Road Trip

Yesterday at around 5ish pm we set off from Los Angeles and got back on the road up to Portland. I don't know what it is, but road trips make me feel at home. I could have all the worry of the world on my shoulders, but once rubber hits road, I feel somehow lighter.

That's made even more dramatic when you drive through places like this:

These are the forests of Mt. Shasta. That river is crystal spring water, that's even more refreshing then it looks.

Everything about this place seems to be telling me I've arrived home. I've moved alot in my life, and I really enjoy seeing new places, but after running around in the forest around Mt. Shasta, I've realized that the forest is my favorite place to be, and the one place that continues to call me back.

In the city, I'm timid, while Andy runs around, jumping over every obsticle he can find. Suddenly surrounded by these trees, I feel like a kid again. Every part of me wants to run, jump, explore, swim in the river (at least wade in it and drink it), climb things and see how much trouble I can get myself into. The city has tamed me and over the years I've become more lazy, less active and less confident in my childlike ways.

I think Portland might change all that for me. 15 minutes here, and I feel like I've rewound the clock. My knees don't hurt, I don't care how I look, everything is exciting and welcoming.

Andy, Doc and I find a rope bridge and quickly found ourselves jumping and running on it. Okay, so when Andy first started jumping on it, it freaked me out a bit. He said "It's metal!" Hey man, so was the Tacoma Narrow Bridge, and we all know what happened to that!



But I got over that pretty quick.

Anyway, we played, we ran around, we eventual did get in trouble, and it was awesome!







Mt. Shasta in all her glory.

Review mirror driving away from Mt. Shasta

I will put up more pictures soon on Myspace, but the small coffee house I'm writing from is closing down, so I'll get back to you later.

You're going to love the pictures from Yreka. It's unbelievably small and quaint!

Pit Stop at The Edison

We're officially on a road trip up to Portland Oregon! We made it the 6 hours to Los Angeles, and we're holding up here for a couple days to see family and friends.

Last night we went to what is officially our favorite bar in the world! It's called The Edison, and if you ever come through LA, you absolutely have to stop here. A few friends of mine went here before and ranted and raved about it and for damn good reason. It's built out of the old electric company and they've kept all the fantastically cool industrial structures. Coal burning furnaces, iron and steel pipework everywhere, and seriously cool 30's 40's artwork of Absinthe faeries and 1930s women. Absinthe is their specialty it seems, and yes we had some, and yes I'm still feeling it now. :) They sold it in cool little bottles that you can take home with you. Unfortunately, after 3 of those bottles, we somehow lost them. Don't know how that could possibly happen.

I love the Edison, it's like walking through a fantasy. Almost eveyone is dressed up to match the part and I was not the only person walking through the place half dancing eveywhere I went. As I sashied my way through, I'd spin around as a girl coming the other way did the same. Fantastic!

We also got to see a show there. Vaud and the Villains were playing, and doing an awesome job. I wasn't expecting much, but was blown away at the first song. A vuluptuos black woman started singing "Summertime" at one end of the bar (one of my favorite songs) and then out of nowhere came this booming voice from the other end of the bar. I turned to see a short asian man belting out Summertime like I've never heard it! I was immediatly hooked.

They also had these women dancing on the bars with python snakes. We managed to take a few pictures, though they really didn't capture the effect.

Also, thanks to those of you who are continuing to take advantage of my Etsy sale! I'll drop off your prints in the mail tomorrow!


The Snake






Edison Website: www.edisondowntown.com

Moving Sale!

These last two art walks in Arizona were amazing! Thank you to everyone who came down, old and new, and please keep in touch.
Amazingly enough, I still have some prints left and I'm looking to lighten my load for my upcoming road trip to Oregon.....so..... I'm having a huge moving sale!

Everything in my Etsy store is at least $10 off plus free shipping and handling within the US. $2 for outside of the US (for 8 x 10s to 16 x 20s)

8 x 10 canvas prints: $25
11 x 14 Paper Print (no mat) $25
11 x 14 with mat $35
16 x 20 no mat $35
16 x 20 Mat $45
16 x 20 Canvas (Usually 85) $70!

Visit my Etsy store at www.SiennaMorris.Etsy.com
I will be sending out eveything ordered this week on Monday, May 11th, so get your order in now.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade SiennaMorris.etsy.com

One To Go

So this is really it. Wednesday marks my very last art walk in Arizona. Somehow that makes the move all the more real. It's now only about a week away until take off.

This Wednesday from 5 - 9, I will be set up with all my little goodies in Downtown Historic Chandler. Their website at www.downtownchandler.org will give you all the information you need. I'm not sure exactly where I'll be, but the walk up and down the strip is always an interesting one, so take your time and see my fellow Chandler artists as well.


I want to thank everyone who came by my booth last First Friday. I really appreciate all your support, and will not forget how welcome you've made me here.

New Times Blog

How cool, I was mentioned in a New Times Blogger blog. :)

Art Burn: Hob Nobs Good For Mixed Greens/Art/Feelings

By Wynter Holden in Art Burn

Wednesday, Apr. 8 2009 @ 12:07PM

Few coffee shops have attracted the attention that Hob Nobs has, after gentrifying and occupying the former Willow House space. First, there was the public outcry over the proposed "Willo House" name. Then there was the mixed reviews and, recently, an unfavorable health inspection involving blowing in plastic gloves. The place seems to be getting a bad rap, despite the fact it's much cleaner and more welcoming than the building's former occupant.

Local art remains on the walls, and even on the tables and in the windows. There's no stale smoke smell. No crazy ocean-themed bathroom (although we kind of miss that). No dreadlocked hippie poet types, despite this very Grateful Dead ink drawing by local artist Ignacio Farias.

Detail of "Overflying Kandinsky" by Ignacio Farias

Like the reviews, the art here is a mixed bag of everything from cool test prints to funky wall sculptures and digital "paintings." It's not all great, but there are a few standouts.

Ice and Fire by Sienna Morris (photo for giclee print by Jay Cougar) has an alluring quality that marries Lichtenstein's pop print heroines with modern comic book art. Notice the stubborn set of the pouty black lips and the dark, haunting circles around the figure's piercing red irises. If she were real flesh and blood instead of fire and ice, this painted woman would be a force to be reckoned with.

"Debut" by Unknown Artist

In contrast, this acrylic painting displays a wild, uninhibited woman in the throes of dancing. (Or passion? Or stripping?) The disproportionate body, nudity and half-drawn face are reminiscent of a Picasso line drawing, but that only works if you're, well, Picasso.

We're not sure the theme was intentional, as not all of the eclectic works at Hob Nobs depicted women, but we adored this particular display of the female form. Photographer Davin Lavikka captured the graceful movements and linear flow of women in traditional yoga poses, often shown in unexpected environments: amidst a nighttime cityscape, in an abandoned building, and our favorite (which sadly, we did not get a clear photo of) at the top of a butte overlooking a canyon.

Food at Hob Nobs is as eclectic as the art, with selections ranging from delish pastries and desserts to so-so sandwiches and salads. The coffee's decent, the chai standard. But the food seemed better when the place first opened, as did the service.

On recent visits, we've sampled the Smokey Joe turkey sandwich, which was piled high with lots of smoked turkey, greens and bacony-goodness and this strange version of a Cobb salad, minus any trace of egg. What's even stranger is that the deli meats and cheeses are ripped up by the "chefs" rather than cut, leaving the salad looking like something you'd throw together at home for a lot less than the $8 they charge. Oh, well. At least they didn't blow on their gloves first.