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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Amost the End of My Travel Art Journal

 Meet Lyla. She is my cousin Barbara's grand daughter, age five. Lyla is a little artist and she and I had fun making art together while we spent three days in Colorado. (to see art from the Denver Art gallery there scroll back several posts before this one).

From Colorado we drove to South Dakota. You may be seeing some of Wyoming along the way out the rear view mirror of our car. DH did ALL the driving. In all we covered eight states some of them twice.

We mostly stayed in motel sixes, but a couple of times we stayed in cabins in State Camp Grounds like this one called Blue Bell. It was efficient, neat and clean. Just beds and a table. The bathroom (shower and toilet/sink) were a few walking feet from the cabin. The rabbits stayed outside as did the chipmunks. I sat on the wooden bench outside the cabin to draw it.


We spent three days on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Stayed at a B and B called The Odd Duck. I guess we were a couple of odd ducks going there; but we are interested in the history of the Native Americans and it was fascinating meeting people who live on the reservation today; to see the wealth of local Native American art there, and to be able to speak with people who were part or full Lakota and learn about their history and current problems with unemployment, poor living conditions, alcoholism, etc.

It is where DH caught a virus, which he later shared with me, but we don't hold that against the people we met, that could have happened anywhere.

 We spent a good amount of time talking to and sharing with Mark St. Pierre, a published author, and his wife, Tilda Long Soldier, who own the little B & B we stayed at. Tilda is a renown artist of Lokata beading art and she was generous enough to share her work with us to see. The beading was done on treated elk skin that felt like velvet it was so soft. She made clothes for dolls she makes as well which sell in the neighborhood of $1500 each. She has a day job as a teachers aide. While Mark, who has worked as a high school English teacher, a film maker and writer, has started up an industry there making pine wood coffins lined in Star Quilts and Pendleton blankets. He is putting a whole  crew  of local people to work who had been previously unemployed.


This page shows some other sites we visited after leaving the Rez. Bear Butte, about which Mark had shared a documentary film he had made regarding a dispute between people trying to build a hooters bar on this sacred Indian site and the politics that ensured... A quick sketch of Devils Tower; Drive through The Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming...

DH finally got his wish to be able to reach Medicine Wheel,
another Native American sacred site. In prior years we were stopped by snow on the mountain. This time the weather was in our favor and we got to the top. It felt very meaningful to be there. All along the fence you can see the offerings that were left out of respect by native American visitors.

At the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park we stayed at Pahaska TePe another set of cabins and
the original home of Buffalo Bill.



The following day we were in the Grand Tetons, another favorite spot of ours. I sat outside and did Plein Air painting there knowing full well there was no way I was going to do them justice; but I enjoyed looking at the magnitude of them and soaking in their natural beauty.

If you want to see more of my traveling art journal scroll back to past Thurs/Friday and Sunday posts.
I will put the final pages on a post on my blog
for this Sunday linked to Sunday Sketchers.

And I am linking this post to
 Paint Party Friday. You can see the other artists works via the icon on my side bar.

38 comments:

  1. Your sketches and watercolors bring your travels to life! Happy PPF!

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  2. A lot of Art was done on this trip. You are going to really remember this trip for a long time since you spent so much time REALLY looking at all the scenery. Fun getting to learn first hand from people who live the life. I am sure they enjoyed telling you as much as you enjoyed hearing about it. I hope you got some photos of Tildas work I would love to see it. HPPF

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  3. I love your travelling journal. It's going to be a joy to look in it again and again in future years ...

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  4. ...a most beautiful manuscript!...(:

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  5. i love these pages. that american indian sketch is great! i wish i have your spontaneity in doing sketches during travel. cheers, alpha shanahan #27

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  6. Your travel diary is so beautiful and so funny and so lovely. I am so curious how it will continue! Many thanks for sharing!

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  7. This just sounds like the perfect trip - I've always been fascinated by Native American culture and would love to visit these places you've described. Your illustrations are ace at helping to bring it all to life! Such a shame that the indigenous people are reduced to living on reservations and face such hardships but how wonderful that they are at least keeping their traditions alive.

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  8. It sounds like a very meaningful stop in this part of your trip Lynn. I also know the feeling of not being able to do justice to a painting where you want to capture the essence of a place. I always feel I see so much more when I look at an area or object to paint it though. It stays in the memory so much longer. A good thing.

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  9. I am so impressed with you keeping this journal of your trip. I always pack a sketchbook and almost never make a single mark in it.

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  10. Wonderful pages but I love, love, love the paintings of the Grand Tetons! Looks like such an interesting trip.

