Category: Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods

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Zippy Chippy

7:30 am • The Eastern Chipmunk knows she has a busy day ahead of her so she plans accordingly to get an early start. She zips through the underbrush, crinkling and clacking all the dry leaves and twigs together, making a huge racket (forest critters or outside observers might mistake her noisy movements for a thousand deer hooves passing through). When she finds a place to rest a moment she can be spotted with full cheeks, reposing on a fallen log. There may be food or nest materials stored in those cheeks, her mission at this moment is a mystery. But either way, how nice to catch sight of this busy little lady who is finally paused, even  if for only a brief second, to give us a moment  to look and wonder.

Featured flora and fauna • Daisies, Jack O' Lantern Mushroom, Forget-Me-Nots, Wild Mint Eastern Chipmunk, The Bad-Wing Moth, Common Plantain, Dandelion

Zippy Chippy

©2021, 14” x 11”, Acrylic on Canvas. You can purchase this piece here.

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A Joyful Tide

6:45 am • Beavers are the whole package. They are tough, awesome swimmers, incredible architects, and they are cute as all get-out. They swim so fluidly that they almost seem to be floating, but I suspect it takes a lot of strength to look so graceful. This beaver has been hard at work since yesterday evening and is ready to get some rest. She heads towards home, making a peaceful retreat.

This piece was painted in the midst of the pandemic, prior to the very contentious 2020 election and during the summer's protests. It was a good time to create some joyous art. Flowing with this little lady as she came to life was a real joy. She has a nice energy and I feel like she might float right off the canvas. I am pretty certain her purpose is to give out blessings. Joyful tidings to you!

Featured flora and fauna • Beaver, Freshwater, Joy

A Joyful Tide

©2020, 8″ x 10″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. You can purchase this piece here.

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Solar Powered Songs

6:30 am • Ah, inhale. It is a lovely spring morning. The smell of the dew covered flowers mixes on the breeze and makes the whole world feel new. Even though the air is still cool the warmth of the sun portends a warm day. The American Robins act as the band leaders as they start their song and the rest of the solar powered songbirds chime in.

Featured flora and fauna • Daisies, American Robin, Wild Strawberries, Hoary Puccoon, Potentilla, Wild Blue Phlox, Crocus, Spring Peeper

Solar Powered Songs

14″ x 11″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. You can purchase it here.

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Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods

Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods opened June 4 with an awesome opening. I  I had so many great conversations, received a whole bunch of kind words, met new people and also saw many old friends🥰 Thank you for coming out! And no worries if you weren't able to make it - the show will be up through the month of June.  I also will be posting all the pieces here and on Instagram and Facebook. The show is linear (excluding todays post) they go in sequential order throughout a spring day. I will post them at the time the piece is set, so watch throughout each day to make sure you don't miss 'em.

Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods

©2021, 18” x 26” Acrylic on Canvas. Purchase it here.

It is a lovely spring day in the Northwoods. The wild world is just a wall away. Exit through any exterior door and you can explore the most interactive, all encompassing adventure there is. Breath in and inhale the scents of blooming flora floating on a gentle breeze of fresh air. Tune in and listen to the soft whisper of the leaves knocking together, the bugs and frogs creaking, the ruckus of rustling fauna in the underbrush, and the plentiful bird calls. If you let your body relax as it absorbs the moment, you can start to spot ALL the colors and textures. What seems to be mostly green at first can be broken down into all of the parts of the rainbow - the purple in the veins of a leaf, the orange gold of low sun rays hitting green leaves, the pink in the quartz rock gravel underfoot; it is actually possible to observe the whole color spectrum if you just take a moment.

The grating calls of the pileated woodpecker and the blue jay catch your attention, but the beauty of their plumage and the sweet calls of the other birds and frogs balance the stereo experience so well. If you pay attention you can feel the annoyance of daily life slip away, you may be reminded of your wild side as you slip into fuller, more grounding, understanding of life.

Sit in this feeling for a moment. Let the innate knowing of your belonging to the wild world take over. Consider that no matter how much we may try to tame ourselves or separate ourselves from the outdoors we are still a part of the wild world; that in fact humans have a large effect on shaping the wild landscapes and the quality of the outdoors.

Every piece of trash chucked out a car window exists in the wild, blowing and floating into the woods/lakes/fields, poisoning the flora and fauna, changing the aesthetics of nature like dirty socks scattered in a living room. All our choices add up. They can be seen by humans when we venture out, but they are constantly felt and experienced by the flora and fauna that don’t live indoors. We can keep the wild world whimsical, colorful, and vibrant by making the right choices. Today (and over the next month) we are making the right choices and getting a peek at some of the wild, whimsical, flora and fauna that are keeping it real in the Northwoods.