The newest Tangled Roots Writing workshop: “I Have a First Draft: Shaping and Revision” takes place 1/22, 2/5, and 3/11 from 10 am – 1:30 pm.

Did you participate in NanoWriMo? Do you have a book project or longer writing project or short story that could use some motivating guidance?

Work with other writers like yourself to learn how to shape your rough draft. Develop your first draft into a more refined piece through monthly feedback in a small dedicated group of writers. Learn techniques for structuring and revising your book as well as tips on publishing.

A small dedicated group will meet once a month for three months to develop further a rough draft into a more refined structure. Considers craft of revision. A large part of the workshop will focus on progressive feedback on writing in progress.

The cost for each workshop is $135, and takes place in downtown Truckee.

Contact Karen Terrey at (530) 386-3901 or Tangledrootswriting@gmail.com to sign up or for more information.

Karen Terrey holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. She is poetry editor for Quay, a literary arts journal, a past participant of the Squaw Valley Poetry Conference and the Napa Valley Writer’s Conference, and teaches creative writing at Sierra Nevada College. She recently returned from a summer writing workshop in Prague.

Learn more about Karen at www.karenaterrey.blogspot.com

Learn how to paint winter whites with Joan Hoffman during her three-day water color workshop at Sorensen’s Resort in Hope Valley, January 23-25, 2012.

Joan will teach you all about the use of white: when to leave the white paper to make a statement, and when to tone the paper an off-white to make the snow glow like Monet’s snow scenes.

Monday Jan 23, 3pm – 4pm (Introduction), Tuesday Jan 24 & Wednesday Jan 25, 9am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm (Thursday a.m. optional)

$175 guests | $225 non-guests

“I adventure paint en Plein Air. I am inspired by the people, history and power of nature. I am integrally connected to the landscape by painting, teaching and preserving the wild places I explore.” Joan Hoffmann

Joan teaches painting techniques to capture the processes of landscape painting. Beginner to advanced students are welcome in all classes. Learn painting techniques: shapes, values, colors, and brushwork.  She demonstrates her classic style in each class and gives insightful critiques and painting evaluations.

For more info about this South Lake Tahoe event, lodging reservations and/or workshop sign-ups, call Sorensen’s in Hope Valley at 800.423.9949.

Meet Joyce Major, Incline Village water colorist. Joyce combines her passion for the outdoors with an equal passion for creating art.

Like many local artists, she draws her artistic inspiration from being here at Lake Tahoe where she snowshoes, skis, hikes and kayaks. Her backcountry landscape photography has also inspired her watercolor paintings.

Artist Statement:

I attribute the unique characteristics of my work to my lifelong love of the outdoors and my scientific background. I tend to look much closer and longer at things than most people.

The scene captures my initial interest, but it is the flooding of my senses – with light, smell, heat/cold, color, sound, form, composition – that holds me and keeps me obsessed throughout the painting process. So much so, that I always dream about my paintings while I am creating them. Hence, the name Dreamscapes.

Click here to see more of Joyce’s magical watercolors and to contact her for your own Tahoe dream scape.

Joyce Major Studio
923 Tahoe Boulevard
Incline Village, Nevada 89451

Phone: 801-413-9697

And skin, film, stone and cars.

Meet Christie Ussher.

South Shore graphic artist, mural painter and body artist.

As a former pro snowboarder, Christie traveled the world which expanded her appreciation for different cultures and nature.

It also helped to expand her use of different art mediums including oils, water color, graphics and body art.

Most recently, Christie created the illustrations of the little monkeys in “They Both Love You: Two Separate Houses, One Common Love”, a book written by South Shore preschool teacher, Kate D. Moore, about the parents’ love for their children despite divorce or separation.

Christie also created two of the CD covers for local south shore band Lavish Green, and is an accomplished muralist with works gracing buildings and homes in Lake Tahoe, Reno and Carson City and southern California.

To learn more about Christie and to see her amazing range of work, click here.

True Love painting by Christie

Squallywood

A Guide to Squaw Valley’s Most Exposed Lines by Robb Gaffney, MD.

