"PASSAGE is a walk, a journey, a wander, a moonshot, a float down a scintillating river of words and wonder and colors created by two talented humans whose collaboration infuses life with a fascinating combination of what it means to be alive on this one-and-only Earth. Dive into this constellation of inky letters and waxy pigments, and you’ll pass through landscapes made vivid by Svendsen’s encaustic paintings and be moved by Lyons' poetic talents – from “fingernail moons/afloat in the night sky,” to this path we call life that “death is a part of,” to the “tears that salt our wine,” and the healing and “lightning strikes” that spark joy. A lovely collection of art to get lost in and savor.”

  - Gregg Kleiner, author of WHERE RIVER TURNS TO SKY and PLEASE DON’T PAINT OUR PLANET PINK

​

“Passage: Paintings and Poetry from Wallowa Country is a collaborative creative reflection on living in and being a part of the mountains, valleys, forests, and canyons of Northeast Oregon. Through Leah Svendsen’s hypnotic, encaustic landscapes and the delicious rhythmic verse of Dustin Lyons, readers are invited to immerse themselves into the beauty, the challenges, and rewards of inhabiting this landscape.  Passage is more than just a collection of art and words; Svendsen’s paintings dream with Lyons’ warm lyricism, complementing each other into a greater meditation on a place where every tree holds a story and every breeze whispers of ancient truths.” 
   - Mike Midlo, Fishtrap Program Director