Odds and Ends

On my walks and various travels, I tend to notice odd things or interesting patterns -- things that intrigue me, make me appreciate nature, or tickle my funny bone. These are a few images I recently came across.

I thought this was a very sweet combination. It is new life in the form of a grass stalk poking up among all that feeds it: fox hair, acorn, pine cone, and oak leaves.


Someone wanted to leave his or her mark on the world (or at least on a tree). I wonder if "F" stands for the carver or the loved one to be remembered? And I wonder if the madrone tree felt pain as this perfect initial was carved into its living tissue? One thing for sure, the madrone tree may have the last word. It's starting to heal over the carving.

Then there are sometimes very odd things one comes across.

When I was walking through a mall in Annecy, France this spring, there seemed to be some sort of "spring fashion" display.

I loved the colors, but what about this fashion? So far, I have not seen anyone wear such an outfit! (Thank goodness...)

Beauty Everywhere

There are days when it’s hard to see beauty, especially when a media account talks of yet another extinction, another environmental disaster, or some similar depressing bit of news. Nevertheless, nature is still present – thank goodness! – still showing herself in so many ways.

I’ve discovered that the more I paint, the more I see. It’s as if the process of trying to capture three dimensions onto paper, forces my senses to become more aware of textures, fractal-like patterns, shapes, how different parts fit together to become a whole. Just looking at how sunshine through a leaf or flower petal reveals the intricacies of veins and patterns in such delicate tissue can be an amazing experience of discovery.

When I try to convey a tiny fraction of this complexity through my art, I begin to dimly understand what an immense creative force is behind everything in the natural world. It quite amazes and humbles me.

I can really get excited about the smallest things.

I paint using primarily Winsor Newton watercolors with a few Daniel Smith and Holbein colors added for interest and variety. Although I have wanted to use oils, I cannot – even the water-soluble variety – as I’m too chemically sensitive to the additives and chemicals in oils and acrylics. Fortunately, I happen to love watercolor for many reasons.

Meantime, I hope you see some lovely gifts of nature wherever you are today.

Spring on the Home Front

It's been a lovely spring - if not extremely changeable weather-wise. One day it's 80 degrees F, the next day it hails.

I'm very fortunate to live near miles of protected woodlands. A couple of trails are my favorites. Ever since the weather improved in early March, I've been walking these paths each weekend, noting the changing cycles of wildflowers.





Early spring brought these ethereal Fawn Lilies (Erythronium hendersonii)








And carpets of Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon hendersonii).





Then there were clumps of blue-eyed Hounds Tongue (Cynoglossum grande).











By the beginning of April, most of the Fawn Lilies were gone, and the Shooting Stars were fading. Then the wild fritillaries began popping up amongst the bright red new leaves of poison oak. There are two that grow here: Scarlet (Fritillaria recurva)...







...and Gentner's (Gentner frittilaria), the latter becoming rare. It was exciting to see them, especially the exotic, graceful Gentner's which sometimes grows obligingly right at the trails' edges for ease of viewing.






Along another trail, I come across what I call my "thinking spot."


This happens to be one of those rare places that's poison oak-free. Whenever I have what seem to be insoluble problems on my mind, I spend a little time here sitting on this log. After a while, what seemed dire before loses its grip on my thoughts. Nature's slow and quiet rhythms soothe me and I can walk on with a lighter heart.

Welcome To My Blog

My interests are varied and wide, but always find their way back to my passions: nature, wildlife, sun playing shadow-games with what I see, and my attempts, through my artwork, to capture something of the essence of what catches my eye. There is a lot of joy in discovering something very beautiful and sometimes hidden, then bringing that aspect to light through a painting.After having lived in Los Angeles for over a quarter century (yikes!), I now revel in the countryside near me and never tire of it. Blacktail deer and wild turkeys wander freely and unmolested through the small town I found five years ago. (Of course, lots of other critters also wander through my front yard, but they tend to keep to the shadows and at night. Some, like skunks, find perverse pleasure in living under my house and spraying occasionally, especially in winter when I can’t air out the house without freezing. Phee-uwwwww!!!)




My paintings are inspired by what crosses my path, what I see on my walks and travels – whatever makes my heart beat a bit faster when I get hit with a sense of awe and delight.






Nature has also come to live with me in the form of four beautiful parrot companions: Sam (Jardine’s parrot), Chipper and Charlie No-Toe (cockatiels), and Pippin (lovebird). You will hear more about them in future blogs, but a brief visual acquaintance is in order. This is Sam looking out the window:

Chipper: eldest and in charge -- sensitive, highly interactive, always thinking (and conniving), and literary critic (aka Chipperoo, Roo) after which the blog was named Charlie No-Toe: singing, hanging out, and copying Chipper is his game



Pippin: the smallest and the sweetest and the smartest ball of energy




And Sam again: biggest, cuddliest green eating machine – and very shy.

So you have now met the main cast of characters that influence what and why I paint. I will be happy to share more with you in future postings. Stay tuned!