Having fun on a Snow Day

Winter is here.

Now, it's not unusual for it to snow in Portland, Oregon. But it is unusual for it to snow this much and to stay this cold for so long. I live on the east side of Portland and according to the news, inner Portland received up to a foot of snow, while my area accumulated about 5 inches worth. The city isn't very prepared for that amount of snow fall, so needless to say that much of the metro area had a snow day.

I spent the day with my long johns, snow pants, gaiters, wool socks, fleece and snow coat with hat on and tromping through the fluffy snow. I'm lucky enough to live within an easy walking distance to the pond at Mount Hood Community College and was able to photograph it under snow and ice.

There was a small gathering of ducks that kept a weary eye on me and my husband as I dialed in my camera setting to capture them. As I recall, it was around 22 degrees F with a windshield that made it feel around 17. It was quite cold, but with the layers of warmth and walking through the snow, I stayed toasty warm.

If you were in the Portland area, I hope you had at least one day to just enjoy the snow before the hustle and bustle of life caught back up to you.

I hope you enjoy these images I captured to remember the snow day.

Christmas at Vanderbeck Valley Farm

Do you love getting together for family gatherings, but hate cleaning up your house to host? Well, that problem has occurred the past couple years and I've been itching to celebrate Christmas with my cousins for years. So it was time to find an alternate for this holiday season.

Here comes in the Vanderbeck Valley Farm....

If you ever wanted to see a cute barn decked out in Christmas joy, this is the place!

Our family had a wonderful time in the barn celebrating family while enjoying a comfort food potluck, family games and a simple gift exchange. If you're ever out near Mount Angel or Scotts Mills in the countryside of Oregon and looking for something with a flair of country and comfort of home for an event, then contact Wendy at Vanderbeck Valley Farm!

Christmas Ornaments of 2016

Once again I was busy before Christmas working on commission for hand painted shatterproof ornaments for many people. I'd have to say that it was my first year painting many duplicates - two ornaments with the same critter on it. Some of them with the same pose and others with a slightly different pose between the two ornaments.

Here's the creations that adored many a Christmas tree for 2016. They are all hand painted with acrylic and then sealed with a varnish to protect the unique paintings done on shatterproof ornaments. And if you're interested in your very own Christmas ornament, please send me an email and I'd love to create on just for you!

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and may 2017 be filled with love and adventures!

Nice Weather Means It's Time to Get Out!

Today was the first time it's been sunny for a while and I was able to get out to the Columbia River Gorge. I decided that it was time to visit Shepherd's Dell. My mom said that I've been out there before, but only when I was really little, so I don't remember it much now.

It's a hidden little set of waterfalls right off the scenic highway. I loved the soft light from the overcast (non-rainy) day. And what else was awesome was there were rain drops still clinging to the fern covered basalt cliffs. This is a great little stop with a short distance to stroll with great views, and it wasn't crowded like all the other waterfall stops along the gorge.

So make sure to get out while the weather is good or just wear a raincoat and good boots.

Christmas Spirit

It's after Thanksgiving, so it's officially the Christmas season!

I'm excited to present this year's Christmas card as "Christmas Spirit." All year I've been thinking of what to do for this year's Christmas painting and I came up with the idea of featuring an elk a couple months ago.

I did some prep work, including contacting (via Facebook) the Damascus Elk Farm to see if a local artist could come out and photograph their elk as painting references. Now, I've contacted a couple different people/places via Facebook and the majority of them have been positive responses (including the Drum Horses). I mean, you don't know until you ask and many people are quite open to inspiring artists. And this time, with the elk farm, I was lucky enough for another yes. I went out and photographed their herd of elk - there were cows, a bull calf, and a couple spikes, none of the impressive racks you usually see. But that's okay that there weren't any impressive antlers on the bulls. That's the beauty of art, you can create. 

More of my thought process of this painting was that it will be festive, with a vintage flair. I searched for vintage Christmas ornaments and based the ones in my painting after Christmas past. And for the overall feel of the watercolor painting, I wanted it to appear the viewer had caught the bull elk right after the act of getting tangled in a Christmas tree and hiding out in the fir trees.

