Drive up the Coast, Part 5: Moseying along

In addition to the redwoods, there was, of course, more to see.


We moseyed over to Humboldt Lagoons State Park, just west of Redwood National Park. Driving the precariously narrow and steep road, having seen lots of large trucks blasting up or down, we were leery. We got halfway down, peered out and went, “Oooooh”. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands* where coastal wave action has formed a sandy bar separating each lagoon from the Pacific Ocean. The lagoons are resting areas for migratory waterfowl.

From where we parked, you could gaze out one direction and see only the lagoon:


then turning to look the other way, beyond the wide golden beach, the Pacific Ocean:

From the Humboldt Lagoons State Park, California State Parks website and Wikipedia:

Gold-seekers swarmed into the area in 1849 when discoveries were made along the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Prospectors attempted to mine the sandspits along Big and Stone lagoons, but managed to extract very little gold despite considerable effort. In the early 1900's Dry Lagoon was drained by early farmers and several types of crops were attempted but none proved economical.  Several dairy ranches were established along the shores of Stone Lagoon. Today the marshland habitat has returned and supports a rich variety of marsh plants, birds and other animals.

We stayed for a while; there was plenty to take in.





We also stopped at Trinidad Head Lighthouse.

The low, square, brick tower was built in 1871. The light is only 20 feet above ground, but the headland on which it stands gives it an elevation of 196 feet above the sea. From the road, indeed, the tower doesn't seem very tall, but its location affords great photos, looking down at the ocean below.


We discovered a trail, hiked down (avoiding the first of several banana slugs) and found ourselves looking out at Trinidad Head* and its many sea stacks in the long shadows of late afternoon. We sighed serenely and pulled out our photo/painting gear and set about doing our thing(s).


Sometimes you have to share the scenery:



*Somewhere along the way, we had a discussion about this geographic term, “head”. J decided, from the context of a conversation he'd had, that it was another term for 'lighthouse'. And I thought it must mean something else, maybe something geographic, because otherwise it would be redundant to call it the Trinidad Head Lighthouse. That would also explain why the place we went to later that was the Something-Something Head was high up on a hill, but did not have a lighthouse. It did have a potty, which made the somewhat misguided detour very worthwhile.

Had we thought to access the internet, we would have known that:

“A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water. The word is often used as a synonym for promontory.”
(At this point, yes, I clicked to the link that defined 'promontory')
“A headland is often referred to as simply a head, either in context or in names such as Beachy Head or Koko Head.”

Wikipedia, to the rescue.

Clicking more, I've find that clumps of rocks that we were seeing are called sea stacks. Trinidad's sea stacks are part of the California Coastal National Monument, a string of more than 20,000 rocks and small islands along California's 840-mile long coastline. Created by Presidential proclamation in 2000, the National Monument designation ensures the protection of all islets, reefs and rock outcroppings from the coast of California to a distance of 12 nautical miles along the entire California coastline.

That's a lot of coastline, my friends.

The Trinidad area, it reads, “is one of the most spectacular and pristine segments of the California coast, and has been established as a California Coastal National Monument Gateway – an area that offers the best shore-based opportunities to discover and view offshore rocks and islands and their inhabitants.”  


Yes indeed.

Drive up the Coast, Part 4: Redwoods!

Finally! We were where we wanted to be and wandered among the redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants, Miranda Redwood Park, Humboldt Redwood State Park and so many other stops that I couldn't keep up taking notes. We stopped at about Fish Creek Road for lunch, photos and painting. 




The redwood branches were glowing in the early afternoon sunlight, fingers of golden rays falling on the leaves and vines in the trees.



We visited Lady Bird Johnson Grove at Redwood National Park and took even more macro photos than of the big, tall trees themselves. I wasn't expecting the vegetation to be so lush! We were charmed by all the ferns and sorrel (clover) that blanketed the forest floor, lush and thick, and the Rhododendrons.





