Welcome to the Panorama Print Collection
There is something very comforting about animals that reside year round in an area, moving through the seasons of plenty and scarcity. Chickadees with their cheery voices and happy dispositions are one of those animals. These curious little birds readily explore new food sources and make short work of tasty found edibles. This painting combines sunflowers, at the end of their colourful summer journey, with two chickadees, birds that never cease to entertain me with their carefree ways.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 Here in the Canadian Rocky Mountains chickadees are wonderful engaging four season companions. As the days grow warmer and food becomes more plentiful chickadees focus their energies on the raising of two batches of young before the cooler days of fall settle in. This painting uses the patterns of the birds and clouds to evoke a feeling of spring's promise. “Spring” is the fourth in a series of four paintings celebrating the seasons.
I find myself fascinated by the wind, especially as it picks up dust and leaves, swirling them around as it moves over the ground. To me our daily lives can be like being in one of these small vortexes until we find ourselves ready to break free and travel at our own speed and in our own direction. In this painting I wanted to use the swirling colours to represent the wind, and the distant sunset to be our individual goals. The bird silhouettes symbolize our life’s journey.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 If you ever have the opportunity to look closely at an owl feather you will observe an incredible flannel-like textured surface and frayed edges, designed for silent flight. This Burrowing Owl feather gave me a wonderful opportunity to share a comical moment in the family life of this ground dwelling owl. In this painting I was able to combine the details of an owl feather with an observant parent watching over three siblings, locked in a staring match, as they emerge from their underground nest.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on mulberry paper. Quite often the patterns of nature can be whimsically portrayed. Clouds continually change, and here serve as a nice background for these beautiful Canada Geese. Original painting on mulberry paper.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 In the early spring Canada Geese noisily announce their arrival to the Columbia wetlands. By May fluffy yellow goslings are swimming with their proud protective parents. Mid summer finds the young with adult plumage and the opportunity to learn to fly. This painting represents that moment when the parents take to flight encouraging their young to join them. As always there is one in the crowd oblivious to the significance of the moment.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 A Hoary marmot basks on a lichen covered rock on a sunny day in the Rockies.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 The Red-breasted Nuthatch must be one of the extroverts of the bird world. These joyful little birds are here all year round and their almost ceaseless chatter continually brings a smile to my face. At times I have observed only one nuthatch in a tree, seemingly talking to itself as it busily hunts for food. The winter season where we live in the Rocky Mountains can have quite variable weather, ranging from – 30 C to just above freezing. On those days when the temperature is on the mild side and the sun is shining brightly, icicles start forming. This painting is a celebration of the winter season with all its challenges and beauty. “Winter” is the fourth in a series of four paintings celebrating the seasons.
The night can be a very magical time when the light of the moon reveals all sorts of shapes hidden in the shadows. Clouds in motion, constantly changing their outlines, evoking images that move and transform. Owls are birds that have always captivated me with their large light gathering eyes, their beautiful plumage, and their silent flight. They are truly one of the masters of the night. In this painting I wanted to bring together a transforming night sky with a full moon, a beautiful old snag, and a magnificent Barred owl.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 Imagine standing on the shore of a mountain lake; the sun's light announcing the coming of a new day. The air is fresh, the lake water is calm. Swimming into your view are a pair of loons, and for the first time there are two fluffy chicks accompanying the adults. The scene has been made complete; a perfect start to a new day.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 I've been collecting feathers of different bird species for some time now; being intrigued by their structure and patterns. Earlier this year the feathers took on a new significance, as an idea developed of how I could incorporate them into my paintings. Here a Hairy Woodpecker male, sharing in the duties of raising the young, flies from the nest cavity in seach of more food for the ever hungry brood.
As the years have passed by my fascination with bears has grown. My family and I live on a small acreage above the Columbia Wetlands, and for half the year we live at peace with bears around our home. We also enjoy many species of birds; including the eagles that are said to be the ones that fly closest to the sun. In this painting I wanted to combine a late winter mountain storm with the eagle bringing in the warmth of spring; for the mother grizzly and her two young cubs which have recently emerged from their winter den.
Imagine standing on the shore of a mountain lake; the sun's light announcing the coming of a new day. The air is fresh, the lake water is calm. Swimming into your view are mother loon and her two fluffy chicks. The scene has been made complete; a perfect start to a new day.
If you take a few moments to look closely at a feather, you cannot ignore its incredible design and colour pattern. The beautiful purple/blue of a female Mallard’s wing feather speculum opened up the opportunity to celebrate the gifts of spring in a very unique way. In this painting I was able to combine the details of a feather with a special sighting of a mother duck and her ducklings.
Wolves are mysterious and magnetic animals. They need wild places to call home, and are top predators important to keeping ecosystems healthy. I have been lucky enough to see wolves in the wild and hear their haunting howls. In this painting I combined running wolves and a playful wind to create a free spirit moment.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. Leaves transforming into birds is a theme I have visited before. Why? I’m not completely sure, but perhaps it has something to do with the changing seasons. As the colourful leaves of autumn start falling from the trees along our trail, and the song birds start migrating, I can imagine these little birds carrying some of our beautiful northern colours south to share with those that don’t make the journey. To be able to relax and amble along a woodland trail, seeing the constantly changing life around you is a gift that everyone should have the opportunity to do. Wishing you many happy wanderings. “Fall” is the third in a series of four paintings celebrating the seasons.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. Inspiration is a magical thing – you don’t know when something you see or hear will spark a creative idea. A recent spring/summer was most unusual, with batches of hot weather mixed with cool weather and storms. This stormy weather did not seem to intimidate a male Rufous hummingbird which would bravely challenge the elements by repeatedly returning to perch on the dead leader of an Aspen tree; a prime location for him to survey his territory. This feisty little hummingbird and the wonderful stormy weather came together to inspire ‘Summer’ - a merging of movement, colour, and joy for life. “Summer” is the second in a series of four paintings celebrating the seasons.
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $650 Hummingbirds never cease to entertain me. Every spring we are blessed with the arrival of the Calliope, Black-chinned, and Rufous hummingbirds. Many of their aerial antics are repeated time after time; their spiralling dance is one of them. In this painting a Rufous and Black-chinned male hummingbird spiral upwards towards the sun. The white light from the sun sifts through both the birds reappearing as colours of the light spectrum. Each bird reveals three colours which when combined create a rainbow.
One spring our hummingbird feeder was awash with irridescent colour as we enjoyed an abundance of the three visiting species: Rufus, Calliope, and Black-chinned. I had wanted to paint hummingbirds for a while, but it wasn't until that spring that my desire collided with some interesting ways to express their visible joy of life.
What could be more enjoyable than a summer stroll along a pond that contains sun bathing Painted turtles? Their simple antics in combination with the insects that are hovering close by lead to many comical moments, especially when you include dragonflies that are hunting for lunch, not wanting to be lunch. In this painting I wanted to express a simple enjoyable moment of time.
Fall in the Rocky Mountains is an incredible mix of colours, changing weather, and the migration of many bird species. In this painting I wanted to bring together all of these elements creating a sense of movement and drama.
Sharing the Trail - Past & Present
11" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper.