Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Further down the road.

After a wonderful, though way to hot for hiking week in Radium that concluded with a dear ones wedding and the chance to catch up a wee bit with siblings we headed southward. Our intention was to camp in Cranbrook but when we arrived I noticed forest fire smoke billowing upwards at a great velocity not far away. We enquired and were informed it was a back-fire set to pre-burn a strip to stop an uncontrolled forest fire. The smoke was so thick my poor nose felt as though it were on fire so onward to Creston we head after purchasing a card reader, I forgot ours at home. We always stay at Pair-O-Dice campground, which tends to be gaining popularity as there were very few spots available. We didn't obtain much sleep though as its near an industrial shop where some one decided to unload a truck at 3am, so the sound of a fork-lift beeping every time it backed up kept us awake for a few hours.

We spent the day wandering around Creston, chatting with the few people we encountered and taking in the art walk scene. As we wandered downtown streets we noticed many store were empty, closed up, not much there at all. It felt like a very depressed town. As we talked with locals we found that the trend in the area is to cross the border and shop for less in the states. I find this sad for if we don't support our local markets then we lose them, and it seems this towns depressed state is due such repercussions. I am a strong believer in supporting local talent and markets. I refuse to buy imported merchandise as much as is possible. We buy our meat, grains, fruits and produce from local farmers, the exception being is oranges and the odd pineapple. I taught myself to crochet and now have an abundance of hats for winter as well as for gifting. I grew up with the motto of reuse, recycle and make do. Its a good motto to live by. In the summer I made my sun hats using fabric bought at sales for $1 to $2 a meter that people donate what they no longer have a need for. My older sister and a few others also gifted me with material so my next project is to make some bags and purses.

Seems I drifted off topic of summer vacation, alas such is the way of my mind.

 Enjoying what the summer brings
 in warmth and flight
 and color thats sunshine bright.
Young crow 
and a fuzzy-butt fly?
Enjoy the moment, hugs to all!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Radium Memory

Home for a week now from our six week camping adventure and I've jumped right into textile work. I have put about 30 plus hours into creating a design for a quilt. It will be a colorful blend of patchwork and appliqué. I've not taken in-progress photos as my computer is maxed out with images that need editing and deleting. What I can show is... …
 The first day of our adventure and two moments after I decide my camera really should be on the front seat, as I turned to reach behind to grab it Gerald says "our first bear" and there it be. Sweet!

 Our second wild encounter was at Radium tourist info station. This well crowned beast soon tired of the paparazzi and sauntered off down the road.


 The light fell fast and the tripod was securely tucked under the truck seat, hence blurry image but as I was after the color idea for reference and not necessarily the clarity of a good photo I chanced a hand held shot.

 Heading back to the campsite we stopped at the lookout to take in the sunset. It was lovely, both below and above.







Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Eagles begin to gather


While in Broughton Bay area the Eagles were beginning to gather as the red-fish were making their way to the gravel spawning beds. I was lucky enough to get an eagle that had just captured a Chinook.
It was interesting to watch adult Eagles capture a fish from the stream and then entice the juveniles to come gather the fish from them. I watched one mature Eagle catch a fish, wait for a juvenile to come, then the adult released the fish into the stream and re-caught it while the young one watched. Amazing, though I have watched eagles often I had not before paid enough attention to the adult juvenile relationship to realize I was viewing lessons being taught.

All this viewing of birds is an integral part of my job of painting birds and nature. I feel it's essential to spend a major part of our time in the field experiencing excitement and wonder of the natural world and to learn valuable information about the species we draw and paint. When my hubby and I view other artists works we can often pick out paintings created from photos without the real life experience of watching birds and animals behind them.

Learning is a passion as is the art of creating.

Have a wonderful week.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

New territory explored, geographically and poetically.

August has been an adventure of exploring the interior of BC and meeting wonderful people along the way. We started out the month and our touring by attending my lovely niece's wedding in Radium. We camped at Dry Gulch Provincial park as we were informed that Redstreak Campsite was fully booked; though there were many vacant spots due people reserving sites and not showing up, which is a downfall of the reservation system in Parks.
 
It was as it was meant to be though as the camp attendant at Dry Gulch was a joy to meet and a friendship sparked.

On the morning of the wedding we stopped by the info booth to check our emails and I was delighted that a poem I had submitted to a competition had made it into the top ten. Though it didn't win I am ecstatic that it was well received. The poem is a tribute to my Mother whom I am sure sings with the angels choir as it seemed she sang often while doing chores, but as you will read the poem relates to another memory.

Summer
Oven warm breeze wafts
fragrance of buttery bread
over tender carrots ripe to pull
sweetpeas and hyssops buzzing
knee patterns soil cotton dress
Ma tenderly extracting weeds
from unruly crops
while children tussle
fingers still buttery wet
in long grasses.


© Tess

May your days be blessed with sweet thoughts.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Haiku # Three

I'm quite enjoying pairing freeform Haiku with photography. 
I wish you joy and blessing.

