What a Summer!

It has been a busy summer with lots of opportunities to enjoy nature and wildlife. Cold and rainy or hot and windy...It has been fun and my camera has been out.

We had a great trip to observe Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep above Banff. Most exciting to see were the newborn Bighorn sheep.They are the cutest and most agile babies. They nimbly scamper up and down the rock faces and then abruptly just plop down anywhere to rest. Their mothers look haggard and untidy with their winter wool falling out. In the time we had we were unable to locate the male herd.

sheep photo

sheep photo

Then it was off to the game farm in Kamloops to paint a portrait of Shardik, their 36 year old grizzly. The game farm is known for its work in protecting and preserving British Columbia wildlife. Their animals are all rescued animals that could not survive in the wilderness. It was an experience to sit out side Shardik's pen and really observe him, (something that is difficult and perhaps dangerous  :)  to try in the wild.) Grizzlies normally live to about 25 years, so Shardik has reached a grand old age. I wanted to paint him this time rather than the 2 new grizzly cubs that have just arrived as he has been an important part of the bear experience at the park for so many years.

Shardik photo

August is a great time to head to Vancouver island and the ocean. Whales, seals and otters are what I am on the look out for while my husband has his eyes on the water for salmon and halibut. It was a good trip with wonderful friends. We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful whale display close to our boat. The huge creature breached 5 times before turning on his side and waving his fin at us. It was an incredible experience to be so close. It happened too quickly to get any great photos but here is a friendly suntanning seal that agreed to stay put long enough for a photo.

island photo

Shardik the grizzly and my cougar painting are getting close to being complete, just a few more details. While I should be focused completing those two, a new painting is calling my name. A dainty fawn with lovely eyes is begging to be painted....so starting that painting now.

Pictures to be posted as soon as they are complete.  

International Artist Magazine

It is such a pleasure to be featured in the August/September issue of International Artist Magazine. They have included an 8 page spread on my artwork and creative process. Also as an extra bonus the front cover shows a small picture of me working on my 6 foot moose painting (upper right corner.) This is a great art magazine that focuses on international art and artists. The article shows my step by step artistic process for two paintings. What an honor to be in such a prestigious magazine. This should on news stands soon. Check it out!

Water Babies

Here is the painting of the sea otters that I have been having so much fun painting. They are the happiest most inquisitive creatures that I have ever met. These are from Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island....We enjoy looking at them each year when we are on the island.

A group of otters is called a raft and often they hold paws as they

float on the waves to stay together. So check out my raft of otters.

Then as I was enjoying doing water babies....I continued and did a study of a mallard hen and her 6 chicks. The local fountain in Mcquire Lake is a wonderful place to spot mallards with their families....and as they are quite used to people they let me sit close to them and observe. These are quite the cutest babies at the pond.

Hike the trails but find the deer in my own yard.

It was hot with gusts of wind towards the end of the day. We headed into the woods and up the hill. I felt the wonderful cool of the woods envelope me as we stepped into the shade. The harsh bright sunlight changed to a lovely tree dappled light.  Here we could hear the birds and as we hiked we listened to the stories that the birds were sharing. Solitary songbirds sang here and there. Raucous blackbirds yelled and fought over their supper.  Several hawks soared on thermals over the woods. We even thought we saw a buzzard circling high above our trail. My legs were tired at that point...but I don't think that I was that close to being done....so I don't think he was there for me.

The woods are in full bloom with wild flowers of all types blooming every where...we were walking in natures bouquet....it was amazing. At top of our hike...we stopped to just look around and found a handful of wild strawberries and their amazing taste of summer.

As we came down the mountain we heard the call of an owl which led us on a wild owl search through the wild rose bushes. We never found the owl but I did indeed learn a new respect for wild rose bushes. My legs still reflecting on that wisdom this morning. Always in the woods we enjoy the chance to see what animals are there...so it was birds, marmots and chipmucks.
But it wasn't till we were having a late supper at home that we were lucky enough to see two young deer as they snacked on our willow tree before heading into the neighboring old orchard.

On the easel I have a small painting of a mallard hen and her ducklings. I just jumped into this painting starting with the hen and have been adding ducklings here and there... painting this one in a kind of crazy unplanned way. My otter painting is basically complete and I am just studying it for a few days to see if I need to add anything to it. I will post these soon.

Kayak Camping

My art is based on my deep appreciation for the outdoors and the plants and animals that live there. So it is really important to get out and seek out the experiences that I will later represent in my paintings.

Well at least that is my excuse for the great long weekend that I just spent on the water with my brother. It was a 5 hour kayak trip in the Kootneys paddling up an isolated chain of lakes to spend several nights camping on a 3 acre island. What a great way to spend time. Our island was in the center of the lake with 360 degrees of the most beautiful and peaceful views. The paddle was long but the destination was worth it.

The weather was most interesting but our camping gear stood up to the challenge of keeping us warm and dry. My brother is an excellent kayak paddler and a skilled outdoors man. We told stories, bragged outrageously about our past year's accomplishments and wrote the most excellent poetry around our campfire. That campfire survived the downpours and cooked our tinfoil wrapped dinners. Jiffy popcorn and Sweet Caroline toasted the rise of the moon at midnight on the solstice.

Thanks to my brother for a great time enjoying the Kootneys in a Kayak!

For me, nature is where I reconnect with myself. The smoke of the campfire lifts my worries and stress then lets them drift away on the prevailing wind.  So now refreshed and inspired I return to the studio.

Otters in the Water

Well all my recent commissions are complete and on their way to their new homes. I am honored to have had the opportunity to create art that combines two visions into one. It is the chance to paint a gift from the heart, a painting that is painted for one special person with allot of thought into who they are and what they love. This last painting was a lovely Nelly Moser clematis on a trellis with a hummingbird hovering over the flowers. The title is "Embrace." It was painted for a very special mom who is so appreciated by her children for the warm embrace of love she has always shared with them.

Now I am into a great fun painting. This is a family of sea otters.....with their happy little inquisitive faces peering back at me from the water. It is 24x36 in acrylic.  I think these creatures are such lively joyful creatures that I just had to paint this family. I have been lucky to see them any number of times at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. They always seem as happy to see me as I am to see them.

Watch for this painting to be shown here soon.

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.