As the doctor of psychiatry (that explains a lot!) puts it, the 2nd edition has more radical lines and more amazing descents ever witnessed at Squaw. Often referred to as The Bible of Squaw Valley, Gaffney has included new classifications for each Pitch as well as epic stories by locals getting caught…

And, this season you can Ski-the-book with the doctor at the Squallywood Clinic Classic on January 30 and 31st, 2010; and the Squallywood Clinic Light on March 5 and 6, 2010. You’ll get to ski some of Squaw’s classic lines with some of the world renowned skiers and cinematographers who helped make Squallywood….well Squallywood.

But first, get the Bible with 280 pages of pure entertainment including:

• Steep skiing/snowboarding history
• The new lines in addition to the 152 described in the 1st edition
• 40 detailed maps
• 130 photographs with 26 full color pages
• 38 vistas for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders
• An epic tale of survival on The Rockpile
• Cross-references to 35 movies in which a Squaw line is skied, with a guide to finding those specific descents in each film.

New items in the 2nd edition

Epic Tales:

Chapter called “Falling into the White”, written first hand by two local skiers who had an epic outing one morning while skiing the forbidden gnarled terrain under the tram. One was caught in an avalanche and, unconscious, was carried down over 800 vertical feet of cliffs and chutes. The other was forced to put his own life on the line and decide whether to ski one of the hardest routes on the mountain after it had been stripped of snow, to rescue a buddy he wasn’t even sure was still alive. This was just the start of their epic tale.

“Pitch” Classifications:

In addition to “Difficulty”, “Hero Factor”, “Fun Factor”, and “Movies” that were used to describe each line in the last edition, Gaffney has added “Pitch”. Each line is measured by a surveying tool to measure degrees of steepness.

Photos:

Diversified contributing photographers to gain a more grass roots feel. Those photographed in the book are not necessarily the pros but local people passionate about the mountain. New color photo section documenting the younger generation skiers and snowboarders on the mountain.

The photography of Nina Aegerter will be showing in the Foyer Gallery this winter and the considerable talent of the LTCC Art Department Faculty and Staff will be on display in the Student Gallery. These shows will run from Jan. 7 to March 17 and are free and open to the public during normal campus hours.

There will be artists’ receptions for all three exhibits Thursday, Jan. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College.

Each piece will be priced at $100.  Forty dollars of each piece sold will be donated by Riverside Studios to the High Fives: CR Johnson Memorial Fund. Pick up your art panels today.

The remaining $60 dollars will go to the artist or you can choose to donate your portion to High Fives: CR Johnson Memorial Fund. All checks are issued and mailed by the middle of the following month.

The exhibition will open on Friday, February 3rd and continue until Thursday, March 1st, giving the community an opportunity to purchase an original for over a month.

A Truckee native, CR loved skiing, his family, friends and community. A natural athlete, he excelled at skiing and took the free skiing movement to new heights in his trademark unassuming style, grace and ease.  His poetic prowess on the mountain inspired everyone, even those who didn’t know him.  Now he’s inspired an art event, and you’re invited.

Lion Heart Art Show Details:

The plywood panels are now available at Riverside Studios. Artists can submit a maximum of 3 pieces of artwork. Riverside Studios reserves the right to refuse any work that is considered offensive to the public. Artwork must meet the following requirements:

• Only unframed 10  x 10 x 3/4, plywood panels will be accepted
• Limit of three submissions per artist
• Name and title must be written on back
• Paperwork with: Name, title, address and whether you wish to donate your portion of the proceeds to High Fives:  Johnson Memorial Fund must accompany each submission set
• Artwork must be submitted completely dry with a hanger fixed to the back (unless it is being shipped then we will attach hanger)
• Mark arrow on back of the panel to indicate the top of the piece
• Diptychs and triptychs are acceptable but we will not guarantee that they will be shown together

Drop off artwork any time prior to the deadline. Deadline for submissions: January 31st, Tuesday at 4:00pm at Riverside Studios 10060 Donner Pass Rd. Truckee, CA 96161 (next to the Squeeze In).

Hours: Mon – Thur 10-6, Fri 10-8, Sat 9-8, Sundays 9-6

Riverside Studios
10060 Donner Pass Road
Truckee, CA 96161
For more information, please call 530.587.3789, or email riversideartstudios@gmail.com.

