The Journey Continues

Fort Bragg, CA

Day 2
Like any first night of traveling and spending the evening in a new location, none of us got much
sleep. Though quiet, peaceful and comfortable, we were still used our own beds and familiar sounds of our house so couldn't get a very restful sleep. Collectively giving up on even attempting to sleep, we got up at 6:30am and started to get ourselves for another day of traveling along the coast as we aimed for the Oregon border.

7:32am - Fort Bragg, CA

Checking out of the motel, we packed our vehicle and we were on the road once again. We took the opportunity to do a little coastal sightseeing by wandering a few of the beaches. Of course we all knew that we needed to reach Highway 101 at some point before noon. Might I add that I do not do well with extremely
twisted roads and a lot of up and down movement? What kind of road is Highway 1? Yeeaaahhh. Though absolutely lovely and scenic, it felt like a test of endurance for me. Even with that little draw back, the scenery was lovely and it helped that my delightful traveling companions kept me laughing through out the entire trip.

Morning Fog Near Eureka, CA

9:17am - Leggett, CA

Reaching the small town of Leggett for gas, we couldn't help but cheer when we realized that we were literally less then a block away from Highway 101. Having a friendly chat with the owner and singular operator of the only gas station in town, we discovered that the man basically also ran a couple of the other tiny establishments that were next to the gas station. He offered us a bit of advise on what would be good to see along the way before wishing us luck on our journey. With one more well deserved stretch, we piled into our vehicle and a way we went. Along the way up the road, we discovered that some of the coastal morning mist had been rolling through which was giving some of the areas an other-wordly appearance.

Gold Beach, OR

2:19pm - Crescent City, CA

After a quick stop at Eureka for lunch, we made our way to the last major city before the California/Oregon border. Of course I went ahead and prepared for more inspiration along the way. It took us a bit but we eventually reached Cresent City. Finding a place to get some gas, we made plans on what our next stop. While going through the border into Oregon, I couldn't help but notice one of the signs that were on the side of the road. Much like California, there was a sign warning of the fees for littering. Unlike it's larger neighbor which has a fee of $1000 for an offense, Oregon had stated a fee of $6250. I couldn't help but blink in shock. It would explain so much as to why there was nearly no trash on the side of the road once in Oregon compared to what I usually see within California. My companions pointed out that it would be nice if our state had slightly higher fees when it came to littering and polluting so that seeing such dumping along our roadways would decrease. I do have to agree with their logic on this one but I don't think we'll be seeing such changes for quite a while, if at all.


3:38pm - Gold Beach, OR

Gold Beach, OR

Taking a moment to enjoy the scenery, we stopped off at the lovely Gold Beach. The surf was rolling in and the wind nearly blew us off our feet a couple of times but even with the sting of the sand and salt water against my skin, I enjoyed the entire experience. There was something soothing yet primal listening to the massive waves crash into the pebble decorated sandy shore while standing there having the gusts of wind whip my hair around. It's such an odd feeling that I find difficult to explain to others since I'm not sure if there is anything to truly explain the sensation.

Drift Wood in Stream, Gold Beach, OR

While we were there, I did notice that the water that was flowing into the ocean from a small nearby creek was crystal clear. I found myself mesmerized watching to the water rush along the pebbles that lined the pathway to the ocean. Even with some of the drift wood that was in the stream, they just added to the beauty that I couldn't pull myself away from for several moments. Completely satisfied with the experience, I trekked back to the vehicle for the last bit of the journey to the agreed upon location we would be staying the night.

5:53pm - Coos Bay, OR

Tired, stiff, and ready for something to eat, our first goal was to find a place to stay for the night.
Spotting a few things along the way to the hotel that I am hoping to take pictures of the following morning, I took mental notes and made sure that my companions knew that I wanted to get images before we left the area in the morning. What could it possibly be? You'll just have to stay tuned!

May the Adventure Begin!

Moss covered branches - Muir Beach, CA

Day 1 
Even with all of the preparation, we still ended up with a few things that we needed to do first thing in the morning such as clean the last of the dishes that were in the sink from the night before and tossing out the trash. Just the standard type of thing, really. Once everything was locked up and checked, we topped off the tank in our vehicle and were on the road.

7:58am - Starting location: Elk Grove, CA

The traffic wasn't too bad going through Sacramento save for the typical Monday morning commute for those going into town for work and school. By Vallejo, however, it was the attack of the Bay Area commuters. Taking the bridge that takes drivers through Highway 37 then to Highway 101 south so that we could catch Highway 1, it took a bit to actually reach our first destination.

