Have you ever driven up the Columbia River Gorge? The Gorge, the name the locals call this world-class landscape that extends more than 100 miles east of Portland, where the Columbia River carves a dramatic canyon between the state of Oregon and Washington. On saturday’s afternoons, after my teaching the last art class for the week, I was more than ready to head out to the Gorge where I met my plein-air painting group.  I was so happy to be with Jeff Gunn, the head of the group, and my plein-air friends.