TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday – Finding peace


“Naturally, the more attention one gives to the deplorable conditions outside the less one is able to enjoy what peace and liberty he (she) possesses. Even if it be heaven we find ourselves in, we can render it suspect and dubious.” Henry Miller, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, 1957 My contemplation of…

This week in The Pearl – November 7, 2025


Interesting week, more than once we have asked: “How did we ever find time to work?” We have been quite active, some fun, some not so fun, and really not a lot of art came out of it all. The small, 4×5.5 inch black sketchbook reminded me of a gray 5×8 inch Stillman & Birn…

TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday – October 28, 2025


What is one of the first things you focus on when you look at a piece of art or a photo you have done? Frequently we find the “mistake,” – what I did wrong. We even tend to do it when we look at someone’s post we see in a blog or on IG. This…

This week in The Pearl – October 24, 2025


It has been quite a week, certainly not dull. It started with a full and eclectic Saturday. Saturday morning I joined the Urban Sketchers of Portland at Directors Park in downtown Portland. Contrary to what you might hear on the news, Portland is not burning down. It was a beautiful sunny morning, the bright autumn…

This week in The Pearl – Central Oregon II


Last week we continued exploring the John Day Fossil Beds. These fossil beds have had a place in my memory since I was a child. I read and re-read The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek by Evelyn Sibly Lampman when I was still in grade school. It was a story about a couple of children…