Northwest Inspiration

I recently took a trip to the Northwest, as I do on a semi regular basis, to visit my folks. It was a very creative trip for me.  I was newly finished with Tracy's e course. I saw the place with my new artist eyes. And I fell in love with snails! As they would creep across the paths after a rain I would get down on the ground and take their pictures. I love the beautiful spiral and deep color of their shells.  People find it strange, and frankly I find it strange that I am so entranced by snails suddenly. But maybe you will appreciate their beauty too in these photos.

I noticed on this trip what a calming effect the view of the water and nearby islands had on me.
Don't get me wrong. I love the desert. I lived in the northwest for years and became a poster child for seasonal affective disorder. But this trip was different. I appreciated the water so much more. And really noticed how it affected me in positive ways. And also how I felt home. Partly due to my brother, his wife and son being there as well. It felt like where I belong.

So I ended up making some photo collages of some of the images that I really liked. This is a combination of snail images, a photo of the water and some of my mom's handmade paper.

Here's another little photo collage- just playing with the images I like.