Art

Belted kingfisher drawing & photo: BOTD

/ SoyBend / 9 Comments
Belted kingfisher in flight by Siobhan Sullivan October 2019

I drew this stylized picture of a belted kingfisher in flight several years ago. These interesting songbirds nest in horizontal burrows near shorelines. The tunnels range in length from 1 – 8 feet. Tunnels as long as 15 feet have been found.

This drawing is of a male bird. Belted kingfishers are one of the few songbirds where the female is more colorful. They have an additional orange-colored breast band.

While out walking my dog on the Deschutes River Trail this morning, I caught a glimpse of a male belted kingfisher perched on a tree limb. A lucky sighting! He was kind of far away but I had time to snap a quick shot before he flew.

Granny Shot It – Bird of the Day challenge BOTD

Arrowhead Art at Fort Rock: Monochrome Monday

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

This interesting collection of framed arrowhead art is on display at the Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum. The obsidian used to make much of this art exists throughout parts of Central Oregon. It is abundant at Glass Buttes . Big Obsidian Flow, (shown here) at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, contains 380 million cubic yards of obsidian. Native peoples had a lot of material to work with close by.

Arrowhead art at Fort Rock, Oregon 30May2019
Framed arrowheads at Fort Rock, Oregon 30May2019
Arrowhead art at Fort Rock, Oregon 30May2019

Monochrome Monday

Magnificent Mural: A Photo a Week Challenge – Signs

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments
Magnificent mural in The Dalles, Oregon October 2019

We recently saw this magnificent mural in the downtown area of The Dalles, Oregon. Isn’t it fantastic! This is The Valley Gorge Hub by Blaine Fontana. Blaine and Jeremy Nichols used hundreds of cans of spray paint to create this mural in 2018. Toma Villa consulted on this project. He is a colleague of Fontana’s and an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation.

This building has murals painted on the north, south, and east sides. You can see a small sign for Kung Fu classes on the left side of the building.

This Valley Gorge project is one of many planned to bring together the communities near the Columbia River Gorge. They plan to “build a more inclusive mecca for creativity, culture, outdoor recreation, and opportunities for new and existing businesses.”

Blaine created another magnificent mural in The Dalles as a part of the Oregon Mural Trail. This project is funding seven large murals in seven small Oregon towns located throughout the state.

The Dalles has an amazing collection of murals. The Dalles Mural Society has more information on them.

Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge – Signs

Candids of Critters: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 12 Comments

Sometimes you get lucky when you’re taking candids of critters. This little burrowing owl gave me a knowing wink right when I took its picture.

Candids of critters. Burrowing owl blinking. Oregon

We visited the Caswell Sculpture Garden in Troutdale, Oregon a couple days ago. This sculpture of two great blue herons is right by the entrance.

Great blue heron sculpture by Rip Caswell, Troutdale, Oregon

I noticed a movement near the willows right behind this sculpture. I spied a real great blue heron!

Great blue heron, Troutdale, Oregon
Continue reading →

Finding Different Angles: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 9 Comments

Angles are often used in art and architecture and are also found in nature. Here are several photos that show art and nature from different angles.

This sculpture of a flock of birds zigzags down a foyer and flutters around the corner of a building in downtown Bend, Oregon.

Different angles Bird sculpture, Bend, Oregon 17August2019
Bird sculpture

Swallows collect beakfuls of mud to create these nests along the roof angles at Summer Lake Wildlife Area, Oregon.

Red, white, & blue--swallow nests 30March2018
Red, white, & blue–swallow nests
Continue reading →

Awash kinetic sculpture: Art that captures wind & water

/ SoyBend / 3 Comments

This is a kinetic sound sculpture that’s part of an exhibit at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. The exhibit is called Desert Reflections: Water Shapes the West and it runs through September 29, 2019. This exhibit used the combined talents of scientists, historians, and artists.

When you play the video on this post, listen carefully to the music in the background. The sounds of High Desert water and wind were recorded. They were combined with the “color” of music played on a Skinner church organ.