I'm really pleased with this little painting. And now the Christmas cards are available in my shop, so feel free to share this with others and order a couple cards.

Holiday Gift Ideas 2016

This post is for you.

It's time for the holidays and time to think about something unique and wonderful to give loved ones. Now, what to get some you care about, someone who has just about everything. Here are somethings I know, that might help you find the perfect gift.

Have you ever looked on Etsy? It may seem like a beast, but it supports small businesses, makers, creatives, and vintage collectors.

Do you know any outdoor loving person? I love being outdoors and handmade creations, so I thought you might like some of these items: 

Custom Metal Wall Art

Hand Printed Kitchen & Home Decor

Rustic Wooden Signs

Wanderlust Inspired Art

Nature & Wildlife Photographs

Nature Inspired Jewelry

Not only is there Esty to chose from, but local artists in your community who may not be on this popular site and instead have their own shop connected to their website.

All the above links are ones of my choosing and in no way was I paid to promote these specific creators.

Autumn is my Favorite Color

I don't know about you, but my favorite color is Autumn - golden brown hues tinged with orange. The smell of the rain returning to the thirsty ground is invigorating, along with brisk weather with pockets of warm sunshine.

Saturday was my birthday. And I wanted to go to Pendleton for the weekend, which is a three hour drive from Portland. But the big draw was that about 30 minutes from Pendleton was the last couple stands of Poplar trees from Greenwood Tree Farm. Times are a changing and the six miles of rowed trees will be gone for forever very soon. Here is an article about the situation.

Live for today.

I don't know how long we were out there in the trees. It didn't matter. It was about living in the moment and enjoying the here and now. There were about 6 stands of golden-leaved, white bark monuments to time. Some of them are a little crooked from enduring the winds, snow, and life of a tree. On the perimeter the trees were a wonderful gold and as you look into the depths of the woods, they slowly transition into the spring green.

These trees have been used for many a photoshoot. As far as I know, this is the only place like this in Oregon. If you haven't visited yet, make the time. You won't regret going for a long drive.

Ginger & Dolly - Chihuahua Pups on Ornaments

These are the first two pups of the Christmas ornaments. This is Ginger and Dolly, very loved Chihuahua pups. These two are destined to be  Christmas presents for their mom down in California. I was happy to hear that I captured their personalities. Just because they are tiny dogs, doesn't mean they have small personalities. 

There's still time to contact me to have one (or more) custom hand painted shatterproof Christmas ornaments created just for you or as a holiday present for that special someone.

Why I Taught Myself Photography

Weddings are memorable. Memories are captured within photographs.

This weekend I had the pleasure to attend my cousin's wedding. It was wonderful. The ceremony was just right. The dress and bouquet were exquisite. The loving smiles between bride and groom were priceless.

The main reason I taught myself photography was to capture the precious moments between loved ones.

Nearly five years ago was when special moments were lost for me, it was my wedding day. My very special day was mostly captured with under-exposed, out of focused, blurry images. Originally one of my best friends was going to cover the day. I trusted her to do a wonderful job, especially since she was a photography student. But a couple months before the big day, she moved. So, a family friend said that she would take photos for me. She had a DSLR and her husband borrowed my dad's DSLR to capture everything. This was the mistake. Just because someone has a DSLR doesn't mean that they understand what aperture is and how to maximize the camera's abilities with settings for the shutter speed and ISO - the exposure triangle.

This began my passion for photography. It's been two years since I've had my Canon Rebel and I shoot all manual, working the exposure triangle to its fullest. My mission is for everyone to have an affordable option to capture moments, be it family photos portraying their children growing up or one of those special days that you want to remember for a lifetime.

Now, I wasn't the photographer for this wedding, but I did have some fun with my 85mm lens, capturing the little moments I love. Someday, I would love to be involved with weddings; capturing the sweet moments between loved ones when they start their new chapter together. But for now, these photos are part of my gift to the start of the new chapter for this couple who are so in love.