Author, watercolorist Paula Pugh sketches memories of RV travels

Paula Pugh of Whidbey Island, Wash. (Julianne G. Crane)

Paula Pugh of Whidbey Island, Wash., is a snowbird RVer who travels (with her husband, Jim) back and forth each winter between the Puget Sound and the Tucson area.

Our paths crossed while she was quietly painting watercolor sketches of the Tumacacori Mission (18 miles north of Nogales). She explained that a couple of years ago she began combining watercolor sketches and notes to create more rich, unique trip journals. (Click on images to enlarge for more detail.)

Sample entry in trip diary.

Stopping to chat with her, I learned that she started using quick watercolor sketches to capture moments that simple using words could not. "I try to paint everyday," she says.

In addition, I discovered that Paula is also a relatively new author. Her first book, "Celebrating Beginnings and Endings: Mark the Moment Book 1," (2012) helps people connect with their family and friends in creative ways. "Even small beginnings, transitions and endings can be explored and filled with wonder," she says.

In a review posted on Amazon, the Library Journal (January 2012) wrote: "Simply said, this book is about observing special moments in life without the usual overspending. Pugh uses her experience as facilitator of women's growth circles to show readers how to set the stage for celebrations marking the "starts" (e.g., births, graduations), "transitions" (e.g., coming of age, taking on a new role), and "endings (e.g., miscarriage, terminal illness) in life. Each celebration guide incorporates steps for exploring options, planning what to do, and letting expectations go in order to maximize the enjoyment of the moment. A warm, inspiring collection of ideas."

When she is not RVing in her 5th wheel trailer with her spouse, Paula continues to work as a facilitator and speaker. She combines 30 years experience as a teacher with her 20 years of expertise in creating celebrations to facilitate retreats and classes across the country in which women learn "to express themselves in order to unlock their personal power and connect their choices in life with their health." She demonstrates how to create a circle of sharing and building trust through hearing stories and telling stories.

Sketches from Deer Harbor; Maui.

For more information:
Paula Pugh
Sound Wisdom Retreats
91 Brackenwood Ave.
Langley, WA 98260
425.314-1218
Mark-the-moment.com
PaulaPugh.blogspot.com  

To read more writing by Julianne G. Crane on the RV lifestyle, go to RVWheelLife.com 

Photos: (Top) Watercolorist and author Paula Pugh (Others) Samples of watercolor sketches in her trip journals. Click on images to enlarge for more detail. (Julianne G. Crane)