One Day Getaway
I have been really focused for the last few weeks on getting my online Basic Batik workshop ready for showtime.(see below if you are interested in joining me). In between meetings on Zoom ( one day I had five one hour plus meetings-whew!) and trying to work on my recent projects, I was exhausted.
Experiencing Miami Art Week
After a 2 year absence Art Basel Miami and some of the international satellite art fairs returned this last week. I always love attending these shows because they give me inspiration for new artwork to create. Snagging a VIP pass I attended two of the smaller but mighty fairs: Art Miami and Context. These sister fairs share a beautiful location alongside Biscayne Bay on the site of the former Miami Herald building.
Not Getting Buffaloed in North Platte
Earlier in our Summer adventure after driving past miles of cornfields and grain elevators from Sterling, Colorado, we crossed the southwest border of Nebraska and arrived in North Platte. We spent the night at an RV campsite by a lake on I 80. It was a welcome relief after two nights with no showers and no water!
Ponying Up to St. Joseph
Having left Lincoln, Nebraska and continuing southeast, we camped for two nights at Indian Cave State Park. The park is known for its large limestone cave and the remains of a 19th century ghost town called St. Deroin, that prospered before the Missouri River decided to expand and take a part of the town with it.
“Golden Gator” is Done!
Sometimes people ask me “How long did it take you to create a painting like this”? Often I would like to say a set number, but in reality this process to paint with wax and dye on silk has been a lifelong learning experience. In this painting there were over 5 hours just to get my drawing on to the silk, then another 15 hours of waxing and dying the piece; 30 minutes to remove the wax.
A Capitol Idea!
As we headed east, we traveled through the state of Nebraska passing mile upon mile of cornfields—I have never seen so many in my life! No wonder they call Nebraska “The Cornhusker State”’. After several days camping in state campgrounds in the middle of nowhere, we decided we needed to experience civilization.
Loving Sculpture in Loveland
Sadly leaving Estes Park we headed east on US 34 through winding canyons along the Big Thompson River until we reached the City of Loveland, Colorado. I had last passed through Loveland about 20 years ago when I was investigating job opportunities at the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper(how the world has changed).
A Rocky Mountain High
Leaving my friend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, it was time to continue east.
We headed over Rabbit Ears Pass through the city of Kremmling fueled up in the town of Granby had lunch at the Granby Garage Roadhouse. It was a rainy day and the skies were gray. We headed through the beautiful town of Grand Lake to the western entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The most beautiful highways in the U.S. (if not the world!)
After staying in the pretty little town of Bluff, Utah for a couple of days we started heading north. We drove to the city of Blanding to grocery shop and then headed west on Utah 95. I love the Utah state highway signs as they feature a beehive with the highway number in the middle of it.
Dye-ing to Get Started on a New Painting!
Now that I am back in the saddle after being on the road in “The Roge Mahal ” for the past 3 1/2 months it is time to get to work! Of course I will continue sharing snippets from various stops on our trip in the near future. Sadly I returned to a yard full of weeds that needed pulling, a septic system that needed to be replaced for the studio, and a minor flood in the studio from a small roof leak after I got home.