As the artists at Harmonic Laboratory state, “This evokes the richness of the region, a place shaped by many forces interacting in a complex way.”

As you stand underneath the sculpture, the calming tones, continuous motion, and gentle breeze helps you feel some of the energy that’s such an important part of High Desert environments.

Freedom of Expression Challenge – Art

Drum painting: Monochrome Monday

/ SoyBend / 1 Comment

Desert Glyph: Drum Painting

Drum Painting, High Desert Museum 2May2019
Front view

This drum painting is part of the new Desert Reflections: Water Shapes the West exhibit at the High Desert Museum. The artist, Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, blends traditional indigenous art forms and contemporary installation art. The traditional concept of a drum is extended into a large rectangular form. Two “hitchhiker” rocks anchor it to the ground.

The sounds and views of this instrument change as it reacts to sunlight. The shadows of the sinew on the back move across the front as the sun moves across the sky. The sinew expands and contracts as temperatures change.

Drum Painting, High Desert Museum 2May2019
Back view

The painting on the front references the Long Lake abstract petroglyphs. It is an example of Great Basin Curvilinear, Rectilinear, and Representational rock art styles.

I liked the back of this work just as much as the front. Loved the lines!

Monochrome Monday

Writing a book is like making a bowl of oatmeal

/ SoyBend / 1 Comment

You start by preparing either a quick type by the seat of your pants or

One that cooks longer and involves more planning

Once it’s cooked, the oatmeal, and the book draft, may be dull and boring

Writing a book like making oatmeal30April2019

So you spice it up by sprinkling it with cinnamon

Continue reading →

Words into Art-Temperance Creek: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 16 Comments

Words into Art

Imnaha River - Jackie Smith 6April2019 Words into art
Imnaha River – Jackie Smith

My friend asked me to go hear author Pamela Royes talk about her book Temperance Creek: A Memoir at a quilt shop. At a quilt shop? I thought. I didn’t know that QuiltWorks had a “Books to Quilts” program.

Pamela spoke about her book and showed slides of where she lives in the rugged country near Hells Canyon in northeastern Oregon. A chance encounter with Skip Royes led her into living the life of a wandering shepherder. She and Skip spent four years on a life-changing journey in the wilderness. Pamela transforms from a carefree hippie into a responsible woman who learns to appreciate the wildness of her new home. She also learns of the culture of the Nez Perce, who first occupied this land.

Her lyrical prose helps paint pictures in your mind of her adventures and the surrounding country. Quilters made the “words into art” and they displayed their work in this shop. Pamela became emotional as she described her appreciation for the quilts depicting her words. These creative works meant more to her than any trophy.

Continue reading →

Dog Art+ in Bend, Oregon

/ SoyBend / 3 Comments

This mural is by husband and wife artists Paul Alan Bennett and Carolyn Platt. Can you see why I titled this post Dog Art+? One of those “dogs” looks a little different.

Dog Art+ in Bend 19April2019

Here in Bend, we are into dogs so it only makes sense they are featured in our public art. We have many dog-friendly businesses and plenty of trails to hike with your four-footed friends.

A little bird told me my short story won…

/ SoyBend / 9 Comments
Sage Grouse drawings by Siobhan Sullivan April2019
Drawing of a character from my book, Dark Fountain Songs.

I entered a short story I wrote in a local contest and I just found out it took first place in the Children’s Fiction category. Hooray for me! 😀

The short story from my first novel is called How the River of Falls Came to Be and it’s about a little newt who gets more than he asks for. He ends up turning into a tortoise in the desert and he misses the rain.

Here are the last couple of paragraphs:

“Many years later, Tortoise passed away and his shell tipped upside-down and filled with water from passing storms. In fact, the shell caught so much rain it overflowed. The heavy shell eventually sunk and settled deep in the earth. It became the source of a river with many waterfalls. Río de las Caídas.

Sometimes when you walk along the river, you can see the smiles of Rain and Sun in waterfall rainbows. They are showing their gratitude for the gift Tortoise gave to the world.”

I’ll be reading the story I entered in the Central Oregon Writers Guild Contest next month at the downtown library in Bend, Oregon.

