When Covid-19 first broke out, I found myself with a little extra time to build a pond. I call it: my Pandemic-Pond. This is not that pond. This is a pond created by nature! This pond is somewhere out there in some obscure location where I imagine thousands of insects are abuzz on a lazy hazy mid afternoon. Frogs, turtles, and salamanders bask in the sun, as few random lazy clouds float on by.
This painting is available on my ETSY shop
Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) is often regarded by some as a weed, invading a lawn. But to anyone interested in native ecosystems, it is an important plant. Common blue violet is the host plant for the fritillary butterfly, of which there are many species. Also, the mining bee (Andrena violae), visits only violets. This bee is an example of a “specialist” – a specie, which can only use a specific plant specie for their survival. Knowing this, how could I not paint Viola sororia, as spring approaches?!
The original 🎨 (or print) of Viola sororia can be found on ETSY
Shadows can be most dramatic in contrast with snow. It is one of my favorite subjects to paint. The copper colored leaves still cling to young Beech and Oak trees all winter long. This phenomenon is called marcescence. There are a few ideas why trees may hold on to their leaves through the winter.
One idea is that Beech and Oak were once evergreen trees and are still evolving into deciduous species. Other ideas suggest that the leaves are used as insulation and nutrients as they drop around the trees closer to spring time. To the observer and artist, it certainly provides interesting subject matter for winter scenes!
Prints and originals available on Etsy.
Last watercolor painting of 2020. Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is one of the first spring ephemeral wildflowers to emerge in eastern North America. The common name, “Trout Lily”, is derived from the mottled leaves, which kind of resemble the patterns on a trout. I often find Trout Lily on mesic (wet) sites.
In this painting, I try to show the viewer a mystic foggy scene with plenty of movement from the flowers as they fade into the background. Winter has barely started, but I already have spring ephemerals on the mind.
As vegetation goes dormant during the colder and darker months in the Northeast, the marsh takes on a simpler, yet mysterious form, still teeming with life. Northern Pintail duck, Mallard, Wood duck, and billions of aquatic life forms are abuzz in this water-world. When you look out onto the marsh, the world comes to a halt with sky above and sky reflected below.
Painting available on ETSY
Always Wandering Art 