Comparison of redwoods and sequoias, from the Redwood National and State Parks (National Park Service) and Visit Sequoia / Sequoia National Park websites:

Giant redwood trees grow naturally only along a narrow belt (a few hundred miles) on the Northern California coastline.  They thrive in a moist, humid climate, and the near-daily coastal fog provides them with exactly the kind of conditions they need to grow.  The fog adds moisture to the soil and lowers their rate of evaporation as well.

Giant sequoias live at a much higher altitude.  They grow naturally only along the western slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, mostly between a 5,000 and 7,000 foot elevation level.  While the temperatures in Sequoia National Park are fairly mild year-round, sequoias need a period of dry heat for their cones to open and release their seeds.

Giant redwood trees are the tallest trees in the world, reaching heights of up to 378 feet tall.  Their base can be up to 22 feet in diameter and they can weigh up to 1.6 million pounds.  The trees can reach ages of 2,000 years and regularly reach 600 years.

Resistance to natural enemies such as insects and fire are built-in features of a coast redwood. Diseases are virtually unknown and insect damage insignificant thanks to the high tannin content of the wood. Thick bark and foliage that rests high above the ground provides protection from all but the hottest fires.

Giant sequoias, on the other hand, don't grow quite as tall but can still reach a very impressive height of up to 311 feet (that's still the size of a 31 story building!).  While not the tallest, giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world (ie –  in volume).   Their base can be up to 40 feet in diameter and a mature tree can weigh as much as 2.7 million pounds.



Finally, finally, we were able to bask in the dappled sunlight under the redwoods, the other bookend to our summer of the BIG trees.

Summer of the Big Trees: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

Our first trip of the summer was to Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Park. We'd wanted to go to Cedar Grove, but the Kings river was running too high. With the record snow levels during the winter and the warm temps in mid-June, we could only imagine the river running higher during the days. Getting stranded on the other side of the bridge would be an adventure (!), to be sure, but not one that we were real keen on. So we turned back and camped at Grant Grove (flush toilets, running water, but no showers).

We did two hikes during our stay and saw a bunch of bears. Unlike the Yosemite bears, they weren't scrounging around for people food (we've had to scare them away from stealing our breakfast at Yosemite), and seemed pretty content to munch down on bear food in the meadows. All the same, I didn't feel like stopping longer to gawk and take photos of them. They were plenty close enough.

After our dinners, we'd head over the Grants Grove at sunset, to finish off our Heinekens or ice cream and photograph the big, big trees, the giant sequoias. It's hard to imagine how big the trees are, and just as tough to capture their size of the trees in photographs –  –  J and I took quite a few photos, trying to capture the golden rays of sunset bathing these majestic trees. None of mine do them justice. I suggest you go to see them in person!





Knowing we'd be visiting the redwoods in a week afterwards, we decided then and there to dub this our Summer of the Big Trees (SOBT).

The camping trip was a great chance to test out some of our gear for future trips. Right before we left, J splurged on REI 3.5 self-inflating camp beds (air mattresses). The REI product description says: “With an ultra-cushy 3.5-inch thickness and soft-touch stretch fabric upper surface, the REI Camp Bed 3.5 provides plush comfort for base camping.” So the '3.5' stands for thickness! Brilliant! We tested lying on them at the local REI, and yes, the 3.5's were way more comfy than the 2.5's. And, no, we weren't even going to worry about trying the 1.75's. During the trip, they were fantastic. Five stars and two thumbs up from both of us. I'd remark, every night: "Oooo, so comfy! So … zzzzz".

As an extra bonus, squeezing the air out of them when you roll them up gives you a chance to get in some weird yoga-like moves / stretches, if you were worried about not being able to keep up with your practice. Sorry, no pictures of that, either.

Here's TheBigBear, making up dinner:



One of the Pudwill berries we brought along. Little comforts from home:



The view from our hike above Crescent Meadows (Sequoia National Park). Click on it to view it bigger at Flickr! :



A sketch of the meadow at Grant Village:

Every Day in May, update

So, how far did I get on the list of things to draw, one a day, every day in May?

