Exploring Portland

The weather cleared and we were able to take a walk and Gabriel Park yesterday. It was gorgeous. I especially loved this one grove of tall twisty trees that seemed to bulge and then twist back in at their top. 

Breakfast at the delicious Fat City Cafe, with our visiting friend Urian, many license plates and a Sasquatch wearing a Santa Hat and Kilt. Nach'

 Exploring the wild snow patched woods with Grant. It is a fairy tale of a forest. 

Beautiful collection of illuminated art installations right on the water at OSMI's Winter Lights Festival. Outstanding. Also, cold.

Our sublet has a fireplace. Each night after the sunset Julie has really enjoyed constructing a fire and tending to it until bedtime. 🔥 

One Week in Portland

I have been doing a piece of art everyday detailing our Portland adventures.

After having been snowed in since we arrived, we decided to walk to Barbur's, a market about a half mile away. What a great place! Like an independent much less expensive Whole Foods with a Mediterranean slant. Luke ate snow and talked the whole way. 

Snowed in again. Julie and Luke made homemade bread and I made pickles. Luke wanted to bring one of the loaves to the neighbors sharing the other side of our duplex.

Street sledding! 
We are still snowed in. Tried getting our truck out, but no luck. Luckily the disappointment was tempered with finding a discarded sled and boggie board in our neighbor's driveway.

Making a snowman while waiting got the us into town. During the ride we received an ice storm warning so decided only to stop for lunch then return home.

We finally got our car out of the snow. A good thing too, as we were invited to a "talk with pictures" event at a fabulous comic store. Books with Pictures was one of the most welcoming kid-friendly, LGBT inclusive, feminist comic stores I have been too. Our family is sure to be regulars.
Luke also found a new favorite comic Ultracat.

Finally got out to a food pod -the first time of many I'm sure. (a food pod is a congregation of different food carts that often have facilities, a fire pit, picnic tables, and a roof).

 Before we moved here we knew that would be one of our favorite things from our visits. It was Luke's first time and he sure loved being able to run around in between bites of his amazing burger from Burger Stevens Julie had some ramen from the adjacent cart. Both were so good!

All three of us marched in PDX's Women's march last Saturday. Such an inspirational and empowering day. And everyone was SO kind! Which is a Portland thing in general though I expect it was the same at all of the Women's marches.

And finally we spent yesterday play board games and drinking beers at Cloud Cap games. Such a warm inviting space. $5 gets you all day in a charming game room with a great selection of family and euro games. This one is Dead of Winter. (Our son was not there when we played this one, Zombie apocalypses are no place for a three year old).

Running back to her room

I was excited to have just finished this new piece for my Blackmore storybook. I posted it on instagram but I had to crop it funny so I put the whole thing here.

Los Laureles Lodge

Los Laureles Lodge, a historic country inn — located in Carmel Valley— has long been one of our family's favorite weekend escapes. Julie and I would visit once or twice a year before we had Luke and have since gone back about once a year (or try too). 

For my 40th birthday I thought it would be just the thing to spend the entire weekend there with some close friends. I was right! 

I had intended to drag my ipad around the property sketching the charming grounds, but I didn't. With out a child in not in tow I decided to sleep in, chat with out friends, swim, drink, eat, read and play dominoes. Which is a very successful birthday weekend.  I did spend part of the afternoon poolside doing the full on illustration of the lodge above. And then one more quick sketch (below).

We did manage to take some photos. I present to you, my birthday weekend in photos:

Pacifica Sketches

Previously I've documented the oceanside town I live with a series of morning walk photos. After coming back from Barcelona* I have been inspired to treat this wonderful town like it was a travel destination and sketch the heck out of it. 

I started with the pier - sort of the center of town as far as I am concerned (and the second largest fishing pier on the West Coast) - and worked my way out from there,

The second drawing is of the Stucky's fishmarket and Perfect Pour Coffee. Two excellent shops that share the building with a local barbershop (from which I have never been).

The third is from a cozy cottage just across from the pier (I always fantasize about living there). 

Finally is the ole' rusty anchor that has a place of honor along the promenade.