capturing nature

Lately, more than ever, it seems it's nature that is fuelling what I need!  While "out & about" this week, the main focus was scouting out wildlife. Inside entertainment consisted of inspecting tiny details in Mother Nature's designs then doing my best to be creative like her!  When it was time to take a break from painting, I invested time venturing along with the people in this book.  I do better at fully investing in reading when there are no distractions.  With the curtain open for good light on the pages of the book, a movement outside caught my eye.....

..... and what a welcome distraction it was!  A Varied Thrush was foraging for food in the tree.  I saw one late in September while hiking out in Kananaskis which is a natural environment for this species.  To see this one in my neighbourhood and precisely at my front window was quite something.  I quickly ran upstairs to get my camera and was thankful the bird was still there when I arrived back.  What a treat it was to watch wildlife from the comfort of my sofa!   

It's around this time each year that a Great Horned Owl begins to hang out in the Birth Forest close to my home.  A few times so far, I purposely visited that area in search of it, but no luck yet.  On this day while Owl searching, I had the good fortune of seeing two coyotes making their way all through Confluence Park.  It was quick movement on the slope across the creek that first caught my eye.  I watched them running, hopping, walking in the snow along the slope and the ridge while I hiked along the path beside the creek.

Eventually the two coyotes disappeared into the trees.  I carried on along the path then meandered around a few other trails.  I aimed for the hill back up to the Birth Forest, then lo and behold, the two coyotes were right there settling into the snow.  They looked very healthy with such shiny fur coats!  When the encounters are as they should be, I enjoy this kind of wildlife experience.  

Look at the way that American Dipper is giving me the eye!  I find them a challenge to photograph so I was quite happy with this shot. This bird species gets its name from what it does, they continuously dip up and down foraging for food in the water.  Not very often do they stop for a few seconds.  Nor are they spotted very often.  All that dipping that they do annoys me but they are considered wildlife so I will give them my time!

I was already feeling satisfied with the wildlife I saw so far this week but the search continued.  On this day, we had a starring contest, me and the mink!  The mink was not moving and I began to wonder were its paws stuck to the ice.  I did notice icicles hanging from the chin.  I kept watching and it did not take its eyes off me.  In hindsight I wish I took a video, it then tried to scurry across the ice, it was funny to see it slip and slide away.  

🖌🖌🖌🖌🖌

When I am out enjoying nature and capturing sights, some of those sights stick in my mind, I immediately know at some point I want to try painting them.  When I get home and see my photos big on the screen, there is confirmation that yes I want to paint that.  Three recent sights that I saw which I took photos of, are now my newest paintings.  Lately I learned that true "Artists" use professional systems of varied sorts for making photos of their creations.  I point and shoot with my iPad, I can never get the photo of the painting to have the same quality as the actual painting.