March of the Ents

As I mentioned earlier, last month I spent a day traipsing about the Hoh Rainforest here in WA and got a little snap-happy with the camera.It's such a magical and surreal place, and gave me a lot of inspiration and ideas (as well as way too many reference images for future paintings). What slays me most is that mere minutes away is the beautiful coast as well. So much diversity in my little homeland!Lots of hanging mosses and lichens......tangled tree roots growing over long-dead and decomposed nurse logs......greens in every hue imaginable...

Yup. Pretty neat. I saw many little critters while there, including some of my favorite invertebrates to doodle:And though I saw a few native Douglas squirrels about, not too many were albinos with fabric collars...
Happy weekend, gang!

Over Hill And Under Hill

Hey there.

Updating my blog has been on my to-do list for a while now and so I'm completely ashamed to just now be getting around to it. I do apologize for the absence!

I was doing so well in the beginning of January, as far as getting artwork completed or started. And then, the ever dreaded "art burnout" hit me smack in the head and I've been slowly working my way out of it. I typically go through a bit of a creative block immediately after a show, and this time was no different (it just occurred a little later than I was expecting). The biggest cure for me is to step outside and immerse myself with nature for a while. So that's what I've been doing!

While most of the US is having quite the hellish winter, here in the Pacific Northwest it's almost as if Winter just forgot about us completely. It's really weird. The temperatures are in the 50s-60s (our January was the warmest we've ever had in history) and the plants and trees are waking up from their slumber--over 3 months too early.

Cherry trees are blooming, bulbs are sprouting, and there's signs of lush, hyper-real, green newness everywhere you look. It's quite extraordinary!A couple days ago I trekked an hour north-westward to Dungeness for a wonderful walk. I always feel like Bilbo Baggins on his way to Rivendell when I hike those parts.Beautiful old trees......lots of mossy covered limbs......fungus growths of all sorts...
It's quite heavenly. And after a little 20 minute hike down the path, the trees part ways and you're left stunned by the ocean view.
It was a gorgeous day to be out there. Sunny and clear at first and then the gray afternoon storm clouds began to roll in from the coast.

Way, way out there is the Pacific Ocean.

All-in-all it was a wonderfully relaxing day trip and just the inspirational push I needed for my own creative bent.

Cheers to you, gang! Thank you so much for coming along.