Culture

Coyote print & photo: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 10 Comments

A coyote howling drawing

Today I’m sharing a coyote print & photo. I drew the coyote in pen and ink and printed it with sublimation ink onto special paper. Then I used a heat press to transfer it onto a fabric bag. I gave the finished product to a friend for a birthday present.

coyote print & photo

This was my first attempt at this type of printing. It turned out a little blurry. I tried transferring another one of my drawings and didn’t have the press hot enough. Maybe I should have read the suggested settings by the fabric manufacturer. 😉

Sublimation printing

What is sublimation printing? It uses heat to bind the ink and fabric together. A post on prodigi describes it as follows: “The inks that are used turn into gas when brought under heat, then combine with the fabric and permanently print onto the fabric.” They compare it to a tattoo.

Sublimation ink & paper

One thing to think about if you are considering trying this type of printing; the printer should only be used with sublimation inks. Fortunately, the cost of the equipment is relatively low. I bought an Epson ET-2800 printer and an Offnova heat press machine for less than $300 total. Of course, you can spend hundreds of dollars if you want products with more features.

Continue reading →

Photo op Robert’s Bookshop: Monday Mural

/ SoyBend / 10 Comments

While visiting Lincoln City, Oregon last week, I saw this photo op Robert’s Bookshop sight. A small mural of a comfortable room full of bookshelves adorned the wall next to something odd–an airplane nose! Apparently, this 1967 Boeing 727-100 found a nice spot for its final landing place.

photo op Robert's Bookshop

In 2015, the owner of the bookstore, Bob Portwood, bought the nose section at a state surplus auction. He attached it to the building and opened the interior wall to make a small office space in the cockpit.

The store has 1.64 miles of shelves full of books. They sell used and antiquarian books, including books related to aviation.

If you’re on the Oregon coast looking for roadside attractions, consider stopping to view the photo op Robert’s Bookshop in Lincoln City.

Monday Mural

Brews & views, Ferment Brewing Company: OLWG, FOWC, WOTD

/ SoyBend / 9 Comments

Ferment Brewing Company, in Hood River, Oregon, is a nice warm place for brews & views. I made it appear even warmer by using a warming filter in the photo below. The big tanks below are actually silver but I thought they looked great in gold! 😀

Ferment Brewing Company

Ferment opened here in 2018. They fuse traditional farmhouse brewing techniques with a modern touch. The brewmaster, Dan Peterson, has a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and uses his scientific knowledge to create unique brews.

The fermenting theme is also featured in some of their food offerings. If you browse the menu, you’ll find fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, but fermentation is also in more unexpected offerings, like kombucha ketchup.

Their tasting room is decorated in a modern, industrial style, with lots of symmetry. It’s a comfortable spot to share a meal and a drink.

views & brews

Continue reading →

Look right in front of you: Wednesday Wisdom

/ SoyBend / 19 Comments

When I was 20 years old, I took classes to become a lifeguard. I always remember my instructor saying, “Don’t forget to look right in front of you.” I think these words could apply to many situations in life.

Here’s an old photo of me working as a lifeguard at Millersylvania State Park in Washington state.

look right in front of you

I was reminded of those words again last Thursday. Since I recently hit 1,000+ subscribers on my blog, I decided to celebrate at a fancy restaurant in downtown Bend. While walking across the street in a crosswalk with the light, I was almost hit by a car making a turn. A passerby asked if I was hit by the bumper of the car—that’s how close it was. No, I wasn’t, but I was a bit shaken up. The driver of the car shouted, “I’m so sorry!” and drove away. Fortunately, the rest of the evening went well.

So, my words of wisdom for today are, “Don’t forget to look right in front of you.”

I also wanted to thank all my subscribers. THANK YOU! 😀

Wednesday Wisdom

Metropolis of Thermopolis: LAPC & RDP

/ SoyBend / 28 Comments

What’s so special about the metropolis of Thermopolis? It’s a great place to stay to see several amazing attractions nearby.

