Last weekend, Ulan and I took off for a few days to Troutdale, where we stayed at McMenamin’s Edgefield location. For those of you who don’t live in the Pacific North West, chances are you may have never heard of McMenamin’s before. They have an eclectic mix of pubs, bars, historic hotels, and music venues throughout Oregon and Washington. Edgefield is my favorite location because it is only an hour drive from Silverton and makes the perfect getaway where you can fill your cup with inspiration, and there are endless things to paint.

I had the opportunity to travel to Italy recently through the generosity of the Artist’s Network. Since the weather is turning, I decided to finally write about this trip, in order to revel in the memory of those warm summer days in the dream land that is Tuscany.