Back to work editing my book, Dark Fountain Songs. Maybe I’ll draw some pictures of tortoise to go along with the “award-winning” tale.

My Mini Mini Aussie Pocket Dog

/ SoyBend / 8 Comments
My Mini Mini Aussie Siobhan Sullivan 29March2019

This mini mini Aussie I painted onto a rock is one of my favorites. I’ve always wanted a mini Australian shepherd and this pocket pet is very low maintenance. 😀

High Desert Voices Newsletter – March 2019

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

I’m sharing the March issue of the High Desert Voices newsletter. It’s a newsletter for volunteers and staff at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. I help out with the newsletter and I’m particularly proud of this issue.

High Desert Museum newsletter, High Desert Museum entrance

This issue of the High Desert Voices newsletter includes a History event – 19th Century Making & Mending; Art – a new exhibit by Native American artist, Rick Bartow; Nature – a fact sheet on white sturgeon; People – a profile of our Communication Director; and Recreation – a trail through the colorful Blue Basin. There’s a little more related to updates for the different areas of the Museum and kudos, for work well done.

Enjoy the newsletter! To see more, go to Volunteer Newsletters.

High Desert Voices March 2019Download

2018 Favorite Photos: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 11 Comments

It’s always hard to pick favorite photos at the end of the year. Here are several representing nature, history, and culture. Enjoy and have a great New Year!

Favorite Photos – Nature

  • Many moods of my muse - Juniper Sunset 29August2016
  • Quote on the Cosmos , close-up of cosmos flower 13September2018
  • Branches in a new light , Yellowstone National Park May2018
  • Wisdom Black & White Great Horned Owl 20January2018
  • Blue Basin Bridge, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon 26October2018
Continue reading →

Tin Pan Alley Art in Bend

/ SoyBend / 7 Comments

Seven artists featured in Tin Pan Alley

The Tin Pan Alley Art “gallery” is located in a short alleyway in downtown Bend, Oregon. The alley features large pieces of art created with a variety of media. Some are 2-dimensional while others are more sculptural. Do you have a favorite among these wonderful pieces of art?

This collection is part of a public art initiative that supports local arts and culture. It takes our outdoor lifestyle into consideration. Another example of outdoor art is featured in many of Bend’s roundabouts.

Mixed media

Tin Pan Alley Art in Bend, Oregon 22December2018

This is The Visitor by artist Carol Sternkopf. This is a mixed media piece that combines photography, vinyl, paint, twigs, wood, metal, and salvaged home decor. Nature and animals were important in Carol’s childhood. She incorporates them into her art. She hopes viewers think about the “larger story within the magnificent blue owl’s eyes” in this piece.

Continue reading →

Blue Pool Reflections: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 12 Comments

The Artwork of Nature

I visited Blue Pool on a cool September day. Mother Nature was busy there producing colorful works of art. The colors in the pool are unbelievably beautiful and intense. On this day, the warm colors of fall leaves were reflected on the water.

As I mentioned in Blue Pool is a Jewel, the reflections look like Impressionist paintings. I could have stayed there for a long time taking pictures. Can you see why?

Blue Pool Reflections 14September2016
Blue Pool Reflections 14September2016
Continue reading →

Native American Women, Their Art, and the Photographs of Edward S. Curtis Exhibit

/ SoyBend / 5 Comments

Mother and child - Apsaroka by Edward S. Curtis

Mother and child – Apsaroka by Edward S. Curtis

The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis in the By Her Hand Exhibit

This exhibition features portraits of Native women by photographer Edward S. Curtis from the collection of Christopher G. Cardozo. Curtis took the featured photographs over a 30-year period as part of a project to document Native American’s lifestyle and culture in a time of change. Curtis traveled across North America from 1900 to 1930 photographing over 80 tribes.