Thermopolis is a small city located in central Wyoming. In 2020, its population was 2,725. Its name means “hot city” in Greek. Here’s a view of it in the distance from Hot Springs State Park. Though I didn’t take pictures of the downtown, the sights within and near the city are very photogenic.

metropolis of Thermopolis

As you can see in the photo below, they proudly advertise their hot springs. “World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring” is spelled out in big white lettering. Visitors can pay to soak in two commercial hot springs or soak for free in the state-owned State Bath House.

Hillside hotspring sign


We stayed in our campervan for much of our recent multi-state trip, but our driver needed a break, so we stayed in a Thermopolis hotel for a couple of nights.

Continue reading →

Guinness advertisements: Word of the Day

/ SoyBend / 6 Comments

In celebration of St Patrick’s Day, I’m sharing Guinness beer advertisements I saw at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. We were there in March of 2020.

The first one is a giant tortoise carrying a beer. It looks pretty happy!

Guinness advertisements

The second one shows a display cabinet full of toucans and other items. The toucan was a favorite, used in many of their ads.

Toucans ads

Continue reading →

Garden of Surging Waves: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 27 Comments

The Garden of Surging Waves is located in Astoria, Oregon. The city was founded in 1811 and this garden was a gift to celebrate the city’s 200th anniversary. The Chinese were an important part of Astoria’s history. At one time, 22% of the city’s population was Chinese. In the Pacific Northwest, Chinese were instrumental in the cannery, logging, mining, and railroad construction industries.

I’m starting with a circular mosaic of three sturgeon. It was my favorite artwork there.

sturgeon mosaic

This is part of the Pavilion of Transition, pictured below. The fish theme is repeated in the circular lantern hanging above the mosaic. Nine salmon swim around its perimeter.

The pavilion has eight columns with dragons carved into each. The squares, circles, and even and odd numbers in this garden represent elements of Yin and Yang.

Garden of Surging Waves

Continue reading →

Garden art in Silverton, OR: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 27 Comments

Garden art may be realistic and small

garden art

Or tall and abstract, casting striking shadows

Abstract sculptures

You may hear garden art bark from the shadows cast by trees

Continue reading →

Apple drawing & photos: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 12 Comments

Today I’m sharing an apple drawing I did using the stipple technique with pen-and-ink. I used hundreds of tiny dots of ink to portray this red delicious apple.

Most of the time when I’m working on a final version of a drawing, I work on it from start to finish. However, when I’m doing a stipple drawing, I often take breaks. Sometimes I go back to it the next day. You have to concentrate on not overlapping dots in most of the drawing. If you’re too hyper or too tired, you will mess up. I was happy how this drawing turned out after working on it for a couple of days.

apple drawing

To go with the drawing, I’m sharing a photograph I took of a red delicious apple. For this portrait, I used the Food setting on my Samsung Galaxy phone. I like how it blurred the background. It reminded me I should experiment more with other settings on my phone.

Continue reading →

A challenging photo edit: Sunday Stills

/ SoyBend / 14 Comments

Today I’m sharing a particularly challenging photo edit I worked on recently. Sometimes putting extra time into something can really pay off.

When I visited the Museum of the American West in Lander, Wyoming last year, I took a couple pictures of an art piece entitled The Confrontation. I marveled at the detail the artist, Tess Diaz, created with thousands of tiny glass beads.

Here are the two pictures I took that day, shown with no editing. As you can see, the bright light and many reflections hid the beauty of the work.

glare on artwork

challenging photo edit
Continue reading →

Chevrolet fire truck 3 ways: Sunday Stills

/ SoyBend / 28 Comments

Today I’ll be featuring a photo of a 1935 Chevrolet fire truck on display at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, edited three ways. This truck, pieced together with parts from trucks in Prineville and Lakeview, Oregon, was restored to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Smokey Bear. For years, Smokey Bear has been reminding people how to prevent wildfires.

I’ll show a pair of pictures with and without editing effects. Slide the slider to see the full images. I use Corel Paintshop Pro software to edit my photos.

The first pair shows the original picture and one using the Hot Wax Coating Artistic Effect. I like how it almost looks like a pen and ink drawing with color added.

