people who come to attend from all over the world-really cool.
I stopped on the way across the state to visit Jakob Two Trees, the Thomas Danbo troll in Issaquah. It was so fun to watch people walk up and react to the giant troll, talk about the other Danbo trolls they’ve visited, and take photos. Have you visited a Danbo troll somewhere? It seems to be a popular activity!
I’m teaching an urban sketching class at the Duncan Gardens at Manito Park this Saturday. 9-11 am. You can sign up at the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture, $46 for members, $55 for non-members. Sign up HERE.