Category: Paintings

  • Peering from the Underbrush

    Peering from the Underbrush

    You never know what secret critter may be peering at you from the wild. A sticky stick bug camouflaged in the branches, a moth sitting as still as a leaf, or a small feline watching, waiting😻 This piece is one of those paint doodles I create from time to time. Started as a lesson plan…

  • The Painted Turtle

    The Painted Turtle

    I am a slow painter. I spent years preparing my last body of work, “Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods,” and there are still pieces that I am working on that did not make it in. As I neared the end of working on the show I had this urge to paint a turtle to that…

  • Aqueous Life

    Aqueous Life

    11:30 pm • The beavers are active again. This Beaver is joined by a River Otter under the moon, stars, and water lilies. They are in a space all their own, floating, flowing (almost dancing), as underwater critters do. The nighttime escapades of the nocturnal critters have taken over while the rest of the world…

  • Starrey Nosed Gardener

    Starrey Nosed Gardener

    10:30 pm • Somewhere in the Northwoods a Star Nosed Mole tunnels. It adeptly digs and claws through the dirt, aerating as it goes. The Star Nosed Mole is like a farmer and a fisherman. He tills the soil (from below) and harvests the odd bugs. He builds passageways in the dirt with tunnels leading…

  • Fly Me to the Moon

    Fly Me to the Moon

    10:00 pm • The moon is on the rise. The clear lake captures it’s beauty perfectly on the placid waters. A fish jumps here and there but they are beginning to relax. Now it is the loons turn. This bird has been making soft calls throughout the day but now it’s time for the real…

  • Dusky Duck

    Dusky Duck

    9:00 pm • The sun is setting over the lake too. The dragon and damsel flies are zipping around after mosquitos and the frogs are feasting on water bugs. This male Mallard, aka Greenhead, watches from his spot on the lake shore. Mallards are very independent birds. The female’s hatch the eggs without the help…

  • Sunset Washes Over

    Sunset Washes Over

    8:00 pm • The sun is beginning to set and the colors are mixing together. It has been a long day for this Grey Wolf. Tired and weary on the inside, this stoic wolf appears strong, confident, and in charge on the outside. But there is hope as evening comes. Maybe the Grey Wolf will…

  • Lettuce Love

    Lettuce Love

    6:00 pm • Wild lettuce is a delicious spicy green that can be harvested from almost any local, uncultivated area. It looks like a tall dandelion but it isn’t. It is sometimes considered a weed, but what is a weed but a misunderstood plant? Humans and wild critters alike are known to munch on wild…

  • A Colorful Fishing Story

    A Colorful Fishing Story

    Happy summer solstice to you!✨ ___ 5:00 pm • The sun is starting to settle in. It has a while till it sets, but the mosquitos are coming out as the epic heat of the afternoon chills out. This raccoon found his dinner early. The sunlight plays on the water making rainbows as the fish…

  • In and Out of the Thicket / The Complex Nature of Deer as it Relates to Water

    In and Out of the Thicket / The Complex Nature of Deer as it Relates to Water

    4:00 pm • White tailed deer are one of the more predominant mammals in the Northwoods. We all see them in our yards, at the edge of the road even in town. They are ever present, much like the squirrels and the chickadees. People end conversations with “drive safe and watch for deer,” which begs…