The Elk and the Magpie – Watercolor Postcard

“Change is a part of the flow of life. Sometimes we’re frustrated because change seems slow in coming. Sometimes, too, we’re resistant to a change that seems to have been thrust upon us. We must remember that change, in and of itself, neither binds us nor frees us. Only our attitude toward change binds or frees.”

–Anonymous

YEAH!!

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

The Elk and the Magpie – Watercolor Postcard

The photo for this painting was provided by Crias at WetCanvas.  I painted it when I was in Idaho in 2011.    I’m still working on the little painting of the character houses.   I’m loving how it looks so far.  I’ll share it on Monday, hopefully. 

Elk Watercolor

“I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply molding one’s inner life. And that too is a deed.”
– Etty Hillesum

Yeah!!



Elk Watercolor 6″ x 6″

This little watercolor was painted from a WetCanvas Reference Image Library photo by Westerngirl.    If you haven’t checked out the RIL, you should.  There are currently 9,609,260 images in the library.  I grabbed some before I left for Idaho, in case it rained the whole time I was there (or I just didn’t want to leave the cabin).    As it turned out, I was glad I did.

About Etty Hillesum

Etty Hillesum, less famous than her contemporary, Anne Frank, lived a short life of great courage. She was born in 1914 in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Russian mother. She studied law, Slavic languages, and psychology. Hungry for knowledge, she cut down on food in order to buy books. She went voluntarily to the Westerbork camp to help fellow Jews interned by the Nazis. Her letters detail her experiences; her more meditative diary focuses on issues of faith. She died at Auschwitz in 1943.

Elk and Magpie - 700th Blog Post

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
– Annie Dillard



Elk and Magpie – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor

Don’t you just love this?  I’m talking about the image of the magpie on the elk’s head.  It is painted from a photo reference by Crias at WetCanvas.   I took a few elk and moose photos with me, since I knew I was going to be painting things that are a real part of the Idaho scenery.  I also knew there are more critters traveling about, when the weather is colder.   Me…. I don’t want to be traveling around Idaho when it’s snowing… thanks very much.  Been there, done that. 

When I was in Driggs, I saw magpies often.  They look so cool, because they are stark black and white, with no in-between colors.  Magpies  just look amazing against the green and golden rolling hills of the area.

I did have a great time painting this.  The snow was really fun!   Can you believe it?  This is my 700th blog post! 

About Annie Dillard

American author Annie Dillard rose to fame with her first book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, which weaves theology and meditations on nature into an account of a year spent in the country recovering from pneumonia. Writing the book so fully absorbed her that she forgot everything else; she lost 30 pounds and all her plants died. She was born in Pittsburgh in 1945. She married her college writing teacher but later divorced him. She remarried and lives in Connecticut.

The Laughing Pink Bull Elk

“Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.”
– Carl Sandburg



The Laughing Pink Bull Elk – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

Okay, a pink Bull Elk did not just wander by, while I was painting.  The reference photo for this painting was actually from the WetCanvas RIL, and was contributed by Crias.  And… if you asked Crias if that elk was pink, I am certain they would deny it to the end.  But, as I was the artist wielding the brush, I took my usual creative liberty.   Anything can (and usually does) happen.  he he

Okay, it was not laughing in the reference photo either.   It just happens to be very fun being me. 

This painting became my granddaughter’s Birthday card.  She may be used to me by now.  …not sure. 

About Carl Sandburg

American poet, songwriter, and journalist Carl Sandburg played an essential role in the Chicago renaissance of the early twentieth century. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for poetry and one as a historian. He was born in Illinois in 1878. When he was 19, he hopped a westbound train and lived as a hobo. His poetry is filled with slang and the language of ordinary Americans. His publications include Chicago Poems, Cornhuskers, and the children’s series, Rootabaga Stories. He died in 1967.