I was trucking along. I was ambitious and drew the facets of our salt shaker:


I drew something tart (akaume):

(I'll admit: The temptation to draw people was hard to resist. Something 'tart', eh?)

Drew a bowl:


and then started to get a little, ehm, bored with the subjects. I took liberties interpreting a shopping cart or basket (here's one of my grocery bags):


and something green:



(I would have preferred fresh herbs, but didn't have any on hand. This is what I had on hand that was green).

And then I got to 'Draw something ugly you love and keep for sentimental reasons' and looked at my collection of pajama pants and decided what I really needed to sew up some new pajama pants instead of draw them.

So, I did.

(this pic especially for Hashi. This is the last of the three that I've made; they're all in bright Hawaiian prints.)
Okay.

And then my computer started to run really slowly and my internet connection got even worse. And because I'm cheap and tired of dealing with stupid Sprint (I could stab my eyes out), I've let this situation fester to where it's become sort of irritating to scan images and upload them (and it's impossible, too, to do that when you're blind because you've, you know, stabbed your eyes out).

And then I got back to the list, took liberties with one more drawing and got totally distracted and totally derailed from the whole 'Every Day' part EDiM. I got half of the days done, which is actually better than my normal stick-to-it rate. I'm still distracted (see next post) but sort of ready to get back to the list and try to finish off the list. Keep tabs on my EDiM Flickr set is here.

Everyday in May

May 2: Draw a power plug

Isn't social media great? You can keep up with what everyone's doing (you're going, "Duh, Wendee"). On Flickr, even though it's all about the images (ie - I have to wait for the blog posts to get the nitty gritty details in words), I can keep tabs on where people are camping, painting, eating gelato, stitching up, or drawing. When there's a group project, I find that I slowly start to notice a trend, drawings or photos of similar things here and there.

"Oh, isn't that fun?!", I think as I wave off the temptation to join in.

And then sometimes, things just snowball to the point where I just cannot stand by, uninvolved. Karen Blados and Liz Steel's work pretty much pushed me over my tipping point. I haven't drawn much at all this year. Even though I'm already needing to catch up with a couple online courses as it is (ahem), the everyday drawing always does me good.


May 3: Draw some exercise equipment

See everyone's sketches at the EDiM2011 Flickr group, here.

More info about the daily list here.

Sketches from Spring Break

Tenaya Creek, during our Mirror Lake hike:



After the strenuous calf-killer hike to see Yosemite Falls:



Stopped, on the way out:

Reverb10: Make

I'm taking inspiration from a 31-day blogging challenge called reverb10, responding to writing prompts that are designed to allow bloggers to reflect on 2010 and to send out reverberations for 2011. You can find out more about it here.

Day 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

The last things I made were origami cranes. I cut squares out of pages from magazines, looking for nice big pretty pictures. Not that I have stacks of pages torn out of magazines with nice, big pretty pictures or anything.

Wikipedia says: The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise), and is said to live for a thousand years. In Japan, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. This makes them popular gifts for special friends and family.

I haven't folded 1000 cranes this time around. Yet. I'm making them one or two at a time and sending them out into the wild.

I found some instructions here. The square base in step 6 is tricky, so I found an additional set of instructions for that part, here.

As for the part about something I want to make, but need to clear some time for, it may have something to do with stacks of pages torn out of magazines with nice, big pretty pictures, if, let's say, I had these stacks  ...

The Japanese Garden

Southern California in mid-December. Yes, indeed.

Last week I visited The Japanese Garden at Van Nuys. It’s one of those spots that I’ve known about forever (20 years, let's say) and finally visited for the first time.

From their brochure:

Nestled in the heart of the busy San Fernando Valley is a peaceful oasis: Suiho-en, ‘Garden of Water and Fragrance.’  The exquisite design of The Japanese Garden leads us from a world of freeway traffic, pressures, and haste into a world of meditative calm, where it is possible to focus on and remember the very simple and beautiful both in nature and in our lives.

