Happy Holidays,
The Artist Couple
On the evening of December 12 and early morning of December 13, the Texas sky lit up with a spectacular Gemini meteor shower. This is said to be one of the best meteor showers of the year. Because of this, and the fact that we spend way too much time in our (somewhat) boring apartment, we decided to go camping at Pedernales Falls State Park. This was Topher and my first time really sitting down and watching a meteor shower, and it was magical. This was also our first time camping in Texas (definitely beats winter camping in Wisconsin.) We didn't see any crazy colored meteors, just the usual whites and yellows, but you can't complain about the hundreds of shooting stars we did see in only a few hours. Sadly, we only had my camera (Nikon D5100), which to our surprise wouldn't take any photographs of the night sky. We had planned to shoot some long exposures but even on manual mode, with the correct setting it wouldn't allow us to take any photographs and insisted it was "too dark." The latest of only a few letdowns about this camera (I think it's time for an upgrade.) We set up camp in one of the 4 primitive campsites in the park. These are about a 3-3.5 mile hike into the park and if you're starting your hike out in the dark like we did, make sure you know your way around ahead of time. The maps at the park head quarters aren't the most accurate, and it took us about 45 minutes just to find the right trail. We were lucky it hadn't rained more the day before because there are 3 river crossings (without bridges) you must hike through before the campsites. We camped underneath juniper trees (the perfect climbing trees) and set up our hammocks right on the bluff overlooking the Pedernales River. It was a little cold that night (low 40's- is this even considered winter?!) and the Park doesn't allow ground fires, so all we had for warmth was a little hobo stove that lasted us about 3 minutes before we got tired of stoking the fire every 30 seconds. We ended up just using hand-warmers and drinking a lot of vodka and Bloody Marry Mix to warm us up during the magnificent meteor shower. Just like every camping trip we take, I wish we could have stayed longer to further explore the many miles of trails the Pedernales Falls State Park has to offer. Even with no fire and the chilly breeze this trip was worth every second. Spending a romantic evening side-by-side in hammocks, sipping bloodys and stargazing with your best friend, is a day worth living over and over.
Happy Holidays, The Artist Couple
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http://artistcouple.tumblr.com Back in July, Topher and I road-tripped around the midwest. From Milwaukee, Wisconsin to St. Louis, Kansas City, and Eagle Rock, Missouri. Our little car even made it to the tiny town of Mt. Ida, Arkansas. In just two short weeks we visited art museums, family, friends, and of course, hiked a few trails! Not only is Mt. Ida home to my lovely Grandparents, it's also the quartz crystal capital of the world. Located in the middle of the Oachita National Forrest, this teeny town is surrounded by remarkable mountain ranges, parks, and trails. As an Arkansas native, I've lived and traveled around the state for many years, consistently finding hidden gems throughout its landscapes. I have seen more vibrant colors, felt extremes in all four season and experienced the most genuinely kind people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, all in Arkansas. For these reasons, as well as many others, this state is by far my favorite. In Arkansas, green doesn't even begin to describe the magnificence of the foliage. The waterfalls are plentiful and pour into pools as clear as the crystals that hide beneath the mossy forrest floors. The trees seem to reach higher than the clouds themselves and when a cool summer breeze blows by, you can hear their gentle whispers. During Thanksgiving this year, Topher and I made the eight hour trip to Mt. Ida once again to visit family and spend some much needed time outdoors. As we loaded our packs and geared up for the November rain, we could see surprised expressions peering through the windows of the nearby lodge. Huddled up by the warm fire, the vacationers were probably thinking we were crazy for wanting to camp in such weather. To us, they're the ones missing out on all the fun. Rainy or not, here we come. We trekked down Mount Mena and set up camp in Queen Wilhelmina State Park, one of West Arkansas' best kept secrets. The four days leading up to our camping trip were filled with inches of rain, flooded rivers and overflowing creeks, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the trails! Mother Nature must have been looking out for us that day because as soon as we walked into our camping spot, the rain eased up to a light sprinkle as the fog cleared just enough to tease us with a view of the world below. Slippery rock fields, waterfall stairs, and soggy moss patches mingled together to make-up our slender hiking trail that twisted through the dense forrest and up the mountians. Slow and steady, we explored the landscapes, trying to stay focused on our footing to prevent any spills down into the valley. Frequently we stopped to look, smell, feel and take in the breathtaking scenes surrounding us. The views were so enchanting that we both slipped on the rocks, just once, before we agreed that gazing into the mountains and hiking on a wet trail was just not possible if we wanted to keep un-sprained ankles. The Oachita Mountain range runs east to west, rather than north to south, like most mountain ranges. Because of its unique orientation, the mountain slopes have a distinct striping pattern. The northern facing slopes are covered in a thick hardwood forrest and stay moist, while the southern facing slopes are filled with drier Pines and woodlands. The photo below shows a hazy representation of the unique green and brown stripping you will see when hiking through the Oachita Mountains. Back home in Texas, Topher and I have been working hard to get our Artist Couple business up off the ground and it has not been easy... or speedy. We are learning that it's a slow and painstaking process that takes a lot of patience and hard work. We've had so much to do, we almost forgot just how mentally and physically important our time outside is. To avoid any future forgetfulness, we plan to schedule hikes at least once every two weeks, (hopefully every week), along with many more camping trips! Arkansas has a way of reminding me what is important in life and the quiet country provides the perfect space to relax and enjoy the simple things, like being surrounded by the beauty of nature. Spending time adventuring and letting our minds unwind and wander makes the hardships in life a little more tolerable. Traveling to Arkansas is a nice little reminder to never let work get in the way of what keeps you sane.
