Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Natural distraction

I'm staying at our new summer place this week on beautiful BC's Sunshine Coast. I've set up a studio here - hardly had to purchase anything to equip it as I seemed to have doubles of everything in my home studio. I'll have to purchase some more brushes though as I have favourites that I can't live without and don't want to bring back and forth.  The hunt it on for long thin liner brushes - I haven't been able to find anything even close to the brushes I inherited from an older artist many years ago, even at Opus. If anyone knows of a good source for lovely long liner brushes, please let me know.

I had every intention of getting some painting done yesterday, but then I spotted this critter out the kitchen window. I've only ever seen grey racoons, so I was quite fascinated to see an auburn one, so outside onto the deck I went, camera in hand.


Soon he/she was joined by a friend of the usual colouring.


I enjoyed watching them foraging for food on the rocky foreshore and they didn't seem to mind me spying on their activities.


I never thought about raccoons swimming, but evidently they do.


After about 20 minutes, the two of them disappeared under the neighbour's dock and although I waited another 20 minutes, they didn't reappear.


By then I was distracted by three bald eagles that swept by repeatedly in search of who knows what kind of wee creatures to devour or to take back to their young.


Later I saw turkey vultures, a variety of ducks, Canadian geese with goslings, a raven, hummingbirds, and beautiful little yellow birds.

I'd like a better camera to capture images of some of these birds in flight - the eagles, especially, took my breath away.

Maybe I'll paint tomorrow ...






Monday, June 04, 2012


Here's a truer image of Out on a Limb. I'm happy to announce it was juried into the Arts Council of Surrey's Arts 2012 Show at the Surrey Art Gallery - June 23 to August 19; opening reception June 23, 2-4pm.