The uniqueness of this garden is that it is authentic in every detail. At the same time, every effort was made to make it compatible with the nearby contemporary Administration Building.

I’ll vouch for all of the above.



The Japanese Garden at the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, CA.
http://www.thejapanesegarden.com/

A happy note: The Japanese Garden participates in the AHS reciprocal admissions program (as does: Descanso Gardens, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Los Angeles County Arboretum, San Diego Botanic Garden …)





See the whole Flickr set and enjoy all the warm 90deg mid-December yumminess here.

Other fun things to draw

When I bought this plant, it was compact and the rosettes were packed so tightly that you couldn't see the branches. Now, the plant is tall and leggy. I don't remember drawing this plant before, when it was younger, but, boy, is it ever more interesting to draw now, eh?

Another thing

20100714_MoneyTree Click to see this photo's flickr page
... that made it's way home with me based on its clear potential as an interesting and challenging drawing subject.

I was told by this plant's previous owner, a former student of mine, that it's a Money Plant. So, naturally, we remain hopeful that it's a bit of a good luck charm. I discovered that there's more to this little guy than one would expect.

That's photo and a story for another day ...

Twisty thoughts

20100707_BreadTab Click to see this photo's flickr page
I was toasting my toast, uh, bread the other morning, squinting at the bread bag tab. As with many things in life, I thought, "Ooh, I should save this and draw it".

Yes, this explains the many random things collected around here.

I figured I'd be drawing a nice, small, flat squarish tab: easy peasy. And then, squinting even more, I went, "Hey! What's with all these contortions?! All these extra little teeth! What?!".

When was the last time you looked at a bread bag tab, up close? When did closing up and securing a bag of bread become so serious and complex a task?

I've discovered that in matters of bread bag closing, when we get down to the last 4 or so pieces of bread, the tag disappears. Either it breaks, I'm guessing, or it flies off and disappears into the gap between the stove and the countertop, or someone else [ahem] is too impatient to twist the bag tightly enough to fit the bag through the hole of the tab. It's quite an art, holding the bag at its end with one hand, then giving the bread a good healthy twirl and watching the bag spin itself tightly enough so that you can wedge it all back into the little plastic tab. There are small flourishes in every day life, and for me, watching that bread bag twirling is one of them. 

So, after having to correct my drawing so that it more accurately reflects what I'm seeing and pondering it all, I'm guessing the tabs on the outsides are part of some continuous manufacturing. They seem like the little nubs left and right would fit and lock into place, side by side. I can imagine these being stamped out or being injection molded, by the gazillions. Ka-chung, ka-chung, ka-chung.

But those extra teeth in the actual cinching hole?

Life really has gotten to be quite a challenge, hasn't it, that we need just a little bit more tooth, to keep everything tied together, to protect what we have when there's just a little bit of ourselves left that we're trying to keep tidy, to keep things from falling out or drying up...

It's serious business, this little bread bag tab, and this life.

Zentangles

20100626_Zentangle Click to see this photo's flickr page

When I saw my buddy Karen Blados's zentangle , I was instantly curious *and* inspired! After a quick internet search, this is what I discovered:

The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

From the website:

"What is Zentangle?

Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being. Zentangle is enjoyed by a wide range of skills and ages and is used in many fields of interest.

We believe that life is an art form and that Zentangle is an elegant metaphor for deliberate artistry in life. Explore our web site and learn how you can use this wonderful and uplifting discovery."

There are lovely examples on their blog as well zentangle.blogspot.com/

I have to admit that I haven't taken a course or gone through the workbook and am just winging it after looking through the website. I love the idea of meditative doodling and it's been a very nice way to start the day. I'm a wee bit tempted to become a Certified Zentangle teacher or attend a Zentangle Master Class. [sigh]
See a few more that I've done at my Zentangle set .

