OREGON CITY, Ore. — Clackamas County offers a remarkable public art project that encourages visitors to stroll inside Oregon City's brand-new courthouse . It's a monumental work of art that captures the Oregon outdoors.

Creekside in the early fall, time seems to slow down and tiny things come into view; the insects, the debris and the rocks are all found in the water and along the shore, and it's where artist Shari Erickson sees what most of us miss.

I love the way the water changes the color of the rocks,” said the longtime painter. “Above the water, they’re a whole different thing than below the water, and I love that!”

Erickson fell in love with Oregon’s outdoors as a kid, and her skill at capturing the details is surpassed only by her passion for the place.

“When I paint, I becom

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