Come see me this Saturday, 10-6 pm at the Manito Park Art Festival! It’s always a great show. Us artists will be set up on the lawn next to the Duncan Gardens!
Coming up: Pt 2 of my London trip and what I’m up to in the latter half of June!
sketching
Come see me this Saturday, 10-6 pm at the Manito Park Art Festival! It’s always a great show. Us artists will be set up on the lawn next to the Duncan Gardens!
Coming up: Pt 2 of my London trip and what I’m up to in the latter half of June!
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.
A couple weeks back I went on my annual summer camping trip with my friend Danielle. Last year we went to Mt. Rainier. This year we headed to the coast to the La Push area, which was beautiful. We laughed because she would put on a swimsuit and go swim in the ocean and I would sit on the beach in my long pants and long sleeve shirt, jacket, and big hat because I’ve acclimated to living in 90 degree temperatures. not the low 70’s and high 60’s that we experienced. I told her, “These are night time temperatures where I live!” It was so refreshing and a wonderful break from the heat over here in Eastern Washington.
Hi everybody! We’re still doing well here. Friday was my first time leaving the house to go anywhere in two weeks (grocery store run). I’m grateful to be able to get out for a walk or poke around the garden even though the weather has been less than welcoming lately.
I was comissioned to paint the Liberty Building and just recently finished the commission. It was quite large-22” x 30”, which is a full sheet of Arches Watercolor paper and I wanted to do justice to one of my favorite places in Spokane (The home of both Auntie’s and Pottery Place Plus, makes it dear to my heart).
Springtime in Spokane is one of my favorite seasons. Right now the lilacs are in bloom, but a couple weeks ago was prime time for the arrowleaf balsamroot, my very favorite PNW wildflower. They are so cheery and remind me of sunflowers and I love how they pop up all over town in early spring. Dishman Hills Natural Area out in the Spokane Valley is one of the best places in town to enjoy their beauty. Two weeks ago I hiked out there, looking for some painting subjects and spent a highly pleasant evening sitting among the flowers.
As promised, here is the last of my sketching adventures in the UK, mostly of things I brought back and a little bit of sketching on the way home.
WOO! It is so exciting to announce that my Artist’s Eye on Spokane Kickstarter has officially fully funded! I’m so happy to be able to make this book and get it into people’s hands. Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, whether that has been by pledging to the Kickstarter directly, sharing or telling someone about the campaign, or just sending me good vibes. It’s all appreciated!
And if you’d like to get a book or a print, its not too late! The campaign ends on the 30th! Books will be available after December 15th at Pottery Place Plus, but this is your last chance to get your name listed in the back of the book as a supporter AND to get a custom Artist’s Eye on Spokane design stamped inside your book!
Here is the second to last blog post about my sketching adventures in the U.K. this past August! If you’re getting this on my email newsletter, feel free to click through to the blog to see my previous sketches in Ireland! Updates about my Artist’s Eye on Spokane Book Kickstarter and the shows I’ll be at this holiday season.
Now: SCOTLAND!
Priest Lake is one of my favorite places in all the world. I've been coming here, to a cabin my aunt has, for pretty much my whole life. It is beautiful and peaceful and driving up there, I always feel is a bit like coming home.
We walked, kayaked, paddleboarded and ate a lot. A perfect long weekend. Do you have any favorite summer places?
This is the last of my blog posts about my trip to Japan. We spent the last part of our trip in Kyoto and then Osaka. I'd love to go back. Perhaps I can connect up with Spokane's sister city Nishinomiya!
This year is Get Lit's 20th anniversary. Get Lit started back in 1998 as a one day event sponsored by Eastern Washington University Press and EWU's Creative writing program, according to their website. Get Lit is now a week long festival that has so many events that it is difficult to get to them all! There are readings, panel discussions, and workshops all over town. I managed to make it to three events, one not officially in the Get Lit program, but scheduled to take part in all the literary hubbub. Another I attended somewhat accidentally as there was a reading at Auntie's on a day when I was working the evening shift at Pottery Place Plus and since it was quiet in the shop, I hung out by the connecting door way to Auntie's and listened to David Axelrod, Christopher Howell, and several other Lost Horse Press authors read their poems.
I can't wait till next year!
Boots Bakery is one of my favorite places in downtown Spokane. Not only do they have delicious food, but also beautiful murals inside and frequently host poetry slams and a bunch of other creative events. I can't wait for sunshine and warm weather so I can sit on the patio and watch people go by.
KYRS is a non-profit, non-commercial radio station here in Spokane. It is known as "Thin Air Community Radio" and broadcasts at 88.7 and 92.3 FM. According to their website, KYRS's mission is to, "fill needs that other media do not, providing programming to diverse communities and unserved or underserved groups." They have over 40 programs and many volunteer programmers. Art Hour with Jennifer LaRue on Thursdays 3-4pm is one that I will sometimes listen to and I was quite pleased to be on the show myself on the day I came down to sketch at the station. Jennifer and I spent about a half an hour talking about art and my childhood, my Artist's Eye on Spokane project and the fact that we'd both gone to private all girl's schools with "free dress days"! You can listen to KYRS on the radio or steam it live from their website.
The Garland Neighborhood is such a a fun, artsy area. There's been an proliferation of murals-clockwork owls, Vincent Van Gogh, graffiti inspired craft supplies at Sew EZ Too and more. I visit the area often thanks to my love for knitting supplies, Spokane Art School, and milk shakes!
As an alumnae of Gonzaga, I have a soft spot in my heart for college basketball and the Zags. I was thrilled to be able to make the Zags a part of my Artist's Eye on Spokane project and spent this past Saturday's game (versus Pepperdine) sketching near the media section. Was I a little teary eyed as the Zombie Nation blasted from the speakers and the crowd of students all began jumping in unison on the bleachers to make an almighty pounding noise? Maybe.
The Spokesman Review building here in Spokane is a very distinctive landmark with it's tower and the way it dominates the corner of this block. It is an icon of an older time, but I love that it is still in use and, for what I believe, is its original purpose-housing our local newspaper!
How many of you subscribe to the Spokesman? Do you read articles online or on Facebook?
According to the history section on the Bing Theater's website, the Bing Theater has gone through many incarnations since its 1915 inauguration. It started out as the Clemmer Theater, but then became the Audian, the State, the Met, and finally the Bing Crosby Theater. The beautiful coffered ceiling conceals an enormous pipe organ to surround the audience with music and sound, remember now, the Bing was built during the era of silent films! Now a days, it is used for theater, dance, music shows, live acts, and more. Here's to reinventing yourself!
I enjoyed my sketching adventures on Monroe Street a couple weeks ago, so I decided to continue my way down the street and capture some other things that have caught my attention.
Best wishes for the New Year and stay warm out there!
Happy Holidays everyone! This week on Artist's Eye on Spokane, I spent some time wandering around the city, taking in the holiday sights. What do you do for fun around the holidays? Do you have any favorite family traditions?