Haiku in the Mountains

After spending 4 nights at Waterton Lakes At Crandell Mountain campsite I have been inspired and refreshed by nature. Stirrings long and deep have surfaced as free-form Haiku. Now I've never considered myself a poet till the nest project of working with natural materials begged for poetic titles. Titles, some of which needed as much contemplation as the works themselves.

So in combination with photos taken I present to you a few poems.


Enjoy, and please do share if you wish.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Playing catch-up, Dinosaur Provincial Park

My intent of posting photos from camping areas this summer has already gotten a bit behind as I realized I have yet to post photos from Dinosaur Park and Emerson Bridge where we camped June long weekend.
Dinosaur Provincial Park.
From atop the Prairies looking down into the carved out canyon of the Red Deer River system.
Many dinosaur fossils have been uncovered in this area, but old bones don't call out to me, what does though are the fascinating carved structures and the bright, almost glowing orange lichen encrusted rocks and the subtle variations of sandstone.


 Lark Sparrow

 As having a passion for sculpture, viewing the sculptures of Creation is breathtaking.



 One of the many small blossoms of spring in the desert, though we were too early for cactus blooms.

 Variation in coloration to delight the senses.

 Swallowtail Butterfly

 Meadowlark hilltop performance.

 Typical scrub brush for the dry desert area.

Stand-alone formations. There is a neat pyramid rock in the badlands but we were getting hungry for supper and headed back to our camp at Emerson Bridge so didn't get the chance to go visit it. There is a campground at Dinosaur Provincial Park down by the river but I don't do well in the heat and it was getting quite warm already when we visited the park in June. The campground looked pretty full when we were there so I was happy to be camped elsewhere in the shade of the big cottonwoods as I enjoy solitude and quiet.


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Images from the past Fragile Elements exhibition and... Blessings.

 Alberta Tarsands Goose on display at the Art Gallery of St Albert March & April 2014.
A visual statement pertaining to the destruction of wildlife due corporate greed.

Explaining to a patron of the arts why I chose to build over 120 nests that no bird will ever nest in.  Our man-made plastics pollute. Plastic bags, fishing line, balloons bits, etc add many unnecessary deaths each year as well as desecrate our soil, waterways and air.

On a brighter note we went to check out the exhibition at the train station in St Albert at the Grain Elevator Museum, can you guess who's work is on display?
We had a wonderful tour by a young gentleman who works there, sorry no photos as I left my camera in the vehicle, this photo courtesy of my sweetie.


An etching I did some years back dedicated to a great Leader, Elder and teacher, Morris Crow. 
Blessing to his family. Blessing to this Earth for all the nourishing bounty she gives us. Blessing to  Water for liquid nourishment that sustaining us. Blessings to the Air for clearing our minds and lungs. Blessings to all our relatives, the animals of earth, the winged ones, the finned ones, and even the ones so tiny we cannot see, for all together we are community. All together we are related and connected to one another.
Blessings.
Blessings.
Blessings.


Saturday, June 21, 2014

New Adventures.

For the last three weeks I've been attending a program with my my dear husband whom graciously supports my endeavours wholeheartedly. I have to admit the program did not fulfill my expectations; nor did it fulfill what I considered to be their statement objective, but I've committed to continuing volunteer work and have met wonderful people along the way.

We've been enjoying photographing spring flowers in bloom along the Whitemud Ravine in Edmonton. The Whitemud is a special area of interest to me as a splinter of natural or as close to natural as possible within city limits as one can get.

Columbine

Goldeneye ducks nest and rear young in the Whitemud Nature Reserve.

Beautiful blossoms abound.

Canada Violet
Whereas the majority of Canada Violets have white on their petal face with purple on the backside of petals these violets are tinged with a pinkish mauve blush. I wonder if it has something to do with the soil they grow in. Where I find a purplish or pinkish violet I notice they tend to grow in a small patch about 3 feet diameter at the base of a tree. 

Wild Roses

Monday, June 9, 2014

Final Irricana post of birds and critters

Our final morning in Irricana produced a drizzly morning mist fog as in a surreal dreamscape, it was beautiful soft and grey, though slightly chilly and the birds were fluffed against the cool breeze that kept them grounded.
 The clay-colored sparrow sang no matter what the weather was doing, sporty bird he is.

 The chipping sparrow priceless expression makes me think he may be grumpy about the rain.

Wet Warbler in a soft rosy hued drizzle.

 During spring a lot of chase happens on ponds across the county as males defending their females chase off interlopers or chase their females.

 Shorebirds flight, take notice as there is a Phalarope amongst the smaller birds.

 On the drive home we take backroads and came across a large pond and as we had seen only one other vehicle on the highway we stopped for our lunch by the pond. It looks like Muskrat had the same idea.

We ate while listening to a froggie choir, nothing like dinner and a musical.

 American Robin, I love how the beak of the Robin turns a brilliant yellow for a short time in spring.

 Bees at the pussy-willows. Though there were plenty of bees at this clump of bushes I've seen very few in the City this year so far.

I leave off with another frog, isn't it beautiful.
May we all walk softly upon this earth and care for her in a gentle and kind way. All the beings, mammal, bird or bug are our relatives in the big circle of life. We are all community and must go back to relating as community for if one is endangered, we all are endangered.