In the News....

Sumpter...Oregon 1862 ~ 2017

A free slideshow by Smilebox

Summer Asters!

Summer Asters in Full Bloom!

The flowers of Summer say it all!

 Purple Asters started blooming right after the Fourth of July at the cabin and have not stopped!

The flower looks like fireworks!

Purple and Yellow!

Laura Ashley was correct when she stated 

"The two happiest colors together"!

The cabin is now surrounded by wild yarrow, lilies, paintbrush, and thousands of asters.

Summers carpet!

Nature's color combinations never stop surprising! 

The bright orange and black of the butterfly against the purple asters!

The intricate patterns that each provide....its all in the details!

In the morning the asters all face toward the sun as if they are waiting for something!

Maybe their morning coffee!

Or just feeling the warmth of the summer sun after such a cool mountain night!

The beauty of nature is the most peaceful solitude of all!

Enjoy!

Have a Wonderful Evening Everyone!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max!

Customers' Favorite Things!

Last Weeks Customer's Favorite Things!

Oh My! The fabric store was VERY busy last week!

The sewing rooms must be buzzing!

The "Bright Hummingbird Dreams" fabric sold to several people! 

So much color and detail! I had more fun creating the original painting!

"Spring Storm Iris Fields"

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/spring-storm-iris-fields-jennifer-lake.html

The Powder River Fabric sold to a client in NE Oregon!

I bet they are going to make a quilt?

The fabric was created from a photograph and paint!

I like the abstract and lime green result!

THANK-YOU SEATTLE! 

What a summer! The Seattle Tote Bag has now sold several 100 pieces!

The gift shops are HAPPY! So am I!

The Oregon Zoo Box sold ......just the right size for that "Special" gift!

I love these boxes! They come in several sizes and are available with many covers and in most of the stores!

A great graduation, wedding, or birthday gift!

The fabric below is called "The Joy of Jam Chef". The image is a pullout from the original painting titled 

"The Joy of Jam"!

The painting depicts "Ms. Elizabeth's" friends gathering blackberries and making jam!

Click on the LINK below to see the entire original painting.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-joy-of-jam-jennifer-lake.html

The "Mountain Bluebird Fabric" sold ...very curious what they are creating!

The image is a "pullout from the original painting titled "Bark".

You can view the entire painting by CLICKING on the LINK below:

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/bark-jennifer-lake.html

Stickers....stickers....STICKERS!

Wow...You all love these! So do I!

The quality is amazing and the size options!

I buy the bird images all the time!

 I have used them on art studio jars, plant vases, cards, etc!

I like the clarity, color and thickness!

Enjoy!

Many tiles have been selling...so much construction is going on everywhere!

I sold and created several different tiles for a building contractor and kitchen designer.

 We worked together and came up with exactly what they needed and at a GREAT price!

Quantity discounts!!

Let me know what your ideas! I will work with you!

jenniferlakeart@gmail.com

A little boy in Portland, Oregon is going to be VERY HAPPY!

While he is visiting his grandparents...Mom is redecorating his bedroom!

The theme: "FRONTIER TOWN"!

What fun! The entire collection is located in the Jennifer Lake "Kids Store"!

Located on the lower right of this blog.

Have a Wonderful Evening Everyone!

Thank-you ALL for making my Art Career so much FUN!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max

Happy Friday! Summer Fun here we Come!!

😊🌼😊

Shine the Brightest!

The Blue Mountain Fabric Collection ~

~The Blue Mountain Fabric Collection~

What a true joy it has been to develop the 

Blue Mountain Fabric Collection!

If you're a nature lover like me ...I am sure you will discover a creative idea!

I spent the past two years exploring this unbelievable wilderness!

Every turn in the road and path leads one to another piece of paradise!

The seasons change...and so does the vast scenery.

To be able to photograph, paint and create here has been a gift!

Below are some of the NEW fabrics I created just for YOU!

~Mountain Iris Fields~

The wild iris's bloom in early June and expand along vast meadows.

You will see Elk, Antelope, Coyote and Sand Hill Cranes dancing amongest the Iris's.

The mountain ranges provide a spectacular back drop.

~The Burgundy Iris~

One of joys of working as an artist is that your imagination never stops.

I photographed the iris's in many different directions.

I created these designs by manipulating the photo. 

