Home from Oregon

We've been away for several days. We stayed at a hotel in Salem while visiting a friend on the farm outside of Stayton.

I had only a little time to sketch. I explored Stayton and found this interesting home, dubbed the "Stayton Castle". A realtor's Insta account wrote: "This property has a rich history and was used for everything from a jail to a pirate radio station."

 

The Oregon Vietnam War Memorial is on the grounds of the State Capitol in Salem. I sketched the evocative statue "A Soldier's Return" by Libby Carruth. She wrote: "I endeavored to convey the “invisible wounds” of war with an expression of tension and angst in this young man’s face and hands. From most angles, he remains obscured: a symbol of anonymity and disregarded struggles. Approaching the sculpture face-to-face, as if looking into a mirror, invites a moment of true acknowledgement, interaction, reflection and empathy."