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		Art Philosophy All of my work is based on my love of nature and the outdoors. I like to paint subjects that show beauty and serenity, things that can be hard to find in the hustle and bustle of the modern world. I work in both colored pencil and in watercolor, sometimes combining the two. With colored pencil one can create wonderful textures and optical mixing of colors, while the richness of color and quality of light with watercolor are hard to resist. Where You Can See My Work I usually bring my paintings and ornaments to Portland Audubon's Wild Arts Festival. This is held Thanksgiving weekend each year at the Doubletree Lloyd Center in downtown Portland, Oregon. I will be skipping it this year, but I hope to return in 2009. My ornaments are also sold at the Massachusetts Audubon gift store. Current Projects My obsession with learning all about the flora of the Western Cascades (my "backyard" mountains) has resulted in a long term project to write a book on the plants and great plant hikes of the area. The title will be Mountain Plants of the Western Cascades and Where to Find Them. This is a huge undertaking and one I am enjoying thoroughly. I have been working on it off and on for several years already but have quite a ways still to go. In answer to the question "When will it be done?" I can only say "When it is ready." My painting is on hold for the time being, but the writing, photography and layout of the book thoroughly satisy my creative juices. You can download a small sample of the book below. Mountain Plants of the Western Cascades sample Personal I enjoy the quiet life in the country outside of Eugene, Oregon, where I've been since 1993 (I'm a transplant from New England). My home is shared with my husband, Jim Babson, and my two feline assistants, Farfelnugen and Boo, along with many wild creatures including deer, coyotes, opposums, grouse, rattlesnakes and newts. We've put down roots so my address won't be changing. My biggest distraction from my art is my garden. While still in progress I consider it my most challenging creative endeavor. In addition to designing for color, shape and texture, there are the plants' own growing requirements and the seasonal change to consider. Just imagine if your paintings continually changed color! I have just completed a new rock garden bed to try to grow mountain plants, both native and exotic. It's a great satisfaction, but my back is happy to be finished moving so many rocks! Contact Tanya Harvey 40237 Reuben Leigh Rd. Lowell, OR 97452-9712 541-937-1401 Wild.Iris at att.net (please change the at to @)
Boo, guardian of the rock garden