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Saturday, November 27th, 2021
English Ivy drooped in oak tree branches, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Framed size 27H x 33W”.
Pretty? Pretty invasive! Probably escaped from a nearby garden, English Ivy is beautiful draped in the branches of this Oak tree, but the plant, left unchecked as a ground cover, will choke out any growth of native or desirable flowers or plants. An aggressive perennial, it attaches easily with roots that exude an adhesive substance, destroying rooves and siding, climbing on branches that break under its weight. Once established, it will kill trees by blocking sunlight and thereby, photosynthesis. Because of the labor and enormous expense it takes to eradicate it from public lands and parks, people are encouraged to not plant this in your garden, even though it’s still for sale in nurseries.
Sarsaparilla Trail
Saturday, November 20th, 2021
Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa, ON Canada, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Bluebells
Wednesday, November 17th, 2021
Bluebells, Rowley, Alberta, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Viper’s Bugloss
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021
Viper’s Bugloss – Echium vulgare – beside Highway 15 near Franktown, ON – this is the second version, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. The earlier version done in 2010 was probably my first success with soft pastels. I didn’t try them again until last year.
So cheerful and beautiful with pink buds and blue-violet flowers along tall stems, it’s tempting to pick them for wildflower bouquets, but the plant has tiny spines along the stem and leaves that are very irritating to the skin, so are best enjoyed left where they are, growing en masse in summer fields beside the highways in eastern Ontario.
I was curious about the name… according to the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism edited by Michael Stuart (c. 1979, 1987 ISBN 0-9999-48911), they were formerly one of the most respected plants used for the treatment of viper’s snake bite venom.
Rock Creek
Sunday, July 25th, 2021
Rock Creek, Rood Bridge Park. Hillsboro OR, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper.
Day Lilies
Saturday, July 10th, 2021
Day Lilies, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. After 5 days of chasing an unsuccessful forest piece, I ripped it up, broke free of the frustration and had some fun with a new subject, colors and a completely different style. Art: no rules! This is my answer to “if you’re not enjoying it, why are you still working on it?”
Stony Swamp
Sunday, June 27th, 2021
Stony Swamp, Ottawa ON, Canada – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on 90 lb WC paper. Framed size 27H x 33W inches, white wood frame, crackle finish.
Wild Lupine
Thursday, June 17th, 2021
Wild Lupine, Mount St. Helens WA, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Vancouver Island Blues
Sunday, May 30th, 2021
Vancouver Island Blues, lodgepole pine at Nimkish Lake BC, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Blues because of the main colors, but also because I’m a little blue that crossing the border into Canada is still so complicated. Hopefully by the end of the year most restrictions will have been lifted!
Summer Breeze – Paper Birch Stand
Wednesday, May 26th, 2021
Summer Breeze, Paper Birch Stand near Campbell River, BC – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper… limited color palette.
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