Using a series of abstract configurations the designs turn out as a one of a kind unique piece!

~Blue Mountain Alpine Lily~

Oh my! The flowers are amazing here...Everywhere!

I have added many new species to my wildflower list!

The Alpine Lily fabric below was developed from flowers on Mount Ireland.

Blue Mountain Camas Fabric

Camas...what a flower! I just posted a blog about the history of this plant.

Truly an amazing part of nature and the history of the Northwest.

I just ordered this fabric for myself.

I am going to make place mats and a table runner.

~Blue Mountain Camas in Lavender~

Once again developing the abstract side of my brain!

Love the popular gray and lavender!

~Blue Mountain Camas Tapestry~

One word...Beautiful!

~Blue Mountain Goat Fabric~

I designed the Mountain Goat Fabric for all those "Man Caves"!

You can manipulate the fabric to create repeats of the design or just one image!

I love the fabric program! My clients create the fabric the way they want it!

If you need help please contact me!

jenniferlakeart@gmail.com

~The Fading Iris Fields~

June always comes to an end but the Iris Fields hold on for as long as they can.

By the end of June they are replaced by millions of Lupines.

The endless purple carpets of the Blue Mountains!

 ~The Powder River~

The river is truly exciting anytime of year! The streams on top of the mountains

slither through narrow canyons and creeks...all eventually reaching the Powder River!

The river is constantly changing. Each season provides a new canvas of ideas.

 ~Yellow Blue Mountains~

The sunrises and sunsets create an amazing show all year long.

Artist's palettes can use every color under the rainbow.

The lakes and streams provide such dramatic views and contrast!

I have created over sixty fabrics for the Blue Mountain Fabric Collection.
Check them out: https://www.zazzle.com/collections/blue_mountain_fabric-119472152435883490

I am positive I will be creating more as I continue hiking this magnificent country!

Happy Creating!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max

June ~ On Top of Mount Ireland

Going to the Top!

Wow...what can I say but this was a trip of a lifetime!

At the end of June I climbed to the TOP of Mount Ireland in NE Oregon!

The mountain was named after the first Forest Service Supervisor,

 Henry Ireland who served in the district for many years and died in 1916.

Mount Ireland is approximately 8500 feet above sea level and is the second highest peak in the blue mountains after Strawberry Mountain.

 I peaked Strawberry Mountain last summer.

I now have peaked over 26 mountains and buttes in Oregon...

(maybe more).....GOAL 100!

I need to write them down!

Below is a picture of me sitting on an enormous granite boulder covered in lichen.

Half of the trip I road a four wheeler and the rest is by foot.

Awwww....but once you get to the TOP! Paradise!

Below is beautiful Baldy Lake!

 Originally Mount Ireland was named Baldy Mountain, however the lake retained its original name!

In the distance you can see the North Fork John Day Wilderness.

Below is the Fire Watch Tower on the top where I had a wonderful and well deserved lunch!

The fire watch employee had not arrived yet 

 but I understand he has fabulous stories about Lightning!

I BET!

The rock formations look like someone intricately designed the layout for your personal viewing!

The mountains below are the Elk Horn range also part of the

 Blue Mountains. 

You can see Rock Creek Butte (9,106 feet) in the distance.

 By far the most exciting part of the day was to see wild mountain sheep in their own habitat!

Spectacular! What a fantastic treat to see Dad, Mom and Baby all together!

I was shocked how white they really are! Not yellowish...WHITE!

The mountain goat is not a goat but rather an outlying member of the antelope tribe.

 The nearest relatives of the goat are the serow of the Himalayas and the chamois of the Alps.

They were curious at first and gazed at me for a while. 

They soon became bored and slowly turned and walked away.

The high Alpine Flowers were just starting to bloom!

 Snow was still on the ground on parts of the trail.

I had never seen this beauty below....Alpine Lily!

Several others were blooming such as the 

Yellow Fawn Lily and Ball head Gilia. Don't you just love flower names?

The Strawberry Mountain Range is to the south of Mount Ireland.

I peaked Strawberry Mountain last summer!

The rolling colors of blue...all the mountains are part of the

 Blue Mountains! Gee I wonder why?

To the north the GRANDEST mountains of all.......The Wallowa's!

The land of the Nez Perce and Chief Joseph.

 What an adventure.....I need a NAP!

I hope all of you take a trip and see this wonderful and amazing country of ours!