Sara Artist Couple The other day marks the day of a great discovery, Mckinney Falls State Park. This unbelievably beautiful park contains 81 camp sites, 6 cabins, multiple trails, and plenty of waterfalls and swimming holes, not to mention it's only a 10 minute drive from our new home! Still not used to the warm weather, I was kicking myself for not thinking to bring my swimsuit, or at least wear some shorts. As the sun rose and temperatures climbed to the mid-80's, it got pretty hot walking with little shade. The rocky landscape is so different from the woods and prairies we've been used in Wisconsin, it's a whole new world of terrain, plants, and animals to discover! Wandering off the trails was just too easy, making the hours pass like minutes. We only got about a quarter of the way through the park coming from the north, but Topher and I cannot wait to hike and photograph the rest if its anything like this northern section! Hopping over the pools of cool water that carve and shape landscape made me feel like a little kid exploring a new backyard of small bathtubs. I can confidently say that this is both Topher and I's favorite park in Austin thus far. Walking along the massive sheets of limestone took my breath away, however the day could not be complete without enjoying tacos and tortas from a delicious food truck we found off 1st Street, it was another perfect day in Austin. Check back soon for more Austin activities!
The Artist Couple After a long and stressful 3 days, 1,241 miles, and 5 states later, we have finally moved into our new home! Although we are still unpacking and organizing our belongings, we have had the pleasure of taking two hot but delightful hikes, both minutes away from our new home and both extremely different in scenery. The photo above was taken on the boardwalk surrounding Lady Bird Lake. This walkway is a small portion of the large 10 mile trail that surrounds the lake. Part dirt and part boardwalk, this is a popular place for cyclists, runners, and many dog owners, as there are dog water fountains next to every "human" water fountain and plenty of bathrooms along the way. This is the trail to take if you want to experience the hustle and bustle that goes on around the city of Austin. The other trail we've discovered, gives you quite a different experience. Amazingly this trail has fairly little traffic compared to any trail in Austin, especially this close to the downtown. It's said to be one of the most secluded trails in Austin and even has a "Secret Beach" (photo above). Slender dirt and sandy trails curve around the pre-existing landscape, making you forget you're just miles from downtown Austin. A 3 mile path leads you from one park to the next, where you can find baseball diamonds, golf course, sand volleyball courts, and a frisbee golf course. This quiet, remote trail is perfect for "getting away" without really having to go too far from home. There are so many new landscape to discover and wildlife to learn about it is a little overwhelming, but also very exciting! We're in the early stages of planning our next big backpacking trip to Big Bend National Park, so stay tuned!
The Artist Couple Though it had not broken us, winter was over and it was nice to shed the heavy winter coats and gloves and dawn the spring gear. It was a beautiful spring afternoon when we started our 14.2 mile hike along the Blue Spring Lake segment of the Ice Age trail. A vast majority of this segment is forest, starting out in hardwood and transitioning back-and-forth between pine and hardwood as you work your way up-and-down the ridgelines. The lake itself is near the end of the segment if you are starting from east and heading west. It's a rather small lake and is completely undeveloped as far as residential structures goes. There is a small sitting area on the east side of the lake, just off the trail as you approach the lake. Sara and I were lucky enough to catch a rafter of Turkey's crossing the trail, just as we broke out of the woods and caught our first glimpse of the lake. Hiking the ridgelines was one of the highlights of this segment. A lot of the trail runs atop these narrow and steep ridges, which offered beautiful views while there was no foliage on the trees. The best part that I remember though (seeing as I'm writing this many months after we hiked it), was that amazing "golden hour" on our hike back to the car. We came across an opening in the trees, just as the sunlight was getting all buttery soft, which is when I took the last picture in this post and is by far my favorite picture from this hike. Thanks for reading! I have a lot more to write about including more hiking stories as well as some awesome life news about us, The Artist Couple, so check back often!
