Isolation Series: "Christmas Flowers"

"Christmas Flowers"
11x14" marker & ink on paper

There is legend surrounding the poinsettia flower: that of a child who wished to bring a gift to the special baby lying in the church crèche. She had nothing to offer but a clutch of roadside flowers. When she placed her homemade posy before the manger a miracle occurred: the white blossoms transformed into beautiful red ones giving the poinsettia the name “Flores de Noche Buena” - “Flowers of the Holy Night.” The story is a reminder that little becomes much especially in a year when so much has been taken away. A small kindness offered through words, a smile, and patience extended can become such a meaningful gift. 

May your season be blessed with sincere miracles - both large and small, given and received, this year.

Isolation Series: Red Berry Romp

Red Berry Romp
11x14 mixed media on paper

One of my favourite animal sightings this year has been that of the common rabbit, and in particular, catching sight of a rabbit romping about under the neighbour's massive sugar maples. Now that winter is here, I don't see rabbits so often, but I do see rabbit tracks on the snowy back trails where the frozen grasses are bleached blond and the honeysuckles' bare branches are strung with red berries for winter. It's a sweet, festive sight for these darkening days of December. 

Twelve Artful Days of Christmas Sale

 Ornaments
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Fall has been busy! The art show in the Yukon has come and gone. My Isolation Series pursuit is ongoing but experiencing more interruptions these days. Tis the season!

I'm hosting an online art show/sale. For twelve days I will be posting art, hand printed & reproduction cards, and my homemade ornaments, for sale. Fifty percent of sales will be donated to House of Lazarus in Mountain, Ontario. They report a huge need for restocking the foodbank shelves with the reality of Covid-19. My social media spots are where I'll be posting items daily.

https://www.facebook.com/glenda.mosher/

https://www.facebook.com/glendamosherart

https://www.instagram.com/glendamosher/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/HouseofLazarus1/

 

I Remember

" I Remember"
10x10" acrylic on cradled panel

This is Remembrance season. 

As I remember, I paint poppies - and give thanks for those who served and continue to serve.

Isolation Series: Grey Owl

"Grey Owl"
11x14" mixed media on paper

On a recent forest walk with friends we happened upon a great grey owl perched on a fallen tree. We stopped to observe this very unusual sighting. Here was a magnificent member of the Order of Strigiformes. Owl watched us, four members of the Order of Homo sapiens. Upon reflection, I couldn’t help but ponder the words I’ve read and heard surrounding Owls, their associations with wisdom, truth, guardianship, leadership, silence, and vigilance, not to mention the significance of sightings. And in keeping with many of my encounters with creatures during this covid season I couldn’t help but think how a chance encounter with the great grey owl becomes a reminder to live up to my Orders’ distinction of being sapient - Latin: for being wise, especially in this season of frustration and fear of the unknown. 

An Invitation to "DUENDE"

Art Show Invite

After a postponement due to Covid19, our group show is finally happening! 🙌 Friday at Arts Underground in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you can view the wonderful work of four gifted women.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, this is the first group show I won't be attending in person, however 24 paintings of mine are being featured. The show focuses on the spirit of evocation, which the spanish word Duende implies. What is it that moves a person to cry when observing a sunset, or to sense wonder when surrounded by mountains? As artists, this call and response compels us to recreate those sensations; playfully, moodily, outrageously, and texturally. We invite you the viewer to enter in to the spirit with us.

The show opens November 6th and runs through to November 28th.

 

Isolation Series: Leaf Music

"Leaf Music"
11x14" marker & ink on paper

Just as we do in the spring, come autumn, my husband and I like to take long drives to observe the colours - and music - of the trees. This expansive and moving colour production stretches for miles and miles: tired greens giving way to the glowing hues of russet, cranberry, lemon, and orange. Closer to home, there are two enormous sugar maples at the creek’s edge that turn an incandescent shade of pumpkin orange. To stand under this luminescent leaf canopy in October is to experience a tree’s singing up close. I place my hands on the trunk and swear I can hear a deep humming. Vivaldi's "Spring" is a tree’s greening song but Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus is their fall finale.

