Welcome to the Wildlife Print Collection
The allure of night time winter walks is the magical quality of trees, snow, and a sky that you can almost touch. At these times it is possible to believe in a special connection between both the plants and the animals that are left to struggle through the season that Mother Earth rests. In this painting I wanted to play with the idea of the magic and imagination that can reveal itself on a night time winter walk.
Not wanting to leave their summer home in the Columbia Wetlands, these Canada Geese gaze skyward as southbound flocks fly over head. With the arrival of fall, seasonal birds are drawn southward by the promise of warmer weather and a plentiful supply of food. Fall in the Rocky Mountains has a splendid palette of colour. In this painting I wanted to share the colour and vibrance of this special time of year.
Animals that are year-round residents in the northern Rockies are adapted to an environment where food is not usually plentiful. The chickadees, with their curious nature, will find food wherever it is. The rosebush will hold on to its fruit for them well into the winter months, and provides a splash of colour in the winter white landscape. Besides the chickadee, there is another winter resident in this painting. When sitting still, the white winter coat of the Snowshoe Hare makes him almost invisible; a great way to avoid predators while looking for food.
Our home in the Rocky Mountains in the spring is a time of intense bird activity. In May we enjoy the arrival of migrating hummingbirds. Dozens of individual birds created a spectacular sound and light show. The inspiration for this piece came form watching the interaction of sunlight on the hummingbirds feathers. As sunlight passing through a prism creates a rainbow of colour, so to is the interplay between light and the little hummer's irridescent feathers.
22" x 30" acrylic/gouache on watercolour paper. $750
Living where we do in the Rocky Mountains means regular encounters with wildlife, including Black bears. Over the years I have seen a number of sow and cubs as they travel through the land around our home. Being able to watch them from a safe distance is always a thrill. The sows are usually patient and watchful over their curious playful cubs. In this painting I wanted to contrast the vibrant colours of fall foliage with the deep rich black coats of a family of curious Black bears.
Second in a series of five paintings celebrating the Columbia Wetlands.
Fourth in a series of five paintings celebrating the Columbia Wetlands.
Not wanting to leave their summer home in the Columbia Wetlands, these Canada Geese gaze skyward as southbound flocks fly over head. With the arrival of fall, seasonal birds are drawn southward by the promise of warmer weather and a plentiful supply of food. Fall in the Rocky Mountains has a splendid palette of colour. In this painting I wanted to share the colour and vibrance of this special time of year.
I always marvel at remarkable displays of nature. Once in a while we are blessed with being in the right place at the right time, as my husband was in May while Banff Park. He was able to take some fascinating photographs of a pair of Common Loons bonding as mating season arrived. Having been totally taken by the images, I felt the need to paint this wonderful under water dance.
In her fine winter coat, this squirrel is collecting maple seeds for her food stash. Endowed with an incredible tail to accentuate her natural beauty, she's undoubtedly broken a few hearts. I combined this presense with vivid autumn colours, then accented it with delicate flakes of early season snow, to capture one moment of this creature's day.
A pair of Canada Geese seek warmth in each others presence as they await the completion of the spring melt. In this painting I wanted to share a misty Columbia Wetlands morning. Soon the sun will burn through the mist and a busy day will begin.
Spring can seem like such a busy time in the natural world. As the end of April arrives so do the hummingbirds; first the Rufous, then the Calliope, and finally the Black-chinned. When time permits I like to sit in front of one of our large windows and enjoy the activities of the birds. If lucky I will also see a beautiful mountain storm roll through the valley with it’s ever changing light and short bursts of rain. On one of these occasions, as large rain drops were splashing down onto our deck, a curious little Calliope Hummingbird paused in front of the railing seemingly intrigued by the water droplets bouncing energetically up off the wood. As seems to happen with most of my hummingbird art pieces, I see light as colour, and this fun lively moment created on watercolour paper is no different.
The Canada Goose is one of those birds that is great fun to paint. Their large size coupled with feather detail, elegant black neck and white cheek patches offers an incredible variety of painting opportunities. Early migrants to the wetlands often rest on the ice, waiting for the renewed warmth of the sun to continue to expand the open water. In this painting, other migrating geese can be seen in the reflection of the icy water.
First in a series of five paintings celebrating the Columbia Wetlands.
Third in a series of five paintings celebrating the Columbia Wetlands.
Fifth in a series of five paintings celebrating the Columbia Wetlands.
Ravens are a commom sight around our home in the Rockies. Vocal communication seems to be a very important part of their family structure. They could be sitting in a tree, or flying overhead and it will be their calls that alert you to their presence. Sometimes when they fly past me I will close my eyes and focus on hearing their wingbeats. This painting is a combination of what I love most about the Raven. Their feathers, although black, have a wonderful irridescent quality that makes it possible to see them in a variety of different ways. And their incredible varied calls speak of the north and living in an ever changing environment.
