Trail Through the Trees

 

It's so peaceful to sketch this trail through a canopy of trees.  Though the weather is in the 90s, this path is cool in full shade, with a lovely breeze cutting through.  Our time is short, and this may be my last time on this trail until next year.  I wonder if everyone connects to places like I do, as if they are living, breathing things.  It's hard to leave, and I feel this way about many special locations.  It's as if I bond with each place.  What a lovely place to spend some time unwinding!  Painting number 4944 in 4944 days. 

Old Railway Bridge

 

I love capturing memories in my sketchbook as I travel - this one of a favorite bridge over the Portage River on the North Coast Inland Trail.  I've run many miles on that trail. It used to be a plank bridge, bumpy when ridden with bikes, as we so often did when our family was young.  Later, I ran this trail when Dad was having health issues, and i found comfort in every footfall.  Now, the surface is concrete and the sides are high, almost too high to see over, and it goes all the way to Geneo through farmland.  I have so many memories here, and one day my kids can relive them through these pages. Painting number 4603 in 4603 days. 

Bridge Over the Portage

 

I used to run the North Coast Inland trail over that distant bridge almost every day when I stayed in Elmore, Ohio.  There were many fun family trips here, all through the years.  When my father had health issues, I found myself running that trail on my short windows away from the hospital.  Many times that trail helped me gather strength, run from pain, and center my soul when I needed it most. It's hard to return here, and yet I want to run again, almost like returning to an old friend who helped me through the bad times.  Painting it again brings back so many memories.  Painting number 3867 in 3867 days. 

Elmore Depot

After spending the day in Genoa and Elmore, Mom and I settled in the Walter Ory Park, along the North Coast Inland Trail for a quick sketch.  The day was so warm, it was very pleasant to spend this record November heat outdoors.  Just last fall we attended a festival here, where we dined in this building with Mom's friends.  It has been fun for her to see so many of her friends, and bittersweet to head back to Missouri.  Love getting to spend time in this space, if only for a little while.  Painting number 2863 in 2863 days. 

Elmore Train Depot

I have a tiny sketch kit that fits into my armband phone holder, for those times I'm running a trail and simply MUST stop to sketch!  I found this drawing still in that kit, so I am sharing it tonight.  Every time we're in Ohio, we either ride bikes on this trail, or I run, if by myself.  It is a smooth, flat trail that crosses beautiful farms and passes through little towns - always a welcome stop for a cold drink or even ice cream!  Painting number 2370 in 2370 days.

Winter Farm on Schultz-Portage Rd

When I run the North Coast Inland Trail, I pass this farm every time.  In all seasons, from all angles on the trail, this place makes a wonderful painting.  I love the wet, dark ground against the melting snow, and the lane leading to the farmhouse.  The otherwise quiet colors of the day pop against the fairground, and my challenge is to really capture those colors with my paint.  My Richeson ice blue has been a "go-to" color this winter, and I'm now officially out of what I brought on my palette!  I only bring a few basic colors to reload when away from home, and they are the primaries.  I really wish I had brought that tube with me!  Live and learn!  Painting number 2228 in 2228 days.

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Downed Trees at the Creek

With the creeks and rivers up, the coolest scenes appear out on the North Coast Inland Trail.  Snow melts slowly along the deep sides of the trail, with the trees keeping it shaded.  The downed trees add interest, and I try to capture all the diffused colors of this deeply overcast day.  It is very helpful to study all the colors in the landscape carefully before painting.  This is a never ending process, the more I study, the more I see.  Painting number 2226 in 2226 days.

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Covered Bridge at Sugar Creek

For the second day in a row, it has been warm enough to run North Coast Inland Trail!  Oh, how I miss running when the weather is too severe!  One of my favorite trails runs right past Sugar Creek and this wonderful old covered bridge.  The best part of this time of year?  The foliage is down and I can really see the turn of that creek as it winds into the background!  Painting number 2224 in 2224 days.

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Autumn Farm

I run past a lot of corn fields in northern Ohio, and the texture and colors are rich in the drizzle of this day.  Autumn seems to have fled now, leaving plenty of earthy browns in her wake.  I think I'll embrace these rich colors as winter approaches.  Painting number 2122 in 2122 days.

Farm on Schultz-Portage Rd

Knowing I wouldn't get the chance tomorrow, I went for a run on the North Coast Inland Trail after lunch.  This trail follows an old railroad line that passes town, golf course and rolling farms.  This farmhouse is just past Sugar Creek, and the first farm I pass on my run out of town.  I sketch and paint quickly, because that misty drizzle is no companion to ink or watercolor!  I then tuck my painting in my pocket and get back to my run. Painting number 2121 in 2121 days.

Sugar Creek Bridge

Whether biking or running, I thoroughly enjoy spending time on the North Coast Inland Trail.  Nothing melts away the stress like a hard run for me, and oh how I've needed it.  I have found that I can take a couple of tiny papers, fountain pen, and tiny palette in my running arm band that holds my phone.  So, when I see a view I can't resist, I can pause for a quick painting, and then sprint for a distance to make up for the stop.  The autumn color just made this covered bridge irresistible.  Painting number 2115 in 2115 days.

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Lindsey Water Tower

We love to ride bikes along the North Coast Inland Trail whenever we're visiting my parents.  With the perfect compact travel sketch gear, I hit the path in search of the perfect subject.  The small town of Lindsey is one stop along the trail which unfolds through gorgeous farmland.  Loving the color of this wonderful old water tower, I sketched and then painted it all while on a quick water break at the park in town.  What better way to capture a slice of Americana than while biking across the countryside?  Painting number 2005 in 2005 days.