Russell and Jenny Loughmiller wanted to spend some time in another country with their four kids, but they didn’t want just another 10-day European trip.

They also felt their family needed a strong bonding experience, and from those two desires came a remarkable adventure: a 45-day, 550-mile hike along the Camino de Santiago, a famous religious pilgrimage in Spain.

Today, Jenny Loughmiller’s home art studio in The Dalles is awash with light and vibrant color, the walls adorned with neat rows of her foot-square canvases, each with a heart theme. But two years ago, that same room was her master bedroom and one day, when she looked out one of the windows that provide so much light, all she saw was desolation.

Mastering Mosaics