By Her Hand Exhibit of Edward S. Curtis Photos , High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon October 2018

By Her Hand Exhibit of Edward S. Curtis Photos, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon

Edward S. Curtis worked out of a studio in Seattle, Washington and received financial support from J. P. Morgan. Curtis collected information about the lives of each tribe through photographs, writings, and audio recordings. With the help of Native translators, he assembled a 20-volume set titled The North American Indian. Curtis intended to publish 500 copies but due to a series of financial and personal setbacks, only about 272 were printed. Ninety percent of the original sets are owned by institutions, including the High Desert Museum.

Continue reading →

Big Bold Art in Bend: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 6 Comments

Big bold and beautiful

This summer a new big bold mural was added to the collection of outdoor art in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon. Yuya Negishi created this artwork. He was inspired by the mountains, colorful skies, and brilliant flowers of Central Oregon.

Did you notice that the dragon in this mural is breathing flowers instead of fire?

Big bold mural Bend, Oregon 19October2018Here’s more about the artist from a post about Art Murals Around Bend.

“Yuya Negishi is a Japanese visual artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His work combines his extensive background in the classical Japanese techniques of calligraphy and SUMI with Japanese pop culture images such as koi, dragons and Buddha’s. Yuya approaches his work in the spirit of play often exploring new ideas and mediums. He also teaches hands on workshops sharing his approaches to SUMI and Calligraphy.

Yuya was born in a small farming community in the mountains beyond Tokyo. Yuya draws artistic inspiration from the memories and sensations of growing up in the Japanese countryside, where he would roam “like a hidden Ninja” exploring the woods, temples and mountain tops of the breathtaking Gunma region.”

See more of Yuya’s amazing art on yuyart .

This big bold artwork is right next to the flag bridge and it can be seen when you’re walking the Mill A Loop trail or floating the Deschutes River.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – BIG can be beautiful too!

 

The Toad Queen: FOWC

/ SoyBend / 16 Comments

Emerging from the earth

Spadefoot toad emerging from the earth 4May2018

The Spadefoot Toad Queen

The ground trembled beneath a stunted sagebrush shrub. The Toad Queen emerged from her burrow to a changed world. Clouds of smoke hung over the land from a wildfire. The spadefoot toad gazed at this new world through golden slitted eyes. Sand tumbled down her spotted back.

A purple larkspur plant stood near her burrow. Its head of flowers tilted toward the earth, wilted from the blistering heat.

The Toad Queen heard a meadowlark singing nearby. The song stopped abruptly, interrupted by a fit of coughing.

“What happened while I slept in my burrow?” She glanced around at the desert landscape.

Continue reading →

Wisdom in Black & White: CB&W

/ SoyBend / 5 Comments

Great Horned Owl Up Close

Here’s a shot of the piercing gaze of a great horned owl. The bird looks even more powerful and full of wisdom in black and white.

Wisdom Black & White Great Horned Owl 20January2018

Cee’s Black And White Photography Challenge – Birds

Beautiful Beadwork – OWPC: Museum

/ SoyBend / 5 Comments

Messages communicated without words

I am always amazed by the beautiful beadwork on display at the High Desert Museum where I volunteer. The carefully crafted pieces represent work by tribes of the Columbia Plateau in parts of modern-day Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Beautiful Beadwork at the High Desert Museum 25February2018Tribes represented include Umatilla, Wasco, Wishram, Paiute, Washo, Chehalis, Quinault, Nez Perce, Skokomish, Chinook, Tillamook, Yakima, Warm Springs, Haida, Salish, Yaqui, and others.

Doris Swayze Bounds Collection of Native American Artifacts

They are artifacts with an emphasis on “art.” However, Native Americans in the 1700’s and 1800’s did not make art for art’s sake. Beads embellished utilitarian pieces.  Beads adorned items ranging from small handbags and knife cases, to deerskin clothing and footwear.

Beautiful Beadwork at the High Desert Museum 9December2015The High Desert Museum houses the Doris Swayze Bounds Collection of Native American Artifacts. Born in 1904 in Oklahoma, Doris Swayze Bounds later lived in Hermiston, Oregon, where she worked as a banker. She always appreciated Native American people and their culture. Many of the pieces in the collection were gifted to her by local Native Americans as a way of showing their respect and affection to her. The artifacts date from the 1870’s to the 1960’s. The collection has many pieces, but I focused on the beadwork in this post.