Chevrolet fire truckChevrolet fire truck

The second pair shows the original picture and one using a Retro Lab Photo Effect. The effect darkened the whole picture. I loved how it and gave the chrome details a warm brass color.

Continue reading →

Chomp Chomp in Bend: Dining Out

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

We try to support local businesses by dining out at least once week. We recently visited Chomp Chomp in downtown Bend, Oregon.

Their website describes what they serve as follows:

Gently expand your culinary horizons while enjoying our broad curation of Japanese, local and global whiskies, seasonal cocktails, and draft beer

The first dish I’m showing is Kara’agé. Tasty bits of fried dark chicken meat rest on a bed of rice with cucumber slices, pickled ginger, a slice of lemon, and house-made dipping sauce.

Chicken Kara’agé
Continue reading →

Osprey & fish sculpture: Sculpture Saturday

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

This osprey & fish sculpture is at the north end of the Old Mill District shopping mall in Bend. When I walked by it recently, ice covering most of the pond made it stand out.

Osprey & fish sculpture

Here’s a more distant view that includes the two flag bridges. They change the color of the flags on these bridges to celebrate holidays and events.

Ice-covered pond

There’s an osprey nest just north of here, right next to the Bend Whitewater Park. I bet the local birds would love to catch two fish at once, as portrayed in this sculpture.

Sculpture Saturday

The Future Starts Now mural: Monday Murals

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

This dramatic mural, The Future Starts Now, is located on The Palace building in Burns, Oregon.

The Future Starts Now

The artist, Matthew Miles Gutierrez, goes by the nickname of Matteo Miles. Miles has done graphic design, canvas paintings, tattoos, sculptures, and sewing projects. His personal interest in pop culture and vintage ads shows in this mural.

Miles was invited to paint murals in Burns by Forrest and Jen Keady. The Keadys were impressed by the work he’d done in Greenville, South Carolina, where he lives. They wanted murals in Burns “that would spread a positive message, bring life and energy to the spaces they occupy, and give people yet another reason to stop in our small town.”

The Keadys requested that this mural be more edgy. The woman portrayed is part 1950s pinup/ part cowgirl. Her tattoo-covered arms bring her forward to more modern times.

I visited Burns on a chilly day in April 2023 and The Future Starts Now radiated a warm feeling. It delivered exactly what the Keadys hoped it would.

Monday Murals

Vine maple drawings: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 6 Comments

Today I’m showing a few pen-and-ink vine maple drawings I created. Years ago, I took a Scientific Illustration course during spring quarter at the University of Washington.

The teacher had us take a cutting from a tree or shrub and place it into a glass of water. I clipped off a piece of vine maple, Acer circinatum, growing in my yard. Each week, we drew the twig using a different technique. The twigs leafed out a little more throughout the course. I thought it was one of the most clever teaching ideas I’d ever seen.

The first drawing shows a vine maple line drawing with varying weights of line. With certain nibs, if you press down the line becomes heavier. This is a view of blooms close up.

Vine maple drawings

The second drawing shows the stipple technique. It takes a steady hand to do all those tiny dots of ink.

Maple branch
Continue reading →

Elk Sculpture in Snow: Monochrome Monday

/ SoyBend / Leave a comment
elk sculpture in snow

Elk sculpture in snow at High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon with infrared processing.

Monochrome Monday

Snowy bear sculpture: Sculpture Saturday

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments

This snowy bear sculpture is located on the east side of Bend, Oregon. It’s part of our privately funded roundabout art collection. Art in Public Places has helped fund art in over 20 of our 51 traffic roundabouts.

snowy bear

I’ve been waiting for snow to fall here in Bend to photograph this sculpture. Can you see why I liked showing it as a snowy bear?

Roundabout bear sculpture

Grizzly was created by Montana-based artist Sherry Sander in 2001.

This sculpture is a block away from Bend High School. The mythical lava bear is their mascot.

Here’s one more photo, taken a month later, showing more snow covering the statue.

