From February-March 2019 I lived in the heart of the iconic New River Gorge National River in southern West Virginia as the 2019 Artist-in-Residence at Lafayette Flats. While I was in the national park, I created an illustrated map of the region and lots of other work inspired by my hikes.
Because I was in the Gorge in early spring (when the trees were still barren), I really enjoyed focusing on finding and depicting different textures instead of the typical flora and fauna that I gravitate toward. I especially liked all the different colors and patterns of mosses, lichen, and Nuttall sandstone rock textures that I came across (see below).
![me_nuttall_sandstone.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccdc22aca525b5657d440b1/1557927546256-LAG5GUW3SCS2SY3IQBZN/me_nuttall_sandstone.jpg)
![nuttallsandstone.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccdc22aca525b5657d440b1/1557927530230-7N8Q7LNCB6A1C27SP382/nuttallsandstone.jpg)
Sometimes I think it’s fun to test my observation and paint blending skills by trying to make my sketchbook disappear against a background. I tried that out with this lichen pattern on a rock that I liked.
Oh where, oh where did my sketchbook go?
![Oh where, oh where did my sketchbook go?](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccdc22aca525b5657d440b1/1557927762715-VSHIND3E6QU6QHC41UA3/lichen_sketcbhook.jpg)
![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccdc22aca525b5657d440b1/1557928591162-W5ZVHQQBDN0P5MLW0EN0/image-asset.jpeg)