I haven’t posted for a little while cuz I’ve been doing a lot of camping. I love camping. It’s my favorite thing to do in the world. It has been since I was a little kid. I don’t know what it is that is so pleasing to me. I don’t think it’s any one thing. It’s gotta be the whole experience. Being out there in the mountains, outside all day and all night (sleeping under the stars is the best), listening to the wind blowing through the trees, the smell of the campfire mixed with sage and pine, the sound of the river lulling you to sleep at night, mountains towering all around you. It’s just the best. We’re going again the day after tomorrow. I can’t wait!

My husband and I are working on a collaborative project. When he takes a photo that inspires me I do a painting of it. The last 2 peices that I blogged about were part of this project as well as 2 others that I blogged about in the past.  I thought you might like to see the photos next to the paintings. We’re going to present our idea to galleries and see what they think. It’s a cool idea because the photos are art in and of themselves and the drawings are art in and of themselves. When you see them side by side you see the beauty and uniqueness of each piece and each style of art. They compliment each other and together become a new and original form of art. So here you go. The photos next to the drawings. 

Since this is my first blog I thought I’d post my self portrait so that you all can see what I look like. When I drew it I wanted to do a self portrait but I wanted it to be a little different than others that I had seen. I thought it might be fun to do one that showed a little more of who I am rather than the way I look (although this does look like me). I put myself in Joes Valley (a forest near my home) because that is where my heart is. I drew my hair partially covering my face because I tend to hide from the world and live within myself. I’m in balance with my surroundings and at peace with myself. This is how I feel when I’m drawing.

Private collection: Original not available for purchase.

Giclée quality prints are available. (Please visit willowrise.com for details)