My Artwork - January 2017

February 1, 2017 Teressa Jackson

January 2017 brought several different locales and some visits from familiar faces to my trek. I spent time in Bisbee, Tucson, Ajo, and Yuma, Arizona; cruised Salvation Mountain and the Salton Sea and laid my head to rest in Aguanga and Fallbrook, California. Although those distractions slowed my pace a bit, I still managed to create six new pieces of original artwork inspired by my travels and informed by my original photography. Most are already sold (thank you, patrons!), but you might still be able to find a treasure to bring some adventure to your decor.

Shop now ›

Saguaro National Park, Arizona: 1/2/17, 13:56:04

Saguaro National Park, Arizona: 1/19/17, 12:44:25

Saguaro National Park, Arizona: 1/19/17, 13:43:40

Fallbrook, California: 1/31/17, 11:40:17

Every $25 you buy in art helps keep me rolling on my adventure across the United States for approximately 1-2 days (gas is expensive!). I'm truly grateful to all the people in my life who keep me fueled up, both literally and figuratively!

Shop now ›

Crossing Paths and Collecting Adventures

January 22, 2017 Teressa Jackson

I had a lot of really wonderful experiences during my four weeks at Red Mountain Cottages in Bisbee, Arizona. I gazed at the sunset over the Huachuca Mountains each evening. I enjoyed visits from mule deer, roaming cattle, and flittering desert birds, and heard the sounds of coyotes singing in the night. I visited Old Bisbee, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Coronado National Forest, Cochise Stronghold, Kartchner Caverns State Park, the Whetstone Mountains, the wild west town of Tombstone, and the border towns of Naco and Agua Prieta in Mexico. And last but not least, I devoured ridiculous quantities of delicious Mexican food.

Mom and me at Chiricahua National Monument

My mother came to visit for my last week in Bisbee and shared in the fun, too. She was perhaps even more mesmerized by the beauty of the desert than I was - standing outside each morning in her coat and pajamas to watch the sunrise, strategically placed to see nature's fireworks to both the east and the west. The time whisked past, and it was hard to believe it was time to pack up the SUV and head to the next adventure on January 21.

I had made a couple of day trips to Tucson (about two hours from my Bisbee home) to see Saguaro National Park, and decided that my run to the airport to bid "see you later" to mom was a good reason to spend a couple more days there.

Mom and I spent her last day in Arizona visiting the Arizona - Sonoran Desert Museum, which was an interesting and expansive combination of museum, zoo, aquarium, art gallery, and botanical gardens. It was home to an amazing array of cacti, interesting desert creatures (including my favorite - the javelina!), and some informative exhibits. Our four hours there flew right by, and we took a small rest at our Airbnb before heading to El Charro Cafe to meet my second cousin Kim, a Tucson resident.

Kim, who I hadn't seen in 15 or so years and had never really known, graciously invited me to her gorgeous home for a hike after I deposited mom at the airport this morning. We journeyed six miles into the saguaro-covered mountains, watching her sweet dog Murphy busily investigate the landscape and getting to know one another. As someone who has never lived near extended family, it was fun to make that connection, especially with such a lovely person.

After three hours with Kim, I had another social date. Kalisha, a friend from home, had recently relocated to Phoenix and we had arranged to meet up in Tucson. It was nice to see another familiar face, and we talked non-stop for the next four hours. I have to admit, she made me wish a bit that my next stop was in Phoenix so we could have a few more visits, but alas, my route is set through February. Perhaps my path will encounter hers again sometime in the next few months... time will tell.

For now, I'm westward bound in the morning. Stay tuned!

Announcing Upcoming Tour Dates!

January 14, 2017 Teressa Jackson

It's hard to believe that the first two weeks of 2017 are already a wrap. In a week, I will bid farewell to my Bisbee home. I'm going to take a little break from my schedule of one location per month and take the opportunity to visit a few locales on my "must see" list.

An Organ Pipe Cactus. Photo Credit: Robb Hannawacker

1. Ajo, Arizona

After spending a few days in Tucson, I'll head to the area around Ajo, Arizona, where I will visit Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. I had never heard of either of these places before beginning my travels, but was intrigued enough after learning of them to put them on the itinerary.

