It is so wondrous to watch spring bloom after a long winter – to watch while the wild world grows and springs to life is utterly breathtaking. Simultaneously, there is a global pandemic that is striking all areas of the human world and people are dying – the shared anxiety is palpable. The colors of spring are similar to last year but they feel slightly different. I wonder what happens next.

This piece was a part of the May virtual group exhibit Together Apart put together by the MacRostie Art Center. The show had many beautiful pieces from artists all over the world in the show. It was a perfect example of art bringing us together.

8” x 10” acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. $175 - you can purchase it now.

©2020

Laying In Wonder

8″ x 10″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

Spring is a time for growth. New life is born and old life is reawakened. Flora and fauna remember how to live in their environment as things change with the season.

Newborn fawns are a common sign of spring in the Northwoods. These mild-mannered critters face many tough challenges as they grow up.

I see the fawn as a symbol of gentleness in a harsh world. Even though it seems like such a small, mild-mannered, critter would not be able to survive the harshness of the forest so many of them still do. They are gentle and tough.

The fawn reminds me to be gentle with my spirit. Sometimes I feel a pressure to push myself to be tougher for the world. I know these internal feelings stem from a time and a place I no longer live in, but past habits can be hard to break. The fawn reminds me to adapt to my current season of life and be gentle in the process.

I think it is important that we afford that gentleness to other people's spirits too. We are all humans trying to survive in a world that can be pretty harsh🦌🌿🌎
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6" x 6" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. This piece is SOLD. Do you want one similar?

Spring Growth

6″ x 6″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

 

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 painting has been a peaceful retreat during a rather hectic time. 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!🌊💕

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8” x 10” acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas (which means it is ready to hang as soon as it arrives).

This piece is available for purchase, $160 + $10 shipping 🎨🐾

©2020

A Joyful Tide

8" x 10″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

This piece has already found a home. However I am totally down to paint another eagle if you are interested🦅
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I started this piece during the pandemic, prior to the murder of George Floyd & the protests that ensued. This eagle took on a deeper meaning as current events unfolded.

The bald eagle is obviously very significant in the USA. Not only is it a symbol of the nation but it also holds a lot of personal meaning for folks & cultures throughout. Besides being symbolic bald eagles are also a keystone species.

I think of the bald eagle as an American growth story. In 1940, when it was recognized that the bald eagle was facing threats from humans, Congress chose to create the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Even so, the bald eagle population continued to decline. In 1970 President Nixon proposed & saw the creation of the EPA after observing the negative impact humans were having on the environment. In 1972 the EPA banned the chemical DDT, in part due to the writing of conservationist Rachel Carson, who published her book Silent Spring in 1962. The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 & the bald eagle became one of the first critters listed as endangered.

Because of environmental & endangered species protections the current bald eagle population is no longer listed as endangered. The fact that folks could come together to protect such a lovely keystone species gives me hope & demonstrates the power of listening & being heard. Bald eagles can’t speak for themselves. They needed humans to recognize their mistakes & take steps to ensure its survival. That point was heard & a moral, humane, change was made.

As moral beings we’re given the ability to empathize for a reason. I think the biggest step we can take is to step out of our own assumptions & truly listen.

Most people don’t write a book or take time out of their life to protest unless they want to be heard. It is our duty to truly listen, empathize & be the change. Not all of us have the power to create the EPA, but we do have individual power to not poison the earth, to save a turtle crossing the road, or to be kinder & more understanding.
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9" x 12" Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

©2020

Bald Eagle

9″ x 12″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

I started a series of little bird paintings. I have been creating art for my upcoming show, Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods, that will be on display at the MacRostie Art Center in June of 2020. This means I haven't had a lot of originals available for purchase as of late - and I love to share my work - especially around the holidays. I also was finding that I was getting hyper-focused on larger pieces because I didn't have another main focus, so all around I knew it was time for a new mini series to occupy my brain. I decided to focus on birds and pine cones.

My yard is very snowy, and the weather is getting rather cold, so I have been digging around for sticks for fire starter. I love how pine cones look, and though they are amazing fire starter sometimes I just can't bring myself to burn them so I stick them in a vase and look at them. I decided to brush up on my still life skills by painting pictures of them. I added some birds for a flash of joy and color during these cooler, whiter, months. And thus this sweet mini series was born.

