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Bumps on a
Log: Herring Gulls
Hand-painted silk; Image
size 12"x24"
During the off season
at a Vancouver Island beach, flocks of gulls gather to perch on the logs that
define the limits of swimming area.
Original
available -
contact the artist
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Beach Patrol: Sanderlings
Hand-painted silk; Image size:
12"x24"
These delightful
little birds skitter along the shoreline, flitting here and there
at lightning speed in their search for food. I observed this flock
while visiting Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island.
Original available -
contact the
artist |
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Urban Flock
Hand-painted silk; Image size:
15"x30"
Many species of wild
birds adapt well to urban life, few more-so than the ever-present
Mallard. This flock was observed gobbling up seed thrown for
their benefit in the parking lot of a local park.
Original available -
contact the
artist |
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Omens of Change:
Raven among Fall Aspens
Hand-painted silk; Image size: 15"x21"
On a fall trip to the Kootenay
region, I observed this raven perched among aspens that were
turning colour with the onset of cooler nights and shorter days. The raven,
in turn, appeared to be observing me.
In some First Nations cultures, the raven is considered to be a
harbinger of change, and the golden colour of the aspen leaves is
most certainly an indicator of the changing season.
Original available -
contact the
artist |
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Forest Carpenter: Pileated Woodpecker
Hand-painted silk; Image size: 12"x24"
This large, colourful bird seems almost too exotic for our BC
rainforests but they're not an uncommon sight in woodlands
or even
occasionally at back-yard birdfeeders. This one was hammering away
in a hollow tree in Campbell Valley Park, occasionally checking
the surrounding area for signs of danger. The surrounding trees
were just beginning to show signs of fall. The sound
of a pileated woodpecker at work, thumping away vigorously in
search of insects, always makes me think of a my dad. As a child,
I could often pinpoint his where-abouts on the family acreage by
the rhythmic pounding of his hammer or axe.
Original available -
contact the
artist |
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Blue Heron
Hand-painted silk; Image size: 13"x19"
This great blue heron was
observed fishing patiently just off shore on Vancouver Island, where colourful
starfish can be observed clinging to the rocks.
Original available -
contact the
artist
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Solitary Oystercatcher
Hand-painted
silk; Image size: 8"x18"
I have to admit that I have a minor obsession
with these not-so-common shorebirds. There's something about their red beaks and
eyes, and the interesting sounds they make that's absolutely captivating!
Original available at Monk Art
Gallery in Parksville
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Spring Mallard
Hand-painted silk; Image size
14"x14"
As observed the
Campbell River wetlands in Campbell Valley Park, Langley.
Original
available -
contact the artist
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Harbinger of Spring:
Red-winged Blackbird
Hand-painted
silk; Image size: 12"x20"
I love to walk my dog at a local park
that's a mixture of woodland, marshes, ponds and fields that were once part of a
large farm. The only visible remnants of the farm are the remains of old
barbed-wire fences. Early in the spring, the red-winged blackbirds arrive, one
of the first migrant species, and the males declare their territories often from
the vantage point of a handy fencepost. Their distinctive call never fails to
lift my spirits because I know that spring is on the way.
Original
available -
contact the artist
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Trinidad Toucan
Hand-painted
silk; Image size 14"x18"
In the northern range of mountains on the
Caribbean island of Trinidad is a population of elusive toucans. Birders from
far and wide visit the island in the hopes of catching a glimpse of this
legendary bird. If the wild birds don't cooperate, there is a thriving captive
population in the island's Emperor Valley Zoo.
Original available at
Horizons Art Gallery, St. James,
Trinidad
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Sunset at Caroni: Scarlet
Ibis
Hand-painted
silk
At sunset in Trinidad's Caroni Swamp something
magical happens: hundreds, even thousands, of brilliant scarlet birds descend
upon selected trees in a wave of unparalleled colour. These flocks of scarlet ibis
return from their feeding grounds to roost for the night, then set forth again at
dawn.
Original available at
Horizons Art Gallery, St. James,
Trinidad
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