Places
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Soft Morning Alpenglow
Soft Morning Alpenglow
Have you ever marveled at the colors of the mountains when the sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon? For a little while at dawn, the highest peaks are illuminated by the soft morning light reflected through atmospheric particles giving the mountains a magical glow. The alpenglow!
In late spring I was out for my early morning walk and saw this beautiful scene over the Rockies. The very top of Mount Evans and the surrounding peaks was a delicate gold, then transitioned down the mountain sides to coral, pink, and violet. The colors were simply amazing on the snow-capped front range.
It was a morning with low clouds hovering right above the horizon with subtle rays of light that seemed to extend from the glow of the peaks. I could hardly believe how beautiful it was! The magic lasted only a few moments, and then it was gone. Yet it was so pretty that I wanted to share, and the image Soft Morning Alpenglow was born.
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In late spring I was out for my early morning walk and saw this beautiful scene over the Rockies. The very top of Mount Evans and the surrounding peaks was a delicate gold, then transitioned down the mountain sides to coral, pink, and violet. The colors were simply amazing on the snow-capped front range.
It was a morning with low clouds hovering right above the horizon with subtle rays of light that seemed to extend from the glow of the peaks. I could hardly believe how beautiful it was! The magic lasted only a few moments, and then it was gone. Yet it was so pretty that I wanted to share, and the image Soft Morning Alpenglow was born.
See Print
Sea of Cortez
The Sea of Cortez, “where the desert meets the sea”, is a landscape where beautiful blue waters, diverse bird species, whales, dolphins, and even the Sonoran Desert thrive. I was part of a group of artists who was invited on an expedition to San Carlos, Mexico to create work focused on this amazing place. I loved walking along the beach picking up sea shells, examining the colorful seaweed, stones and life forms washed up on the sand. Footprints held my attention; markings of creatures on their travels, moving from place to place in a brief moment of time.
In the tapestry of life, where threads are species weaving together the most magnificent patterns of biodiversity, it’s the space between the threads that also matters. This space, made up of invisible connections, is what creates viable ecosystems; naturally in perfect balance and harmony. There are two paintings in the Sea of Cortez collection, Desert Waves and Estero Reflections.
In the tapestry of life, where threads are species weaving together the most magnificent patterns of biodiversity, it’s the space between the threads that also matters. This space, made up of invisible connections, is what creates viable ecosystems; naturally in perfect balance and harmony. There are two paintings in the Sea of Cortez collection, Desert Waves and Estero Reflections.
Desert Waves
Mystery flotsam is a life form that is unidentifiable to scientists. I found these tiny, transparent “creatures” fascinating during my daily walks along the beach. To show scale in this painting, I’ve placed a flotsam close to the tip of one toe of a willet footprint. That's how small they are!
As I watched the waves roll in and then fall back into the beautiful sea, I saw interesting patterns left behind in the sand that mirrored the outlines of the surrounding desert mountains. Each of these three images is connected to the next by continuous lines of sand, sea, and mountains. In nature, we see connections everywhere. Footprints of willets connect scale. Grains of sand create ecosystems. Waves create mountains.
In my painting, Desert Waves, it’s a matter of scale; small mystery flotsam connected to the great sea or grains of sand to the mountains. Biological diversity is alive in the tiny, and it’s alive in the massive.
(These three images comprise one original painting and are also available as three separate prints.)
See Original ~ See Prints
As I watched the waves roll in and then fall back into the beautiful sea, I saw interesting patterns left behind in the sand that mirrored the outlines of the surrounding desert mountains. Each of these three images is connected to the next by continuous lines of sand, sea, and mountains. In nature, we see connections everywhere. Footprints of willets connect scale. Grains of sand create ecosystems. Waves create mountains.
In my painting, Desert Waves, it’s a matter of scale; small mystery flotsam connected to the great sea or grains of sand to the mountains. Biological diversity is alive in the tiny, and it’s alive in the massive.
(These three images comprise one original painting and are also available as three separate prints.)
See Original ~ See Prints
Estero Reflections
The word “estero” means estuary in Spanish; an estuary is a tidal inlet of the sea. Depending on the time of day and the tide, different creatures are active. On one visit to the estero, I watched a group of little egrets feeding on small fish. Two long-billed curlews accompanied them. Many shorebirds depend on mangrove estuaries not only to provide food, but as a safe place to nest and raise their young. So much bounty in this coastal nursery!
