Illustration Friday: RESCUE

This piece was inspired in part by a story, Raising the Dead, about an attempted body recovery from the bottom of one of the world's deepest freshwater dive sites. Cave diving rescue attempts often end as body recoveries. In this case, the recovery attempt ended tragically as well. The story scared the heck out of me. I don't think I can imagine a more frightening rescue scenario.

I almost used this illustration for a coworkers baby shower instead, as the Noah's Ark story is a tale of rescue.

Illustration Friday: EXPIRED

YECH! UGH! What demons lurk inside the carton of expired milk? This week's theme, expired, immediately brought to mind the revulsion of accidentally drinking spoiled milk. You may notice that the evil prancing bovine is a bull with an udder. Very sinister indeed!
This piece was created with a Sharpie Marker, Prang Professional Watercolors and Prismacolor Art Stix and Colored Pencils.
Love kids? You can donate art supplies to my elementary art students at donorschoose.org/kierst

No Marshmellow Dream Clouds

We enjoyed two warm days snowboarding on slush at Eldora. 

On our last day it snowed and snowed. We were so excited to ride on 'marshmellow dream clouds,' (fresh powder), but we only made it 3/4 of the way up the canyon before the Element started sliding off the road and a cop made us turn around. 

Our consolation prize was a trip to the Celestial Seasonings Tea factory. We cleared our sinuses during our time in the Mint Room. They explained that they have to keep all of the mint sealed in a room or the smell and taste would pollute all of the other tea and could be smelled a mile away. As it was, we smelled it in the parking lot upon arrival.

Rocky Mountain Alligators

We visited Colorado Gators, an alligator farm on a hot spring just north of Alamosa. It was a blast. We got to hold an alligator and they even gave us a Certificate of Bravery for doing so. The alligator 'signed' the certificate by chomping it for us. I also got to hold a very large adorable tortoise. Both the tortoise and the alligator were friendlier than my kitty, Zilla.

We got a bucket of gator chow and fed the outdoor gators who made a great show of leaping into the water to snap up the chow with their big teeth. The gators are known for sunning on the snow, freezing and then thawing and crawling back into the water. Apparently it doesn't hurt them. If you go, use something other than your hands to fling gator chow. Our hands smelled like fish for the next day! Ugh!
We rounded out the day with a soak in the hot spring Sand Dunes Swimming pool - very relaxing.

Zapata Falls

We hiked to Zapata Falls near Alamosa, CO on this frozen creek. You could hear the water gurgling under the ice.

Frozen Zapata Falls - gorgeous! The falls are in a slot canyon - almost like a cave. It's probably easier to reach when frozen, like today, than during the summer when you have to hike up in the creek.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Here we are on top of High Dune, we climbed it under the impression that it was the highest dune in N. America. Upon reaching the top we learned it was the 3rd highest. Bummer. Having climbed the world's highest dune in Namibia, Jeff is now working on climbing the Seven Sand Summits. It's far less grueling than climbing the Seven Summits. The biggest risk is that you might get a little sand in your eye. Everest climbers on the other hand loose limbs to frostbite and lives to falls. Falling off a sand dune usually results in laughing.

Jeff communing with the sand. 

This photo should clear up questions about the last...

Monte Vista Nat' Wildlife Refuge - we saw thousands of noisy, dancing Sandhills cranes.

Chile Colorado

Mexican food in the snow in Colorado - yum.

Finding Time on the Morn of Daylight Savings Time

Upon waking this morning, we realized we were missing an hour. Thinking quickly, we grabbed our pillows, hopped in the Element and headed west. Many miles later, we found our missing hour under this sign on the Texas state line. What a relief, since we have no idea how to change the clock in the Element!

Illustration Friday: BRAVE / SUBTERRANEAN

I actually did this illustration for last week's theme, "Brave." Unfortunately, the week got away from me and it was Friday again before I knew it. You can imagine my surprise when this week's theme, "Subterranean," fit it perfectly. So, if you'll excuse the double dipping, please enjoy this illustration of me caving. Yes, I do go caving. I love the thrill of searching for new passages and rooms that I might be the first to step foot in. My favorite cave is Spring Cave in the heart of the Colorado Rockies.

PERSPECTIVE

Please suggest a title for this one in the comments.

Every day on my way to and from work I see this gorgeous hawk atop a lamp post high above the interstate. From my perspective, his life looks pretty good. I envy his days spent wheeling across the sky, free to fly away to any place he desires - as I sit in traffic, on my way to another stressful workday. He answers to no one. He belongs to no one. Sometimes I wonder why he stays there when he can go anywhere. Maybe his reasons are somewhat like mine; "It might not be scenic, but the mice are plentiful and easy to catch. I'll just stay a little longer..."

I created this piece with water soluble oil pastels, using the scraffito (scratch through) technique.