Bear sculpture

To see some of Bend’s horse-related sculptures in roundabouts and elsewhere, see my Outdoor Horse Sculptures post.

Sculpture Saturday

Finding drama in Oregon: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 31 Comments

Finding drama in branches haphazardly woven together

Finding drama
Willow fence at headquarters, Malheur NWR, Oregon

Or planted in concise rows bearing intoxicating fruit

Vineyard and waterslide
Vineyard in front of airplane waterpark, Evergreen Air & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon

Continue reading →

Wheelbarrow planter: Wordless Wednesday

/ SoyBend / 2 Comments
Wheelbarrow planter

Wheelbarrow planter and garden shed at Oregon Garden, Silverton, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday

Egg River Cafe mural: Monday Mural

/ SoyBend / 13 Comments

This colorful mural is at the Egg River Cafe in Hood River, Oregon. The rooster crows proudly from a fence post in front of a happy little farm. Orchards cover rolling foothills and Mount Hood peeks out in the distance. Chicken-themed decorations can be found throughout the restaurant.

Egg River Cafe mural

This is a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch while visiting Hood River.

Monday Mural

2023 favorites: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 22 Comments

Here are some of my 2023 favorites. Enjoy!

2023 favorites of scenic roads & trails

Quiet places to sit and ponder the wonders of nature

2023 favorites Malheur view

Bridges swaying over stormy seas, with thundering waves below

Carrick-a-Rede Bridge

Landscapes uplifted over eons to reveal the colors of earth’s core

2023 favorites Driving into geology
Continue reading →

3D owl & photo: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 26 Comments

My son recently printed this 3D owl with his brand new Anycubic Kobra Max 3D printer. The owl stands about 3.5 inches tall.

3D owl

I decided to try painting it since I’ve never painted a 3D sculpture before. First I sanded it and painted it with a white base coat.

Then I began painting the owl with acrylic paint. I usually draw and paint freeform so it was a little different to try to work within the raised lines of the sculpture.

painted owl

I attempted to use some of the markings you’d see on a real Great Horned Owl. This 3D pattern included a little flower on top of the owl’s head and I painted it yellow.

Continue reading →

Fire on the Mountain Buffalo Wings: RDP

/ SoyBend / 6 Comments

We recently visited the new Fire on the Mountain Buffalo Wings restaurant in Bend, Oregon.

The wings were good, but I immediately noticed the quirky interior design. “Rays” of beams painted orange, red, and yellow radiated out from the middle of the room on the ceiling.

Fire on the Mountain

A painting of Jimi Hendrix covered a wall near the entrance. The wall behind the bar was covered with a colorful mosaic of a sunrise. A video of a fireplace crackled from a TV hung over the bar.

We visited during the lunchtime rush. I noticed one other quirky thing that day. Fire on the Mountain Buffalo Wings was filling up fast with customers–30 guys plus me. Funny! :D

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Quirky

All are welcome here: Pull Up a Seat, OWS

/ SoyBend / 6 Comments

I saw this bench with the words “All are welcome here” outside the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon church. In a time when we’re seeing divisions all around us, it’s nice there are places like this that exist to bring us together. The split-log bench offers everyone a peaceful place to rest and relax.

All are welcome here

We were there for the Annual Locavore Holiday Gift Faire. Eighty-five local crafts people and food producers filled the building with amazing products. If you’re in Bend in early December, drop in to help support local small businesses.

Pull Up a Seat

One Word Sunday (OWS) – Rest

Oregon/California Trail mural: Monday Mural

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

This large mural is inside the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho. The mural is by artist Gary Stone. While researching the painting, Stone traveled parts of the pioneer trail crossing Idaho and nearby states.

Oregon/California Trail mural

Gary Stone read emigrant journals and diaries and depicted what travelers experienced along the trail. You can tell he put his heart into getting the scenes shown right.

Here’s a closer view of the details on the mural.

pioneer mural

Monday Mural

Jewel of a truck: WPWC

/ SoyBend / 21 Comments

A jewel of a truck is currently on display at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Artist Laurel Porcari covered this 1941 Ford panel truck with a colorful mosaic of tiles. This piece is titled Voyager.

