If you visit this Texas State Park sometime late April through early May, you can catch the cacti in bloom. The wildflowers are always beautiful, but this year was spectacular!
I’m so happy to finally be sharing my favorite photos from the camping trip (among the flowers, we also spotted some critters enjoying the beautiful weather and butterflies).
After seeing all these beautiful blooms, I feel inspired to make a new cactus painting…the only problem is picking a favorite photo to work from (so many good options!)
The high desert in Far West Texas has a certain something that calls to me, and though it’s been less than a year since I’d camped in The Davis Mountains and Marfa, I wanted to go back.
The weather was good, the crowds were low, I had the time and so did my boyfriend, so we packed up the car and headed west.
We took our time exploring Marfa. We stayed a few days in the middle of the week, enjoying the empty feeling of the place (though tracking down meals became a game of cat and mouse), and took day trips to swim in Balmorhea Pool, attend a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory, and check out some art installations along Highway 90.
Soaking up the things that make Marfa different.
We stayed at El Cosmico, a hip hotel/campground that offers unusual lodging like teepees, yurts, and travel trailers.
We got a teepee which felt incredibly romantic…until I was startled by a camel spider who decided to hang out on the canvas wall all night (I had never seen one before and thought it looked seriously creepy. Like if a scorpion and a tarantula had a baby!). Luckily, it had moved on by the morning.
One night was spent soaking in one of El Cosmico’s wood-fired Dutch hot tubs. It was perfection!
The McDonald Observatory during their Star Party, where we got the chance to look at stars through several large telescopes.
Spotted along Highway 90: “The Giant Marfa Mural” by John Cerney.
After Marfa, we headed to Big Bend National Park for two days of camping and hiking, stopping in Terlingua on the way.
The ghost town in Terlingua.
Terlingua Ghost Town’s cemetery, which is still actively used. We found many types of offerings to the dead, but beer and liquor were the most popular.
Stunning views while hiking the Hot Springs Canyon Trail in Big Bend.
I took so many pictures while hiking! How could I not, surrounded by beauty like this? I’m excited to begin working on a series of paintings inspired by this trip.
The Rio Grande brings life to the arid landscape. We even spied some wild horses near its banks.
We arrived at the hot springs just in time to catch the sunset.
Blooming cactus along the hike into Santa Elena Canyon.
The Rio Grande running through Santa Elena Canyon. The Rio Grande marks the border between the US and Mexico and we heard many hikers, wading out into the river, joking that they’d crossed over (Mexico on the left, the US on the right). Of course, even if you did cross over, there’d be nothing around for miles except dry, sun-scorched desert.
At the Chisos Basin campground, stars were visible down to the horizon, even with the moon out.
On our way out of Big Bend we stopped in Marathon, which proved to be much cuter and friendlier than expected. I was so charmed by it, I decided that I must return on my next trip out west. From there, we made our way east and then to a little-known and very remote state park along Devils River.
We stayed two nights and enjoyed a spectacular night sky. The river is difficult to reach (the campsite was miles down a rutted dirt road, offered no water or even a toilet, and an additional drive and then mile-something hike was required to reach the river) which meant that we only had one day to enjoy the water.
So, we packed up our snorkels, a big lunch, some wine, lots of water, and headed through the desert in search of the river.
The glorious Devils River, an oasis at the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert.
The whole day was spent hiking, swimming, picnicking, and snorkeling. I was thrilled! The perfect end to a week in the desert.
This was such an inspiring trip, by its end I felt filled up with ideas and a drive to create. I also felt a shift in my personal life become solidified. There’s a simplicity in the desert that I’ve been longing for. I think it’s one of the reasons I always want to go back. Every time, I feel a little clearer on what I want, what I want to create, and who I want to be.
Surrounded by nothing but desert, time stretches out and I get more in tune with my thoughts and feelings. It’s a wonderful thing to realize and to know that if I’m ever feeling frazzled and lost I can always travel west and return to myself.
When you get a Texas State Parks pass, you receive a booklet with a map of all the state parks. While recently perusing the map I realized that there are a few parks close to Austin that I haven’t visited yet. The description of Colorado Bend jumped out at me – a 70-foot waterfall?!
So, I made a reservation for a couple nights and grabbed a friend.
We arrived on a Sunday and the park was busy, but by Tuesday it’d emptied out. It’s a small campground but we were luck to find ourselves in a pretty secluded spot near the river.
Wildlife was everywhere! Deer and armadillos greeted us and at night we were entertained and annoyed by javelinas and raccoons.
I was delighted by the diversity of the park. We went kayaking in the river, hiked to a waterfall and around a cave, and swam in a spring. We saw people fishing and heard that someone caught an enormous catfish. We watched the full moon rise and wondered how the stars might look on a darker night.
This is definitely a park that I’ll be returning to.
COMING UP
The Austin Studio Tour is returning this year and will be bigger than ever! We’re combining East and West Austin into one citywide art event that spans three weekends in November. The Studio Tour is a free event, with in-person and virtual activities. Look out for me (#123) in the catalog and online.
