Lynn Fisher - Write Where I Am

Travel Journaling...Minnesota to Yellowstone, Wyoming

I've just gotten back from a long trip to Yellowstone, Wyoming and thought you might like to see what became of my travel journal.

Most of these pages were done in the back seat of a moving car...that is, when I wasn't driving.  Please forgive the repetition of words, misspellings and iffy sketches. I was only trying to capture the experience, however brief, of running into buffalo along a small remote bridge, seeing the Badlands for the very first time, and feeling my heart in my throat while hearing mud volcano's roar, and feeling eerily small.

Feel free to enlarge the pages and try to read them if you like. I'll let the pages do the talking.

Most pages were done with Pitt pens and watercolor pencils, and others with torn travel brochures...some pages were pre-done with watercolor.

 

 

   

 

  

Home at last.

What a fun trip! I had no idea that North Dakota was so beautiful...well, parts of it anyway....and Yellowstone was amazing, the trip of a lifetime.

Lake Superior, Connection and Art

I made a short trip to Duluth, Minnesota during a brief vacation that started last Wednesday...and continues in my head, seriously, I have vacation brain.

I can't seem to make it through the summer without visiting Lake Superior. I feel I have this deep connection to this large body of water and I need to make the trek at least twice a year. this year I was lucky enough to be there when a large ore ship vetured through the canal, something I've never seen before. The Canal Park Lift Bridge goes, up, and up...and something the size of three houses amazingly fits right through it. (though I kept holding my breath because it appeared that it wouldn't)

Humor me if you've experienced this before...I was fastenated.

 

 

Amazing, huh?

Well anyway, I had a great day in Duluth. I tooks tons of photos for use in future journal art (which I'll share next time) and then went to a few galleries that I can't pass up when I'm in town.

My first stop is always The Waters of Superior a gift store and gallery that features regional art as well as a number of photographs by Craig Blacklock; though his gallery is actually in nearby Moose Lake. The second gallery I enjoy and always have to stop by is The Siverson Gallery that has a number of Betsy Bowen prints that I like and LOTS of great jewelry. Heaven.

There are a number of other small shops around town but feel if you spend money anywhere, do at the local Independent bookstores. The Northern Lights Bookstore has been in operation...as long as I can remember and has remained a constant as everything changes around it. Support independent bookstores!!!

By the time all this shopping and looking was over I was starving, and headed to The Lake Avenue Cafe. The food here is always fantastic and they serve tea without aid of paper dinnerware of any kind. I almost shed a tear when I asked for tea... and this came to my table. Bless them.

Well, my tiny trip is over and I'm back home playing with photos and journaling.

Tell me about a place you feel connected to, and have to visit each year...no matter how far away or how much you have to do at home.

 

 

Trip to Valley Ridge

My friend Sue Martin and I left for Valley Ridge Art Center in Boscobel Wisconsin on Friday, May 1 at 8:30 AM. It was a wonderful scenic drive after we drove through Rochester Minnesota, when it becomes hilly with only a few houses here and there... and lots of space in between. Of course we had to get to Hobby lobby and a few other stores before we really dug in and drove.
We stopped one last time at Our Lady of Guadalupe, just outside of La Crescent, Wisconsin. I have never enjoyed a Catholic church so much. I certainly don't profess to know all the history of the building or the significance of the statues but it was beautiful. You park your car at one end where the gift shop is, then you literally hike your way up to the church. We were half way up the trail and realized that the church will soon close, so we decided instead to enjoy the Votive Chapel, a chapel devoted to candles (576 of them).
We walked the trail to the church and found there were many huge bronze sculptures along the way. I found that the statue of Guadalupe herself, to be the most beautiful and the first one at the head of the trail. The rest of the statues depict the lives of the saints. Then when you get to the church they have a new trail with depictions of the stations of the cross. I think we walked around for two hours but it was great exercise after sitting in the car all day.

Then on to Boscobel. We arrived at B& B in the almost Alps-like region of Wisconsin at about 6 PM, just in time for a dinner of spinach salad and a fresh asparagus quiche that gene the owner had made for us. We stayed in an old schoolhouse that was well stocked with everything we needed for breakfast. By the time we ate, drank a couple bottles of red wine, and solved all the world's problems it was already time to go to bed.
The next morning we ate a divine breakfast and took off for Valley Ridge Art Center where we were greeted by one of the owners, Kathy Malkasian.

On a brilliant Saturday morning we began our mixed media encaustic class with artist, Judy Wise. Everyone in the class did a wonderful job with this new technique and we left our worth framing.

Here are some more photos of the Valley Ridge Art studio, & the conference facilities next door, our class ..

 

...and, of course, our instructor, Judy Wise!

You can click on both Kathy & Judy to go to their sites.