Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s inaugral Paint & Paddle trip! We spent two unforgettable days immersed in the wild beauty of the Spokane River, paddling, painting, and connecting with one another and the landscape.
We launched our trip from Porcupine Bay in the morning, then paddled to a secluded beach where our artist-in-residence, Megan Perkins, led the first painting session. Everyone was given an accordion sketchbook for the weekend, and Megan showed us the basic techniques for plein air painting, like measuring for perspective.
From there, we made our way to Detillon Campground to set up camp, eat some lunch, and have a relaxing afternoon. Some folks rested in the shade, while others took a short paddle to Detillon Rock for a swim and cool-down. A perfectly delightful afternoon on the lower river no matter how we enjoyed it!
Dinner was a highlight with fresh salmon and local vegetables shared in good company. As the sun dipped low, we paddled out to capture the colors of the evening with brushes in hand. Painting on the canoes created an extra challenge to chase the rapidly changing colors of the sunset with the rocking waves from the wake of boats going by. Later in the night, some of us again returned to the water under the veil of the stars to catch some of the Perseid Meteor Shower.
The next morning, we were awakened by the calls of a bald eagle and gathered for a slow morning breakfast. We were treated to a live painting demo from Megan to wrap up the painting instruction for the weekend. Before heading back, we had a “Throw Down,” where everyone laid out their sketchbooks to share the art created throughout the trip. We ooed and awed at each others creations, and talked about the things we learned over the weekend.
Finally, we paddled back upstream — headwinds and all — to Porcupine Bay, hearts full and arms tired.
Huge thanks to our participants, our guides, and especially to Megan Perkins for helping us see the river in a whole new way.
