Back from our two-day trip all around Oregon, and I'm all drawn out. We stopped at the High Desert Museum, Warm Springs Museum, and Timberline lodge yesterday (Tuesday) and today (Wednesday) we left the Timberline lodge and drove to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Multnomah Falls. At each stop on Tuesday we drew interior, exterior, and detail drawings, plus we were supposed to draw diagrams of the landscapes and a section of our drive from Eugene to High Desert and from Warm Springs to Timberline. Today, we only had to draw at the Columbia Gorge Dicovery Center (plus finish the Timberline drawings), so we got to just enjoy the falls and the Vista House.
As much as it was a bit of overkill, and a lot of riding on the bus, the trip was enjoyable. Still, it was exhausting, because when we weren't drawing, we were all still in the getting to know you mode. I think it's particularly strange - we've spent a lot of time together, but in individual pursuit of the same goals, rather than in collaborative work towards a single accomplishment. That means that we have a lot to compare, rather than a solid baseline shared experience. So conversation tends to revolve around school, or other points of comparison (in particular, our opinions of each other, which makes me feel like I'm in middle school again, but sometimes our previous lives), rather than moving into new territory. It's somewhat frustrating because it takes a lot of work to continue the conversations, but the payback is relatively low. I'm looking forward to some mellowing out of the group.
One high point - last night I stayed at the Silcox Hut (7000 ft elevation) on Mt. Hood. Twenty-six of us shared the bunk house. I signed up late, so I was on the floor in front of the huge fireplace. Before we went to bed and after a good hour of casual conversation in the fireplace hall, Jake and Eric (the guy I was going to live with originally) were headed back out to sled a bit more on some lunch trays they had lifted earlier in the day. Kyle and I headed out with them, and we had a great time sledding down Mt. Hood on the tiny little trays. Throughly out of breath and much colder, we headed back in to the warm fire. It was a nice little snippet of time without the pressure to impress anyone, and some much needed physical activity after the long day of sitting.
I have a couple of drawings I'm very happy with, some that are quite a bit more rough to put it charitably, and lots that I didn't get done. I hope to clarify tomorrow what level of detail and preciseness vs. expressiveness and expansiveness we need to be capturing, which is probably a question that I should have asked before the attempting the assignment. Oh well. On a happy note that relates both to the drawings and to this little bloggy-poo, I was doing my reading today and came accross this quote from Edward Fischer: "Judged by the days, life does not make sense. Judged by the years, things add up and a plan emerges. A good reason to keep a journal is to have the consolation of seeing patterns form." A lovely sentiment, if expressed in a melancoly mode.
Hoping to get some fun/free time this weekend, along with doing a lot of drawing, starting the next project, writing the History/Theory midterm, and dealing with loose ends that have been hanging since the beginning of the term. Good news, though - I can now take my computer in to the studio, which means that I can spend even more time there...