Washington

A beautiful, perfect Saturday morning on the Columbia River; Port of Camas-Washougal to be specific. What could be better? (well, not having an infected Vermont spider bite on my ear would help..but never mind...who's complaining?) So everyone and their brother, dog, kid is putting boats in the water and unloading fish from boats and really enjoying the start of a great day on the river.

Then something happened that I don't think ever happened to me before; a woman jogged by and stopped to tell me "You picked the most beautiful place around here for your painting. No Kidding, I've been all over the Northwest and this is the prettiest." That was a wonderful thing to say to someone who had been led to that spot by intuition, not experience or referral. Mostly when I am painting some train cars, or neighborhood corner garden passers-by tell me about a really pretty location and suggest I go there to paint. I always say 'I will, thanks'. I have tried not to rely on the state icons for this project. I like to find a scene that appeals to me and make a good picture out of it. It's the regular, every-day things that tie us together as a politically diverse country.

After I had made most of a picture of the Puffin Cafe,  Michael Poster and I walked down to have some "Caribbean Cuisine, Pirate Cookin' and Spirits".  It was very good. We loved the bartender. She may have concocted a potion to banish spider bites and swollen faces. I may not have been the first patron she's seen with a fat ear and red lopsided face...she serves pirates, after all.

Arkansas

A good night's sleep and a walk around the neighborhood of my motel in Rogers, Arkansas, I found my next subject....sometimes it pays to peer over hedges. I usually have to work a little harder than that to find a compelling scene, but I could not pass up this piece of shiny clean equipment...(is fire engine red emerging as a theme on this trip?) As far as equipment yard/garages go this one was well cared for. I am calling this machine a crane...more red sections were lying out of view...please inform me if that is not what it is. 

The temperature was pushing 90 at 9am so I drove to Bentonville...home of Walmart and Crystal Bridges; Museum of American Art. I spent the entire day inside soaking up the art. It was too hot to explore the lovely landscaped grounds and trails. The architecture alone is worth the trip...thanks to Moshe Safdie.  I loved the special exhibit Angels and Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th Century American Art organized by the Newark Museum. And women painters and sculptors were generally well represented in this museum's collection of American art...it's not often you get to see 2! Grace Hartigans  (anywhere, let alone the Ozarks). This was a breath of fresh air to an old feminist who has been counting heads for decades (gender and race) on the walls and pedestals of public art collections.Alice Walton has brought a beautiful art museum to middle America...and it's free. (special exhibitions entry is $5)

Missouri

In celebration of my wonderful new knee* I spent nine days covering 1400 miles of the midwestern United States. When I left home in New England with an airline ticket and a rental car reservation I knew there was a possibility of painting in seven states. I also knew everything would have to fall in place perfectly for that to happen. It was raining when I picked up my snazzy little screaming red Fiesta so Avis gave me a big umbrella to use and return with the car. That must have been the lucky charm. I never saw another drop of rain for nine days. I spent the afternoon at the St. Louis Art Museum and checked out downtown a bit for prospective painting sites.

When in doubt, do the waterfront; early morning found me trying to be inconspicuous in a sparsely populated derelict neighborhood on the banks of the Mississippi River.  But I loved the view of layers of urban architectural history including the famous Gateway Arch. It was good enough for Lewis & Clark to start their monumental voyage of discovery there, it was good enough for me to start my little sojourn as well. 

Reasonably happy with the morning's results I pulled my "stealth! brightest red on earth" Fiesta out of the bushes where I had attempted to hide her (and all my valuables) and I put in my longest day of driving to Rogers, Arkansas due south west.

 9 x 12  soft pastel on coated paper 

*I had a total right knee replacement on February 25th and wish I had done it way sooner. So if any of you are contemplating this surgery, I encourage you, "Do it". Once you've survived the first month of hell things start looking up and at my age the months do sort of fly by...before you know it you'll be doing stuff you haven't done lately. I must thank my All-Star Cast of supporters ( husband and family, surgeon, nurses, physical therapist, doctor of accupuncture and chinese medicine, massage therapist and my friends) for my complete and speedy recovery. YES! (oops, forgot all the rest of you taxpayers for medicare)....thank you...I mean to use it well.

Wyoming

In Yellowstone National Park near Tower I pulled into a turnout and set up my easel. The elevation here was probably just below treeline and the high meadows are awash in wildflowers. Still looking over my shoulder for Grizzly. Next time I really will get a can of bear mace and instructions on how to use it, which I suspect have something to do with not blinding yourself in the presence of a huge charging bear. I took a few wrong turns on this trip, but nothing of that magnitude.

Don't tell me this isn't a great country. I showed the ranger my proof of citizenship, paid $10, and I can go to all National Parks for FREE for life! And my pass has a great picture of a blooming cactus on it. The photo does not accurately portray the extent of my delight at this gift. If you're over 62, get yours while you can.Only available in person at a US National Park.

Ohio

Sunday morning found quite an abrupt change in the weather and me freezing in a field in mid-Ohio. It is surprising how much warmth I found in this scene. My chilly memories are too fresh, but now I see that I was searching for the hot spots in this scene. Time to head for home so I could vote on Tuesday...not that it did much good, in my case.

Thanks for looking....my 26th state!

Indiana

Crossing the wide Ohio River on a very long and narrow bridge from Kentucky into Indiana, I was pretty sure I was high above the water, but the fog prevented me from seeing 20 feet in any direction. Pure delight greeted me when the fog lifted and I saw the quaint & pretty small city of Madison, Indiana. I felt like Dorothy landing in OZ. I painted the grounds of the Lanier Mansion while the townspeople busied themselves with Saturday errands and Halloween preparations. Some of them had lived there all their lives and loved Madison, even though they realized it was too quiet for others. I love quiet and hope to get back there someday to paint some of the many-hued buildings and homes...maybe even some of the inhabitants.

Mississippi

Elvis Presley's mother, Gladys, bought her son his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware, which is just behind the paint store and Main Street scene I chose to paint here.

West Virginia

YES! All 7 of the hoped-for states were painted in my whirlwind trip through the south. I was mostly blessed with good weather; dodging wind and tornados and a mighty brisk Sunday morning in a windswept Ohio field. Details will follow; I'll post each painting, but it may take more than 7 days.

On my second day out I painted this pretty scene & twin span bridge over the New River at Hawk's Nest. There were only three ways in to this vantage point; cable car, boat and 7 miles of rocky, steep, partially washed out, one-lane mountain "road". Guess which one I chose...duh. I managed to steer the Prius clear of any damage and happily did not have to back up to let fishermen in huge pick-ups pass. West Virginia sure is a beautiful state...plenty of rocks and mountains and hollers...infinitely paint-able places and their fishermen are gentlemen. Next time I'll know about the cable car so I can avoid the white knuckles. What's a road trip without at least one time...and I had several...when I asked myself, "What was I thinking?"

A lonely mute swan was cruising the quiet waters while I painted.