"The greatest cathedral of all is nature itself. It simultaneously humbles and pulls up giant emotions that cannot be fully expressed in mere words"- Rodney Cobb .

 Last summer we did a lot of hiking in the Columbia River Gorge and I have lots of photos of waterfalls. This one is of Bridal Veil Falls.  I am currently working on some wonderful watercolor paintings of these scenes and I will be posting them here for you all to see. In the meantime go out and enjoy some time in nature!

Harvest Moon

"Art has many avenues; love is carried through many vessels. Your oceans are your colors, your ship is your brush and your treasures are in your heart." - Moncy Barbour

One night last fall I saw this beautiful moon coming up amid the woods on our property. The moon was huge and glowing and the light it cast was beautifully amplified by misty clouds surrounding it. Here is the watercolor painting I did later of this scene. When I look at the painting I can still hear the tree frogs singing in the background and the occasional hoot of an owl. A beautiful scene indeed.

Sunrise on Kauai

"The purpose of art is not a rarefied, intellectual distillate- it is life, intensified, brilliant life"
Alarin Arias-Misson

We stay on the east side of Kauai (in Kapaa) when we go, so we see a lot of beautiful sunrises. It's a great way to start the day, watching the sky (usually with a few early morning clouds) as the rays get brighter and the sun pokes up over the sea. Then it's time for a walk on the beach to "The Birdcage", an open air restaurant where the birds come inside and walk around the tables (my kids used to just love this!)

Waipouli Beach, Kauai

Here is a painting I did on location on Waipouli Beach on the island of Kauai. It's just a short walk from the Mokihana in Kapaa where we stay when were on the island. You won't find a lot of people here on this beach. It is a beautiful walk any time of day, though we usually found ourselves strolling this beach in the morning after watching the sunrise at the Moki. I just had to sit and paint it one day-glad I did this painting always bring back nice memories of warm sand, sun and blue skies! If you haven't visited our new website yet, go to TheNatureStudio.com We have added quite a variety of prints and cards with a tropical theme. And there's more to come!

I have been writing and sketching a lot lately. I find that writing and sketching in my book really relaxes me. I'm not sure why writing or sketching is so relaxing. Maybe its the rhythm of putting pen to paper- the flowing together of the letters, filling the page. Or the little marks that make a sketch unique. I think I prefer writing long hand in my sketch book to typing on the computer (which I don't find relaxing). Anyway, I get a lot of good ideas from my sketch book. I have also been working away at several paintings. Some of these will be available as prints on my new website. Here is one I did of Waimea Canyon in Kauai. A beautiful place as you can see! It is called the grand canyon of the pacific and with the greenery combined with the beautiful rock formations it is truly a magical place!

Art for LIFEline

Lifeline Connections in Vancouver, Washington is having their first annual Art for Lifeline dinner and art auction on August 19th. All proceeds from this event will benefit the mission of Lifeline Connections, which is to help Clark County families who are affected by the devastating disease of addiction and helping people affected by substance use and mental health conditions. To find out more information on this event, go to their website at http://www.lifelineconnections.org/ I am donating this painting titled "A Healing Place" for the art auction at this event. I hope you all can make it and support this wonderful program!

Blue Hibiscus

I love being an artist! I can paint the way I feel on a certain day and express my feelings through colors, line, shapes, etc. Even painting realistic scenes (as opposed to abstract paintings) allows a person to express their feelings for what they are painting. I have painted to music with wonderful results I may not have had otherwise. You have the freedom to create and express yourself through art. Try it and I guarantee your life will be brighter. We all have a creative spark within us and it's good to let it out and play!