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!

Friday's Little "GEM"

Friday's Little Gem!

This weeks "Friday Little Gem" is a painting I created called

"My Secret Beach".

The painting depicts the Oregon Pacific Coast in summer.

The daisies and blackberries are abundant along the coast line.

You are amazed to find wild roses and other beach flowers that survive from the powerful storms.

On many beaches in Oregon you will find just yourself on the beach.

The waves in summer can be very calm and relaxing.

The fog just hovers over the ocean and disappears at noon....

providing a peaceful splendor.

The painting measures 18 X 24 and is framed.

The price is $750.00 until the end of Memorial Day.

The appraised value is $2500.00

Please contact me directly: jenniferlakeart@gmail.com

Have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Thank-you for making my Art Career so fantastic!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds..

Jennifer & Max!

Drum Roll Please.....

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone!

I am Celebrating the Holiday by providing 

ALL MY COLLECTORS..

A "SPECIAL" Memorial Day Weekend SALE!

The entire Jennifer Lake Fine Art America Store

is 25% OFF through May 30th ~ 2017!

CLICK on the LINK below!

USE CODE NLEJGF at CHECKOUT!

Have Fun!

Thank-you ALL for making my Art Career a JOY!

Your Artist Friend in the WILDS!

Jennifer & Max

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/jennifer-lake.html

Max & I have Survived!

Create!

Last Week Customers FAVORITE Things!

Thank-you EVERYONE for such a great week last week!

The biggest JOY is working with each one of you personally.

I LOVE meeting my clients!

The "Lazuli Bunting" tile sold in the Jennifer Lake Love of Birds Store.

I have only seen this bird twice in my life and each time the blue head just shocks YOU!

They are the size of a small sparrow.

The Jennifer Lake TOP TANK store was very busy!

Everyone is preparing for summer!

The store is currently offering 30% OFF on ALL the Tank Tops!

https://www.zazzle.com/jenniferlaketoptanks

USE CODE: SUNNYSAVINGS at CHECKOUT

I purchased several for me and they run true to size. 

A client purchased the "Columbia River Gorge Tank"!

Let me know how you like it!

The OLD ASPEN GROVE canvas giclee was sold to a client in Redmond, Oregon!

I cannot wait to see it this summer hanging in your home!

I love when clients invite me to see how my art looks in their homes!

What a treat!

I was SHOCKED to see the amount of

 NOTE CARDS that sold last week!

A couple of retail stores reordered and a client in Hood River purchased the card below to use as an invitation for their wedding.

 The wedding is taking place on top of the high plateau outside of Shaniko, Oregon.

I felt VERY honored!

A TON of Oregon Trail Cards were sold to several

 Oregon Trail Interpretive Centers.

When visiting Oregon you want to make sure you visit all of our wonderful museums.

The museums really capture the westward expansion and the courage of those that came west!

I was in SHOCK when a client asked me to order an apron for their Dad for Father's Day!

Father's Day!??

The snow just melted here!!

The daughter asked me to add the name of her Father's boat and the name "Rosario Resort" to the apron.

The resort is one of his favorite places in the San Juan Islands located in the State of Washington.

He LOVES to barbecue on the boat!

Great GIFT!

A client from Montana ordered the two bird prints for her husbands den.

I originally painted the birds on clay tile.

I absolutely love the background texture and the natural look!

I was thrilled when that resonated through the photography!

The brown and gold frames they selected look spectacular.

Have a WONDERFUL Afternoon Everyone!

Thank-you for making my Art Career such a JOY!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer

& 

Max

Dancing in Fields!

Fridays Little "Gem"!

Friday's Little Gem ~ Spring Crocus!

Don't you just love to see Crocuses in the Spring?

How can something so small make us SMILE so BIG!

I decided this week to work with something so small...

however create it to look large.

I think the most interesting thing was deciding on the angle and perspective.

The green leaves of the crocus always look like spears to me coming out of the ground.

Sharp and tall as if fighting off old man winter!

Informing..... OLD MAN WINTER ENOUGH ALREADY!

I cannot believe there are over 90 species of crocuses.

The little painting is filled with heavy textures and transparent petals.

I like the shadows of the background. 

Americana Folk Art ~ or Jennifer Lake Art!

I prefer..."Jennifer Lake Art"!

The painting measures 11 X 14.

The painting is available until Sunday evening for $350.00

The appraised value of the little Gem....$1500.00

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Have a GREAT Weekend Everyone!

Max and I are off to hit the TRAILS!

Throw Back Thursday ~Map of Insanity!

Throwback Thursday!

The "Crazy" Map of Central Oregon!

How many of you still have yours?

I was commissioned to paint this map for Community Concepts in the late 80's early 90's.

The company sold space on the map to businesses, tourist destinations, and prominent locals.

I was handed a large notebook filled with each person that paid to be on the map!

What a job trying to figure how to get everyone on the map!

The map took two months to complete. Each business received 500 maps from Community Concepts.

They gave them out to clients and customers as a little thank-you gift!

If you look closely at the image below you can see my son Easton standing on top of Powell Butte.

Note...there were only seven homes on the butte at the time we lived in Powell Butte!

Now hundreds cover the buttes...maybe over a thousand.

If you look closely at the map you will see names of businesses that are no longer operating.

You will also see how things have dramatically changed in just thirty years!

It is fun to reflect on the past. I have had so many different experiences as an artist.

I tried it all and still do. I like a challenge. However this was only one of two maps I created.

I wonder if they even paint maps anymore?

Have a Wonderful Thursday Everyone!

Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!

Jennifer & Max