CRJ HEALING CENTER

On August 10th, 2011, the High Fives Non-Profit Foundation opened the CR Johnson Healing Center as a program service to commemorate the professional skier and beloved Truckee resident’s birthday. The Healing Center will provide High Fives – Highlighted Athletes with a space in which they can continue to work toward their goals in a private, “no questions asked” facility.

The CR Johnson Healing Center is replete with equipment that is used by healing professionals that High Fives works with. This equipment includes: A bar for practicing The BAR Method, spin bikes, Bosu balls, TRX strap systems, Swiss balls, foam rollers, weighted balls. Workout routines have been developed to ensure that Highlighted Athletes get a safe and effective workout. Along with the Healing Center’s workout facility the Johnson family has generously donated an infrared healing sauna.

The CR Johnson Healing Center is also home to the Wellness Room, in which local area healing professionals will be working out of and donating part of their proceeds to High Fives Foundation, and it’s newest program service, the Healing Center. Andy Spotts has painted murals of CR Johnson in both the workout facility and Wellness Room so that our friend can look over Highlighted Athletes while they work toward their recovery.

CRJ Memorial Ski Now Available to Support the Fund:

For each pair of CRJ Memorial Skis sold, 4FRNT will donate $100 to the CRJ Memorial Fund which provides funding for alternative modalities of healing to individuals suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury so they can “love the life they live”.

Available sizes are 180cm and 188cm. Skis are available for delivery ASAP. The skis will be delivered with a branded sticker with a short message regarding the CRJ Memorial Project, the donation to the CRJ Memorial Fund, and the mission of the CR Johnson Foundation.

The Johnson family looks forward to growing the legacy CR has left behind through your participation of this limited offer!

EDGE 2011, Volume 5 features provocative fiction, poetry, essays, and art from local, regional, and national writers and artists. The pieces included in this newest volume follow the edgy style of previous editions and offer an eclectic mix of powerful writing and imagery.

They called it EDGE because they say “it best describes our members’ mental position during the act of writing.”  You’ll probably agree.

A serious bunch when it gets down to critiquing each others work, they definitely know how to have fun and bring out the curious side of life in this eclectic mix of work.

EDGE 2011, volume 5

Featuring these Lake Tahoe and regional writers:

David Anderson, Jeffrey Alfier, Benjamin Arnold, Joey Brown, R. T. Castleberry, Ron D’Alena, Andrey Gritsman, Krista Lukas, Rosemary M. Magee, Timothy Martin, Shawna Mayer, Pat McCutcheon, JB Mulligan, Cyndy Muscatel, Rachael Peckham, Mike Pielaet-Strayer, Suzanne Roberts, Randy K. Schwartz, J. J. Steinfeld, Phillip Sterling, Greg Turner, and Daniel Wexelblatt.

Art and photography by Gail Goldsmith, Brooke Kuykendall, Jenni Ludwig, Denny E. Marshall, Michelle Murdock, Bonita Paulis, Ali Warren, and Eve Werner.

The Tahoe Writers Works is a non-profit organization based in South Lake Tahoe. Each year, the group organizes dozens of events to create a stronger literary and art community in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas, including Bare Bones Open Mic, Murder Mystery Theater, and the Captain Thunder Old Time Radio Play at Valhalla.

To learn more, click here to visit their website and to see the entire schedule.

Snowshoe Thompson weathered blizzards on 25 lb. skis with an 80 pound pack on his back just to deliver the mail.

Snowshoe Thompson (April 30, 1827 – May 15, 1876) was the nickname for the Norwegian-American John A. Thompson. He was undoubtedly one the best mountaineers to ever ski through Tahoe.

Despite his nickname, he did not use snowshoes as we think of them today. Instead he used ten-foot (over 3-meter) skis, and a single sturdy pole held in both hands. His version of cross-country skiing came from his native Scandinavia. In fact, he was one of the first to introduce cross country skiing to the U.S.

Thompson delivered the first silver ore to be mined from the Comstock Lode. Later he taught others how to make skis, as well as the basics of their use. Despite his twenty years of service, he was never paid for delivering the mail.

Snowshoe truly set the bar for delivering the mail under any condition. Read about his dedication in the following story by local historian Don Lane.

