Ashland, Oregon, An Ice Cream Painting Inspiration

My first two ice cream paintings were inspired by a Saturday afternoon middle school  closing show celebration of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Braums.  The cones with swirls of peppermint ice cream

and chocolate peppermint ice cream

Chocolate Peppermint Domino Ice Cream (Acrylic mediums and dominos on canvas, 10” x 10”)

tasted as good as they looked. I thought, while I painted them, that those were the two most beautiful artsy ice creams I had seen.  Then I remembered a summer trip with my daughters four years ago to the charming mountain town of Ashland, Oregon.

A Word about Ashland

For many years I had wanted to go to the Shakespeare Festival there. We saw seven plays in seven days.  I was in my element.  The quality of the acting, innovation of the directing , larger than life sets and accessibility of the venues were not exaggerated in the festival's literature.  Some of the productions were better than Broadway. This was a collaboration of acting, directing, and designing for its own sake, not for flash and big Disney bucks ־ very impressive, as was the food.

Not Just Hazelnuts and Pears

Although I am a sucker for hazelnuts and pears, I was impressed with how fresh and local most of the food was in the Ashland restaurants.  It was like there was a contest between the restaurants, "Who can be the greenest?"  The local goat cheese, area wines, baby veggies, fresh eggs, handcrafted pasta, and crusty bread made Ashland a foodie's paradise.

And Then There Was The Ice Cream

We stayed at the Ashland Springs Hotel, a tall white Victorian looking building, located within walking distance of all the theatres, three Shakespeare bookstores, and (did I mention I liked the food there?) wonderful restaurants.  Across the street from the hotel is an ice cream parlor with enticing tables outside. 

Unexpectedly Hot

Every blistering afternoon, after hiking, or white water rafting, or wine tasting , or shopping, tourists flock to Zoey's Cafe & All Natural Ice Cream.  That week the special flavor was peppermint ice cream studded with flecks of real peppermint leaves.  Refreshing and pretty!

Capriciously yours,

Charlotte