Horse & Rider - Muir Beach, CA

10:47am - 11:26am Muir Beach, CA

We decided to end up enjoying a bit of an explore around Muir Beach to stretch our legs which in
itself became a mini adventure. Slowly wandering along, we hiked along some of the paths and I was taking photos like mad. So much inspiration. So many different textures and various forms. Was able to see an enjoy creatures and plants that I would normally not have a chance to see in my area along. It would take us a bit due to how twisted the coastal roads that it took a bit of time to find our next stop.

Starling - Fort Ross, CA

12:18pm - 1pm Point Reyes Station, CA

I might want to mention that not only was this stop for lunch but it was basically our first meal of the day. Not something that I would suggest ever doing, especially when the only you had previously was a granola bar before a hike. We came across a rather non-assuming Mexican restaurant which also had pizza, sandwiches, doubled as a small general store and had a pool table for the evenings and weekends. Large portions. Reasonable prices. Oh and I should mention that the staff were absolutely friendly. Devouring our meals, we trekked to our next destination with well filled bellies.

Children Learning History - Fort Ross, CA

3:03pm - 4:11pm Fort Ross, CA

Since this entire trip has nothing that is planned, that means that we get to impulsively wander to a
location to explore and have absolutely no regrets for it. One such stop was for Fort Ross, an 1800s Russian settlement which had hiking routes around the area, the remains of the fort which could be explored (along with encouraging school children to learn the history of the area by being part of the reinactors for a short time), and a small museum. It was an absolutely peaceful environment with an area rich with history. It's certainly a place that I would recommend to visit.

Chapel at Fort Ross, CA

6:32pm Fort Bragg, CA

After a long day of twists and turns along cliffs and through gulches, we finally ended up stopping for the night at a peaceful motel on the outskirts of Fort Bragg. Looking through the images that I had taken, I was a tad disappointed that some of the images I had taken were blurred either by the lens not being completely focused or due to some of the coastal mist that was moving through at the time. However, I did discover that I had several nice shots that I hope to use as references at a later time.

Now to prepare myself for Day 2 of my adventure through the countryside. Stay tuned!

Giving into the Call

As a child, we would constantly move to different states and even countries due to my father being in the military. With each move, I would hate leaving the previous location behind but there was another sensation which I experienced that I could never figure out how to describe. It wasn't until I was older and we would do trips that I came to understand what the feeling was. Yes there was the fear of the unknown but at the same time, there was complete exhilaration. The thrill of exploring a new, strange environment and entering into a world that only the locals get to see on a regular basis. The chance to learn about things of the area. As I've become older, I found the perfect word to describe this feeling that I regularly feel to go out and experience something new in the world:

I do get the occasional case of wanderlust ever so often but luckily I'm in a household where it's completely acceptable since the other members here with me get it as well. How do we handle it when we need to answer the call once the insatiable need is too much to ignore? Road trips! Usually we have a set destination for where we need to go, be it to visit family who are out of state of traveling to festival. Usually.

Recently I made the announcement that we would be going on a road trip this coming week. However, the trip that we're about to go on has no destination. The only thing we know is the route which is following Highway 1 up along the West Coast of the United States and continue along once it changes to Highway 101. Past that, we've agreed that we'll be winging it. What does that mean? There are at least 5 possible ways that we have in consideration as to how we'll be returning home but we haven't come up with an actual plan. Yup! That means that this trip is going to be a complete adventure. I will be keeping updates of this little journey so perhaps along the way, I will find some inspiration for future pieces along the way.

From Tears to Hope

It has been about 2 years since I last cried. 

In February 2016, it will be 2 years since my mother's passing. Because of a promise that I had made to her and to myself, I have not cried. In a way, I have been suffering with depression during that time but I haven't told anyone about it. it is probably because of my mindset of so many people that I care about are having their own cases that they have been suffering from for much longer and on much more extreme ways that the last thing that they need is to hear of my troubles. So I've kept things locked up inside and forced myself to push forward. Sadly, my work has been affected. I would look at my paintings during this period and compare it to how my skill level was previously and I could see that the quality has dropped. Frustrated and angry at myself, I have lost count of how many pieces that I have discarded in the trash because what I was producing was no longer at the high level I was creating previously to my mother's death. This year has been especially difficult and at several points I have asked myself if I needed to just give up on everything that I had spent my entire life fighting to achieve. That's when a little voice in the back of my head suggested that it might be time to completely reinvent myself. 

The contents of 1 of 4 book cases
of my research books.
This one is my main one which is
located next to my desk.