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  11. fascinating travels. the pine ridge reservation was on the NPR news yesterday or was it today? due to being now a dry res but being upset at beer being sold in a nearby location.

    your journals are stupendous. love the way you reinvent what you are seeing. love seeing one state in the side view mirror as you enter another.

    you are pretty amazing.

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  12. Your journal is incredible. Your trip sounds so wonderful. To be able to take your time, talk to the people, and see such incredible sights. It sounds like a dream come true. Thank you for sharing it with us through words and your art.

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  13. I can't believe how much ground you covered. So great to have those memories preserved in an art journal. Glad to hear the rabbits and chipmunks stayed outside of the cabin. Lovely art. Happy PPF

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  14. Such a wonderful journal to keep the memories clear. Your trip sounds fantastic and you have those marvelous drawings and paintings to prove it. I live in the east so a driving trip we made to Seattle in 2006 took us to several of the same places. Beautiful work.

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  15. Ohohoh! and wow!! I just LOVE your post! your lovely drawings and paintings and your story full of life, so interesting! :) I'm sure you had a very lovely and unforgetable holiday! =)

    The driver looks quite comfortable and relaxed ;) and the details in the car is just woooow!! =)

    and what a lovely cabin! =) sometimes when me and my boyfriend go around we just stay overnight in cabins like that, so cosy and simple! :)
    but - is there any bears around there? then I would not get to sleep either..

    So interesting with the Native American resorts you visited. and you travelled through a LOTS of states!

    I was reading the whole story from the beginning to the end, sooo interesting! =)

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  16. Oh wow, thanks for the trip. I loved it!! Your drawings are so inviting. You really know how to keep a journal! Thanks.

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  17. Thank you for sharing your wonderful travels in this beautiful way. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  18. Wonderful traveling journal, thank you so much for sharing your art and stories! HPPF!

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  19. I don't have nearly enough words to tell you how much I love your journaling style! I want to stay at the Odd Duck Inn! :)

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  20. Wow Lynn what a great trip! You have journaled it so well! Have a great weekend!

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  21. It is hard to decide which one I like the best, though the page from the reservation is amazing... have loved sharing your trip with you...xx

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  22. Lyla is adorable! :) I love all your sketches. :)

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  23. Love all your drawings Lynn. Your trip looked and sounds so good. Glad you kept up with all those drawings whilst you were away, I feel I have been travelling with you.

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  24. Sounds like an awesome trip and these are fabulous at capturing the moments and memories. Wonderful!

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  25. What a trip, and you must have been drawing the entire time!

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    Replies
    1. Just about Mim...every day and wanted to chronicle all we saw and did.

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  26. Your journal pages are awesome! It's like being right there with you. Sorry to hear you both got a bug...hope you are well now. HHPPF! ♥

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  27. what a fabulous journey! A lot of what you say reminds me of here WNC re indian reservations and efficiency cottages. How excellent to get to hobnob with other talented creatives! sounds like an awesome trip. Thanks for the cheers!

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  28. Enjoyed your travel sketchbook. Fabulous Lynn!

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  29. Awesome pieces Lynn, you have been busy and there are fabulous!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful trip!! I look forward to catching up on parts of your blog I've missed!! Have a great weekend!

    Hugs Giggles

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  30. It sounds like you have been on a stunning adventure... I love how you have recorded it with your sketches.

    Karenx

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  31. A travel log and so beautifully rendered , a real keep sake and souvenier. I see you like detail , so do I ~^..^~

    xx Annabelle

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  32. what a fun way to remember your trip! Very cute paintings!

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  33. Ahhhhh....the Grand Tetons! :)
    I have been enjoying your travel art pages thoroughly.
    Have brought back some very fond memories for me.
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  34. These are such lovely paintings of your trip and I have so enjoyed the journey with you!Todays post has covered some of my favorite places to visit♥

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  35. It seems you did a very similar trip we did several years ago. We talked to many people on the Pine Ridge Reservation as well, and it was very diverse - complaining AND being content. I was fascinated by the rich Native American art, beautiful. I love your drawing/painting of Devils Tower, just like I remember it. While we were in South Dakota we also visited Badlands National Park and camped there (shared the campground with the bison, you might have read about it on my blog), and of course, on our slow way back home, we camped in Yellowstone where we could hear the wolves howl from our campground. I could have stayed forever! I wish I had your talent to paint what I saw - it is such a personal and wonderful way to keep memories. Beautifully done, Lynn, as always. I just love your travel sketchbook.

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  36. It sounds like a wonderful trip. I really love your charming art, it always makes me smile and lifts my spirits. I've started travel journals before but never finished them, you've inspired me. :)

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  37. I am having fun on your vacation, thanks to the wonderful pictures and dialogue. Blessings, Janet PPF

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!