This used to be a railway line and has been restored to a beautiful bicycle trail and pedestrian walkway following the shoreline, wooded areas, farms, and suburban homes, to name a few.  There are so many opportunities to be inspired for future paintings that I took a few images of some places that appeared on the route.

The weather forecast promises more sunshine for the week so  I am hoping to capture some more shots, especially Christmas themes.

Starting in Vancouver, BC, the cruise ship visited the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Haines and the Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.

Precipitation can be really high along the coast, even in the Summer, but there were some beautiful, sunny days to enjoy the spectacular scenery and walk around the pioneer towns.

Outdoor markets, street entertainment, museums and stores, made the time go too quickly. Soapstone carvings, artwork and clothing are some of the items that made it all the more interesting.

The last stop was Anchorage with a First Nation’s Cultural Centre and more choices of seafood restaurants and local beer.

This vintage photograph was purchased in Juneau and made into a painting

Where to start?

A Big Bus Tour will provide an orientation of all the best sights and there is also a trip to Brooklyn, a night tour and a harbour tour.

The subway system is a very cheap, fast way to get away from the tourist herd and have more flexibility finding your own way around.

If you prefer a more organized itinerary, Dance Victoria offers a tour every year, in May, which is well worth checking out at www.DanceVictoria.com and is hosted by Blaney’s Travel.

Pick up a copy of Time Out which is published weekly and that will make it easier to figure out all the things to do timeout.com/newyork

This image is taken from the entrance to the Tourist Info where the tall, vertical sculptures are part of the desert landscaping. I stayed in Palm Desert at the Club Intrawest Resort and was truly impressed with the display of original artwork that was integrated with the architecture. Would love to return and do some art workshops and photography of the scenery that has such intense, vivid colors. Victoria seems more grey and conservative in comparison but I love the cool breezes and mild climate too.

If you would like to find out more about the Palm Springs Art Museum, go to www.psmuseum.org

Hence, it is a long task to put together the perfect outfit and research, find, or improvise the necessary details. I will include more info about the group as there is so much to share with you.

The outfit I am wearing here is an Opera Gown from the late 1890’sand was worn in a Mother’s Day Fashion Show, Sidney, BC. The orange cape is from the HP Collection and felt absolutely luxurious to wear. This gown is reconstructed from an original, 1900’s skirt, and was painstakingly tailored by Louise Louise Osselton, our talented and hard-working seamstress/designer in the group. The lace headdress is antique but the purse is a reproduction, found on a trip to Las Vegas.

I have since acquired a pair of opera binoculars and fan. My search is still ongoing for a pair of embroidered bootees, but I have size 9 1/2 feet, so nothing vintage will come anywhere near me.

Although I have a private collection of gowns, they are hard to wear because women a hundred years ago came in really small sizes and sometimes the fabric will be destroyed if it is handled incorrectly. HP Models seem to favor a certain era, but I seem to enjoy the mid 1900’s, 1930’s and 1950’s.

Paintings inspired by costumes are shown in the Vintage section of the Home Webpage.

One of my interests is fashion and historical costumes, and I will now be abe to showcase some of the wonderful fashion shows from Heritage Productions, where I sometimes get to model or take images of the other models.

I will try and explain some of the categories of art on my site, such as ‘The James Series’ in Mixed Media 2, and how that ties in to my research on my family and Selby, the town in NE England where I was born.

Also, I travel on a Harley motorcycle (as a passenger) with my husband, Rene, and I will include material from my travels to various places that might be of interest.

If you have any suggestions or comments on items you would like to see, please let me know and I will try and incorporate your input.