We have all received such an amazing GIFT!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max

HMMMM? Where will I go next?

July Camas...The Pacific Northwest Historic Flower

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful June!

I know I did! 

My June was filled with hikes, mountain climbing, boating and discovering more and more!

Eastern Oregon is filled with history around every curve in the road and stories new and old!

If you are anything like me you want to find out what is on top of a mountain.

 What lies at the end of the road and to place your feet in every stream.

My interest in birding and flower study continues to grow.

The Camas flowers were blooming everywhere in June. 

If I was to to pick a favorite flower in Oregon this is it! Camas has such a fascinating history, beauty and provides a Fourth of July Show!

Below is some fascinating information on this truly remarkable plant!

Have a Wonderful Evening Everyone!

Your Artist friend in the Wilds,

Jennifer & Max

The names Camassia, camas, qém’es, quamash, and pa-siko, all refer to the group of spring herbs whose white to blue-purple flowers form spectacular displays in wetlands, grasslands, and oak savannas in the Pacific Northwest. Camas is a North American plant whose greatest diversity lies in Oregon, which is home to over 65 percent of the named species. 

From California to coastal British Columbia, indigenous peoples used camas bulbs extensively for food, along with salmon, acorns, and other foodstuff. The bulbs were valued as sweeteners, and shared or traded as gifts at weddings and funerals. Tribal families took care to pass down traditional harvesting sites across generations. During spring to late summer, women dug the bulbs with special sticks crafted of wood and animal antlers. Once harvested, the bulbs might be ground and stored in cake form. During special gatherings, families baked the bulbs in earthen "ovens" by layering them over hot stones with branches of native shrubs, herbs, and trees, then cooking the bulbs until tender and sweet. Tribes actively traded camas, including the Kalapuyans of the Willamette Valley and the Nez Perce who, in 1805, shared their bulbs with members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, rescuing the party from near starvation. Although the explorers suffered gastrointestinal misery from eating camas, Meriwether Lewis returned the following spring to observe first hand the prolific blooms that “resemble lakes of fine clear water." He also collected the scientific specimen, called a holotype, that today is associated with the first-discovered, and most common species of western camas, Camassia quamash.

In Oregon and adjoining states, camas plants vary greatly in form and ecology, with ten different subspecies and four species growing at elevations from sea level to 3,300 meters. Camas produces flowers from April to June, in a climate that ranges from Mount Hebo on the North Coast to the remote reaches of the Hell’s Canyon overlook (e.g., Cusick’s camas) in eastern Oregon. While the rare Howell’s camas is endemic to southwestern Oregon and occurs on unusual, serpentine-derived soils, the Willamette Valley harbors the two most common species: C. leichtlinii and C. quamash. C. leichtlinii, or great camas, is the largest of the two and has a distribution largely restricted to the west side of the Cascade mountains. In contrast, C. quamash extends from the Oregon coast to as far northeast as Montana. Recent molecular and morphological studies indicate that both species are genetically distinct despite some hybridization. All species are ecologically important for their abundance and for the nutrition they provide to diverse animals, like the camas pocket gopher (Thomomys bulbivorus).

Today, camas “lilies” are still important culturally and ecologically, and three of the four Oregon species are available as garden cultivars. In Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, camas is used in programs to reintroduce native species for wetland and prairie restorations. Each year in Oregon, indigenous communities celebrate the camas harvest to commemorate its role in their cultural history. The presence of camas on many Native American reservations also attests to its importance during difficult transition times in our history. Protecting and conserving existing camas populations is increasingly critical since oak savannahs and wetlands are rapidly being converted for agriculture, housing, and commercial development.

Happy Fourth of July ~ On Top of the World!

New Fabrics😊

Shine the Brightest!!!

Have a Beautiful Weekend Everyone!

Hi Everyone!

The past week has been extremely busy!

I am finishing a "City" project that I will post about next week!

Next week I will also be unveiling the "Summer Season"! So stay tuned!

Once again I will be having another "Jennifer Lake Art Selfie Contest"!

So start sending in those photos next week

 with you and your family standing in front of my art!

You can enter as many times as you want. 

Scroll down and you can see the entries from last month!

Below is an Iris I photographed in the "Wild Iris Fields" here last week!

Amazing!

Have a Great Weekend!

Jennifer & Max!