2. Yuma, Arizona

Next, I'll spend a bit of time in Yuma, Arizona, located at the intersection of Arizona, Mexico, and California. I love sunshine, and I should find plenty of it there, as the sun is said to shine during about 90% of Yuma's daylight hours, making it the sunniest place in the world. Per Wikipedia, Yuma is the "driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation and has the highest number of days per year (175) with a daily maximum temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher." I definitely wouldn't want to be there in July or August, when average high temperatures exceed 106 degrees.

3. Salvation Mountain & Salton Sea

After Yuma, I'm making a stop to see Salvation Mountain and the Salton Sea, California's largest body of water. The Salton Sea has an interesting history and has always intrigued me. I'm looking forward to some unique photography opportunities there. This video probably explains the sea better than I really could.

4. Fallbrook, California

Joshua Tree National Park. Photo Credit: Joshua Tree National Park

My next home, Fallbrook, California, is known as the "Avocado Capitol of the World." I am spending a couple of weeks on a small ranch that is home to an alpaca, mini horses, pig, goats, and chickens (I love farm animals!). I will also be relatively close to the beach and other outdoor adventuring locales.

5. Twentynine Palms, California

From Fallbrook, I'll spend a week in Twentynine Palms, California. Twentynine Palms will serve as home base while I visit Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve.

Badwater Basin Sunset, Death Valley National Park, California. Photo Credit: Nagaraju Hanchanahal — Badwater Basin Sunset, Death Valley National Park, California. Photo Credit: Nagaraju Hanchanahal

6. Death Valley, California

Last, I will round out February in one of the places I've longed to see the most - Death Valley National Park. I will have a week there to explore its otherworldly scenery with the benefit of February's non-deadly temperatures.

As time ticks on (which it does at the same speed when I was home and working full-time, sadly), I will determine where March will find me. Until then, I don't think I will be at risk of boredom!

On the Move & Making Art - December 2016

January 1, 2017 Teressa Jackson

My Austin apartment was above the garage on the right

On December 1, 2016, I arrived in Austin, Texas, after an exhausting 10-hour, 600+ mile drive. I settled into my little loft apartment in the North University neighborhood, where I enjoyed mostly warm weather, a lot of rain, a lovely walkable neighborhood, and treks to various sites around the region.

Austin is a very nice city, but I think I've made a discovery about myself along this journey - I don't particularly enjoy cities much anymore. I'm not really into bars or clubs, restaurants are a great way to drain your cash quickly, and why shop for things you can't haul around from place to place that you don't need anyway? After taking in the cultural attractions, I was left at a bit of a loss for things I might want to do. Plus, I just started getting antsy for some sunshine and open terrain.

Then, late in the month my Airbnb host cancelled the reservation I'd had in Tucson, Arizona for January. At that point, I wasn't able to find a new place to stay in Tucson. A lot of people had recommended Bisbee, Arizona to me, so I decided the host cancellation was my opportunity to leave Austin a bit early and check it out.

From December 25-26, I drove over 800 miles and checked in to a beautiful, serene, solar-powered house in the Mule Mountains a few miles outside of Bisbee, and my soul went "ahhhh." I can see for miles across the desert to the Huachuca Mountains, and my yard has been host to mule deer, birds, cattle, rainbows, glorious sunsets, and the sounds of goats bleating, coyotes howling, and roosters crowing. I'll get to enjoy this little oasis until the last week of January.

I wasn't quite as prolific in my artistic endeavors during December as in November, but I was also tending to some contract work, spent several days visiting Big Bend and driving to Bisbee, and maybe felt a little lethargic and uninspired. I still managed to create the following paintings inspired by my travels and informed by my original photography, as well as one very special commission a friend hired me to create for another friend as a Christmas gift. Some are already sold, but I still have a few left that could bring some beauty from across the U.S. to your home or office.

Shop now ›

Big Bend National Park, Texas: 12/13/16, 19:02:10

Shop now ›

Blog

1. Ajo, Arizona

2. Yuma, Arizona

3. Salvation Mountain & Salton Sea

4. Fallbrook, California

5. Twentynine Palms, California

6. Death Valley, California