Leopard Frogs and Lily

Leopard Frogs and Lily
Acrylic on Amperstand Board
5" x 5"

This is the first painting in some time after a year of eye ball treatments.  I'm pleased to be able to
sit down at the drafting table again.  

This small painting was a fun piece to start with though challengingly small.

There is something so peaceful about ponds or any body of water.   I enjoy painting anything with
water in it.    

Happy New Year to all !  May this year bring all the blessings life can offer to each and everyone!

Cheers,  Brenda D. Johnson

Local Day Hikes, Heaps Peak Arboretum Trail

October 27, 2013  Heaps Peak Arboretum Trail

Just a week or so ago, my son Chris and I decided to take in some local sights.  Heaps Peak Arboretum is located about 1.4 miles east of Skyforest on Highway 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains.  This is the first time I've taken a hike through this area.  The trails are supper easy!  There is a self-guided tour with 24 points of interest about native plants and trees.   I think it's worth a nice short trip for some fresh air and exercise.    I think the first good snow, I'll grab the camera and head back to this location.  There were a few really nice spots for reference here.

Wildlife Excursion ~ Sea Otter Visit ~ Aquarium of the Pacific

June adventure; The Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA.

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

In an effort to further study the anatomy of the Sea Otter a great friend and I took a day trip down to the Aquarium in Long Beach

which houses a number of these little darlings.

On a previous visit, I found it next to impossible to photograph them in the exhibit tank.  This visit I  armed myself with pencil and drawing pad.  (I'm thinking I have this licked.  Not so much....)

There were three otters in the tank either lying on their backs bobbing or zipping around faster than the eye could follow. 

My main purpose for this visit of course is to study their anatomy and more specifically their underwater movements.  At this point I'm probably more puzzled than before.  It looked to me like they are double jointed in the back hind leg area.  But, with all the zipping going on, I was unable to figure it out.

Luck have it,  I was able to meet up with the Biologist who was ever so generous and enthusiastic about my enquiries.  My friend and I were invited behind the scenes where little Maggie, a nine year old otter

had been placed on restriction for pestering one of the other otters in the main public viewing tank.

                                           Curious Maggie

Behind the door entering the back where all the important maintenance goes on, we were instructed to whip our feet on a rubber mat with disinfectants.   Looking around there are huge steal tanks,

hoses and I’m sure more things I have no idea about left and right.

As we approach Maggies enclosure, she immediately jumps from the swimming area to the concrete platform and presses her nose to the partition of glass to inspect the new arrivals.

She was as curious as we were!  Through the glass we studied each other carefully.  She was equally as curious about my friend sitting behind me and kept craning her neck to check her out as well. 

After a gazzlion questions and drawings to confirm my suspicions, (and indeed they are double joined in the hind leg) I felt I had enough information to go home and work out the issues for the Pacific underwater painting which will include them.

I found the experience and opportunities to study them closely exhilarating for sure!   I’ve just cracked the surface really.  There is so much to learn about the ocean!  I think that is what is so enjoyable about what I do as an artist.   These experiences always fill me with excitement.

British Columbia, Victoria Island and more...

(Photo, Port Renfrew tide pools)


We began the longest road trip of our lives the last two weeks of July from Southern California up to seven hours (driving time) shy of Alaska!


There is literally so much to take in along the way to see it's mind boggling.  I think Northern California coastline all the way up to Seattle is a month journey in itself.  Since Vancouver Island was our final destination, we basically drove inland up to Washington with hotel stays along the way.


While staying at one hotel, Jerry noticed a brochure for North West Trek Wildlife Park
in Washington.  I highly recommend it. (Find it on Facebook) Situated in deep forest with enclosures so natural for each species, it's often difficult to find them mid-day while most are resting.  They do offer up a tram ride through the facility which we found quit lovely.  There were photo opps around every turn. Species include  Dall sheep, Elk,  Bison Big Horn sheep, Deer as well as water fowl in a absolutely gorgeous colorful pond.  In the separate enclosures there were Wolves, Black Bear, Bobcat, Cougar, Lynx and too many more to mention.

Here is one shot of a juvenile Big Horn Sheep.  It's hind leg looked to be broken or injured in some way.    They do have an interesting way of managing the herds within the park.  They do not intervene if an animal becomes injured.  They let nature run it's course.  It's often difficult for many to find this just given most parks are considered caretakers.  However,  This facility leaves most of it's inhabitants alone as if in its natural habitat.  