Tahoe’s First Mailman
by Don Lane, Lake Tahoe historian

Of all the people that have lived in our mountains, the one person that truly became a legend during his lifetime was a man who only lived to be 49, but a man that was adventurous, fearless and the best mountaineer to ever ski through the Tahoe Basin.

His name was John A. Thompson. It was during the winter of 1856, when he was 29-years old, when Thompson heard that the mail wasn’t getting through the Sierras during the winter because of the snowstorms, and he recalled that during his childhood days in Norway, they used these long, heavy skis, they called “snowshoes,” to get around the mountains.

So he fashioned a pair out of green oak, and although they were over 10 feet long, and weighed about twenty-five pounds, he knew they’d get him over the snow. So he declared himself ready to carry the mail across the mountains, and headed off from Placerville to Carson Valley and back again the rest of that winter … and for the next 20 winters. Through blizzards, frigid winds, and through whiteout conditions, Thompson carried the mail.

The weight of the bags usually ranged between sixty to eighty pounds, but one winter his load often averaged over 100 pounds. He never carried blankets, nor did he even wear an overcoat, depending on exercise to keep him warm. For water, he grabbed a handful of snow, and his food consisted of only some dried sausage, and a few crackers or biscuits.

By the day, he was guided by the trees and the rocks, for Thompson was a student of the mountains. He had a sixth sense about where he was, and never got lost, never. During the night, he looked up to the stars, like a mariner and sailed through the Sierras, sliding over the drifts with his long wood snowshoes, and pushing himself along with a single wood pole.

Once near Hope Valley, he ran into a pack of six hungry wolves who were ripping at the carcass of some animal. They started after him, but when he simply stared them down and kept on skiing, they stopped cold in their tracks and let him go his way.

On another day, Thompson ran into fresh tracks of grizzly bears, but he was never harmed in twenty years.

But although Thompson braved the meanest winters Tahoe ever saw, and faced down occasional wolves never missing a trip, he couldn’t overcome the inertia of government, when he sought to obtain a small pension for his 20-years of services, services that he had provided for free to the residents of Tahoe and Carson Valley, the sum of $6000. Although everyone seemed to support his request, he never received one red cent.

But when John A. Thompson died of a liver ailment in Genoa in 1876, he was loved and respected by every resident in the Sierras, and would be known forever as “Snowshoe Thompson,” a Sierra legend.

Photos:
Top: Contractor on skis. Courtesy of USPS
Skis: Tips of John “Snowshoe” Thompson’s skis, late 1800s. Courtesy of the El Dorado County Historical Museum

It’s “Art in the Morning”.

Shown here is Kit’s impression of one of our favorite locals – the Mountain Chickadee.

“Nature’s winter mascot in our neck of the woods is the Mountain Chickadee. Their chirps and tree trunk acrobatics animate our forests all year long. But their little round warm-gray bodies and dashing eye slash bring a particular warmth and charm to a peaceful winter scene. They’re content in their quiet industry and good ambassadors of the season.” -  Kit

About once a week, Kit emails a painting, hot off the easel, for you to enjoy with your cup of coffee, tea or chocolate before you dive into your work day.  It’s just a moment to relax.

Kit wants to make art a part of our every day lives. She believes that all of the arts should get out of the cloisters and into the moment. Any moment.

Kit invites you to share your cup of daily art with your friends. They can simply send Kit an email at Kit@KitNight.com with “Please Add” in the subject line.

And, sure to visit www.KitNight.com to learn more about Kit, her amazing artwork and her exhibit schedule so you can see her in action and purchase her art.

à la bonne vie

Morning Light on the River’s Edge by Kit

“I brought my easel to the bank of the river to catch the morning sun as it came over the mountain in this corner of the valley. In stocking cap and sweater, I savor this peaceful time. Birds dart from cool shadow into splashes of sunlight. I always thrill at the sound of hummingbird wings. I try to work fast in the quick-moving light.

The colors shift from cool blues, grays and lavenders to greens, reds, yellows and orange. Brooding reflections on the river become silver bits of glimmering light.

The only thing that could’ve been better would be to have slept on the bank under the moon and awake to this view over the edge of my sleeping bag.” Kit