Moses Coulee Nature Conservancy

I was privileged to spend four days at the Moses Coulee Nature Conservancy Preservation with 14 other plein air artists last week. A welcome break from the noisy, honking, crowded cacophony of leaf blowers and construction of the city.


Here is an assortment of wildlife found right outside the front door of the lodge.

A roiling wood stove heated the cabin nicely. A bit TOO nicely for my taste, but my sleeping room was down the hall and perfect for good nights of deep sleep. An introvert, I found the conversation fun and interesting– everyone was talented and friendly– but tiring for this loner. I slept 9-10 hours each night!

Opposite the wood stove was this new addition to the cabin, so I drew it as we chatted about our day's work and adventures from sketching out in the sagebrush.

Here is the lodge itself. This is the first thing I drew on the day I arrived, sketched while listening to the sharp, staccato calls of the small black ducks on the pond behind me.

High above the lake the wind kept blowing my hat off. I drew this huddled against the rocks where there was a wind break.

A half-page, quickly done in front of the lodge. Unusual for me, I painted the colors first and drew the contours last.

I wish I could have drawn the starry night sky, the Milky Way and the longest, brightest shooting star I've ever seen.