Sara Kirschenbaum
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Entering Paintings in Opal Creek

Posted Friday, Sep 07th, 2012 at 8:54pm

In early August of this year I had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful places I know - Opal Creek Ancient Forest with my friend Christina. This is the third year in row we have spent a weekend there. It has been very special each year although in a different way each year. I felt very challenged this year to be out of cell/computer range with my parents' health so vulnerable and with my teenage daughter still a bit wild. But wonder of wonders the world went on fine without me. And it proved an artistic and spiritual renewal.

The weather was perfect - hot and clear and dry. When my children visited the area in middle school they claimed the water was "magic water." and they were right. Somehow the water flows turquoise blue and the sun shines super clear through the ripples. And it was hot enough that Christina and I could not keep ourselves out of the icy mountain water. Here is a picture Christina took of me diving in!

dive

Five years ago I saw this picture in National Geographic:

NG

I was so taken with it, it has hung on my studio wall ever since. And it made me think that it would be nice to take portraits of people in water. Well this was the summer. Here is one of my favorites:

Christina in Water If you want to see more, here is a link to my new photo gallery category: Portraits in Water.

I took 950 photos over the three days. Christina took these photos of me at work:

sara photoing1

Here is the photo I may have been taking at the time:

blur

Two more of Christina's photos of me:

sara photoing2

sara photoing 3

And here are a few of the 950 photos I took that weekend:

OC1

OC2

OC3

OC4

And in the snapshot category, here is a wonderful napping spot with my own waterfall at my feet:

nap

and here is a photo by Christina at a more awake moment:

joy

At the conclusion of our weekend we had our own two-person Al-Anon meeting, right in the middle of the river:

Al1

Al2

Spirituality is sure not a stretch in that kind of environment. Instant church/temple/shrine/mosque/12-step meeting.

By the way, if you want to stay at Opal Creek I highly suggest Cabin 1 - it has its own waterfall! They have a great mushroom hunting workshop in the fall. And the food is great -definitely sign up for as many meals as they offer while you are there!

30 comments

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