During my visit to San Carlos, I was lucky enough to be guided by Dr. Rick Brusca, marine biologist and conservation ecologist extraordinaire. When we ventured into the mangroves, I was amazed at the incredible diversity of invertebrates everywhere. In this painting, I highlight one very beautiful crustacean, the blue crab. Its scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, means “beautiful savory swimmer”. Blue crabs connected to mangroves, mangroves connected to estuaries; all beautifully in balance.
Among its many gifts, the estuary’s shallow water is a safe haven for fish to lay their eggs; where fingerlings can hatch and grow. I saw small schools of fish everywhere, especially during low tide. No wonder this was such a magnet for bird life! The mangroves themselves were quite amazing, too. In this painting I highlight the red mangrove, and the sweet mangrove which exists nowhere else but the Gulf of California. As Dr. Brusca and I tromped around in the mud and thick mangrove stands, I learned about the specific role these plants have as filters of salt water, assimilating and dissolving nutrients. Mangroves benefit the environment by actually improving water quality. How awesome!
(These three images comprise one original painting and are also available as three separate prints.)
See Original ~ See Prints
During my visit to San Carlos, I was lucky enough to be guided by Dr. Rick Brusca, marine biologist and conservation ecologist extraordinaire. When we ventured into the mangroves, I was amazed at the incredible diversity of invertebrates everywhere. In this painting, I highlight one very beautiful crustacean, the blue crab. Its scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, means “beautiful savory swimmer”. Blue crabs connected to mangroves, mangroves connected to estuaries; all beautifully in balance.
Among its many gifts, the estuary’s shallow water is a safe haven for fish to lay their eggs; where fingerlings can hatch and grow. I saw small schools of fish everywhere, especially during low tide. No wonder this was such a magnet for bird life! The mangroves themselves were quite amazing, too. In this painting I highlight the red mangrove, and the sweet mangrove which exists nowhere else but the Gulf of California. As Dr. Brusca and I tromped around in the mud and thick mangrove stands, I learned about the specific role these plants have as filters of salt water, assimilating and dissolving nutrients. Mangroves benefit the environment by actually improving water quality. How awesome!
(These three images comprise one original painting and are also available as three separate prints.)
See Original ~ See Prints
One Life One Home
One Life One Home
The night sky beckons us and the universe embraces our planet with a quiet stillness. The Earth, represented by the circle, is safely nestled among the stars, basking in the sparkling brilliance all around.
Within the circle is the Tree of Life and between the leaves and branches of the seasons, we see 18 creatures from all over the world; bar-headed goose, arctic fox, southern minke whale, saiga, poison-dart frog, cushion star, fairy basslet, river jewelwing damselfly, ruby-topaz hummingbird, glanville fritillary, giant tortoise, honey bee, amazon river dolphin, sturgeon, chameleon, tragopan, lammergeier, and atlantic salmon. These life forms have been placed in the space between branches to highlight the delicate interrelationships that connect us all.
The great sea flows in rhythm and a gentle stream dances playfully; our beautiful waters nurturing all life on Earth. Opening from the circle, we see rounded doors inviting and welcoming us home. The sky becomes the sea and the clouds become continents; all in perfect balance and harmony.
See Original ~ See Print
Within the circle is the Tree of Life and between the leaves and branches of the seasons, we see 18 creatures from all over the world; bar-headed goose, arctic fox, southern minke whale, saiga, poison-dart frog, cushion star, fairy basslet, river jewelwing damselfly, ruby-topaz hummingbird, glanville fritillary, giant tortoise, honey bee, amazon river dolphin, sturgeon, chameleon, tragopan, lammergeier, and atlantic salmon. These life forms have been placed in the space between branches to highlight the delicate interrelationships that connect us all.
The great sea flows in rhythm and a gentle stream dances playfully; our beautiful waters nurturing all life on Earth. Opening from the circle, we see rounded doors inviting and welcoming us home. The sky becomes the sea and the clouds become continents; all in perfect balance and harmony.
See Original ~ See Print