Sequim Daily Photo

Somethin’ fishy

Salmon are running again in the local rivers and Tuesday we headed to the Dungeness River to take a look. Because water levels are low there’s been concern that the runs may be affected but a couple of small storms lately have helped some.

I caught this critter mid-leap. The focus isn’t ideal but I love the reflection.

I also liked the splash it left behind.

Salmon are anadromous fish. They begin their lives in fresh water rivers, migrate into the ocean, and then return to their birth waters to spawn and die. Here you see migrating salmon swimming past the carcass of one which has finished its journey. Click here for more information about salmon life cycles.

Late summer ride

Autumn’s in the air. Lots of bicyclists have lately been trying to squeeze out as much summer as possible.

Lit tree

I love autumn sunsets. Some days the light catches trees and coats them like warm honey.

Dream on

This hotel, the Ann Starrett Mansion, one of those gorgeous Victorian era dwellings, is for sale. It’s in Port Townsend and the asking price is $750,000.

I noticed it a couple of weeks ago and it reignited a completely impractical fantasy I’ve had since I stayed in my first bed and breakfast many years ago. “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a B&B?” I wonder. Cute, cozy rooms. Interesting guests to guide to interesting places. Oh, to be back in the Hospitality Industry!

Then I remember: I hate mornings. I’m retired and I’m very happy for that. And then there’s the little matter of $750,000. Saved again from my fantasies.

A winning artist

The last Paint the Peninsula competitor that I met on Tuesday was Susan Ogilvie, the winner of the inaugural competition in 2013. Susan is from Port Ludlow, about an hour’s drive from Sequim, and has visited the Dungeness Recreation Area often. She teaches art workshops in the U.S., Canada, and Italy. When I met Susan she was working on her second piece of the day, a pastel.

Here’s the unfinished pastel and the view. Susan had just begun adding color to her work.

Susan showed me this oil painting that she had finished earlier in the day. Artists in the competition framed their finished work. Work completed in the competition is for sale. In previous years painting ranged from $325 to $2,400.

Here’s the camera view.

Over the last five days I’ve provided links to each artist’s website and been impressed with the high calibre of artistic quality and expression. If you’ve got time, scroll around and have a look.

Za’s view

Meet Yer Za Vue – Za to her friends – another of the artists in the Paint the Peninsula competition who I met as she painted at Dungeness Recreation Area on Tuesday. Za lives and works in Portland, Oregon. In addition to her painting and illustration background she is also an animator and worked for Disney for over 10 years.

Here was Za’s canvas as she neared completion.

Za’s work reminded me of the liberty an artist has that a photographer doesn’t…unless, of course, we work obsessively in Photoshop. This was Za’s view. Her artistry included the area but overlooked the parking lot and cars that my camera recorded.

More outdoor art

W. Jason Situ is the third plein air artist I met from the Paint the Peninsula competition on Tuesday. Like yesterday’s artist Clement Kwan, he is originally from the People’s Republic of China. He and Kwan are longtime friends enjoying an opportunity to paint together on the Olympic Peninsula. Jason lives in El Monte, California.

Here is the canvas that Jason was working on when we met. I was struck by his mastery of the day’s subtle light and colors.

My camera caught this image from his vantage.

Remembering the events of 9/11 on this anniversary.