About midway through the Autumn through a series of discussions with one of my best friends that I realized that unlike my past younger self, my work has no focus. Technically this was my fault because I had it in my mind for the longest time that to run my business, I needed to be as flexible as possible in order to have a little bit of something for everyone. What do I mean by having no focus? As a child, I have always been fascinated in studying various cultural beliefs. In high school, my AP Art Class (advance placement classes are designed to function as a college level class) had the requirement of having a theme which mine was female deities in various world religions. By college, I had expanded my research to include some of the darker aspects of religion and in the process started collecting books that varied from crystals to demonology and everything in between. It's a rather odd collection but one that I am rather proud of. As I went ahead and analyzed myself and my work, I realized that the pieces that I was always extremely proud of where those of some religious annotation or had reference to cultural beliefs. I concluded after much thought that what I needed to do was not just make a side project for myself, but completely start from scratch to make what I do into something that I could truly be proud of. 

For a lack of a better title, I thought that I would slowly ease my viewers and clientele into the transition that I was going through by calling the pieces that I was beginning to create by calling them part of an Altar Piece Project.  As I had explained to my Facebook followers, I realize that with so many having various beliefs and traditions that it is always difficult to find

'Sacred Vessel' by Dawn Star Wood
Created in 2013 before the conception of
the 'Altar Piece Project', is an
interpretation of Quan Yin.

something that may a good gift. With this project, I will be creating small altar piece art for various religions and beliefs. These small pieces of art are meant for personal sacred spaces. My goal is to have a little bit of as many religions as possible represented- from Christian and Pagan to Islamic and Judaism to Hinduism and Buddhism. What I hadn't had a chance to explain to anyone as of yet was that my ultimate goal is that this particular project, per-say, would be the stepping stone that will allow me to continue my research into various cultures and religion along with giving me a reason to travel more in order to establish connections with outside of my current web of resources.


As of this point, besides a small piece that I had done for myself, I have done 3 pieces so far (1 having already found a loving home). I am hoping that as I am able to continue forward with this that I will be able to create increasingly larger pieces that I will make available. I have been absolutely enjoying being able to research and learn more about the various deities and philosophies as I work on these pieces, learning about how they were originally supposed to be and seeing how over time due to region, outside influence and even changing opinion that these beings and thoughts were changed to what we know them as now. One thing I have noticed as I work and share my creations is that not only have I been receiving an incredible amount of positive feed back about the pieces  and the project but have taken note that each one seems to have been giving a sense of hope to those who have seen them. That has actually given me so much conformation that my decision to reinvent myself in this manner has been the correct thing to do. Here is what I have done up to this point:

Lady of Guadalupe (Virgin Mary)

Religion: Catholic (Mexico)

Watercolors, white acrylic and gold calligraphy paint on paper (5x7 inches)

I have never been much of a fan of the traditional depiction of the Lady of Guadalupe, the interpretation of the Virgin Mary that is commonly seen throughout Mexico. So I decided to keep the traditional roses and veil of stars that she is usually shown with and bring a different view of the serenity that she is said to have.

Quan Yin (Guanyin) 

Religion: Buddist 

Watercolors, and gold calligraphy paint on paper (5x7 inches)

Here is the second small piece in my Altar Piece project. Since there's so many variations of Quan Yin, I will probably visit her through out the project and also include her original male form which was more common before the 1200s. With this version, I wanted to keep to the traditional white gown she's usually in but with at least a little bit of texture but without realizing it leaned towards the version of her which was originally Princess Miaoshan.

Cernunnos (Horned God)

Religion: Celtic

Watercolors, white acrylic and gold calligraphy paint on paper (4x6 inches)

This time around I decided to go with something for the Horned Forest God, Cernunnos, of Celtic belief. I wanted to balance out the previous, rather feminine pieces I had been doing with something a bit masculine. Incorporating one of the better known metal reliefs of Cerunnos with an elk, I was aiming to have a feel of natural with some mystic tones.

Meeting of Artistic Minds: SoMK

It has been a long time coming but I'm thrilled to bring you all a new installment of 'Meeting of Artistic Minds'. In case some of you are unfamiliar with this little segment, MoAM takes a behind-the-scenes look of how artists come up with their material, thoughts on various things, and introduce people to their work. This time around, I have been able to contact the delightfully talented SoMK for a nice little Q and A session. From Illuminated paintings to hand crafted jewelry, I couldn't wait to hear her thoughts on things.

