Travel Journal: Colorado & Iowa

We just returned from a whirlwind month of travel to Chicago, Detroit, Colorado and Iowa! But don’t worry, we’re taking off again in a couple of weeks for Georgia, Florida… and maybe New York! We’ll see about that last one…

Chicago and Detroit were for just for fun and arts research with Mom&Sue (we got to see BOOK OF MORMON, which is amazing, by the way!). We were visiting artists in Colorado for a week at UC Boulder with Melanie Yazzie. Then, we made a brief visit to Anderson Ranch to see Johanna, Fort Collins to visit with Stan Scott, and nearby Windsor to see Blake’s Uncles Darin & Kendal and their families. Then, we took off for Iowa to see more family, eat fair food at the Sturgis Falls Festival, and run a 5k. Woo!

In addition to continuing work on my Facebook Profile Pictures Drawing Project, I also completed a variety of other doodles in my sketchbook over the course of our travels. These first ones are studies from Calendar covers at a Detroit Barnes & Nobles Bookstore where we spent time waiting for Mom&Sue’s flight.

Above left and below are some car doodles on the long drive through Kansas on our way to Colorado. They include roadside doodles as well as a drawing from a Chicago Art Institute brochure/map.

Below: American Roots with LaLa Brooks! And more drawings of cars and trucks we passed on the Interstate.

Above are some drawings made at Melanie Yazzie’s house: coffee, Rocky Mountains, cactus, dish soap, and little knickknacks. Below, more details and random doodles.

You can’t be in Colorado and not check out some breweries! We went to Avery with Melanie and Odell with Stan.

Above: Melanie’s drawing done at Indian Peaks Wilderness (with my watercolor coloring.)

Below: Melanie’s Tea Service at Huckleberry’s in Louisville, CO.

To see about 299 more photos than you ever wanted to see of our extensive travels, check out our Facebook Page Album Manifest Destiny: Orange Barrel Industries Takes on the West!

Or, check out more of our Travel-realted posts here: TRAVEL!