food, warmth and shelter

With the ongoing heavy snow in New England, I worry about the wildlife.  How do they survive in the deep snow?  If only they could all have little greenhouses for fresh food.  I wish them health, warmth  and safety during the winter.

A small sketch, 3x5"

frogs and people and cats

Drawn with ink, painted with coffee.

one of those days

sleeping upside-down

Clarence has taken to sleeping the day away on my desk. It's kind of interesting to watch and listen to him while I'm working. Oh, the joys of working from home.

fawns galore!

All of the deer in this area have their fawns in late March, early May. They are hidden away in the tall grasses and underbrush of the cedar and live oak trees. Now is when they gain the confidence and skill to follow their mothers. They are adorably playful in a Bambi sort of way. I sure hope she grows up healthy. Many of the deer are hit by cars around here. This fawn's mother was hit, just before giving birth. Her back leg is badly dislocated, but she still limps around and takes care of her baby.

Behind this fawn is a giant rosemary bush and blooming garlic aliums.  There are very few plants the deer won't eat, and these are them.

rubber fish art

I found these rubber fish at the thrift store and had to incorporate them into art. This is a cabinet door painted with acrylic. The fish and glass bubbles are embedded in a thick polyurethane. I suppose this qualifies as both art and craft.

deer breakfast

She likes her apples chopped, with the skin on.

land shark

I took this picture of my deer friend through the screen door. Any day now, she'll be knocking at the door.

free-range chickens

Six weeks ago, after returning from a trip to Florida, my next door neighbor volunteered to pick me up at Austin Bergstrom Airport. Since my plane was delayed for a couple of hours, she went to a nearby garden center and bought some Rhode Island Red baby chicks (a wild moment of impulse shopping). I had a box full of them at my feet for the drive home.

Who knew chickens are so entertaining? They are about 2 months old now, with most of their adult feathers. I'm so glad I was able to talk my neighbor into building the coop on the opposite side of her house, away from mine. Cluck luck.

my deer friend

This is the first time this deer has ever made herself this comfortable. She stands in front of my porch, looking at me, waiting for carrots. It's kinda creepy sometimes. I swear she's going to knock on the door one of these days.

This deer is 3 years old and has been coming around here since she was a fawn. Last year she had her first fawn. A week or so ago, she had her second season fawn. I've been calling her Mommy Deerest. I haven't seen the baby yet, but it should be soon. That's when it's time to pay close attention to where I walk. Deer are well-camouflaged, so you don't always see them in the shadows of trees. When there are fawns around, the mothers are very protective and dangerous. They stand on their back legs and hit hard with their front hooves. I should whistle while I walk.

Kinetic yard art. This deer is just like one of the family pets. She is always is my yard. Yesterday I made tortillas, for the both of us.

the neighbors

We have a huge deer population in the Hill Country. For several years I've been feeding and befriending a family. This mother and her yearling come by every day for handouts of carrots, apples, and corn tortillas. She comes up to my porch and peers in the window until I bring food. They are highly entertaining and often downright funny. This deer is pregnant, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts to her ever-present yearling when the fawns arrive. I don't get close enough to touch them, nor do I give them names. But I do love observing them from a few feet away.

Lobster!

These lobsters were so delicious and fresh that they needed no butter. Twin lobster lunch for $19.99 at DiMillo's, the floating restaurant and marina.

turtle trio

Brush pen and color pencil. Just a quick drawing.

Clarence, my cat. He is completely orange and white, except for this black patch on his forehead. It’s the perfect target for a loaded paintbrush.

the march of the trees

This hill is close to home so I see it every day. The Live Oak trees look like cartoon animals marching up and over the hill. It's a real visual treat to live in this part of the world.

the shoefly

The shoefly is a practical insect, some would say 'set in his ways'.

llama love

She's been sheered. He's in love.

Clarence

My cat is orange and white with one black spot smack dab in the middle of his forehead. It's like a third eye.

downtown

There is an explanation for this. While in Salt Lake City a couple of months ago, I sketched these charming old buildings. Back at home, the deer wander through my yard, so I sketch them often. I grab whatever paper is handy at the time, and it happened to be this. I never planned to finish this, but the pedestrian deer was too tempting to pass up. It's a nice change from another week of client artwork.