For the last three years, I have escaped to a cabin in the woods at Shawnee National Forest to go solo hiking. You may recall this piece I had dedicated to my first trip there. For back story, that trip was for me to try the solo travel thing out. I went there a few times as a kid so it wasn’t unknown territory, and I really wanted to go hiking somewhere, so it felt like a safe choice. Well, the experience was magical, so I’ve booked it again and again since. Last year, however, I saw the weather may not have been great so I planned ahead and brought art supplies in case I couldn’t go hiking. I was quite right!
I had stumbled upon Laly Mille a while back and just before going on my trip, she announced a free short mixed media workshop, so those were the type of supplies I brought. While I followed her direction originally to make little flower bundles, I ended up going in a totally different direction and made this singular piece, which I guess I can call the “Shawnee Life” – it’s something I refer to occasionally when I feel great calm and peace (or more aptly, when I crave great calm and peace).
I dug through my scrapping supplies to pull out things I might use for the trip. Thankfully, I thought beyond the flower bundles, or I couldn’t have made this. The lady is from a Normal Rockwell calendar. The flowers are pulled from some nursery and landscaping books. The quote is a reference to how I only needed my husband and kitties to really round out the experience. I have found many four-leaf clovers at the cabin I rent (yeah, talk about magical!), so I had to include one (yes, that’s real). By the way, I even found a five-leaf clover this year. Next, I’ll be seeing fairies and trolls, no doubt!
Now, this wasn’t the only artwork made on the trip. I decided to continue the ink and watercolor travel journal idea from a trip to my gramma’s, and sat down to paint on the spot (aka plein air painting), just like I would if I was examining a specimen in my nature journal. I titled this “chapter” Solo at Shawnee, and added the supplies I brought to enjoy rainy days: paint and a new book by one of my favorite authors, Guy Gavriel Kay.
I enjoyed the “sounds at gramma’s pond” page from the last chapter, so I continued that here, with a render of my binocs and things that caught my eye while enjoying the beloved porch swing.
Painting on a hike was a little challenging, simply because of how tired I was. Trying to capture nature as a whole takes more skill than I had. These are my least favorite pages to date, as it is really hard even for me to make out what’s going on in them – and I was there!
I also had to try the whole panoramic thing, considering that was the style of book I used. It was hard to do – sitting out on a windy cliff meant my watercolor would dry rapidly. I painted as quickly and as wetly as I was able using a waterbrush, and overall, while a little boring on variation, I think it still captures the scene.
These next pages bring a lot of memories! I drove all the way out to Heron Pond and it sort of almost became a horror story. I was alone (as I prefer), but the place had a lot of snakes. I hopped up on an overturned tree to paint that first scene of hemlocks, only to have a snake lounging on the branch just the other side. I aborted immediately and then crossed another snake before finding a “safer” place to paint (rather quickly!). Then, I thought I was safe once I ended up on the boardwalk. But nope, as I reached the end, I leaned closer to sort out what was in the bush just next to the rail. Thinking it was a bird – what else could be in a bush in the middle of water? Oh ho ho, was I surprised to see a poisonous snake raising up to strike. I promptly left Heron Pond as quickly as I could. Seeing that oak Champ though was another nightmare – talk about biting insects!!
A crazy series of storms crossed my path with record rains. I was “home” for most of it, but I did squeeze out for a bit during the day to see the National Quilt Museum. The following day, after seeing the damage of the neighboring farm field, I took great joy in watching the crawdaddies before heading home. I’m really chuffed with how my study of one turned out.
On my way out, I always stop in Harrisburg to grab pizza. I asked the waiter if it was ok to stay a while (they weren’t too busy) and I filled out these last pages.
Shawnee is my jam! I’m not going back this year, because I have another trip planned later on, but I look forward to more stays at the magical tiny house <3