My solo art exhibition Iconic Texas is opening on Saturday, November 6th at the Dougherty Arts Center! The show will feature 18 acrylic paintings inspired by my experiences camping and hiking in Texas’ public parks and will run until January 8th. For up-to-date information about visiting the gallery, please check their website or call 512-974-4000.
MORE GOOD STUFF
If you’ve been following me, you know that I’ve recently gotten into meditation. I’ve tried explaining its benefits and how I relate to it, but have often struggled. This episode of How To Build A Happy Lifedoes a great job explaining the how and why of meditation.
It’s that time of year when we pause to take stock of the past and make plans for the future. This year feels heaping with struggles and triumphs. When I look back over my schedule I get dizzy. And when I look at the biggest lessons I’ve learned, one thing stands out: this was a year of STRESS.
Learning how to manage and live with stress on a daily basis was my biggest, longest challenge this year. And my number one goal for next year is to keep stress management as a top priority. I’ve watched myself on days when it felt like my thoughts were racing and realized that my ability to focus and make good decision is impaired…and so is my self-awareness.
If I’m chronically stressed, I’m more likely to have trouble planning, make poor decisions, unconsciously seek comfort or escape (hello, wine and chocolate!), and I’m not even aware I’m doing this because I’m stressed. The worst part is that people are really good at rationalizing our actions, so, after eating all the chocolate and drinking all the wine, I might tell myself “I deserved it” or “just wanted to relax”, which is fine sometimes, but could prevent me from confronting the stress that drove me there and finding healthier ways to deal with it.
If 2020 was a year of stress, 2021 will be a year of routine.
I’ve found that regularly scheduling stress-reducing activities into my week keeps me from getting to that spun-out place. The bonus is that most of these are things I wanted to do already (exercise, meditate, go for walks, take a long bath), I’m just encouraging myself to do them regularly by prioritizing and scheduling them.
Everyone has their own list of things that relax them; I challenge you to write yours down and pick one or two that you want to make a habit of. Write it down, make a plan, set an alarm – make time to connect with and care for yourself.
One way I practiced self-care this month was by making a reservation to visit The Blanton’s Expanding Abstraction exhibit.Hiking is a long-time favorite way for me to get exercise, relax, and clear my head. Here, I’m soaking up the sun on the Barton Creek Greenbelt.Some fall colors along Turkey Creek Trail in Emma Long Metropolitan Park.Allen Park’s short but sweet loop trail.Magical springs along the Little Fern section of the River Place Nature Trail.
MORE GOOD STUFF
In November, I was one of over four hundred artists who participated in The Austin Studio Tour. This was the first time the annual tour went virtual and I was really impressed with the quality and quantity of videos produced by the community. Check out art studio tours, demonstrations, and interviews with artists online at austinstudiotour.org for at least another week. (I’m hoping they keep the site up past the end of the year, but we’ll see.)
“Pink Prickly Pear” – Acrylic On Canvas – 12″x24″, painted as part of The Austin Studio Tour.“Among The Hoodoos” – Acrylic On Canvas – 20″x24″, finished during the studio tour. Based on a photo I took of Bryce Canyon National Park in 2014. I think I started painting this because I’ve been feeling some serious wanderlust after spending so much time at home.
In late November I received a grant to build a sculptural art piece that’s inspired by and created from optical illusions, color theory, and color-changing light. It’ll be part of a drive-through art event just outside of Austin on January 15th and 16th. Tickets haven’t been released yet, but you can follow the event on Facebook to stay up to date.
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m loving Elizabeth Gilbert’s take on the creative process and found a short version if you don’t want to read her book. Check it out:
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for letting me share my art with you! Your support means the world to me.
Wishing you stress-free holidays and a safe and happy new year!
Every year in mid-August I try to catch the Perseids meteor shower. It’s easy to plan for, the peak lasts a few nights, and it’s comfortable to stay up all night in the summer. It’s a rewarding experience, especially if you can get away from the city lights, because you can see shooting stars that glow or sparkle across the sky.
This year has been difficult and I wasn’t sure about travel, but I finally decided that camping would be safe and I put it out there to some friends to see if anyone wanted to join me for a couple nights.
I chose South Llano River State Park because I’d never been, it has swimming (which would make the 100-degree afternoons bearable), and it’s a dark sky park (with almost no light pollution, the milky way is clearly visible at night).
We had excellent viewing of Perseids, including some stunning shooting stars that made us all go “Wow!” and the water was the perfect temperature to sit in all afternoon. But the best part was just getting out of my house and spending time with friends.
The South Llano River.The light around sunset was gorgeous and it melted into a spectacular night sky.I noticed lots of dried flowers along the trails and made a mental note to come back in the spring.Deer moved silently in brush around us. I also saw a jackrabbit, bats, lizards, and lots of armadillos.Giant pecan trees provided much-appreciated shade.My friend spotted this beautiful (and toxic) flower called Snow On The Mountain.We spent hours just digging around in the smooth rocks of this shallow area, building walls that would soon topple. There’s something about these “pointless” activities that feels like an antidote to stress.