Onward up to Canada with Whistler being our first day of exploration.  The highway offers some of the most beautiful views of scattered Islands however, since the road was re-done for the Olympics, there are no turnouts for photo opps.  


We found Whistler just a bit too much like Vail and Aspen Colorado.  There were too many  shops, hotels and touristy stuff for us outdoor enthusiast.  We drove there and turned right around.  Jerry took a side road off to the right on the way back down.  There along this two lane road we are both seeing scat probably 10 feet in distance each on both sides of the asphalt.   BEARS!  OK, now I'm thrilled and eyeballs scanning as much territory as possible!  We only saw one juvenile nibbling bits on a ridge.  Grizzly!
Nope, won't be getting out of the car for any hiking along this road.   I shot off a number of photos not expecting much given the brush and distance.  Nope, a quick check of the screen and marginal at best.  Nothing I could use for a painting.   But not disappoint either.

We set out for the Ferries to Vancouver Island early next morning. Once we arrived in Sidney we made for our temporary hotel and then off for discovery.   We began our drive up through Sooke toward Renfrew.

It was difficult taking scenic photos along this two lane road.  The forest is so dense and few open areas along the way.  And with the Islands 14 or 15,000 black bear along with Cougar (I'm not sure of the cougar counts), somewhere in there, I would not be hiking through any unmarked trails.  The photo here shows a small opening. I took this one of course with a flash.  It was literally black and so dense with vegetation, it would be difficult without a machete to even enter.  And, that's just not my style!   I did take a number of photos on trails however.  Most of the images I took accompanied a thought about my friend and photographer Mike who always harps about me not using a Tripod!  A Tripod would have been especially useful here!   I found the very low light challenging in taking clear photos ! "Yup, Mike you were right!"


The sounds in the forest were also interesting.  crunching, snapping and occasional unidentifiable bird chirps.  It was the lack of sounds that made us particularly nervous at times being that we were seemingly the only humans for miles.  Jerry and I were sure this should have been the forest used in Lord of the Rings movie.  And surely, there should be a fairy or gnome popping out and any given moment.  

Banana Slugs were everywhere!   We were amazed at the size of many of them.  I think they might have been around 4 inches in length or longer!  

White-headed Woodpecker

Awh the joys of parenting.  I have to laugh while watching this Adult female and juvenile White-headed Woodpecker.  These two stayed for what seemed a long period of time.  I'm sure the nest was in close proximity to my back deck though I was unable to spot it.

This baby followed Mom about fluttering it's wings while constantly making the sweet little sounds all day.   What a lovely site.  I was sorry to see them go move along.

The adult is on the left with it's distinct red mark further back on it's head.

White-headed Woodpeckers are found in mountain conifers.  I checked the regional map and it appears this species Picoides albolarvatus has a range from Southern California up to the Canadian border, or up to Washington.

As I type here at my desk I hear the sounds of Black-headed Grosbeaks.  There are four at the feeder now.  Talk about shy!  I have yet to capture any close shots of them.  The minute they spot me, they are off like a shot.

In April several years ago I took a series of photos of this particular female Grey Squirrel.  She would pose again and again with an offering of peanuts.  I've painted her in numerous poses since.


The flowers in my back yard are often solid in mass after a significant amount of rain.   As the season begins to fade,  the Silver Dollar Plant produces amazing dried disk shapes that look as if they were elegantly made of rice paper.   I've seen them in Dried Flower Shops for sale.  I should consider a painting including them.  They are indeed as beautiful as the flowers that precede them.


Today I'm finalizing another painting from this series of photos which will be posted on the my sister blog featuring art.  (reference the links on the right side of the blog to view)  So with that statement........  I'm off for now to the studio.  Starting the day with flowers puts a smile on my face.  I should paint more of them.


 :- )

Red Shouldered Hawk

The locals.    A friend and I went out for the day exploring locally to see who was out hunting one day.  This was such a lucky shot because this Red Shoulder was only there briefly.  Annoyed by our presence, he left right away.   


It was so well camouflaged that it really was lucky shot indeed.


We have so many types of Raptors on the Mountain.  The Red Tailed Hawk is the easiest to capture.  They hang out on the main road in trees that were burned in the last big fire here.  Not much camouflage.     I've been lucky enough to get some rather close up shots of them cruising the updrafts close to the road.


I'd very much like to paint this particular shot.   I very much like the colors.