After making it up as I went along, I found a Squidoo lens that explains how to make your own zentangle. Why don't you give it a try? ;-)
www.squidoo.com/how-to-zentangle.

Happy Summer!

Since the European football (soccer) leagues are through for the season and 'Dancing with the Stars' is done and the long semester is finally done it's like I finally have my sanity back. It's like I have it back, not that I actually do.  A new teaching gig and the constant preparation for two new (to me) classes expanded to take up all my time and (more critically) focus. Now that the semester is done, I'm spending less time worrying about coming up with assignments and grading them, and WAY less time commuting.

Just wanted to let you know I hadn't driven off the edge of the Earth (my commute was far enough that you'd think I had tried, though) and that I've really been wanting to get back to hiking, painting and writing. Happy summer, indeed!!

You didn't expect that we'd watch (English) football, did you?

 

Spider's Web

20090330_knees Click to see this photo's flickr page

A Noiseless Patient Spider

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

- Walt Whitman

Find more poems for your pocket: www.poets.org/pocket. Choose one and carry it in celebration of National Poetry Month!

This is the first poem I landed on when picking a Pocket Poem (enough alliteration for you?). I love the imagery of venturing and seeking connections, building bridges across the emptiness. Some days it does feel like I’m flinging myself out there, casting lines to see what and who are out there. I’m delighted at all the wonderful art and writing I’ve found, the people I’ve had a chance to connect with. People have always said that it’s a small world. Perhaps the world is as broad as it always has been, but the distances between us certainly aren’t as difficult to cross.

I got home last night and plunked down to watch the news. J asked if I had heard about this huge big-rig wreak that happened here in Southern California. I saw the images and immediately knew, “Oh, that’s Foothill Blvd.” And then, thinking back on my day, I realized that I had thought about stopping by Descanso Gardens to pass the time on my way to school. My drive would have likely taken me past that intersection, about the time of the accident. The news reporters’ voice broke through my train of thought, talking about the bookstore that the rig had ploughed into. I thought out loud, “Oh, that’s someplace my buddy Karen would hang out”. And then, I blinked and thought: Oh no. Karen. I hope she’s okay.

I sent a hurried email, and thought to check Facebook. Karen is okay. Whew. But the bookstore, indeed, is where Karen has her artwork on display. She suspects the worst for her paintings, but we all feel even more sorrow for the lives lost, the businesses and livelihoods suddenly impacted.
Karen's post here.

For all the actions and decisions that we make that lead up to events that we might have been involved with – but weren’t – the reality of being connected to people who are involved reminds me that our world remains so very big, but our connections, no matter how far the distances we cross, are very very close.

==
I had been thinking a bit ago about lightfastness of some of my watercolor pencils. Will some of these fade unacceptably quickly in the light? Should I really just work with pencils that I know won’t fade? It’s tempting to want to use something that is rated to be lightfast for 50 years, maybe 100? Another artist obsessing about materials.

And now I have to think, “What the heck? ‘Lightfastness’?!?” The only fastness we should be concerned about is the rate at which we get to our work and enjoy the process. We can (and should) create art, no matter what it is that we’re using. In creating our art, we commit more deeply to our processes, and through that, we create and more deeply commit to ourselves.

===
I’m not sure if anyone new is stopping by here, following some of the lines I’ve cast out in the past months. I’m not sure who is still hanging out, peering into the fridge, wondering if there’s anything new. I’m a bit tired (and stiff) of sitting, watching in silent reverie and am casting my lines out, to see where they might stick and connect.

Say Hello, won’t you?

It makes sense at the end

20090304_headphones Click to see this photo's flickr page

Holy smokes! I just got slapped with a wet salmon - really - I have not updated this since last year... You would not believe my anguish at my misdoings. Not just a second one.

I am caught inside with a weight-lifting regime, rock crushing, just generally being a companion to anyone unfortunate to cross my path, my day starts from dusk to whenever. I am avoiding recapture. but who cares.