The park is much larger than the areas we saw, with lots of trails that I’m itching to explore, so I’ll definitely be returning when it’s a little cooler.
Watching The One I Love on Netflix. Part suspenseful-thriller, part romantic comedy, part science-fiction; I had so much fun with this weird film.
Working on a new painting of Saguaro National Park. I’ve been wanting to paint those giant cacti since I was a kid! I still can’t believe I finally saw them in person (on my trip to Havasu Falls).
Over the last eight months, I forgot what it was like to have a routine. The winter holidays turned into a breakup, then a move, then a world-wide pandemic. (Wow, that escalated quickly!)
I’ve been living in survival mode for a while and needed a vacation. So, I took a week off to relax. There aren’t a lot of entertainment or travel options right now, but I challenged myself to try to get out and experience something new each day.
It was a difficult challenge, and I did spend some serious time on my sofa watching movies, but it turned out to be a helpful motivator. Check out all the cool stuff I found:
Turkey Creek Trail in Emma Long Metro Park……my new favorite hiking trail!Thunderstorm clouds rolling across the Texas Hill Country.I played around with watercolor painting, a medium that I’m fairly new at.I realized that I can tube in the river along a beach that’s only a 20-minute walk from my home. The water was perfect!
After relaxing for a week, I was excited to get back to work. One of the big projects I’d been putting off was writing a mission statement and 2-5 year plan. The time off cleared my head enough for me to answer all the tough questions and now I have a printed statement (manifesto?) up at my desk, a constant reminder of my goals.
The questions I tackled:
What are my values? What habits do I want to cultivate? Who am I? What do I want? What is preventing me from getting it? Who do I want to meet? What gift(s) am I offering them?
This turned out to be an especially helpful exercise when I realized that I wanted to make a new daily routine for myself. When I saw on paper that I wanted to do yoga regularly, I was reminded to add it to my schedule. There are bigger goals too, like getting my art into galleries in other states. It seems like such a long-term goal that I simply wasn’t including it in my schedule, but I’ve broken it down into smaller parts, making it easier to begin.
It’s only been a week on this new schedule, but I’m already sleeping better and feeling more grounded and healthy. And I’m so glad I started doing yoga again; I can’t believe how tight my legs are!
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WHAT’S KEEPING ME BUSY
Doing free online yoga classes every morning with Yoga With Adriene.
But the coronavirus infection rates in Texas have dramatically increased since Memorial Day and I want to protect myself and others. So, I’m staying in…or at least, close to home.
To satisfy my wanderlust, I’ve been going on solo hikes and walks around my new neighborhood. It’s a small neighborhood, only a few winding streets, but it’s on top of one of the tallest hills in Austin and has great views. It also happens to be a few miles from a big city park that offers swimming, camping, and miles of trails.
So, maybe I can plan a great stay-cation?
Looking out over Lake Travis, on a trail near my home.Someone is leaving these adorable painted rocks around my neighborhood.
I originally planned to take a week off in June to relax and prepare for work on my next series of paintings. But like so many other items penciled into my planner, that vacation time was erased by the pandemic.
I’ve worked hard to adapt to the new reality of life while distancing. My art show was canceled and shopping feels safer when it’s online, so I’ve been taking online classes to gain the skills I need to run a better business and build a better website. It’s still a work-in-progress, but I have some art prints available in my online shop and the Art For The People Gallery has added my stickers to their website.
Looking for opportunities to exhibit, my friend and I participated in The National Arts Drive , a drive-by art show created to support artists who have lost the ability to share their craft.
It’s been good to stay motivated and busy. Having goals to focus on has helped keep me positive. But it’s been a difficult time for everyone, and even my free time can feel like work.
As much as we may try to keep it light, conversations with friends and family are pulled toward current events. We grapple with the new normal, grasp for actionable steps, and strive to understand different points of view and incorporate, tolerate, or fight against them.
It’s been a lot of work, all of this new information, new perspectives, new challenges, moving into a new home. I think it’s time I took a break to process it all, so that I can integrate it into a new life.
Like a butterfly in its cocoon, I need to rest so that I can transform.
Taking time to get outside and out of my head is vital for maintaining my mental health.I regularly hike on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and recently discovered the Lost Creek portion, with its impressive cliffs and flowing water.On one of our hikes, my friends and I found this obviously hungry and lonely cat meowing around the trash cans. He is now healthy and happy in his new home.Scenic drives are a great way to get out of the house while socially distancing. Earlier this year, some friends and I did a convoy tour of Willow City Loop, which is a perfect day trip from Austin.Just going for a walk can have huge rewards! I discovered this cactus in bloom along the side of the road, in a neighbor’s yard.
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WHAT’S KEEPING ME BUSY
Weekly free professional development classes for creatives, online at CreativeLive.
