Weekends, in and of themselves, are always a good thing. But weekends like this one just past, ones in which you feel like all you did were chores with maybe a pleasant little walk in between, are hardly my ideal. Although Mr. F and I struck a good bit off our To-Do list: Found a rental for our next location ( we’re headed just a short drive south to Olympia, WA! So happy to be staying in the Northwest! ), unloaded all of our belongings that were in storage in Florida, then immediately packed it all back into storage here in Seattle, along with a bunch more stuff we’ve been traveling with. Had to deal with paperwork, grocery shopping & other thrilling errands, along with continuing to pack up more things from our apartment for storage plus a nice, big Goodwill pile.
So much to do, so little time. And I’d much rather be spending this time the way I did last summer.. I thought you could maybe use a little daydream escape today too, so here are 5 places I visited last summer and would much rather be right about now..
[ glacier national park ]
[ hayden lake, idaho ]
[ yellowstone national park ]
[ trail of the coeur d’alenes, coeur d’Alene, idaho ]
[ polebridge, montana, just outside glacier national park ]
Someone get me a time machine, stat! Happy Monday, Artsies! Check out more beautiful places from This Artsy Life in the Artsy Forager Instagram feed.
As the hubby and I travel, we try to experience as much of each area’s culture as we can. Last Friday evening, we decided to meet a friend for a night filled with our favorite things– delicious food & drink, stimulating conversation and fabulous art! I can’t imagine what could be better. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this ( below ) was our view for cocktails!
View of Lake Coeur d’Alene from Beverly’s
We discovered the happy hour at Beverly’s and this was our second week in a row partaking of the fancy food & drink at affordable prices. I have a feeling it may be a weekly habit for the rest of our time here.. hubby George is addicted to their truffle fries, while I am just addicted to fries of any sort! As yummy as the fries were, they just weren’t nearly as pretty as our Hummus Plate. I am a firm believer that we eat first with our eyes, so I love a colorful, artsy presentation of food!
Hummus Plate gloriousness at Beverly’sCaramel Apple Martini
Cocktails and conversation flowed, as we shared the truffle oil-doused (!) complimentary popcorn with our friend and fellow traveler, Kirsten. This lifestyle we’ve chosen is fairly unique, so travelers always seem to bond together, sharing stories and experiences. There is a great sense of camaraderie in knowing that there are others living such a crazy, wonderful life!
Kirsten, George and yours truly
It was a beautiful night in Northern Idaho, so we strolled downtown to The Art Spirit Gallery to attend the opening of their current show, Portraits by artist Dan Spalding. The Spokane, WA painter’s exhibition centered around his beautifully textured and expressive portraits. His use of light is really incredible, giving his work a raw, emotional power.
Dan Spalding show, Portraits, at The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene, ID
Isn’t the painting on the top row, second from the right amazing? It draws my eye every time I look at this photo. I’m usually not an opening night art viewer, preferring to peruse when galleries aren’t as crowded and I can hear myself think or as Jerry Saltz said this week “Please stop talking so I can hear myself see!” 🙂
More of Dan Spalding’s work
But I do love the energy of exhibition openings and ArtWalks. Seeing crowds of people enjoying and talking about art gives me goosebumps! And I am always thrilled for the gallery & artist when I see lots of red dots! ( As I did last night– can you spot the one visible in the pic above? ). What I really love about attending openings with my husband and friends is the conversations about the work we are drawn to and why. For an non-artsy person, George actually has a fantastic eye! He really loved the sculptural work of Simon Kogan ( below ).
Henry Moore by Simon Kogan, bronze
While I loved these stylized bird paintings from North Idaho artist Catherine Lemaitre Earle. Aren’t they lovely?
Artwork by Catherine Lemaitre Earle
All in all, a delightful evening, artsy in every wonderful way!
A happy Artsy at the end of the evening
How about you? Any artsy fun to be had this weekend?
![This Artsy Life: Weekend 31[ Work + 5 Places I’d Rather Be ]](https://artsyforager.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/20130805-100525.jpg)
[ glacier national park ]
[ hayden lake, idaho ]
[ yellowstone national park ]
[ trail of the coeur d’alenes, coeur d’Alene, idaho ]
