Almost Home: A birds eye view of our cherished places
There is something magical about viewing the world from 30,000 feet. Although your airplane moves at hundreds of miles per hour, everything seems so slow—so still—down on the surface of the Earth. This sensation of seeing the world this way has astounded adults and children alike for as long as passenger flight has existed. No doubt, another shared feeling is the anticipation of going home, likely accompanied by the restlessness all too common to air travel. Imagine it: you’re too hot or too cold, your leg goes numb, and the little pack of snacks and mouthful of beverage do little to quiet the unsettling nature of being on an airliner. Now you have to pee, but every time you get up from your window seat, you have to climb over strangers—just for someone closer to the bathroom to get up and scoop the toilet from you. Finally, you get to do your business, and after you sit back down in your seat—your little sliver of personal space—you glance out the window perched right over the wing. There, seemingly just out of reach, the looming majesty of the Cascade Range matriarch stands in the earth. Mount Rainier, ensconced in its foothills and alpine meadows, appears close enough to touch from your window seat. Almost as if it were created by your own hand in a childlike effort to shape the earth with the cup of your palm, dragging your fingers through the mud to make its ridges and river gorges. As quickly as the daydream comes, it is met with another, more potent emotion: the realization that the sight of the mountain means you are Almost Home.
The Pacific Northwest, the Front Range of Colorado, and now the San Francisco Bay are all places we have called home. The art below, done in a mixture of watercolor, ink, and classic poster styles, is inspired by the pure joy that accompanies the sight of the telltale signs of being Almost Home.
San Francisco Bay
A clear view of the bay like this is a rare view. But, lucky for these passengers, Carl the Fog is no where to be found. Almost home, a course adjustment will bring this voyage to an end at the San Francisco Airport. But, not without a brief glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, Oakland and many other cherished locales bustling below with city life. So much to explore, so many amazing people to meet, the Bay always has something going on. The photo that inspired this pieces was taken after a short flight home from the Seattle Airport where we were visiting family over a long weekend. We are eager to pick up our pup from his boarder, less eager to get back to work, looking forward to settling in back at home.
Rocky Mountains
On a cloudless day, the final stretch on the approach to Denver from the west is a view of the Rocky Mountains as far as the eye can see. Usually accompanied by 'light' turbulence, the breath taking scenes at 30,000ft can help settle an uneasy stomach. Almost home, a moment all Coloradans know when flying in from the west. The photo that inspired this work was taken on a flight from Portland, Oregon, where we had been doing the hard work of sorting through my recently passed Father’s belongings. After all that work of grief and love, we were happy to be Almost Home, barely noticing the rough air.
Pacific Northwest
In the pacific northwest you can occasionally be lucky enough to fly by one of the cascade volcanos. To those who settle in the PNW, this view means you are almost home. These mountains have a special place in the hearts of all those who live here. Here, Mt. Rainier prominently shows her full beauty on a clear summer’s day. This piece was inspired by a phot taken on my way back home to Seattle after only recently moving to Colorado a month earlier. A special time when I seemed to have two homes in my heart. Now as the “home-ness” of Seattle fades this view of the Mother Mountain of the Cascades can quickly bring those memories into focus.