I swear on the bones of my ancestors I will blog about it when I find my way home. Go with God, good friends. I will write more to certain yous; but it might not be you in particular who I write to...

---> Thanks to Lazy Bloggers Post Generator. Go check it out. It will all make sense. I promise.

Lines, but no words

20081205_sp_fac_lounge Click to see this photo's flickr page

It's not like I haven't had the words and ideas flitting around in my mind, or the want to reach out. I just haven't had much of the want to sit down and write. You know how that goes, right?

Friday!

20080523_hand Click to see this photo's flickr page

"Hands confirm what we see, define what we feel and allow us to touch the spirit of design." - Bryce Rutter

I've been thinking a lot about hands lately. I have my students working on mobility/medical devices projects, so we are looking at grips, walkers, wheelchairs. It goes beyond trying to figure out ergonomics; I see my students working hard to gain empathy for other people and trying to find solutions that would help people accomplish very basic tasks.

This week, I listened to an online hand ergonomics seminar. There are some nice thoughts that I took away from the seminar that really transcended the anatomy and science. I find that I really want to spend time drawing hands again (and maybe feet) and writing from my lecture notes.

But for now, do this:

Take your hand off your mouse. Stop scrolling down and Just do it.
Okay. Put your hand over your chest, close your eyes and breathe,
and know that I appreciate your visit here and send my love to you for the long weekend.

A special hello to my twitter posse. Thanks, guys. xox -w

I need a pedicure

pcc_feet Click to see this photo's flickr page

Yes. I have some serious blog-catching up do to. I've had lots of adventures, photos, thoughts of bloggy words, but no great motivation to type them. Meh. I've been pretty good about keeping up with posting photos on Flickr, though, and you can see the photos here.

Tonight, my students are on my mind. They have so much enthusiasm, idealism, hope, energy and goodness. They have so many daunting real-life, gutsy challenges ahead of them. Can I offer advice? The best I can do is gently remind them that they have to make their own decisions and be at peace and secure with the choices they make. It's the best any of us can do, really. I have been sitting at my computer, thinking of them and just wishing them strength and faith.

... I have them working on "help people do something basic, better" / mobility / medical device projects. It is going slow because there is really meaningful information they are gathering, interviews and interactions that they are initiating. I hope to help them create designs as meaningful as the intent they have brought to this particular project. I'm truly humbled by the very sincere topics they've chosen.

So, we find ourselves drawing lots of hands, figures and feet. I had to share (we do a lot of sharing) my uneven toes on my left foot with them; I've wondered to what extent this affects my balance on my left foot versus my right. Does this affect the mechanics of my running? Just look at the toes on my left foot! The next class period, the butcher paper with my feet was still on the table, and at the end of a very busy class, two of my students told me they had given me a pedicure. "Go see!" It is more playful (and more orange) than I would ever go for, myself, but I like this idea. I'm not keen on the happy/unhappy face tattoos, though. My feet are, after all, happy feet.

When I can see that there is a playful creativity that we share, when we can share silly anecdotes about our lives, when we can all sit and enjoy the communal act of brainstorming and drawing together, with so much enthusiasm at the end of what I know are really busy, busy days, I know that I am very, very fortunate to do what I do.

More indulgences

20080502_moreinktense Click to see this photo's flickr page

So, yes, I went and bought more Inktense watercolor pencils. I tested the new colors and posted the little scribbles on Flickr. Get this: I got more views for that one image than anything else I've ever posted. I mean, by an order of magnitude. I thought, "Weird".

And then I picked up more colors (what? You're getting ready to waggle your finger at me. It's not like I'm buying illegal drugs or anything) a few days later and posted those colors samples (above), and, that image got even MORE views.

I'm not sure what is so much more intriguing about the little squiggley color samples, compared to all photos of the lovely places I've been visiting, or even my sketches (sigh), but there you have it. The numbers don't lie.


20080429_new_inktense Click to see this photo's flickr page. Go ahead. Everyone else did. ;)