A Couple More Birds and Some Pottery, too.
These two latest birds were painted because people asked for them.
One said, ” Have you ever painted a Bobwhite? I grew up hearing them but never got to see one in person.”
She was raised on the East Coast, as was I, but in a different state. I grew up hearing them on Long Island, and was lucky enough to spot one on occasion, scooting through the underbrush in the woods. These little quail are elusive but so charming.
That one will go to her at the end of this month.
The second painting was a request from someone who owns a few of my bird paintings, and was wondering if I could make him a painting of an American Robin. They are as ubiquitous here in the PNW as they are back East, and very welcome to see.
There is a third bird painting on my easel, a commission from one of my high school classmates, who wants his daughter’s photo of a white heron rendered in oils, as a surprise for her birthday. That’s been fun for me because of the surrounding Long Island landscape, as well as the beautiful white heron. (Pics will follow once it’s done)
In between painting, I’ve been making pottery stuff for an upcoming show scheduled for June at our gallery in Bremerton, Washington. It will be called “Earth and Water”, and will feature my friend Kate’s ethereal watercolor paintings and my sea-life-themed pottery pieces. Right now, all my pottery things are crammed into my painting studio, but the weather has shifted to Spring and I think it’s safe to bring it all back out to the pottery shed.
03/15/2024 @ 7:11 pm
!PERFECT!
*LIGHT*
!ROSE!
Would I 2 be 00 school if I paste-post cUT:
Paul Simon
performs “American Tune” at 2011 Induction Ceremony
Like good for EVERYBODY?
03/16/2024 @ 1:24 pm
Well thanks, JPH!
03/16/2024 @ 11:30 am
Oh Rose. I love quails too. Where I grew up (western PA), they are kind of the pigeons of the woods, so I’ve seen many + been flushed multiple times, a startling opportunity to see their detail a foot from your face, if you’re able to stand your ground.
Quail (or bobwhites) are kinda my spark bird. My grandfather grew up on a farm, which was left to him when his folks died. We’d go there on weekends to roam the woods. He knew tons about nature and would show and teach me things.
He gave me a child-sized .22 rifle when I was around eight, and we’d shoot cans and apples off fences. I got pretty good. One day he announced we were going hunting for quail. I’d never killed a living thing, or seen a creature die. He flushed a quail and yelled for me to shoot it, but I didn’t, which made him angry. He shot the next one and I can still see how it dropped from the sky and was floppy when he picked it up. I cried the whole drive home and we never went hunting again.
Although he was disappointed in me as a hunter, he loved my art, and was my biggest collector. I painted game birds for him, pheasants, quail, ducks. He had my kid drawings framed and hanging next to my adult drawings, with stuffed fish in between.
I still have that kid rifle out in the garden shed, the only gift I have from him. My cousin has asked multiple times if he can have it for his grandson, I always say no. You’re never going to shoot it, he says, and he’s right. Weird love, eh? The past few years I’ve focused on predators vs their prey as subjects. Maybe Pop-pop vs the Quail is an unconscious muse.
P.S. There’s a quail drawing versus a gang of deadly aspen buds and a robin versus a fierce blackberry on my insta if you missed them.
P.P.S loving the octopus and prey ceramic work!!
03/16/2024 @ 1:35 pm
hi Suzanne,
I will go check out your Instagram again. Your drawings are always SO fun to look at. Someday I’m hope to have one of yours in my hot little hands for real. Art trade, maybe? Think about it…
Loved the story you told about your Pop Pop!
Our neighbors have a young daughter who feeds a local Douglas squirrel. That little red squirrel is super adorable and not afraid of people at all. He does steer clear of Moonpie, though; running up the nearest tree and yelling squirrel obscenities at the top of his tiny yet surprisingly strong lungs.
HOWEVER, unbeknownst to us, he made a nest inside the engine compartment of my mini cooper, decorated with empty peanut shells, and chewed through some electrical wires, resulting in the loss of all my lights and a $300+ bill to repair them.
In order to prevent future residency, I now have to make sure to keep some squirrel-deterrent balls inside the engine compartment. The stink gets inside the car when they’re fresh, but it’s worth it knowing both Mister Red and Nathan Junior (that’s my car’s name) (Reference: Raising Arizona) are both safe from harm.
03/16/2024 @ 5:12 pm
I had a robin’s egg blue Minicooper for eight years (name: Mme. Bleu) until the timing chain blew on my commute home on Rt. 93 in traffic. It wasn’t supposed to blow ever, big talking point at Mini, yet mine went at 60K, three grand est. to repair. It had become a money-pit of other problems, so after a lifetime owning only cars with standard transmissions, I gave it back for a Prius and had to learn to drive all over again. I miss the zoom, but my hip doesn’t ache after holding down the clutch on Storrow Drive during rush hour anymore.
Freakin squirrels! I heard that they will get in car hoods and chew on wires…why do they chew on wires? They also chew on wooden fences–I have zero fence caps left. A dynasty lives in my giant horse chestnut, where they have everything they need: chestnuts, fence wood, and a bird feeder. There have been times when I think about that .22 in the shed. If they were chewing my car and costing me 300.00 in repair bills, I might think a little harder!
