Field Notes

A selection of my Norway paintings are on exhibit.

An introduction to my work with the Singla Creative Residency

Sketches and observations of research tools.

Exploring the Wild Pacific Coast trail and Ucluelet Aquarium.

Exploring rocky and windswept coastlines on Vancouver Island.

A sketch and photos from my recent hike to the Olympic National Park.

Sketches, video, photos, and details from my hike to the Hidden Lake Peaks in the North Cascades.

Sketches from Gardner Hut in the Methow Valley. My paints were freezing on my paper.

Ascending the South Arete of the Early Winter Spires in KSO Five Fingers.

Details about my father’s polar research and current work with NASA’s Icebridge project.

Review of my first backpacking trip wearing Vibram Five Fingers.

Radio clip from “Ends of Earth” radio program featuring my expeditionary art.

Yesterday was hot in Seattle- weather reports said at least 90 degrees (which may seem wimpy to some of you). I have a low heat tolerance and finally gave up on puttering in my office and studio to play hooky with my sweetie. Thank you to the Northwest Outdoor Center for the kayaks!

In March, I posted here about my wonderful metalsmith friend, Colin Kippen, who is making wedding rings for me and Darin Reid (my sweetie and web designer extraordinaire). Back then we had Darin’s design finalized, and now we have mine! I’m quite excited about it. The carved wax model fits well and is comfortable. Next Colin will

I’m settling into my routine now after a great Wilderness First Responder (WFR) class in the Methow Valley, one of my favorite regions. Paul Nicolazzo, founder of the Wilderness Medicine Training Center (WMTC), taught the 80-hour course and was an inspiring instructor. I chose to take the class with WMTC in part because they offer

I’m catching up from a great (although busy!) last week. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Greenwood Phinney Artwalk as well as my Daniel Smith demo! Check out MacKenzie McAninch’s blog post on the Artwalk. All good fun. Right now in addition to my regular art endeavors, I’m learning to save lives

I was a vegetarian for 12 years until I started traveling. I strayed from my herbivore habits in 2002 when I traveled to Mali, West Africa for the first time with a Carleton College study abroad program. I wanted to fully experience foreign cuisine and didn’t want to be a picky eater. My host mother

Last night I saw Malian musician Habib Koité and Bamada at the Triple Door in Seattle. Habib’s music transports me back to Mali, West Africa, and it’s always treat to see them in town. (View their tour dates.) I first saw Habib play in Bamako, Mali, while I was there with a Carleton College study abroad program

When people first learn about my work, they often ask me about my travels. I feel fortunate with the opportunities I’ve had to travel all around the world and still marvel at the unexpected doors my art opens and what opportunities it creates. Once a week now, I’m going to try and post a “field

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Seattle and in the afternoon I took off on my bike to meet the adventurous Captain Mark Schrader at the Seaview East boatyard in Ballard.  Mark is working to prepare a 64ft steel-hulled sailboat for a year-long circumnavigation of North and South America for a project called Around the

My college (Carleton) alumni magazine the Voice included a profile of me in a recent feature, “Risky Business.” I’ve since been inspired to reflect more upon the theme of risky business.  Aspects of my work and travels have been physically risky. I jumped sailboats in the South Pacific, hiked around Mt. Kailash in Tibet wearing

Last week and the previous week, I had the pleasure of teaching Nature Journaling and tools for observations to students of Cooper Elementary School in West Seattle. Cooper Elementary is a special place, unfortunately slated to close this next year due to budget cuts. Hopefully the community can turn this around! (Visit here to learn

It’s a beautiful Autumn in Seattle. I love the changing colors, blustery days, and crisp weather. We’ve even had sun! I spent most of today outside, riding around on my bicycle and sketching. My first stop was Volunteer Park with my group of painters from Gage Academy. Afterwards I rode down and met my friend Bubba

This afternoon my friend and I sat on the shore of Lake Washington (around the UW Urban Horticultural Center trails) and painted. We watched turtles ease themselves on and off logs, a blue heron fishing, king fishers flying by and scolding us with their chit-chit-chit cry, an osprey soar, and mallard ducks rummaging in tall

Last week I visited the Methow Valley on the invitation of Sarah Varick (and Carleton Alum) to do a workshop with the Methow Community School where she works. The school is beginning a phenology project monitoring and documenting changes over a year at the local Beaver Pond. I shared field sketching techniques and also gave

Here are some of my journals from my trip to the Cariboo Mountains (if you click on the images, larger versions should load). My new system for the field is to carry a small sketchbook with me that has replaceable signatures (stapled together leaflets- I love my long-arm stapler). This is my “hip pocket” book

This month has been a rush of travel. I just returned from an extended weekend for my friend’s wedding in California and before that, (the 7th – 14th) I was in British Columbia assisting my friend Matt Beedle with a glacier-monitoring project in the Cariboo mountains. His work is affiliated with the Western Canadian Cryospheric

I can hardly believe it’s September. Where did the summer go? I could use another week of sun here in Seattle… however I did have a fantastic weekend on Orcas Island in the San Juans for the wedding of dear friends. It was a great to get out of town, make ice cream, canoe, and

When I was little, I would blame things on the clouds. “Who scribbled on the walls?!’ my parents would demand. “Oh, the clouds did it,” was often my reply. I always loved looking up to the sky and imagining how sponge-like the clouds must be, enough so I might use one to wash my Big

I’m back in Seattle after an inspiring 11 days out with “Girls on Ice,” a program free to select high school girls to learn about glaciology, mountaineering, and (this year!) art. My co-instructors were Erin Pettit who first began the program while a graduate student at the University of Washington and Cecelia Mortenson, a mountaineer

Monday night I returned home from a lovely few days on the eastside of the N. Cascade mountains. My boyfriend and I took his mom on a lovely overnight to Cutthroat Pass. It’s a 5 mile hike in from Highway 20 that ends with fantastic 300 degree views. (Read a trail description here.) I did

I’m heading off to my favorite stretch of highway to take a jaunt in the mountains. I’m taking my art supplies with me- check back next week for updates!

Happy Fourth of July! I just returned from the Methow Valley in Eastern Washington after some lovely adventures with my sweetie Darin and friends. Most memorable was yesterday evening, hiking up to the Goat Peak fire lookout to watch a storm and visit with Lightening Bill. The hike is about 2.5 miles and 1500 ft.

“How long have you been painting?” is a question people often ask me. The short answer is that ever since I could scribble on paper, I’ve used art to express my emotions and play. Pivotal to my being the artist I am today, though, is the time I’ve spent in Japan with my family. My

I just arrived home from a wonderful tour de Washington loop (out on I-90, back on Highway 20) that included chaperoning one session of Garfield High School’s “Desert School” outdoor education program. The program is based at Camp Delany in Sun Lakes State Park, embedded in a landscape carved by the great flood of Lake

I’ve just returned from a lovely few days on San Juan Island attending the Pacific NW Chapter of the Explorers Club Compass Symposium. A big thank you to Lynn Danaher for organizing the weekend. It was my second event with the Club and a wonderful opportunity to meet all sorts of adventurous people. My godfather,

I finally took my first swim in Puget Sound this year and it felt great! This afternoon the tide was high, the water was calm, and periodic sun-breaks made a swim irresistible. I covered myself head-to-toe in neoprene and gear including: thin swim cap, neoprene swim cap, ear plugs, goggles, wet suit, and neoprene gloves