March comes in like a Lion...or maybe like a Bear oil on linen, 30" x 36"

 I enjoyed painting the bears in "The Baker and the Bear" (see earlier post) so much I decided to do another version of the painting with the baker in profile, facing the light (quoting Vermeer here) and the bear heading toward us head on. I was working on this painting during the month of March and other spring-like things started creeping in-The forest just starting to green up, a Bluebird looking for a place to nest, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak making a rare appearance, and a bullfrog making an unexpected appearance from the open cupboard. He is also making an important compositional maneuver by allowing the viewer to move up through that corner of the painting back to the window. Sometimes many elements influence the direction a painting takes. In this one the season took control. 

Here are some of the preliminary studies

charcoal study

gouache study

underpainting 

Sanctuaries-Capriccio for Coyotes oil on linen, 30" x 36"

 I have always had a fascination for coyotes. They got a bad reputation years ago from a silly cartoon in which they were depicted as homely, wiley villains. Yet they are magnificent creatures. They are smart, beautiful and mysterious. Because of their natural habitat being crowded in on and destroyed, like bears, they have made a habit of treading a little two close to humans looking for food. And the outcome is not in their favor. 

So I decided to make a painting that portrays them as invited guests in a space of acceptance and respect.

Capriccio for Coyotes

One could hear them at night

calling to each other

from the river

to the hills

An eerie sound

mournful yet resolute

So she began to play

to calm her nerves

a light capriccio

And the calling

quieted 

the coyotes

came

and began to sing

softly

tails thumping

like a metronome

* a capriccio is a lively piece of music, typically one that is

short and free in form. It is also defined as a painting or work of art representing a fantasy

or a mixture of real and imaginary features.

"Dance with a Bear"

 Winter seems long right now. The snow is falling hard and fast on top of ice and frozen snow from last week. There is a frigid wind. It's a good time to be in inside physically and metaphorically and dream of the spring bulbs which will appear (they miraculously always do), warm summer evenings (yes they will come) and dancing with bears.  

Dance with a Bear

She was accustomed to eating alone

A simple supper

and a glass of Gamay

One warm summer night

she slipped into her party dress 

opened wide

the doors to the woods

and let her mind wander

into the forest

and dance between the trees