Grand Canyon | Laura

It took longer than expected, storm clouds loomed and I hesitated to begin a journey that I knew would take MUCH more time than we had to spare in order to experience it properly. But hey, we're talking about the Grand Canyon!  So I set aside doubts and schedules as Anne drove us into the most spectacular sites I have ever seen.

On this day the atmosphere was thick with moisture and smog, but I think that adds a bit of interest to the photos. The storm that loomed provided a bit of reflection and spotlighting to the Canyon which made for stunning photographs. And then, it happened...  a rainbow appeared. It was just another small reminder that the things we fear/ dread/ resist the most in our lives are actually trying to open us up to wonders beyond our imagination.

That is the lesson that I am taking from my Grand Canyon tour.  The way through life often looks long and treacherous with storm clouds looming. But it is soooo worth it in the end! I will (and I encourage you to) run forward when feeling hesitant about the thing that you must do.

I think I'll print an over sized print of this photo of the Grand Canyon for my living room wall above my fireplace. I briefly thought about naming it 'Run Forward' in honor of my lesson learned, but that seems a bit too close to that anecdote that your mother always recited when warning you to be wary of peer pressure. Let me be clear when I say, I am not suggesting anyone jump off a cliff.

Enjoy!

Overload | Laura

The day began at 4am for me. I awoke with such anticipation for the sights to be seen and photos to be made. We were on the road from Phoenix to Sedona before any of the coffee shops were open on my Google Places app. 

We stopped by Montezuma's Castle outside of Phoenix as a fun reward for getting on the road so early.  (Thanks for the suggestion Dawn!) It was truly a sight to see... photos to come.

We toodled along the way to Sedona and were there at 10:30. Pats on the back are in order for making great time! We ate a picnic under the Red Rocks to fortify us for shopping.  Following the advice of a local we zigged when the signs said to zag which lead us to an artsy vintage store that I just want to hug. Yes, you heard right. I want to hug a store. When you see the photos, you'll wanna hug it too.

Still making decent time, off we go through Oak Creek Canyon... oh and did I mention that we ran into a MINI gang on the way up??!!! *squeal!  I love my MINI Cooper so much! I had to restrain myself from making little vroom-vroom sounds as we zipped around the corners so I could feel a little like I was taking Leon (I call my MINI Leon) up and down the hairpin turns.

As we neared the Grand Canyon it became increasingly clear that we either were not making such great time any longer ooorrrr it was farther than we had anticipated.  This was compounded when my camera and I arrived at the Grand Canyon.  We made all the posturings of a pair of travelers serious about getting back on the road only to emerge hours later. How did that happen?!

I would love to share the real photos of our day, but, we are still driving. Going on 14 hours of crammed sightseeing of some of the most beautiful country.  But without WiFi I am at a loss.

Stay tuned for a selection of pictures of the more than 900 taken yesterday on the way to Phoenix and the more than 1200 taken today. Oh and this is day #6 of the trip, so you do the math of the number of images taken since we left. In fact, I smell a contest:
If you are the closest guess in the comments on this blog of how many images I have taken from Tuesday up until midnight tonight I will give a signed print of the Grand Canyon (which may or may not have a rainbow in it, ahem.)

Still underway to Santa Fe. In search of food now.

Until I reach WiFi,

L


P.S. Mom, I haven't been bit by any rattlesnakes. Just FYI.

The Healing Arts | Laura

Diane Skinner - Healing Artist

Art is an amazing thing. It has the power to open discussion, it has the power to make you gasp in awe unable to speak. Art makes us feel; good bad or indifferent, we feel. I have always maintained that it is the intent of the artist that radiates from the work, long after the work is created. It often has unexplained power. I know that to be true. I witnessed it.

We were only slated to stay in Idyllwild for a single night. A stop-over in the beautiful mountains on the way to our big adventure. Anne was excited to see her longtime friend Joy, but we couldn't stay long 

because her sister was flying in the next day. I'm not sure when the idea of art lessons came up, but the morning of the Artist's arrival we were not packing the car to leave.

Diane Skinner is the sister of our gracious hostess. "Why don't you stay to meet her?" "You'll love her, AND we can all have art lessons!"  Well just twist my arm there Joy, really. And what's just one more day? We are on a road trip, after all.

