today’s [talking pictures] is just stunning and is accompanied by a good road trip story. i love a good road trip. it comes from one of my favorite artists (a lot of peoples’ favorite artist!), amy ruppel. amy is a portland-based artist, but you’ve seen her artwork all over the place. from gallery shows (there’s one on currently at rare device) to artwork for modern twist and ipop and on blogs just about everywhere, like this peek at her studio on design*sponge. you can read more about amy on her blog, and shop for her beautiful artwork in her online shop and her etsy shop. thanks for sharing, amy!

here’s amy rupple’s [talking picture]: “I moved from Madison, Wisconsin to Portland, Oregon in the winter of 1996. I drove the whole way… the car breaking down, almost getting trapped in a blizzard (thank goodness for State Troopers), with an old boyfriend. We were off to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest. Well, I’m still in Portland, but he didn’t last long.

Every now and again, I drive back home to Wisconsin along that same route. Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming is my favorite stop along the way. Not only for its majestic presence, but for the lore behind it as well.

When you enter the park, you crest a long hill, and bam. There it is. That crazy mound of rock in all its glory, with a giant meadow laid out before you. On this particular day, storms were moving in and out, and I just had to see that view over the hill with the skies as turbulent as they were. I drove there from my hotel in Sundance, Wyoming, skirting hail, tornadoes and the approaching darkness of night. But as you can see from the photo, it was well worth it. You can take hundreds of photos of this place, and never get the same shot. As long as the light changes, so will the big rock.” -@my