Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Sequim Lavender Fields

The 14th Annual Sequim Lavender Festival was the premier celebration of the joys of lavender and the largest lavender festival in North America. Sequim is located on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, cradled in the “rain shadow” of the Olympic Mountains and Olympic National Park. The Sequim-Dungeness Valley has an ideal microclimate for growing lavender and with less than 20 inches of rain per year; the area is similar to the Provence region of France. Because of the unique conditions and dedicated farmers, Sequim lavender has received world-wide recognition for its superior quality and fragrance. Our farmers have over 200 years of combined experience cultivating lavender, developing the best planting and growing practices, and creating lavender products.

This is a photo I took last summer, and converted it to an HDR (high dynamic range) photo.

If you click on the photo...you can actually smell the wonderful lavender fragrance!  :)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Victor Moore's "Junk Castle"

Victor and Bobbie Moore once lived in a house constructed from the old floor joists of a grain warehouse on the site of a played out rock quarry.   The current owner of the property graciously gave me the opportunity to photograph the Junk Castle and other outbuildings built by Vic's family and friends.  The "Junk Castle" was his 1970 MFA thesis assemblage sculpture.   Although found pieces and assemblages of various sorts are pleasantly scattered about the property, the hulking mass of the junk castle stands vigil above the rest.

The Junk Castle is constructed from so many different items, including sheet metal, tin, washing machine parts, dryer doors, miscellaneous housings, bedsteads, and even the door from a 1952 Oldsmobile.  The castle is featured in several books including "Strange Sites" by Jim Christy, "Fantasy Worlds" by John Maizels, and "Fantastic Architecture" published by Abrams, Inc.

Vic Moore taught art in the Pullman, Washington public schools and mentored thousands of students, including myself.

Victor Moore just published a book he wrote and illustrated titled "Stories From The Methow".  It's about his memories of growing up in central Washington State in the 1930's.  The book's cover was designed by artist Ann Marra, a former classmate of mine, and student of  Victor Moore.  Ann also help a great deal in getting the book published.  I just finished reading my copy...it's historical, entertaining, and has many bits of Vic's sense of humor scattered throughout the book.  If you would like to order a copy, click on the following link: Victor Moore's Book




Make sure you click on the photos for larger views of the inside and outside of this magnificent castle!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Dahmen Barn - A World of Creativity!



Artist - Anita Roche'
The following is taken with permission from ArtisanBarn.org

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is located in the rich dryland farming area called the Palouse, in Uniontown WA. Situated 16 miles south of both Pullman, WA and Moscow, ID, - and 16 miles north of Lewiston, ID, and Clarkston, WA, the art center is truly the hub of the Palouse.

The artisan center is adjacent to highway 195, where the big white barn can be seen surrounded by its landmark fence of 1000 iron wheels. Formerly a dilapidated dairy barn which was donated to the community by Steve and Junette Dahmen, the structure has undergone a transformation into a state-of-the-art creativity center.

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn was developed to provide local artists and crafts people working studio space along with the opportunity to showcase their work and selldirectly to the public.  There are ten studio spaces at the Barn, where 21 artisans create their work and are happy to talk to visitors about their creative process.  The artists have access to their space 24/7, so working hours vary from studio to studio.  Some of the resident artisans work full time jobs, so can only be there weekend days.  If you visit and see something of interest in a studio where the artist is not working, check with The Shop at the Barn for access and sales information.

You can learn more about this wonderful venue at the following Link: ArtisanBarn.org

Anita Roche' is the featured artist this coming week at the Dahmen Barn. She is a friend and classmate of mine, graduating with honors from Pullman High School in 1970.   In 2004, Anita created Textile Arts Studio to meet the needs of quilters who enjoy the piecing of quilts, but then choose to have assistance with the quilting.  The company motto is, "Let us help you put the pieces together!" Since 2006, in addition to continuing to provide long-arm quilting services, they have been working on an original line of quilt designs - the PRIME TIME series.
You can visit the Textile Arts Studio website at :Textile Artist Studio