We could trade for a smaller drawing… most on insta are 150-170 hrs, and people are usually surprised to see how big they are. Last year I made a series of small 3-4 hr drawings to give away to my favorite townsfolk, e.g. barista, bakery clerk who slips free items in my bag, bank teller, yard guy. A couple of those are on insta, so check, and we could talk about something on that scale and hourage. Your paintings are far more labor intensive, but a grabby octopi might be closer.
Also, yay that the semester is over for you!
03/16/2024 @ 5:24 pm
also, here’s Mme Blue, for Nathan Jr.
03/16/2024 @ 6:04 pm
Oh, so pretty! That’s such a nice blue!
My first Mini, 2008, was a 2-door, white with a black top. We called her “Tuff Twinkie”. Drove her across the country when we moved to Washington from Long Island soon after. What a wonderful trip that was! I kept her until 2016, when I traded her away for Nathan Jr. (below, on my driveway) Both were/are standard transmission, which I just love. I have no complaints with either car. Your experience seems an unfortunate fluke.
Hey, a 3 to 4 hour drawing would be perfect! You choose. I love everything you do. 3-4 hours is about what any of the octopus pieces take me. Bowl? Plate? Soap dish? Cup and spoon? What colors do you like?
SO exciting!
03/17/2024 @ 8:29 am
That charcoal gray is gorgeous! You’ve had a good mini luck!
Bleu was 2007, when they’d only been making them a couple years. That year had multiple recalls for major part replacements, so Bleu went in for two of those during her first year. Maybe I should have given her back then, but she was such a fun car. Now, the Prius has weaseled its way into my heart with 61 mpg, although when the light turns red to green, I still miss Bleu! Minis seem the unofficial car of artists, if the faculty parking lot is any indication. EVs are taking over though, with a good deal of jockeying going on over three charge stations.
Think about what bird you’d like, also color or sepia. I’d love a grabby octo bowl. Are they food safe? I bet it’s fun to eat spaghetti out of one…tentacle or pasta strand?
Here’s a female cardinal I made for L, the woman who makes my cafe au last with extra foam perfectly every time:
03/17/2024 @ 11:49 pm
The quail is beautiful
03/20/2024 @ 5:17 pm
Why thank you, Kosh!
03/18/2024 @ 11:30 am
Rose,
I accidentally caught a Douglas Squirrel when a neighborhood infestation of Rattus rattus became a big problem. Our 1913 Craftsman with balloon framing, and knob and tube wiring became too much to resist. His final dispatch came with a 28 oz. waffle face breakdown hammer. I thought I should have been arrested. Buy a bar of Irish Spring bar soap, shred it and wrap in a piece of guaze. Place it in the engine compartment. Rodents hate it.
03/20/2024 @ 5:13 pm
Hi Suzanne, I’m sorry to take so long to respond- a confluence of tasks both fun and tedious. I did get to do some pottery in between annoying events. Anyway, all my pottery pieces are glazed with lead free and food safe glazes. I don’t suggest putting them in the microwave or dishwasher, though.
I’m actually working on a bowl I think you might like- it is in green ware state currently and still has to survive the bisque firing and glaze firing. It’s got an octopus reaching for a starfish haha.
I love all your birds and it’s too hard to choose. I’m going to leave that up to you, sorry!
03/22/2024 @ 9:03 am
Your sea bottom smackdown sounds delightful! Let’s do it!
I’ve been on a sparrow kick, the beauty of largely ignored small brown birds, but maybe color is important to you? You liked jays–could do a blue jay, they have such great facial markings.
Size-wise, L’s cardinal is small compared to the larger drawings (approx 4×5 vs 12×20) The guy who makes my paper is French, his sheets are in centimeters and never exactly the same size or color, so I have piles of deckled extra chunks. Most are a beautiful natural linen buff, some deeper shades mixed in. Lmk.
Wondering about your new SlabMaster 5000–are you enjoying it? Are you growing biceps? Make a post. Spill the slabby tea!
03/27/2024 @ 7:09 pm
Okay, you’re on!
Sorry it took so long to get back to you- my daughter and I had a trip to San Diego and just got back.
I am LOVING my new slab roller and will definitely make a post about it soon. Masochist that I am, I got snockered into taking a second course for Spring at the college, and the quarter starts on Monday. This one is online and pretty much self-directed for the students. Still had to set it all up and get it “live”.
Back soon. not sure when. Hugs…
03/28/2024 @ 6:53 am
Will enthusiastically await reports of slab roller studio action…
Let me know, here, or IG what bird you’d like, we can work out details.
Your mother/daughter trip sounds fun! Today I’m heading to a museum conference my friend organized, and she’s going to take me behind the scenes to nose around the museum storage areas. They have a terrific natural history dept and she said they have shelves full of nests!
03/28/2024 @ 3:26 pm
Rose, let’s communicate thru IG, rather than here. You know how to find me 😉
03/20/2024 @ 5:17 pm
Oh dang.
We use Irish Spring to keep the deer out of the flowers and vegetable patch. It hands in little cheesecloth bags. The stuff we are using in my car smells a lot like rancid camphorated root beer. I don’t like it any more than does Mister Squirrel. Not real fond of the Irish Spring, though, either. (I would not be a good candidate for the “I like it, too!” ad)
03/22/2024 @ 3:40 pm
Love the paintings. Reading the comments feels a little like eavesdropping.
03/27/2024 @ 7:05 pm
No secrets here- just a fun conversation that I don’t mind sharing!