2 owlets this year

We finally were lucky enough to see the second owlet. He has taken a bit longer to learn to fly so was hidden from us. So pleased to finally see both of them. This makes the parents job a bit harder for sure.

"Watching You"

My owl painting is complete and I have just had my first owlet sighting of the year. The day I signed this painting I finally saw this year's baby owl - definitely a good day.
It was at dusk that we spotted the single large fuzzy Great Horned owlet. He is about 12" high with light gray fuzz and eyes the size of grapes. He was standing with a wide stance on the top of a fence post. His mom and dad were above in the trees. Lil Fuzzy peered intently at us, then ignored us and then studied us again. We are old friends of his parents so we slowly and politely approached to a nice viewing spot and crouched down to observe. It was so satisfying to finally see who has been high in the nest this spring. The owlet is healthy and strong. It will be fun to watch him grow.

Here is my painting "Watching you."

Time for Owls

This is the time of year when we start to watch for the owls in our area. We have several mated pairs of Great Horned Owls close and it is a special part of our spring and early summer hikes to watch for signs of them. It is great when the young owlets are finally visible in their nursery trees and we get the chance to watch them learn about life. This year we are just wondering if the cold spring will delay the laying and hatching of the eggs.

To celebrate spring I have started a painting of a Great Horned Owl with its owlet. Watch for the completed painting to be posted here soon

Because these owl nests are too high and protected for us to get good look, we see first see the owlets when they are able to fly around their nursery area. By this time these baby owls are huge fuzzy birds almost as big as their parents. They are incredibly cute with an interest in everything. Owlet heads swivel, bob and extend up and down while their large eyes peer at you. 

So we are on Owl watch now and will update you all when we have our first baby owl sighting....maybe even have pictures for the blog.

Back to Hiking

It is awesome when the snow finally goes and the mountain trails open back up for hiking. To be able to get out into the woods and see nature close up is just the best. The trails are still slick in spots and there are large puddles, streams and snow piles to jump and clamber over.

Yesterday I was up on Enderby Cliffs looking out over the valley.  The air was clear and the view was amazing. From several different view points you can see all the way to Okanagan Lake one way and to Salmon Arm Fly Hills the other way. Below you the Shuswap River curls and twists in a beautiful pattern of reflected sunlight in the midst of a multi coloured patchwork of farmer's fields.

Animal sightings were limited to chipmunks, grouse, and magpies, that was possibly due to a local yellow lab that decided to join us. A handsome blond dog, he ran up ahead and then doubled back for us, all the while watching for any sign of life that he could joyously chase into the woods. After our hike he turned into the gate of the house at the bottom of the trail, leaving us to suppose that he might daily pick a lucky couple of hikers to accompany him on his jaunt.

Enderby Cliff is well worth the several hours that it takes to hike. They have altered the path, making it substantially easier and they are working on a restoration program on the old trail as erosion was damaging the hillside in that area.

Its great to be back in my hiking boots and back on the trails.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

The sun highlights the ridges and hard curve of their massive horns as they are sky lined against the distant blue of craggy peaks. This is an agile creature that lives on the ridges and peaks of our Canadian mountains.
Last spring I was lucky enough to hike up into the mountains above Golden BC. There we found two groups of Big Horn Sheep. We first found the females and young and were able to observe them as they rested in the sun. We respected the fact that the females did not want us to approach too close and used our binoculars and photo equipment to watch them from a distance.

Several miles away we found the males and were able to climb right up with them and take the time to really study them. The males were comfortable with our presence and allowed us to approach them. Many wonderful photos resulted but most importantly was the feeling of being in the midst of them.

Two large paintings (3x5 feet) have resulted from that experience both based on the same drawings. The first is an "Out of the Dark" painting called "Ram's Ridge" with the dark charcoal coloured background with a light rendering of these rams.

The second painting "Bighorn Ridge", just completed is in full colour and has an entirely different feel to it.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to express my Bighorn sheep experience in paints.

Its all in the Details.

Its all in the Details. Its an old saying and for me artistically totally correct. In my art work of course I need to have the overall plan for the painting and I need to block in my shapes and have a good idea for the colour composition but in the end for me - it is all in the details.

What attracted me to paint that big horn sheep? It is the impact of seeing him in his natural setting. Both the animal and the setting are made up of such incredible details.  His gnarled horned curved and curling, his hair and features presented front of in the natural elements of grass and rock, mountain and sky. Those details call to me to pay the attention to them and render them as true to life as I can. To respect their intricate shapes and textures and do my best to represent them.

Right now working on that big horn sheep painting, the textures and details are singing to me. Watch for the finished painting sometime soon.

Lil Bear Cub

This painting has been a fun one.  A bright blue sky is a great backdrop to the kind of cuteness that you can only see in a bear cub. This cub and his brother shot up a tree while his mom and the other cub ran just over the hill.  Looking a bit perplexed, he peers down from his safe spot. 

This painting was created using Golden and Liquitex acrylics on canvas. It is full of representations of the textures of nature...the clear blue of the sky and its soft light clouds, the fuzzy texture of fur and linear bark, bear feet and nails....even the little twigs have their own texture. It is a pleasure to create all those varying textures with a paint brush.