This original piece sold last year but you can get him on prints, tees, mugs, pilows, etc. over at my freshly launched TeePublic storefront! Thank you for considering my merch or an original commission for the giving season✨
7:00 pm • The warm sun plays on the water, making the colors shift as the breeze laps the lake. An otter sticks its head above the surface and the world gets to catch a glimpse. This pristine lake makes the perfect home for a family of otters. The water is warm so the Otter is warm and it is looking to romp. Whether the Otter plans to play or fish this fellow is feeling feisty. It is time to zip and scamper. Dive and gambol. He looks around for a buddy and if he spots one he plans to wrestle but if not he’ll work on dinner. Probably fish, but a turtle chipmunk or a rabbit will do – all his practice and playing has made him an incredible hunter. He can swim so fast (6mph) and see so well under the water but his nearsightedness above water means though we see him he may not see us. Keep still and maybe we can watch the Otter for a bit longer and, if we are lucky, maybe we’ll spot two!
I can’t even count how much time I have spent sitting at the shores of the lake near my home hoping to spot the otters. I know they are there because I see their latrines near their slides and tiny tracks that lead from the bank to the lake. In the winter I see their holes in the ice and I see their snowy slip ‘n slide paths. I think if I see one I will feel the joy their magical presence brings. But I found just the act of waiting, sitting, watching, and pondering brings so much joy too
Featured flora and fauna • River Otter, Minnesota Lake
8” x 8” Acrylic on Canvas ©2023
