The Allure of the Owyhee…

Owyhee River below the dam. 2023 - Andrea Bonadiman

I firmly believe that all things in life happen for a reason and we can manifest our future. While this blog has been a long time coming, now is the perfect time to write about the subject finally. 

In Spring of 2023, I graduated from Oregon State University, with a degree in Digital Communications and Graphic Design. As the year progressed aftergraduation,n I was freelancing web development, web design, graphic design, etc., while also searching for more stable work with actual companies and firms. During this time, I found myself yearning for my academic career topics in my mid-20s… which was natural resources. It was a constant tug-of-war in my heart about where I wanted to go professionally. I love marketing, graphic design, and communications; but my true passion is the outdoors, wildlife, and conservation. I was rattling my brain on how I could combine the two. Approaching outdoor apparel and gear companies I loved and used, different organizations, etc., but wasn’t met with much progress. One of the main reasons I returned to school to finish my bachelor's degree was to do something with purpose. I wanted to do something that made it possible for me to be on the land right in my backyard, and the place I had fallen in love with… The Owyhee. 

Then one day I checked my email as usual and saw something in my inbox from my old professor and friend of natural resources. Since it was rather rare to hear from him, I anxiously opened it to see what was inside. ( You see, he was always very supportive of my interests and pursuits for year, even attending a solo art show I had in 2017. ) The email included a short message and a recommendation for a job he saw posted for a local organization. I recognized the organization from seeing various posts on Facebook, but honestly, the job sounded quite overwhelming. As I reached out to a previous employee for the organization, he said it’d be great! I had never met the executive director of the organization, but I knew I had him on my friends list via Facebook for quite some time. I reached out and long story short, I got the job! This isn’t just a job though, it’s something much more to me. Not only am I able to apply my skills that I’ve learned for years now, combining both my communications & graphic design degree, but also my natural resources skills and knowledge. 

Self Portrait

Most importantly, this job I earned is focused on the land and area I so badly wanted to focus on in my life. More times than I can remember, I recall standing in the waves of the Owyhee River below the dam thinking how much of a dream came true to focus my work on this land. Growing up, I always knew the Owyhee Canyonlands as merely the ‘desert’ and wasn’t taught much about it. As an adult I’ve spent more time on this land, exploring, discovering, and falling in love. Taking up fly fishing has had me in a trance of euphoria in the water many times. Being Campaign Coordinator for Friends of the Owyhe, has opened a flood door of opportunities to learn about the land, history, and flora and fauna.

It’s been a wild and flash before my eyes five months of being with FOTO now, however, it’s also offered a menagerie of inspiration for my art. If you hadn’t noticed already quite a lot of my inspiration and topics of pieces were centered around the Owyhee Canyonlands. Pieces like the ‘Golden Trutta’, created from experiences that were had right there in the Owyhee. The connections of species and plants, coming together within one ecosystem. ‘Golden Trutta’ is inspired by the German Brown Trout that are abundant in the Owyhee River below the dam, and the connection to the Coyote which you can hear yipping in the night with the stars shining above. This piece features a coyote skull painted in a brown trout patina with copper leaf mounted on a birch board with waves. 

Golden Trutta - Andrea Bonadiman

While I was daydreaming of an opportunity to be immersed within the Owyhee, I spent a day out on the river flyfishing back in November 2023. I came back home with a heart full of inspiration and vibrance for life. Here is what was written:

    “A day full of inspiration, catching monster brown trout, & embracing the gorgeous scenery. In the morning, we dropped into the river and watched a man on horseback gather cattle. The experience was made complete with yapping cow dogs & gunshots fired overhead.

    The water is crisp and clear, with rising heads of golden brown. Watching them swirl in the pool of sand as spawning was near. Crashes atop the water, flashing their glorious metallic skin, as they jump for the next meal. A briskness filled the air. Yet, still standing in the middle of a river was a serene experience. Reeling in gods of the river. Gently cupping their power in the palm of our hands as they swam away.

    A day like this can so easily be romanticized, with such heavenly adventures. The sun set into the red hills of cliff sides & caverns. Just as I thought it couldn't be more divine, a coyote sprints across the cracked roadway. Our day could've been spent anywhere, but here on the lower Owyhee River is where I'd rather be.”

I believe I manifested this life I am now living at the moment. The encouragement to create art, work that is centered around a place that is older than time itself, and protecting this place. A way I can combine all my passions and be valued to do so. To work and move with purpose on the land that has been my backyard. Protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands is crucial to my soul on so many levels. There is so much to learn, discover, and value about this land. It has been and continues to be a key inspiration for my art and the creation of art. I feel as if I have fallen into place with purpose. I plan on using my art in ways to help the campaign I am a part of as well which is centered on protecting the Owyhee. 

I would love to encourage you to visit the site and sign the petition to Protect the Owyhee.
www.protecttheowyhee.org

Owyhee River below the dam 2023 - Andrea Bonadiman