1980 was the year I turned 5. The previous couple of years had been pretty bananas - an ugly divorce, my mom and I moving to Oregon - and this was the summer where we got to exhale. We camped in the Blue Mountains with my grandparents and uncle for about 6 months, having an adventure until my schooling required that we settle down and get serious in a town with a real school.

The nights at camp were so clear, and though Sumpter was a tiny little town, the skies were so dark at night that the lights from town were visible from over the ridge.

That summer has possibly the largest collection of favorite memories of any summer in my entire life. It’s been on my mind because this year seems to be another period of exhalation for me personally…the gratitude of having something in the rear view mirror. And I think that we can all agree that we are better off with 2020 behind us, yes?

Colors used here:

M. Graham’s raw umber
Bloom Studio’s Dark Night and Iceberg from her Nuit Polaire palette
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed-proof white