Duct Tape & WD-40

The Long Way Home or Back in Texas For Goodness Sakes!

I'm on my way home from ArtFest in Port Townsend, Washington. Right now I am in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a long overnight layover. I really have no idea what time it is because my watch, my laptop and my iPhone all say something different. I have to go to the bathroom, but that means I have to pack up and lug all of my stuff in the stall with me. CNN is playing on the TV behind me and it is repeating the same stories about about the Moscow Metro bombing... I just know that I am so very tired. I have decided that trans-continental flights totally suck and I will take a first class trans-Atlantic flight over this any day.

They say that ArtFest will change your life. I know that is why I went and I think it is probably true. I just have to process it all to figure out what I have learned. I have spent the last five days completely out of my element. I was united by art with 500 other creative women. But just about all of my experience was somewhat uncomfortable. I mean that in a good way. The only way you grow and learn is to push your limits and leave your comfort zones. That, dear internet, I have fully accomplished.

I'm sure I'll have some profound revelations to post after I have slept a full night in my own bed at home. Right now, here are a few photos from my trip. 

ArtFest took place in the beautiful, historic town of Port Townsend, Washington. I had to take a ferry to get there! The classes were held on a former military base called Fort Worden. It was established in 1904. Scenes from "An Officer and a Gentleman" were filmed there. Here is a photo of one of the dorms. The large green space in front was the parade grounds. Deer came there every morning to munch on clover and dandelions.

 

This is a photo of the officer's house that I stayed in. No doubt this place was haunted! Interesting and creepy at the same time.

 

I stayed in the east side of the house with five other spectacular women. This is probably one of the things that change your life. I'm sure I have found at least one lifetime friend in this great group.

 

Unfortunately, this in one of the only photos I have of the people at ArtFest. I guess I was just more interested in photographing the landscape. I have only one photo from one of my classes that I took with my iPhone.

It was a class about incorporating photography with painting. Love the final result that I will post later.

And YES! I did see Big Foot.

This life size wooden cutout was in someone's back yard! I also met other women that talked about Big Foot, so I'm not the only one with crazy ideas about the Pacific Northwest.

This was one of my favorite sightings.

 

I hope you can see it. I tried to accent the colors to make it show up. It is a giant peace symbol created from planted yellow daffodils on the side of a hill. Really, the whole state of Washington impressed me with it's embracing of the arts and creativity.

Sunday I spent the day in Seattle with my new friend and housemate, Michelle. We explored Pikes Market together.

 

It was truly an amazing place with the most beautiful produce and flowers that I have ever seen. It made me want to buy everything and make delicious healthy food. Just like Yellowstone, in a place like this, the photos just take themselves

 

 
 

And finally, a photo of what is most famous about the market. The fish mongers and their "flying" fish that they toss to each other to wrap up for customers.

And look at this prehistoric ugly thing

 

It is a monk fish. The guys at the fish market had is hanging off the side of the the display with its long tail buried in the ice. When there was a lull in the activity, they would move it up and down by pulling on the long tail that wrapped around the display and scare passersby.
    

 

 
 
 
 

Favorite Photo Friday - Variation On A Theme

Last post, I wrote about my upcoming trip to Port Townsend, Washington to attend ArtFest. I'm a member of a Yahoo group dedicated to the event and all the chatter is getting me pretty excited to go. I learned from the group that everyone brings lots of things to trade. They trade Artist Trading Cards, charms, fibers, pins, stickers, ephemera, paper...etc. It sounds like you are only limited by your imagination. I'm planning on bringing lots of different things.

The theme for this year is fairies or fairy tales. Well, I'm not really into to fairies or fairy tales, so I was a bit disappointed and challenged. Luckily, I have had six months to think of something. I'm pretty proud of what I've come up with.

The first thing is a set of Moo Cards that I am going to have printed. The front will have one of the above photos and the back will have my contact information.

I was just driving down the road one day when I passed the 1 star Fairy Lake Motel. I didn't even know I lived anywhere near a fairy lake! I saw this retro sign and thought, "what if I photograph it and Photoshop it to say Fairy Motel?"

So today, I pulled out the camera (oh camera, I miss you. I'm sorry I have been neglecting you) and drove back to the sign. I snapped some photos as I got cat called from an old man sitting in a lawn chair on the second floor of the motel. Oh yeah, old men want me bad.

Mission accomplished. I Photoshopped one shot to say Fairy Motel and then ran some actions on it to make it look old and grainy. I also liked another shot of the sign from a different angle. The sun was setting behind it and I got this great sun burst and lens flare.

I couldn't decide which one to use, so I will just use them both. I can do that you know. It's my project. I call the shots. Love that.