On one side you can see the iconic volcanoes that border Oregon’s High Desert.

jewel of a truck

On the other side, you’ll see a lunar landscape, with views of a planet-filled sky.

Mosaic covered truck

The artistry of this piece looks beautiful from any angle.

Mosaic covered truck

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge (WPWC) – Artistry

Emptiness around memorable sights: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 40 Comments

On our road trip last June, we saw several memorable sights that were notable for the emptiness around them.

We drove past miles and miles of vast landscapes with few occupants. Near Carter, Wyoming, we spotted hundreds of sheep grazing by the road.

Sheep grazing

A little bit farther down the road, we were fortunate to see sheepherders and their five dogs at work guiding this herd.

emptiness on the range

On our way to South Dakota, we took a side trip to see a unique attraction near Sundance, Wyoming.

Emptiness on the road
Continue reading →

2023 Bloopers #6: CFFC

/ SoyBend / 17 Comments

Yes, I know you’ve all been waiting to see more of my blooper photos. This is where I share pictures that don’t quite fit into any category so I try to add a little humor to them. Here are a few 2023 bloopers to entertain you. 😀

2023 bloopers dog

“Am I still your good girl?”

the cause of global warming

I believe I finally found the true cause of global warming.

Continue reading →

Happy Hyopsodus 3 ways: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 3 Comments

While visiting Wyoming, I noticed the interesting pose of this happy Hyopsodus wortmani fossil at one of our stops. To me, it looked like a dog asleep on its back.

Extinct small mammal

I thought I’d try to draw what it may have looked like based on the fossil. The first drawing is in pencil.

Happy Hyopsodus drawing

The second one is pen and ink, drawn with a dip pen with a pointed nib tip dipped in ink.

happy Hyopsodus

On the last one, I added a light wash of acrylic paint.

painting

You may have noticed the Hyopsodus I drew is smiling. Do mammals smile?

Here’s a recent picture of one of my dogs, hogging both dog beds. You be the judge. 😉

bed hog dog

Check out the happy Hyopsodus and many other amazing fossils at Fossil Butte National Monument in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.

First Friday Art (FFA)

Beer bike rack in Bend: Sculpture Saturday

/ SoyBend / 5 Comments

I saw this creative beer bike rack in Bend at On Tap. This is one of seven “pods” where food trucks can park. Customers can enjoy a wide variety of food from the trucks and beer and other beverages on tap inside the main building.

Beer bike rack

I LOVE the Rush’s Squares pizza food truck here! My favorite is the Pesto Margherita pizza.

Rush's Squares Pesto Margherita

Sculpture Saturday

Unique Roadside Signs: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 27 Comments

After recently covering indoor signs on my post about the National Neon Sign Museum, I thought I’d feature some unique roadside signs today.

A giant jackalope?

The first picture is of a unique animal of the Wild West. It’s a jackalope, part jackrabbit, part antelope. Maybe you’ve heard of them. Are they real or another legend of the West? Chainsaw carver Jarrett Dahl paid tribute to these animals in an impressive 40-foot sculpture near the iconic Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota.

Giant jackalope

Completed in 2022, the jackalope is holding a sign that says, “Believe.” Though it looks like it’s just a big carving, it’s hollow inside with a stairway leading to a balcony. Inside, you’ll find carved jackalopes, murals, and 71 wood spirits, hidden within its cracks and crevices.

Devil’s Tower stories

The next sign is at the cafe and gift store by Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. You can see a bear next to the tower on the sign and the real tower in the background. In the oral stories of Native Americans, the tower formed in different ways. In several versions, a bear tries to claw its way to the peak, thereby creating its distinctive appearance.

unique roadside signs
Continue reading →

Sinclair Oil: Monday Mural

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

I saw this Sinclair Oil advertisement on the side of a building in Hudson, Wyoming. Though it has faded over the years, it’s still a great ad. I made it look even older by using a vignette effect and showing it in a frame that looks like a piece of film.