The pieces are available for purchase ($60 a piece) and would make great gifts. I will be posting more over the next many weeks so keep your eyes peeled. For now here are the first three. Check them out and let me know what you think ❤

I have been busy working away at art, yard / house tasks, and my day job, mostly because fall is inherently busy but also because I have so many projects! It is nice to be busy but it is also a lot of work. The work that I am finding the most fun is the work I am putting into my paintings for latest art series Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods. I have been creating a body of work for a bit but I only finalized the idea and the title this summer when I started submitting it for exhibition at local galleries. I am so pleased to announce that earlier this fall I found out that the body of work was accepted into MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, MN for the month of June 2020. The gallery is one of my favorites. It is small in size but large in innovation and its love for artists – it feels like the perfect space for this exhibit.

The show will feature paintings that take a closer look at the inner workings of the wild world we live in but are often separate from. It will take a whimsical look at Northwoods critters as they go about there daily lives. The Blue Beary Patch is a perfect example of the show itself.

The Blue Beary Patch is my take on how awesome it would feel to be rolling with your best fluffy bud in a patch of blueberries and butterflies. What a tripped out moment that would be. The piece features black bear cubs, wild blueberries and eastern swallowtail butterflies in acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. The piece is a 9” x 14”

If you want to see Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods in person (and I think you will) you can join me for the opening reception on June 5^th, 2020 and then again for my artists talk on June 17^th, 2020.

This piece reminds me of a scene from a fairy tale. It is a snippet from a larger painting. I added a tiny 1.5” bear to that larger painting and the little bear fascinated me. I decide to zoom in to explore the bear’s story. I am still not sure exactly what this dude is up to but I feel like I know a bit more.

Like I said, the piece originated around the bear and then grew around it. The first flora to grow was the brush and then the vines. The brush started out as uninspired bushes so I had to set the piece aside for a bit. When I finally picked the piece up again I knew I had to add leaves and contrast. I was inspired by the stretching, curving, nature of raspberries so I decided to put those in (what was then) the foreground to frame the bear. There was still too little to the piece so I added morels and the piece took off.

The piece has a feeling of depth – much like a story. It starts here and ends there, with a lot of detail in between. It has (dandelion) wishes, forget-me nots, butterflies, and ladies (in the form of lady bugs). It has a beautiful central figure and it has at least one morel. I think a good story leaves the reader wanting more. I am still fascinated by this bear’s story so I think it’s a good one.

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This piece is a part of a larger collection meant for a solo exhibit. It isn’t for sale yet but will be, stay tuned. I take commissions so if there is something in particular you like about this piece let me know and we can chat about creating a story just for you.

Morel of the Story

9″ x 12″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

 

When I was a teen I used to go on walks with my sister and dad before school. We lived in a swamp along a major highway. The road always had non-stop traffic during the day but we would set off around 5 am. At that time the only folks that were out were semi drivers and crazy hikers. There were also a lot of creatures. One that we became familiar with was a beaver that lived in the ditch. In the swampy lowland area the ditches were always full of water. That ditch was more like a creek. The beaver would welcome us when we got to its area and then it would swim through the ditch for a mile and half poking its head up once and awhile as though to show us it was still with us. When we would turn around and head home the beaver would typically turn around with us. The beaver may have been following us on our morning hike or we may have been following it on it’s morning swim, either way I thought that dude was amazing.

At 5 in the morning we could look up and see the stars and the milky way in the deep blue of the sky. It was an incredible sight and feeling. Especially for an angsty teen who dreamed of exploring and conquering the world.

This piece explores life and the interconnection of sky and water. It portrays the feeling I get when surrounded by all three. The color of the sky fits my memory of those early mornings over my swamp home. I hope when you look at this piece you feel the longing to conquer your world. I also hope you feel the security of knowing that you are not alone. We are all swimming through this cosmic masterpiece, humans and non-humans alike.

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This piece started as a commission. The person who intended to order it never finished up their order. I usually wait some time after a commission falls through to finish up the piece. I picked this one up again in hopes to turn it in for a juried exhibit. Things have been so hectic with work and such so I was not able to get it done in time. I finished it up today and could not love it more.  The energy and thing I learned from finishing up this piece really spoke to me. It seems I picked this piece back up at the right time.

Aqueous Life

11″ x 14″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.
You can purchase the original here and you can purchase a print here.