Fall Color and a drive to the Oregon Coast.

It's been a slow week here in the art studio.  The crazy weather has had me down a bit but I finally broke out of it's grasp saturday and went on a quick little afternoon trip to the coast.

The drive through the canyons was beautiful with full fall color taking my breath away.  Gorgeous.  I brought my camera along but was soooo disappointed to find the battery drained!  This new camera doesn't readily display the battery level and gives me a verbal warning only when the camera is shutting down.  So frustrating! 

So, I continued to Bandon (by the Sea).  A huge storm was brewing and I only had a little time to go the the darling gifty book store, Winter River Books, to pick up some mermaid tattoos I had ordered - so fun! 

Then I went across the street to a tiny gift mall that included a booth store "Gypsy Wagon" where I found these fabulous little book bags made from vintage silk Indian saris.  They were only $3 a piece!  Yay!  

I picked up 7 of these little silk "book" bags in my favorite colors and a couple of scarves on sale for $4! I will most likely hang them around the studio.

Then the rain came.  The storm was going to be a bad one with very high winds and rain so I opted to leave for the return trip right away.  It took a couple of hours to get home but the drive was still fun for me.  I really needed that break from the studio to recharge my creative batteries.  Since I feel I was short changed by the lack of pictures and only an hour in Bandon, I will try to return there later this week or next.

The high winds and rain continued for a couple of days and has taken a lot of the fall color with them. Bummer!  And I hear there is a lot more to come...

Earlier last week I went to Kruse Farms here locally in the Melrose area to get my pumpkin for the porch.

Fabulous Pumpkins!

 Beautiful Turban Squash

Giant Hubbard Squash - some over 3 feet long!

Halloween is a big deal in our little community and I usually get quiet a lot of little and not so little goblins at my door!  Trick or treat!   We'll see if the weather holds for our little ghouls.

I will be back in the studio this week to start working on a new art journal.  I want to make this one out of my favorite Fabriano Artistico hot press watercolor paper.  I haven't decided whether to use the usual 140 lb. or try the lighterweight 90 lb. that will be much easier to bind into a journal.  Working with the thicker paper will be harder on my hands but it's nicer than the thinner stuff so I'll just have to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages.

My biggest goal for this week will be to stay warm and dry and keep the creative fires burning!

Forever in art,  Jessica