The Hills of San Luis Obispo

Whenever I travel to the central California coast, I just adore the rolling hills that are dotted craggy old oak trees. As I came into town on the train this summer, my speed-sketching brain of course tried to capture some sense of that distinct and lovely landscape.

Waterscapes from a Moving Train

On my recent 25-hour train trip from Portland, OR to San Luis Obispo, CA, I had a great time sketching the landscapes as quick as I could as they flew by the train windows. This little trio was from when the train entered the northern section of the "Bay Area" of California, near the cities of Martinez and Richmond.

 The stumps of old piers that have long since rotted away are a visual delight.

Using a black brush pen and a gray brush pen really lets me get a scene established fairly quickly, with a degree of depth despite the speed.

A Two-Volcano Day

This weekend I went bike-camping! Toted tent, bedding, food, clothes, and all the other gear on my trusty old bike. Depending on your route, it's around 33 or 36 miles from Portland to Champoeg State Park. On the way down, I was pretty focused on the road; but on the way home today I gave myself some spare time to sketch the landscapes I was biking through.

Amazingly clear weather allowed for beautiful views of Mount Hood.

Another view of this lovely mountain from the back roads of Canby. It would be such fun to do a series of prints in the style of Hokusai's "36 views of Mount Fuji." (The two volcanoes share a distinctive stratovolcano shape, so it's not surprising that I make that connection when I look at Mount Hood.)

We had found a delightful historic path up on the bluffs above Oregon City that let us bypass some really nasty stretches of the highway, as well as getting a great view of the river and the city below. Paused to eat carrots and sketch the Willamette Falls on my way back as well.

Facing the other direction on the same bench, I realized I could see Mount Saint Helens as well! A two-volcano day, now that's fancy.

Notice that Mount St. Helens has an entirely different shape--one that is the result of having gone "boom" just a few decades ago! Interesting gallery of before and after pictures. Notice how the mountain used to be kinda pointy?

It was really nice to get out exploring. Hope I can do more of that as the summer progresses.