Blog

For the next 24 hours, this painting is specially priced at $135! 
After 24 hours, it will return to its retail price of $225.
75% of the proceeds will go to a wildfire relief fund. 

This painting is 10" × 7". Click here if you would like to purchase this watercolor.

If you have ever driven from Spokane to the Tri-Cities, you may recognize these grain elevators! They are pretty cool, but this painting was actually about catching that sky with the big, angry clouds. As we were driving along, the cloud formations were roiling up, growing gloomier and more threatening. Then they would calm down for a bit. Miles and miles of wheat fields on the horizon with massive clouds hanging above them. That is, until we came upon these five silos standing out there all alone, a symbol of the determination of local farmers to continue the life's work of their families. I knew I needed to capture this story for you in a painting.

As you travel the corridor from Ritzville to Kennewick along Highway 395, there are miles of wheat fields and clouds. A farmhouse surrounded by trees appears occasionally, but for the most part, it is flat dryland wheat farming country. These silos stand near the Hatton Coulee rest area, off Highway 395 and Highway 26. In doing a bit of research, the only thing I could learn was that the place is called the Pence Station Grain Elevator, the silos are made of concrete, and they can hold 419,000 bushels of wheat. I would love to learn more of their history if anyone knows anything about them.

Today the studio was quieter. We had our adult "kids" with us for a really nice visit. We ate, talked, and went out for a drive through the wildlife refuge (which you know I love). We saw about 20 deer (several were bucks), three eagles, sandhill cranes, and herons. It was a wonderful Friday the 13th.

I hear that the Christmas bazaars are starting up, so maybe you are going to find a couple of those to visit tomorrow. Whatever you do, take a good look at the sky and the clouds, just to see what kind of story they are telling you.

Thank you for stopping by. I'm glad you are here, and I appreciate your support of my efforts to raise funds for wildfire relief.

Be well and enjoy your weekend,
Kristi