Joy

Every year I watch the Decorah Eagle Cam,  sometimes just leaving a window open I can watch off and on all day on one of my monitors.    Right now there are 3 little hatchlings, tottering and feeble, still covered with their downy white fluff. There are two cameras at least, and perspective changes and close-ups are done by the remote operators. As time goes by, of course, the eaglets grow, losing their down and begining to sprout black feathers – they are so funny looking at this stage! By June, they are learning to fly and hop from branch to branch in the huge tree where their nest is located. Mom and dad fly around, and bring them trout to eat – there is a fish hatchery nearby – and the occasional dove or hare.

Here, to me, is joy in seeing the cycle of life every year and the beauty of the world we cannot see in our own.

The Slough (Gouache)

This scan has a really greenish cast for some reason – or maybe I just used a lot of green without realizing it.  Anyway, given the fact that yesterday’s painting looked like it was sliding uphill into the ocean (art can do that, even if reality can’t), I worked on it again, this time using gouache.  Here, the sand works a lot better – at least it seems to be doing the right sandy thing!

Maybe some watercolor tomorrow of the same subject?

The Slough (Pastels)

I have been busy sewing masks for friends and family, and it’s been a slow process, taking a lot of time. However, I am back to my determination to paint or draw something every day, either in the morning or in the afternoon. As I had an appointment this morning, I used this rainy, rainy afternoon to paint the Goleta Slough. Or part of it. Generally speaking, I rather like it – all those little dabs of white, grey, and black are seagulls and other critters. The sand jutting out needs to be fixed – seems like it is riding upward or something, but …. ?