The Artist Couple After what seems like an eternity of broken computers and printing for thesis, I'm finally catching up on my always expanding list of things to do. First up is a little Ice Age Trail action. We have done five segments since I last blogged about our IAT hikes, bringing our cumulative total to 97 miles. I'll start with the earliest two, Loew Lake and Monches segments, which we both completed at the same time during the winter. Monches was what we started our hike with that day. This 3.1 mile segment takes you through mostly marshlands and the Oconomowoc river. It was a decent hike with only slight elevation changes. There are plenty of springs, streams, and water along the way, with many benches for resting your tired feet and enjoying the beauty. This segment does pass through the backyards of several houses at one point, so if you are looking for a more secluded hike, I might not recommend this one. Overall it is a beautiful segment, one which I think would be lush and gorgeous pretty much any time other than winter. This was trail that greeted us at the 4.8 mile Loew Lake trailhead. Of the two segments this one was both our favorite. It offers a nice variation of pine forest, prairie and riverside hiking. The trail is well blazed and maintained, and offers some educational information posts about the history of the area.
More pictures can be found in the our gallery and I have a lot more stuff to write about, so check back often! The Artist Couple The MIAD Senior Thesis opening was fantastic! I got so much great feedback and saw so many friendly faces. I want to thank everyone who came out to support me and If you missed it, there's still plenty of time to see it at MIAD. Every Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm MIAD's galleries will be open to the public until 5pm, May 9. I talked to hundreds of people at the opening and so many people asked questions about my process, no one believed these pieces were relief prints. Most thought either screen print or digital inkjet print, but the truth is that each individual dot was pressed into a Sintra (plastic) plate with a thumbtack, then inked up with a big roller, ran through a press with paper, and BAM, you have the relief print! One of my bigger water prints "Sea" was made using a process I've only tried one other time. It starts by inking up the whole plate, then wiping the parts i want to stay white clean with mineral spirits/mineral oil, then run the plate through the press like normal. I can't wait to use this technique in my future prints! This process was so good for my patience, which is something I find myself lacking more than I'd like. Having to repeatedly press each hole in hopes of creating a clear depiction of something as complex as nature takes a lot of focus and patience. I consider this type of work my way of actively meditating. I have to be so mindful of each dots placement and focus on each moment of subtle highlight and shadow, I've gained a whole new appreciation for the complexity of these elements and have truly learned a ton about printmaking, myself, and my artwork in general.
So it's been a while since the last post, my (sara's) thesis work is due in about a week and Topher has been helping me prepare for the art show in more than one way, so to say the least we've been keeping ourselves busy. I'm very excited to finally release photos of my latest relief prints! Both prints (seen below) are 42"x16" and are currently one of a kinds! If you're around Milwaukee April 17- May 9 head to Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and see the biggest art exhibition in Wisconsin (gallery hours 9am-4pm). Opening reception is April 17, 5-9pm. There will be snacks, drinks, and lots of awesome art! Here's a sneak peak of my work: Elements unite, Transcending time’s existence, Slow down, stop, reflect. My work starts as thoughts inspired by my surroundings. Elements of nature excite me, and the satisfaction of taking in each moment completely is what I live for. In order to fully recreate each moment honest to its reality, each print is created from direct reference and my photography. This process of re-creating the natural world is an exercise of mindfulness, focus, and meditation. Each dot is meticulously placed as it was found in nature, concentrating on what can be seen, and enjoying what is left empty. Want to see more of my art? Check out my website, located under the "about" tab at the top of this website! Topher is participating in a shower strike for clean water and could use some help! This is an opportunity to help save lives by providing sustainable water systems to East Africa. Everyday we take clean drinking water for granted and it's time to give back! Topher has committed to not shower starting April 18 until he has reached his goal of $5,000! He's 6% of the way there and would love to see everyone support such a great cause. There are about 358 million people in Africa without access to clean water and with your help in donations we can achieve great things! Every ten dollars can provide one person with clean water for 25+ years! Please help the cause and check out Topher's shower strike, a little can go a long way!
Find out more and donate at the link below: http://showerstrike.org/topher-mack |
Sara & TopherWe are a working artist couple based out of Austin, TX. This blog chronicles our life and artistic ventures, as we work to make the world and environment a little better every day. Archives
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