The Wonder of It All

I’m planning a series of paintings with subjects from the nearby Curry Preserve, a 50 acre nature preserve on the Island. This is the first in the series. The Curry property used to be a farm, and this pastel painting shows the old livestock loading ramp. I was attracted by the wonderful textures of the weathered wood.

Original painting. Soft pastel on burgundy Canson Mi Tientes paper (smooth side), 10 x 10 inches. Completed 4-25-2008.

SOLD–McCrory Collection.

Posters, prints and greeting cards with this image can be ordered online.

I had just gone to bed when the clatter started. Something was rummaging through some empty plastic buckets I have stacked behind my house for use in garden work. I suspected raccoons, got up and grabbed my flashlight, but the batteries were dead. There was no moon and it was inky black outside except for stars. Then I heard something on the roof, and branches of the crabapple tree just outside my window were scraping against it. Suddenly there was the sound of a branch breaking, a big thump, a disgruntled growl, and finally silence.

About that time I heard deer approaching, the sound of hooves clear on the cold ground. I still couldn’t see anything, but deer had been coming by every day to see if any of the last crabapples had fallen to the ground.

After a couple of minutes, I heard a loud, “Whoof! Whoof! Whoof!” from something moving from behind my house toward the tree. The deer scrambled a few yards away, as surprised by the sound as I was. I heard something scrambling up the crabapple tree. Gradually the deer began moving back under the tree.

By now my curiosity was overwhelming me. I didn’t want to go outside (it was cold, and the sound of a door sometimes disrupts the wildlife), so I decided to try taking a flash photo. The tree is only a few feet away from my window, so I thought a flash might be enough light to see what was happening there. I put the lens against the window to minimize the reflection from the flash, and clicked to focus. To my delight, the red focus light was enough to show me a little of what was happening. A very large mother raccoon was in the tree, with one, or maybe two, young ones, and I could see the backs of the deer foraging beneath the tree. It was a busy night!

Using the red focus light, I was able to aim the camera and I get a couple of photos with enough detail to use as references for this pastel painting.

Original painting. Soft pastel on gray Velour paper, 11 x 8.5 inches. Completed 2-14-2008.

Private Collection.

Posters, prints and greeting cards with this image can be ordered online.

I’ve been fascinated by the shapes of some dead trees on a point of land south of the mainland ferry landing. This particular day the colors were rich but muted, and the overcast evening light was soft and subtle. Just as I was composing the photo, an eagle flew into the picture. It was a perfect Northwest moment.

Original painting. Soft pastel on St. Armand Sabertooth paper, 8 x 10 inches.
Completed 1-13-2008.

SOLD — Cary Collection.

Posters, prints and greetings cards with this image can be ordered online.

My friend Karen Weber does hand-painted silk designs for clothing and household use, as well as pure art for wall hangings. I always enjoy her flowing and colorful work. It is interesting to watch her create.

I did this piece using soft pastels instead of acrylic paints. I’m looking for a medium that is easier to take outside than acrylics. I have always enjoyed pastels and was interested to see if what I have learned from painting would improve the quality of my pastel work as well. I definitely felt some crossover.

Original painting. Pastel on paper, 8 x 10 inches. Completed 12-20-2007.

Weber Collection.

More delights from the garden! These cloves are being planted this fall for next year’s harvest. Garlic is an amazing plant, both for flavor and for health effects. If you are interested, I recommend a book called Garlic: Nature’s Original Remedy by Stephen Fulder and John Blackwood. They report not only folklore about garlic as a remedy, but also include scientific studies.

Original painting. Acrylic on canvasboard, 8 x 10 inches. Completed 11-25-2007.

SOLD

Posters, prints and greetings cards with this image can be ordered online.

Pine needle and raffia basket with 1.5 inch teneriffe center. Basket is 6.5 inches wide x 4.25 inches across x 7/8 inch high. Completed 11-24-2007.

SOLD

More wonderful fruit from my neighbor’s trees. This year we canned some of them–plain pears, minted pears, and pear butter. Delicious! Canning makes it easier to eat locally produced food all winter, something I’m trying to do.

Original painting. Acrylic on canvasboard, 8 x 10 inches. Completed 11-04-2007.

Cole-Mann Collection.

Posters, prints and greetings cards with this image can be ordered online.

Today I saw the little fawn and his mother featured in my painting titled New Neighbor. He is darker tan now with only the faintest hint of white spots remaining along his back. His nose has turned a bright, shiny black. He has the same beautiful face, and was as curious and fearless as ever. He and his mother looked sleek and wooly, well prepared for our cooling night temperatures. Here’s a snapshot of what he looks like now. You can click on the ”All Sizes” link to see a larger version.

This is the Peace Arch at the park on the U.S.-Canadian border near Blaine, WA, looking from the U.S. side toward Canada. The engraved words across the top say, “Children of a Common Mother.” The park is the scene of many special peace and justice events, such as the Arlington Northwest exhibit every Memorial Day remembering soldiers who have died in Iraq. It’s a time for recommitting to peace so soldiers everywhere can come home.

Original painting. Acrylic on canvasboard, 18 x 14 inches. Completed 10-12-2007

SOLD — Borgens Collection.

Jack is my tomcat and the official rodent control officer for the farm where I live. In other respects he’s a congenial, gentle soul, very smart and sometimes funny.

Original painting. Acrylic on canvasboard, 8 x 10 inches. Completed 8-31-2007.

Private Collection.

Posters, prints and greeting cards with this image can be ordered online.