Continue reading →

Where the deer and the antelope played

/ SoyBend / 10 Comments

Celebrating a life

After living a life full of leaps and bounds, she settled down in her favorite aspen grove. The bunchgrass waved goodbye. The rabbitbrush shaded her in her final moments. The rosebush provided fruit in celebration of her life. And finally, the aspen covered her in leaves of gold.

Where the deer and the antelope played 2November2017Weekly Photo Challenge – Story

Mill A Loop – Deschutes River Trail

/ SoyBend / 16 Comments

Short and sweet hike

Mill A Loop Deschutes River Trail 13August2016

Mill A Loop Deschutes River Trail

The Mill A Loop is a short and easy hike that starts on the flag bridge in the Old Mill district of Bend. This 1.1 mile trail is paved and mostly flat. You walk along the Deschutes River for most of the hike.  At certain times of the year, kayakers, stand up paddleboarders, and innertubers will float by you on the river.

Flag Bridge March 2018
Crossing the bridge over the Deschutes River to see the Art in the High Desert show in Bend, Oregon

Iconic attractions

The Flag Bridge is a well-known sight in Bend. The flags are changed to celebrate different holidays and events. I am always impressed by these flags of many colors fluttering in the breeze. They also fly over a smaller pond near the restaurants.

Continue reading →

Tour of Bend

/ SoyBend / 10 Comments

The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is Tour Guide. This will be easy!

Enjoy some pictures of beautiful sights in and around Bend, Oregon. Can you see why I love living here?

JanuarySunrise 6January2018

Peek-a-boo view of an Northern flicker
Desert primrose in landscape, Bend, Oregon in May 2017
California Quail near prickly poppy and green rabbitbrush
Stone House
North American river otter, Lontra canadensis
Bitterroot, Lewisii redviva
Sand lily, Leucocrinum montanum
Snowshoe and ski tracks at Ten Mile Sno-Park
The Sisters & Broken Top Sunset
Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter and a growler
View from the top of Lava Butte
South Sister & Broken Top
The stores are open late on First Fridays

Sketching Raptors Workshop

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

Drawing from a different perspective

Great horned owl at High Desert Museum 20January2018

Great horned owl

On January 20, visitors entered Classroom A at the High Desert Museum to find the room filled with lifelike mounts of raptors. One mount depicted a California quail being chased by a sharp-shinned hawk. Another was of a great horned owl perched on a branch. A golden eagle mount, with outstretched wings, dwarfed the other birds on display. Artist Ian Factor welcomed participants in the workshop and everyone got to work sketching the birds. Curator of Art and Community Engagement Andries Fourie also attended and offered help when needed.

Siobhan's Drawing Kit 20January2018

My fancy drawing kit

Various art supplies were available for our use. Many attendees brought their own supplies neatly tucked into special cases. Others, like me, had the bare essentials, so we were grateful more were provided.

Drawing from reference materials

A variety of reference materials were displayed. There was a collection of bird wings, talons, and skulls. An articulated bird skeleton stood on a tabletop. We learned the basic form of our subjects by looking at mounts prepared by American Kestrel study by Siobhan Sullivan © 2018taxidermists. Though not available at this workshop, study skins, or museum mounts, are often utilized for research and artistic purposes. Photographs can help when you’re doing wildlife art and participants were snapping a lot of pictures. Reference materials are helpful in getting the details right and in understanding the underlying anatomy.

This workshop, like most hosted by the Museum, was open to people of all skill levels. Some attending the event were beginners, while others were more advanced. The artists drew the birds with a variety of media.  Several sketched in black-and-white with pencils, graphite, or charcoal; other participants added color with pastels and colored pencils.

Continue reading →

Bridge Art – The Other Side

/ SoyBend / 7 Comments

I have posted a couple pictures of  bridge art on one side of this bridge in Bend, Oregon. Now it’s time to show the other side. The colorful artwork brightens up these cool cloudy winter days.