Orchar WarBird by SoMK
23.5 ct Gold leaf, Copper and Brass leaf on paper

1. As a creator of both hand crafted jewelry and illuminated paintings, what attracted you to either medium to cause you to focus on both?

I strongly believe that illuminated paintings and jewelry are 2 faces of the same coin. We deal with metal in both and some design researches end up in jewelry because the 3rd dimension just seems obvious, and sometimes not.. Actually, History shows us that for instance Renaissance italian enamelist/jewelers often doubled up as illuminators in between commissioned pieces.

One of my favourite illuminator, Nicola da Guardiagrele is especially renowned for his jewelry works. 
I'm not pretending to be at their level by far but this was of course a huge confirmation I was going the right way ;)

Roman de la Rose by SoMK
Based on a 1565 copy of the Roman de la Rose.
Gouaches and 23ct gold leaf on paper.

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2. Who or what has been the greatest influence in your work?

Possibly the fact that I was a very lonely child (not sad, just very 'in my own world') and that precise and long works are soothing, like a hunt for something pure and absolute. I surely was influenced by my grand dad who combined scientific background with a very artistic fibre (he painted gorgeous watercolours), and by my mother who taught me to be independent and hard headed ;)



3. On the subject of your jewelry creations, it can be arguably suggested that your Lovecraftian pieces are perhaps some of your most popular among a great many of your viewers. If you chose another literary source of inspiration for a future collection of pieces, which would you like to explore?

Cthulhu Ring and Garnet
by SoMK

So many ! But I'm very worried about copyrights so I don't think I'll do a whole line this time. I will surely make a few 'hommage' pieces, be them paintings or jewelry or figurines around novels I loved (Elric, The Skaith trilogy - I'm a Leigh Brackett's fan, Katheryn Moore's, etc..) but I'll be mainly exploring my own little world.

Jewelry wise, I'll tackle Lovecraft 2.0. New designs, smaller sizes, weird metals. But my illuminated paintings idea list is way way bigger than my jewelry one.



4. With your illuminated paintings, you seem to balance between rather traditional imagery and pieces showing whimsy though subtle humor. Is there any particular scene or imagery that you favor more then another?

Hilarius peripatens by SoMK
Watercolours and 23.5 ct Gold leaf

Nope. I am actually working on bigger pieces, challenging ones, from my own small world and, in between, dealing with smaller funnier pieces helps to relax (and prevents mistakes!) So no, I don't prefer one over the other. They go together. The level of workmanship is the same but there is way less emotional pressure when you draw a MIB or a frolicking dinosaur X)



5. If there was another artist's work you enjoy, who's work would you like to have on the walls of your home or office?

Bronze Durrow Bracelet by SoMK
Based on illuminated borders from the Book of Durrow 

So many !!!! And I have to admit I have a collector streak in me as well so … myeah, I do buy small originals of people I adore like Stephanie Law, Aaron Jasinski, Daniel Maidman, Claudia Hahn or Niroot Puttapipat and many others…. and then some that I can't afford… yet. :p
Soon… sooooon!!!!


Thank you so much SoMK for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer questions! If you want to see more of her work or follow her on social media, then I encourage you to do so.

Facebook: SoMK (Artist) 
deviantART: SoMK
Twitter: SoMK

Humble Ballpoint Pen

Octopus by Ray Cicin
Original Photo Source - ThisColossal.com

Recently, through my wanderings of the internet, I came across an interesting artist spotlight posted up by ThisColossal.com. This particular feature gave people a glimpse into the intricate and beautiful work by artist Ray Cicin. Using discarded and used ballpoint pens, he created a massive octopus which captures the imagination. 

Work by Enam Bosokah

When I had originally spotted Ray's beautiful feature by Colossal, I couldn't help but remember how MyModernMet.com had featured the works of artists who have used a ballpoint pen- most notably Ghanan-based artist Enam Bosokah earlier this year in April 2015 and Portugal-based artist Samuel Silva back in August 2012. Both of these artists had been able to capture a fascinating amount of detail in their works from such an understated medium. Could these pieces be used as examples of not needing expensive supplies? That is completely possible. Personally I think that it also shows the public and potentially the established art world that, depending on the execution of unconventional mediums (in this case common office supplies), that you could create tantalizing works of art out of nearly anything. Of course, bare in mind, that there are perhaps several art critics out there that would disagree with me on this matter but I am just sharing my opinion.

Work by Samuel Silva

If you decide to look at other examples of works by artists who have used a ballpoint pen to create their pieces, you will be delighted and mesmerized by the variety. From insects to hyperealistic to fantasy, there seems to be no end to the amount of creativity that can be shown by using such an understated medium. Just looking around deviantArt, I was pleasantly surprised by the slowly growing collection of works. It was difficult to narrow down some examples of ballpoint pen art but here are my personal Top 3. 