Sinclair oil ad

Monday Mural

Tough terrier painting: First Friday Art

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

Today I’m sharing an acrylic painting I did of a tough terrier. He’s resting comfortably within the spines of my cactus garden. Juniper berries and branches cushion his bed.

tough terrier

I used to sell my artwork at craft shows and a customer requested this rock. The elderly woman described her dog’s two-colored face. Unfortunately, I never saw her again. Maybe she passed away.

The spirit of her dog “Charlie” lives on in this little rock, guarding my garden.

Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.

First Friday Art (FFA)

Driving into Hood River: SS & CWWC

/ SoyBend / 4 Comments

Here’s the view as we were driving across the Columbia River into Hood River, Oregon on a recent trip. You can see Mount Hood peeking over the hills on the left side of the picture.

driving into Hood River

We happened to be there when the annual Association of Wind + Watersports Industries event was taking place. Here’s a picture of the Hood River Bridge from the Oregon side. Can you see all the windsurfers out there?

Windsurfers on the Columbia

Sunday Stills (SS) – Bridges to everywhere

Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) – Any type of bridge

Valley Gorge HUB mural: MM

/ SoyBend / 8 Comments

The Valley Gorge HUB mural, in The Dalles, Oregon, is one of my most favorite murals. This mural was painted in 2018 by Blaine Fontana, with help from Toma Villa, Jeremy Nichols, and Jeff Sheridan. This long mural is on E 1st St.

Valley Gorge HUB mural

I took pictures of each section so you can see it more closely. This part features a Trout, Salmon, and Sturgeon.

Valley Gorge HUB mural

This section shows a Black Bear, Bighorn sheep, and Cougar. A Yellow Warbler photo bombed this one.

big mammals mural

This part shows a Yellow Warbler, Osprey, Blue Jay, and Raven.

Birds mural

The last section shows a Monarch Butterfly and a Chickadee. There’s a mural by another artist around the corner on this end of the building.

The HUB mural

I’ve visited The Dalles in the past and didn’t realize the Valley Gorge HUB mural wrapped around the building. Here’s the mural on other parts of the building. You can see a Mule Deer, Red-winged Blackbirds, and an Egret.

Magnificent mural in The Dalles, Oregon October 2019

I took pictures in The Dalles in 2022 of the Northwest Mural Fest. They now have 33 murals in the downtown area.

Here’s an updated map of their locations. I like how they added a red line to show which side of the building has murals. This map was updated in January of 2023.

The Dalles mural map

Monday Mural

Beaded Horse Regalia: The Daily Spur

/ SoyBend / Leave a comment
Beaded Horse Regalia

This Beaded Horse Regalia is part of the exhibition at The Indian Museum of North America®. The beaded horse is on display at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Douglas Fast Horse, Oglala Lakota, created this piece. He makes a point of creating work that replicates “historic Lakota regalia as a way to honor his heritage and help tell the story of Lakota Oyate.”

I’ve always admired beadwork such as this. This Beaded Horse Regalia piece shows what can be accomplished with many tiny glass beads, and a lot of patience.

The Daily Spur – Exhibition

Legend Rock petroglyphs: LAPC

/ SoyBend / 32 Comments

In June, I visited Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site near Thermopolis, Wyoming. The quarter-mile-long sandstone cliff at an isolated site is adorned with hundreds of Legend Rock petroglyphs. When you walk the trail beside these images, it is truly a step back in time.

Seeing Legend Rock petroglyphs up close

Legend Rock petroglyphs

More than 300 petroglyphs have been identified on 92 rock panels. The oldest are at least 10,000 years old. The petroglyphs were carved by “ancestors of today’s Numic-speaking Eastern Shoshone tribe.” 

Due to the fantastical nature of the images carved here, this site is thought to have been used by individuals on vision quests. The images were carved so long ago, their exact meanings are unknown.

Legend Rock petroglyphs

In 1973, the state acquired the site and later that year, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The site included sections owned by the state and federal government, and private landowners. In 2015, local landowner Richard Wagner donated the last part needing protection.

Cliff face
Continue reading →