Finding Inspiration in a Snowy Desert
Were my thoughts of a warm desert get away dashed? A little, but we didn’t let that stop us and I was completely taken with the landscape we found. The juxtaposition of the white snow covering the red rocks and cactus gave the place an almost alien appearance.
This January I was lucky enough to be invited by a dear friend to go to Sedona, Arizona on for a long weekend. It had been a good twenty five years since I’ve been to Arizona (and never to Sedona), which I had heard so much about. Saying yes to opportunities and adventures when I can is something I’m working on for 2023, so I jumped at the chance, excited for my first trip out west in ages.
Our first morning, we woke up to several inches of snow! It was January and, being from Ohio, I didn’t find this that surprising but apparently it was more snow than the locals are used to getting.
The view from the back porch of our vacation rental
Were my thoughts of a warm desert get away dashed? A little, but we didn’t let that stop us and I was completely taken with the landscape we found. The juxtaposition of the white snow covering the red rocks and cactus gave the place an almost alien appearance.
Juniper Trees Covered in Snow
This hike took us around one of the more popular vortexes that Sedona is known for. And the look of this spot definitely made me feel like I could walk through it and end up somewhere else.
Snow doesn’t last long in Sedona and the next day brought a brighter sky and slightly warmer temperatures. So we did more adventuring and I soaked up as much sunshine as I could before heading back to Ohio.
Inspired by the beauty and wonder that is Sedona, I’ve started a small collection of wall hangings to be finished some time this spring. I was especially drawn to the dessert snow landscapes. I hope you’ll come back to the website or follow me on social media to see them when they are complete!
The beginning stages of a felted wall hanging inspired by my trip to Sedona.
I’d like to make a quick recommendation: if you go to Sedona and find yourself with some time to kill in Phoenix, go check out The Heard Museum. It’s full of incredible American Indian art.
With kids getting older and the world opening back up, I’m excited to visit more places and have more adventures that fill me up, inspire my work and grow me as a human being. I’m grateful for every opportunity like this one that I have had and will have in the future. I won’t ever take them for granted again. I hope you’ll join me as I share bits of inspiration be it from travel or my own backyard, as well as informative posts about the history and process of felting, and what it’s like to build your own fiber studio and suggestions for carving out your own creative space. Thanks for reading!