“What stirs awe and wonder in people today is a sense of belonging and of participation in the great cycles of Nature, an awareness of oneness with life that does not shrink in terror from life’s natural completion in death. What inspires them is not the hope of a final separation from the realities of nature, life history and time, but a conscious and delighted participation in these realities — not the promise of salvation, but the reality of the homecoming.”
#exploregon
In two weeks we say goodbye to Bend, Oregon and point our car due east, Maine-ward. It's been just ten short months but we came, we saw, and we adventured. Boy-oh-boy did we adventure -- and boy-oh-boy do I have a lot of paintings to make so you can see all about it!
In the meantime, enjoy these few small glimpses at the beauty we've experienced here in Central Oregon. Pictured: Alder Springs, the McKenzie River, Waldo Lake, Steens Mountain, the Little North Fork of the Santiam River, Bend's whitewater park, Smith Rock State Park, Devil's Lake, the Blue Pool, Farewell Bend Park, fishing the Deschutes River, Opal Pool, the Metolius River, Steelhead Falls, Crystal Crane Hot Springs, Smith Rock again, and Farewell Bend Park.
Farewell, Bend. For now...
We Made It!
After driving 4,200 miles from Maine to Oregon via DC, Nashville, and Santa Fe, we finally landed in Bend just before Christmas. We're settled and we're loving it! I have a small studio setup and got back into the swing of things last week. The first painting I made here was a small portrait of friend Joy during a hike along the Deschutes River. Jonathan and I plan to hike along more of this river and fish its waters soon; until then I'll happily let my paintbrush keep me connected to the East Outlet and Maine's waters as well! As 2015 comes to a close we're just incredibly grateful for this adventure we're on and can't wait to see what transpires over the next year. Many and belated thanks to all who helped make my November sale -- and as a result this adventure! -- a huge success. You know how you are and you should keep an eye out for a postcard from Bend!
On The Road...
“Indeed, what is the adventure in traveling such great distances and achieving such daring acts if (like any workaday consumer) you choose your experience in advance and approach it with specific expectations? The secret of adventure, then, is not to carefully seek it out but to travel in such a way that it finds you. To do this, you first need to overcome the protective habits of home and open yourself up to the unpredictability. As you begin to practice this openness, you’ll quickly discover adventure in the simple reality of a world that defies your expectations. More often than not, you’ll discover that ‘adventure’ is a decision after the fact — a way of deciphering an event or an experience that you can’t quite explain. ”