Elaine Vitikainen

Publish a Guide Zine of your City

Very retro (60s) living in a home on wheels! Could be fun for sure. Still not clear where you are now.

We're back in PA where we've lived most of our lives. We were *really* hoping to get away from Pennsylvania.  (Sigh.) There are good things and bad things about living on the road. Insecurity is the bad thing. But the good thing is looking around you and saying, "I'm sick of this place" and *immediately* moving on. Very nice. 

I made many visits when I was in high school to PA, a ‘burb near Philly. She and I had grown into each other’s family. Her parents took me to the Philadelphia Muse of Art on each visit. PA is much better than below the Mason-Dixon Line. I felt that was too southern even when I lived in Alexandria, VA and worked at American Uni. Couldn’t get back to tiny RI fast enough, and Trent moved me back here. I didn’t want to miss my youngest daughter’s senior year, so gave up my doctoral program to move since she had moved back. Same daughter who I was so close to and who, a few years ago, decided she needed to estrange from me. Why? Dunno. I think it has something to do with her “boundaries” but never got info on that either. But at the time it seemed like the right thing to move back here, and for a long time it was wonderful. Now therapy! LOL!!! RI is a manageable place, near the ocean. We’ve got RISD and lots of other good institutions if you’re into that. The invitation  will remain open for a visit. Blessings, Judy PS Maybe we can swap living quarters for a little while! LOL!! 

Housing is no longer affordable for those of us retired from that elite class of intellectuals and academics! LOL!!! I’m sure our old house would sell more for lots more. So, you live in the south? Not a long day driving from there. Bit of a schlep from CO though.  J

Jen, our place is a mess. (And I’m quite tidy;.) Looks like we just moved in, but if we plan, I can have the nice guest room ready for you and your hubs. Plus free tourist advice for RI, MA, Maine, and definitely DC too, but that’s in the opposite direction, mayb e on your way though. Will be all tidied up by then!)  Just need to plan ahead and would welcome you to free lodging! C’mon up! — Judy _S We should plan via email but prob noty here as it’s not an ideal site for composing and keeping track of convo.

OOH — just saw the title of the class. Do you live in CO? I’ll have to take a pic of my Aspen forest photo to share with you. I live in a cool place too, the FIRST place settlers actually settled. It’s a small village close-by called Pawtuxet, and still Plymouth and the Mayflower get all the fanfare! The Cape Cod native people were not friendly, so settlers left and came here! The burning of the ship, Gaspee, was the first shot taken against the Brits in the Revolution. That too is near us. This was before the Puritans came, and the settlers here got along as friends with the Naragansett Indians. Maybe I should do a brochure on all that? I’ll look again at the class. TTYL

Some day my hubby and I want to venture north; we want nothing to do with the south (lol) but we've been wanting to visit New England. Your zine idea sounds great. I live about a half an hour from Gettysburg but have no desire in depicting that. 

Especially like “The Scream” situated near the  jail! I think this place competes on elevation with the Mile-High City! (Yes, I could read that clearly even upside-down. Good job!) This is a very successful nocturnal travelogue and amazing in conveying a sense of place. You rock this! Your pal, Judy — PS Worked on “Muses" ALL morning and afternoon. Just for you! Am I allowed to make it mixed media? Thick watercolor, but details won’t tell the story unless I use markers.

I think art should follow Bob Ross's philosophy: "this is your world; you are the creator." Jerney likes when her students use whatever media works for them.  :) It's hard to narrow down which places to include and which not to include, isn't it?  --Jen

Watching the class then the bonus class, I was blown away by the multitude of media and techniquesJerney used. Despite all that awe, I dove in because I share your confidence that she wants students to engage in learning. — Which places to include??? My last house was a real family home and gathering place for almost 20 years. I loved that place and all the parties with the kids and grands. I’d include that place, my once-upon-a-time happy place. Now the art is my good place where I feel ok. That works well. Take care, Judy — PS Where do you live?

I'm from Pennsylvania; hubby and I lived in an RV for a year and a half while we looked for a home in either Colorado or Oregon. The house we had in Peeay would have cost half a million in Colorado and the places we could afford (like Pueblo) we did not want to live in OR they were close to wildfire areas. We looked at a place in Cotopaxi Colorado then I realized it was one of the few houses standing where there had been a wildfire! The "open space"next door was "burn scar"! Scary. Then I got covid and we had to go back home. I miss Colorado. Buuuut .... it did give me tons of memories and photos.  We went through MT, ID, WA, SD, OR, NV, UT, CO, OR, North CA ... once in a lifetime. I think I'd like to do another one of these, and this time focus on Wendover NV. Nevada really surprised me. 

This is amazing, Jen! I love this so much! You captured Cañon City so well. And I really love the style of illustration. Amazing lettering too! You did great! Thanks for joining the class, for posting a project and for the kind words and review. I’m on the airport bus at the moment. Just arrived in Osaka. Greetings from Osaka!

Thanks Elaine :) There are so many vintage metal signs in the western US and I couldn't resist including their lettering style -- so much fun in them.  :) I like going to Google Earth and strolling the streets in different nations ... Japan is always beautiful, especially the temples. Perhaps some day I will get the chance to visit.  Enjoy Osaka. :)

Thanks, Jen! I love vintage signs. So happy that you included the lettering style. Amazing work! And someday, you will visit Japan! 

Here are some photos from my time living "on the road" (mostly Colorado and Oregon). 
<img srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/89591ebd.jpg 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/89591ebd.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/89591ebd.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Cañon City, Colorado (USA) - image 1 - student project">
<img srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/9623c081.jpg 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/9623c081.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/9623c081.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Cañon City, Colorado (USA) - image 2 - student project">
<img srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/3ecc0019.jpg 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/3ecc0019.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/3ecc0019.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Cañon City, Colorado (USA) - image 3 - student project">
 
<img srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/14576c97.jpg 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/14576c97.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/discussion/tmp/14576c97.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Cañon City, Colorado (USA) - image 4 - student project">

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