Rain in the Desert

It is the cloudiest, rainiest, yuckiest (as the children I watch would say)month in Seattle, in my opinion. The excitement of the beginning of the year has somewhat faded and the dawning of spring has not yet arrived. It is during this time that people go inwards and nest. I have been doing some of that when not working. My easel is set up and my hold list at the library is becoming quite extensive.

My month began with a trip to Phoenix, Arizona; a trip to escape from the oppression of the clouds, dampness and rain. Arriving in Phoenix there was a definite reprieve from the moisture, though the five days I was there the temperature did rise above 63 and it actually rained one day...in the desert! Quite unusual, even for this time of year. But the point of my trip was not just to soak up some vitamin D, but to visit Katrina, a good friend of mine from grad school who moved out to the desert to take an art therapy job. We visited Four Peaks Brewery and received a free tour and free beer.

We went hiking in the rainy desert and we felt as though we were back in Portland, hoodies and all. Katrina took me to Tonto National Park, where we looked for wild horses, and watched herons near the water.
I collected rocks in the desert! The rocks in Arizona are warm colored, most of them some tint of red. Getting through security at the Phoenix airport was interesting. I got stopped because of the rocks. While the TSA officer was going through my bag, she said "these are beautiful, where did you get them?" I hesitated "...uh." Before I could say anything she said "the beach?", and I just nodded. There is no beach in several hundred miles of this arid land. My rocks had to run through the security belt one more time.

While in Phoenix, I did hours of job searching/applying, as well as finding a bed at Ikea. Funny the things you do when you are on a rainy and cold vacation in the desert.

I still have yet to obtain a job in the field of Art Therapy or Mental Health. I have been averaging 2-3 applications per week. I finally received my LMHCA, my associates license for the state of Washington. This is a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile I have been nannying quite a bit and volunteering on Mondays with an open art therapy studio group, where we have been working on a group mural project. It is a project funded by the city of Seattle. The giant painted mural will be installed at a public Metro Bus stop in Belltown next month! It has been quite the learning experience to co-facilitate a large mural painting with elderly and folks with developmental disabilities.

My own oil painting sessions have resumed with a focus on detailed, enlarged, metal components of mopeds. I will be showing these in a studio in White Center during the month of June.

Speaking of bikes, I rode from White Center to Capitol Hill yesterday, what a nice and intense ride. 10.3 miles and it took me 90 minutes.  I need to get back into riding.  21st Ave SW is a wonderful street to ride on; little traffic for a few miles.  Riding in Seattle is a challenge, but fun.