Bridge of Art in Bend, Oregon 14July2017

Links showing the other side

Here’s a link to a photo of the artist, Sandy Klein, working on the paintings on the bridge – Bridge of Art.

Here’s a link that shows the completed artwork on the other side – Bridge of Art Update.

Friday Flowers

Dance to a Colorful Beat

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

Yesterday I went to the Festival of Cultures in Redmond, Oregon. I was impressed by a dance group called Titlakawan Aztec Danza. Hope you enjoy the video I shot of them dancing. Even the toddlers and babies participated.

Here’s a blurb about them that was in the program for the World Beat Festival in Salem earlier this year:

“This Aztec dance troupe is based in Salem/Dayton, Oregon. Titlakawan means “We all possess it” or “We all have potential to fully realize ourselves as human beings”. Our troupe promotes through Aztec dance discipline a healthy lifestyle and outlook. The Aztec dance has its roots in central Mexico and has been practiced and protected in the last 400 years. Through immigration, it has set root here in the Northwest for the enjoyment of all those who participate.”

Here are a few pictures of the dancers. I loved the ornate headpieces! They were colorful and dramatic.

This Festival of Cultures had representatives from several countries including Bolivia, China, the Punjab state in India, Japan, and Yemen.  This event celebrates the many cultures that live in Oregon and the contributions they have made to our state. There were musical performances, dances, activities, handmade crafts, and foods from several of the cultures. There was also a play area for kids. It was a feast for the senses.

Titlakawan Aztec Dancers dance at Festival of Cultures Redmond, Oregon 23Sept2017

 

Art in The High Desert show 2017

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

Artwork shines at the Art in the High Desert show

If you’re looking for things to do in Bend this weekend, go see the Art in the High Desert show. This juried arts and crafts show features works in a wide variety of media. Please help support the 115 North American artisans selected for this show by purchasing some of the things they have created. To see a gallery of the work featured this year, click here.

Woodwork by Jack West at Art in the High Desert 2017 Bend, Oregon

Woodwork by Jack West at  Art in the High Desert 2017 in Bend, Oregon

Here is the woodwork of Jack West of Fort Jones, California. These works of art display fine craftsmanship and an eye for bringing out the best in the woods he works with. The carved curving lines on some of his works are unique and they enhance the wood’s natural beauty. You can see more of his work here .

Ceramics by Gerard Arrington at Art in the High Desert Bend, Oregon

Ceramics by Gerard Arrington at Art in the High Desert 2017 in Bend, Oregon

Here is the ceramic work of Gerald Arrington of Sebastopol, California. You may know that I have a thing about rocks and this artist creates realistic-looking rocks out of clay. His pieces are sculptural, stunning, and earthy. You can see more of his work here.

Sunny views of the show

Crossing the bridge over the Deschutes River to see the Art in the High Desert show Bend, Oregon 26Aug2017

Crossing the bridge over the Deschutes River to see the Art in the High Desert show in Bend, Oregon

This show is good every year but this year it’s great! If you go to the show, you will understand why it’s in the top ten shows in the nation.  The show runs August 25-27 and it’s free to get in. It’s located on the banks of the Deschutes River in Bend at 730 SW Columbia Street.

Booths at Art in the High Desert 2017 in Bend, Oregon

 

Bridge of Art Update

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

Bridge in Old Mill District, Bend, Oregon 14July2017

I previously posted a picture of the artist at work on this bridge here but thought you might want an update. Here is the completed painting. A different artist painted the inside of the tunnel. Lots of beauty on the bridge, inside the tunnel, and all around.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Bridge

Bridge of Art

/ SoyBend / 15 Comments

Last summer I was out for an early morning walk and happened to see an artist at work painting a mural on a bridge. Sandy Klein was painting spring flowers and birds on this bridge of art in the Old Mill district of Bend, Oregon. The beautiful artwork sprinkled throughout Bend accentuates its natural beauty.

Colorado Avenue Tunnel Mural by Sandy Klein 30July2016

Weekly Photo Challenge – Bridge