New film + South Dakota

{This video was filmed in HD, so it may take a few minutes to load.}

I thought it might be easier to show you footage from our little trip a few weeks ago than edit and post gobs of photos that really aren't as interesting. I mainly use my photos as personal references anyways. Like, if I ever want to paint a a couple of baby black bears playing, I have the pictures to help me get it right. Gosh I really swoon over baby animals. Yesterday I accidentally found a rabbit nest in my front yard full of warm fuzzy babies. And now I can't stop thinking about all the paintings I want to do of them!

Well now I'm off to rest a little. Ever feel more tired after the weekend than you did before?

Our May Vaca

Last week Seth and I ventured out in the midst of thunderstorms and torrents of rain for our first ever vacation. Neither one of us like to plan too much so our vacation wasn't too structured. Isn't that kind of the point of a vacation anyways? We knew we wanted to see mountains and take long scenic drives so we headed out to South Dakota for a week of exploring. We'd gather brochures or ask the locals for tips and then plan each day the night before in our hotel room. Turns out we travel really well together and are both so laid back the whole trip felt pretty effortless.

A few of our stops: Badlands National Park, Bear Country, Black Hills, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, Sertoma Butterfly House. We stayed in hotels using Seth's reward points on occasion and ate buffalo burgers and fries and frozen yogurt and homemade taffy. We replaced phone and computer with breezy window views and expansive vistas. Then we drove home with a few days of vacation left to do some gardening and lawn work and enjoy a few long mornings together eating oatmeal banana pancakes and drinking coffee on the front porch. 

Needless to say we're already thinking of our next trip. :) 

Hello Colorado!

This beautiful Denver morning finds me (and this random old lady) here,

sipping my Hazelnut coffee and chowing down on a French Toast sandwich...

which is every bit as good as it sounds.

And while I get to see things like this all day,

Seth is stuck in one of these...

Poor guy.

I'm headed to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo today where I hope to do a good amount of studying...

but the fun type of studying where I get to go as slow as I want and think about which animals I should include in some upcoming paintings.

Here's one idea.

I did a quick sketch yesterday and a bit of writing that has something to do with a magical apple tree and a courageous mountain goat. 

I'm currently obsessed with these animals.

How cool are their huge fur coats and long beards?

Animals like these inspire stories out of me.  Can you imagine what their lives must be like up in the snowy mountains?  I love 'em.  Check out my pinterest to see more pictures.

Oh!  And did I tell you that I might get to see a castle today? 

I've actually never seen one in person before, but have a castle in one of my new paintings so I'll be glad to get some pictures of it.

If you are wondering why I'm in Denver, click here.

If you're interested in a thing called a "giraffe cam," click here.

Maybe you'll click it at the right time and see me waving!

Good-bye for now.  Hope you are having a good week so far!

Monday morning blues...

My mind is still thinking of the color blue...

the blue water of the lake that is now a memory of a fantastic weekend away...

a cool blue kitchen of an old army fort we peeked in on...

the blue of the distant rolling hills...

a beautiful blue sky blanketing a white lighthouse...

a gray-blue sunset over chilly water...

and the slight blue sadness of leaving such a peaceful place behind.