Need Directions to Mammoth Lakes? Paint Landscapes in Bishop!

As we cruised northwest through California headed for Yosemite National Park we marveled at the beauty of this state. We also marveled at the fact that we had lived in Los Angeles for 25 years and yet had not seen even a fraction of California’s natural wonders. And since those wonders include the people as well as the places, we spontaneously decided it was time to experience small town living in California – at least for a day.

The town we chose was Bishop. Located in Inyo County, elevation 4147 feet, population 3000, the town was named after Samuel Addison Bishop, a settler in the region. Bishop is well known in the rock climbing community and attracts visitors from around the world. It’s also a hub for hiking, fly fishing, bike riding and camping.

Needless to say, we didn’t do any of that -- not this time at least -- but I did partake in my own “outdoor painting adventure” after deciding I would paint landscapes while my husband got lost in a local book store. The subject of my painting was a small creek that runs through a park near the center of town.

It was there that I met local resident Derik Shilling-Hill, a 16 year old high school student who told me how much he enjoys his art classes.

Here's the finished painting...

Another local we met was Robin Hansen. He told us how he was born and bred in Bishop but moved to San Francisco where he worked on mainframes in the early days of computers. Upon retirement Robin and his wife returned to their roots where they now live and enjoy life with other family members and friends. Not surprisingly, Robin loves Bishop, CA. His friends, including Dick, love ribs!

We found an array of interesting stores and eateries in Bishop, and art clearly features high in this community, including kids art projects. With community values that include health and fitness, children and art, nature and beauty, Bishop is truly a wholesome place to visit or live.

Wildlife abounds on the outskirts of town including llama who watched us suspiciously as they silently grazed and munched away.

We saw beautiful homes in Bishop, especially in the area of McLaren Road, so we felt obligated to launch an Art Inspiring Homes of Bishop Contest. Check out these contestants...

You may be wondering about the title of this blog entry. Well, with the road calling us, it was time to continue on and our previously planned course of action was to head for Yosemite National Park while taking in the Mammoth Lakes region quickly on the fly. However, a wonderful new friend I met during my Bishop painting session earlier in the day changed those plans. It all started with an invitation for my husband and me to stop in “briefly” for a drink in Mammoth Lakes before traveling on to Yosemite. Little did we know that our connection with Yosemite, a mere 60 minutes away, would not occur for well over 24 hours.

But that’s a story for my next blog entry.

Meanwhile, our USA tour adventure continues, capturing the places, faces and homes of America on camera and on canvas.

Don’t miss the next installment,

Leisa
www.leisacollins.com
leisa@leisacollins.com