Vacation Interrupted...

I posted last week that we were finally done with the extra work on our rentals and we were going to take a small, local trip in our RV, to relax up at the lake. All I can say is, "The best laid plans of mice and men"...

We got everything ready, picked up the food, along with a few extra treats we don't normally splurge on, and headed out. No more than ten miles up the road, about 12 more to our destination, BAM! We had a blow out! It sounded like a shotgun blast and scared the heck out of me! Mr. How2 carefully pulled us over to the side of the road, and we got out to inspect the damage. It was bad. There will be no patching this one, so there goes $400 out the door. Then the really bad news, we had pulled the jack out of the RV to use in lifting the house we built a foundation under...So even though we had a spare, we were dead in the water. Mr. How2 thumbed a ride back down the hill to Grandpa How2's house and returned with the truck, tools and the jack. I stayed behind to guard our home on wheels. No fewer than 4 people stopped to ask if we needed help, and stay to shoot the breeze, (sometimes it's irritating to live in a small town, sometimes it is comforting).

It ends up, the reason behind the blow out is bigger than simply replacing the tire, something about springs, alignment and shocks. So until the parts can be ordered and shipped, we are not taking the Flair out anytime soon. Not being folks to give up too easily, we hopped in the car and turned our overnight trip into a day drive up and around the Okanogan Highlands, revisiting our old stomping grounds and having lunch up at the Bonaparte Lake Resort. The new owners are old family friends, the food and view are fantastic! Mr. How2 was able to help them out with a little project, and we generally had a wonderful time visiting. While I was there, I saw that a local photographer was selling his prints in their lodge/restaurant, and I wondered if that might not be a outlet for my paintings. So I am starting a series of mixed media canvases showcasing assorted flora and fauna of the area. Here are the beginnings of my first piece...

 When we lived up there, we had a cinnamon bear come and try to steal our dog food every now and again. It was aggravating, but also kinda special to see this beautiful beast. So in remembrance of these nighttime dramas, she will be my first subject. Here the canvas is covered in pages from a vintage book about North American Mammals, I used the information about bears, of course...

 Then I rolled on acrylic paint in various colors, using a brayer...and then some stamping with white. Not too heavy, I wanted the papers to show through.

Here is the base coat for the bear, a little shading and then I can start inking in the details, at this point it seems like most of the background papers are not visible, but they are there, faintly through the bear image, and lend depth and texture...I don't want to rush this painting, so please "bear" with me, I will post again when I am finished.
In the mean time, here is my inchie, for Every Inchie Monday, the theme this week is "ceiling".

 Until next time...enjoy!