She arrived and we went straight to work. All of us were excited to get creating. But as we worked a bigger picture began to unfold. Bit by bit as we sketched and she spoke the story of her works, it was clear this was no ordinary art. Diane's son was the victim of a violent and senseless tragedy. Remaining unsolved for many years, it left her with deep unseen wounds. No gauze or cast could mend what was broken. 

In my world of photography there is a tool in Photoshop called a "Healing Brush" to remove blemishes and wounds. As her story unfolded it was clear that the term "Healing Brush" was not confined to my digital world. Art is healing. It helps the artist express the feelings when the words aren't able. As we paint (or sketch or sing or dance or whatever our own individual art form) the wounds transform. They are never gone, but maybe a bit smoother, less sharp, with a patina. 

This art evoked feeling, it made us speak of things unspeakable and at times left us speechless in awe. But it was always transformative. We all felt the brush of healing. 

 

"Ascending to Air" by Diane Skinner  After the loss, she felt like she couldn't breathe... until she painted.

 

 

Left: Joy's work, Middle: My dabbling, Right: Anne's piece.

So It Begins | Anne

These first few days have been a whirlwind!

Catching our flight out of Charleston required that we leave home at 4:30 am !@#$%^& Between excitement, packing, and a rip-roaring storm at 2:00 am, sleep was simply not on the agenda.

My seatmate between Charleston and Atlanta was a gentleman heading down to Nicaragua to go surfing with friends. How fun to share that first leg of our trip with someone else setting off on an adventure!

A delay in Atlanta caused us to arrive late in Orange County, but thankfully my dear cousin Dawn was there to meet us. It was "hit the ground running" for me thanks (and I do mean thanks) to a business appointment at 3:00. It went really really well (Just in case you were wondering) and made all the rushing worth it.

Dawn cooked her fabulous spaghetti with all sort of secret ingredients for us, and yours truly was sound asleep on the sofa by 8:00. Our visit with Dawn and her husband Geoff was way too short thanks to flight delays and meetings (us) and a crazy week (them). Thankfully with family there's always "next time"! Thank you, Dawn and Geoff !

Wednesday morning, we loaded up and headed first over to Laguna Beach for a little Pacific sand and toe-surfing. Now we will truly be able to say we have journeyed from one shore to the other! Something about Laguna makes me half expect that the Beach Boys or Frankie and Annette are going to jump out and burst into song at any minute! Beach volley ball was in full swing and the sunny day made us want to stretch out on a beach blanket ourselves. We dipped into the Orange Inn, home of the original smoothie, for frozen treats. Yummmmmmm

Then up to Idyllwild we headed for what we expected to be one night with Joy Sikorski. Ha! She quickly let us know we were going to stay longer and meet her sister who flying in the next morning. Those of you who know Joy know that visits to her home always include lots of food, laughter, and creativity of some kind.

The drive up the mountain juiced Laura's photo-bug in earnest. I drove, she clicked. I think we've found our groove! The scenery is breath-taking...and, no, I don't care one bit how overused that word has become! In this case, no other will do.

Night Bubbling | Laura

Combine four women on a mountaintop, a few glasses of wine, flashlights and bubbles in the middle of the night; you get this:

Mantle Carvers | Laura

 

We went for a walk around the beautiful little mountain town of Idyllwild.  I was dying from the altitude, the heat, the distance... not from being out of shape, no, I am certain it was the altitude. (The elevation in Idyllwild is a mile high.) I was gasping for my breath and trying not to seem so winded in front of Anne, as a matter of pride. Then I saw this totem out of the corner of my eye and had the bright idea to use it as a cover.  So I wandered in and met David and Karen (Car-rr-in) working on a giant bear.  We chatted for a bit and he told me where it town to see more of his work. Had I been getting oxygen to my brain I would have asked a million interesting questions and would have shared more about this fascinating character. But, let's face it, this sea [level] dweller was trying not to pass out.  So enjoy the photos I was able to capture. 

P.S. The dog's name is Buffy.

Idyllwild | Laura

This is what dinner looks like in Idyllwild.  :)

Laguna |Laura

Meandered over to the Pacific Ocean at Laguna Beach this morning for a walk among the galleries and to get our feet sandy.  Can't wait to post the street photos.

These quick snaps are from the Orange Inn, a cool little surf watering hole with awesome shakes and smoothies.
On the road to Idyllwild now.

Stay tuned!

Laguna | Laura

We spend a few hours in Laguna making sure that I was sufficiently sunburned for the start of our trip. This is what I saw.

Boardwalk Charlie

Real Simple

Leaving Laguna