This gallery contains 7 photos.
I felt like painting something different the other night, but then it went all wrong. I picked this bluebird, from Bird On A Wire, not because the subject matter was different, but because I want to play with a different … Continue reading
This gallery contains 5 photos.
When steam came to the woods just after the turn of the previous century the logging locomotives were the cutting edge of technology. They could move logs farther, faster and in much greater quantity than had been done with horse and … Continue reading
We have a new young visitor in our home. Mary tells all about him!
Meet Saturday Night Kintaro of Akiyama. We call him Kinta. He will be a guest at our home for several months before he is able to join his family in Japan.
Japan is a rabies free country. Kinta was born in Montana, USA. The US is not a rabies free country. He comes from Saturday Night Golden Retrievers.
The procedure goes something like this, Kinta will receive a rabies vaccination as soon as he is old enough. Then he will receive a booster a month later. A month after that, his blood will be tested for rabies titers. If his titer level is high enough, he then must wait for six months before going home. Once in Japan, he will be observed for several hours prior to being released to his family. He will also undergo many other health certifications prior to getting a green light to breed…
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The 120MM Anti-Aircraft artillery
There has been a magazine for everything. I was able to scan this one because a dear friend and World War II US Army vet provided it to me. Walter helped operate these big cannons in the Pacific during the war. He saved this magazine cover from that time, because this was his gun. The AAA or anti-aircraft artillery operated in a four gun configuration with all guns wired into a targeting computer. Walter ran the range finder for the operation, which determined how long the fuses were set to burn. Once the fuses were set and a targeting solution was set in the computer the guns moved in unison to find their target.
Seeing this meant a lot to me, because my Dad did the same job on the 90 MM version of this cannon. He was in a Marine defense battalion in the Pacific during WWII.
So today thank a vet for his or her service. I want to remember my Dad and say thank you to Walter, my uncles, my sons, my nephew and all the other veterans who fought to protect our freedom. To so many we owe so much.
This gallery contains 8 photos.
We affectionately call them “Nature Nooks”, but the official name is “Habitat Retention Areas” or HRAs. Simply put, they are groups of trees left unharvested inside a logging unit. The purpose is to leave mature tree thickets that provide hiding … Continue reading
Gopher Snake
We just returned from a visit to family in Arkansas and Louisiana. I took my sketch book with me as I usually do. I don’t get as much art time as I like so I grab it when I can. I had the brilliant idea that I could draw on the plane. I worked on one pen and ink, that has been a WIP, on the way there. The ride was pretty smooth and I will post that picture in the future.
The return trip was a little different. We had a four-hour leg from Houston to Sacramento. I decided to challenge myself to complete this snake picture during the flight. After subtracting the takeoff and landing and a couple visits from the drink cart, no adult beverages were involved, I really had less than three hours. I had no help from the pilots, whom I am sure sought out as much extra turbulence as they could. The line work is a bit spastic, but I hope it communicates snake. Despite the turbulence and sitting in the middle of a three seat row in economy between Mary, small, and some 7’5″ guy on my right, yes I’m right-handed, I managed to finish it. It is a good thing for me that snakes don’t have any straight lines!
My model!
I photographed this little gopher snake late this Summer. It was my “Snake On The Plane.” Mary thought I should have titled this post “Snake, Rattle and Roll!” Great title, if it had been a rattlesnake I would have used it.
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Fall has hit its peak in the high country. We were in the mountains for the weekend. The leaves have turned and were dropping enthusiastically, but Sunday was the day. Sunday was the day that Mother Nature performed her striptease … Continue reading
This gallery contains 5 photos.
Without a doubt squirrels are the most visible mammals in the forest. Now is their most active time. With acorns dropping from the oaks like big hailstones, the squirrels are in high gear. When I stopped to get a picture … Continue reading
Why a blue bird on a fence? I say “why not!”
THE FORESTER ARTIST 