'Eagle' by XRlS

XRlS.deviantart.com (Greece) - A traditional artist specializing in color pencil works, Greecian artist Christina Papagianni creates stunningly vivid works. Though she mostly focuses on color pencil, she does have a lovely example of ballpoint pen art within her collection of viewable work.
Facebook: Christina Papagianni Artist

'Adam Savage' by ArtisAllan
(Work in Progress)

ArtisAllan.deviantart.com (Ireland) - Self labeled French ballpoint pen artist Allan Barbeau currently residing in Ireland has a wonderful array of examples of both whimsy and hyperealism. As an illustrator and portrait painter, Allan's works are astoundingly detailed. Animals. People. Fantasy. His viewers are certainly in for a treat when viewing his works. 
Facebook: Allan's Ballpoint Pen Art

by Vũ Mạnh Hoà

vumanhhoa.deviantart.com (Vietnam) - With his works ranging from pencil, color pencil and ballpoint pen, Vũ Mạnh Hoà of Vietnam shows his viewers that his interests are also just as wide in variety. 

A Simple Red Cup

Starbucks Holiday Cup 2015

     I'm sure that by now, if you are on any form of social media, your screen is being spammed by articles of Starbucks choosing to have no decorations this year on their holiday cups. Of course this has been met with vocal anger from the small yet vocal section of the Christian community with cries of "Put Christ back into Christmas". I however am not one of those individuals but there are going to be some things that I'm going to say that will cause many people within my circle of friends and even perhaps my own family to flare their nostrils and perhaps even worse but it needs to be said. So brace yourselves for this. 

Image from a St. Lucia'd Day celebration
Original source: Quiet Time on Tumblr

     Yes it is true that Christmas is not celebrated by everyone and even when it is celebrated, there are a great many variations and traditions there of. Originally, the celebration was known as Yule and was meant to be a midwinter festival celebrated by native Germanic peoples. It was later Christianized  (late 590s A.D.) and called Christmastide with it's 12 day celebration then being converted to what we know now as the Advent Calendar. Even with the drastic change, some traditions are still maintained such as the decorating of a tree and the house, lighting of candles, and the giving of gifts. Also the traditions of the gift givers are different from culture to culture, thus the various versions of Santa Claus/St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, Marzana, Sinterklaas and Swartz Pete just to name a few. Even the various 'traditional' foods that are typically served is different from country to country and even from era to era. 

First Night of Hanukkah (2014)
Original Source: McAdams Plumbing of
Broomfield, CO (USA)

     There are also other religious celebrations that occur around the same time of year, such as Hanukkah (Jewish), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Pancha Ganapati (Hinduism), Yalda (Pagan), and Kwanzaa (Americas). With so many cultures and beliefs that use the month of December and just the winter solstice in general, the entire time is a non-stop celebration of life. So why should we celebrate just one? It's like a teacher having a favorite child in their class and ignores all of the rest of the student body. Eventually that teacher realizes that they have played favoritism for too long and decides to stop, which of course causes the now former favorite to complain to their parents. I know this is a horrible comparison but I'm sure you get the point. 

'Grey Starbucks Cup' by CreativeCarrah on deviantart

     Personally I'm not upset over the fact that the Starbucks cups are just a simple red cup. I will miss seeing the possible patterns that they come out with every year but I am not upset by the missing graphics.There is a reason for this though. I see them now as blank canvases for people to express themselves. The creativity that can be put onto a simple paper cup is astonishing and awe inspiring. So I will not see this as a banishment of merriment but instead an opportunity to see how people will express their creativity and thoughts on a simple inanimate object. Just thinking about all of the possibilities of what artists will come up with makes me so excited. Think of the various subject matters and themes that could be done on that simple red cup! It could even be non-holiday themed.



     I do realize that by this time, most of you will probably already yelled at me about how much I'm wrong, that I may go to hell, or how much I need prayer. You're welcomed to your opinion and of course I did warn you in the beginning that I will be stepping on a great many toes on this. I would normally offer an apology but in this case, I cannot say such a thing without it being a complete lie. However if you have been able to make it to the end of my

'Project Papercup 001' by Sweeter-then-reality on deviantart

argument with an open mind, I thank you for your time and wish you a blessed and joyful celebration of what ever you believe in or follow. I also urge you to be as creative as you can be and enjoy each day you can.