 

Isolation Series: Aromatherapy

 

"Aromatherapy"
11x14" marker and ink on paper

I find the aromas of the autumn season particularly evocative. One whiff of the dusty scent of leaves raked into a big pile takes me back to my childhood, of rosy cheeks and leaf debris in my hair. The smoky waft of a burning bonfire calls to mind times of gathering and singing, of hot faces and cold backs and watching sparks fly off into the inky night sky above. The earthy smell of just-pulled carrots and potatoes conjure images of slow simmered family suppers. So, on this rainy October day, I pull my soup pot from the cupboard, assemble the last fruits of the garden, chop and simmer, stir and taste, and let the therapy of homemade soup take me on a journey, seasoned with the echoes of fond memories.

Isolation Series: The Sparrow's Grotto

"The Sparrow's Grotto"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

The sparrows have become dear little regulars at my spot by the creek. The song sparrow is a virtuoso and sings from the bushes and trees all day long. The swamp sparrow is more secretive and rustles about in the reeds and grasses, flitting through the bushes then down to the creek’s edge to sip the waters. On my visits to the creek, I sometimes scatter a handful of birdseed. The greedy chipmunks and squirrels vie for first dibs and often chase each other away completely leaving the seed unclaimed. When that happens, the swamp sparrow hops into view and dines freely within the shelter of the undergrowth. One creature’s loss is another’s gain. 

Isolation Series: Mink

"Mink"
11x14 marker & ink on paper

One of the most curious creatures I have observed at the creek is that of a mink. I soon learned Mink is a creature of habit, choosing a set time and place to swim, hunt, and dine on the plentiful crayfish living in the waters. How fortunate this often coincided with my visits, and within my line of sight. Swimming in and out of the shallows, Mink would splash suddenly and rise up with a sparkling crayfish dangling from its’ mouth. Mink would then disappear into the curtain of river reeds and grasses to dine in secret; tiny, distinct cracking and crunching sounds a testimony of breakfast being eaten. At the start of my visits Mink would scurry to cross the path between us, sometimes solo, sometimes in the company of other mink. As summer progressed the path crossings became less hurried and on one occasion, Mink paused in front of me, rose up, and gave me a good stare. I like to think we grew in wary comfortableness. Had I not been a creature of habit myself, nor been willing to explore this creek, I would have missed out on meeting Mink, of having my eyes and ears opened in new ways, and of being touched by the wonder and wildness of nature in my own backyard.

 

Isolation Series: The Puddle Jumper

"The Puddle Jumper"
11x14 marker & ink on paper

I think the dogs are faring quite well these pandemic days. They are good friends, and comforting company. Come rain or shine, they take us for walks. I’m told this is a highlight for a dog...that - and car rides. But on rainy days they get to wear stylish clothes and make all the people they meet smile!  

Isolation Series: The Seed Bandit

 

"The Seed Bandit"
11x14 marker & ink on paper

They’re back, these pesky ring-tailed raccoons! Just when I think I’ve outwitted them they gain the upper hand. Feeders destroyed, sunflower seeds “hoovered” in seconds. They display an attitude of “sucks to be you, lady” when caught red-handed before casually shuffling off. It’s like watching the second wave of Covid arrive. #@! We’ll get the upper hand yet.

Isolation Series: 2020/2021

"2020/2021"
11x14" marker & ink on paper

This is the year we wait. We watch the weeks and months march on. We do what we can to participate in Covid-19 prevention and protection measures, to creatively make-do. And we wait some more. 

 

The Consolation of Sunflowers

"The Consolation of Sunflowers"
24"x 36"
acrylic on gallery cradled panel

St Lawrence College is hosting an online virtual art show entitled "Wish You Were Here." I entered this large painting along with 2 mixed media pieces. Voting is requested from the public for your favourite painting(s) and is now open. Here is the link:  https://www.mariannevansilfhoutgallery.ca/ 

Throughout this pandemic nature has become very dear to me. I have been exploring my own backyard as I weather the Covid-19 realities. This has become a place of safety and great solace in the midst of times of isolation. Nature has given me new lenses to view and process this weird season. This painting of sunflowers, indeed, offered great consolation.

 

Garden Offerings: Pinwheel Sunflowers

"Pinwheel Sunflowers"
5x8 mixed media on paper

It's officially Autumn: breezy, cool, and oh, so colourful!

Garden Offerings

"Bee Balm 2"
5x8"mixed media on paper

"Little Sombrero"
5x8 mixed media on paper

"Seeds & Grasses"
5x8 mixed media on paper
SOLD

The gardens and meadows continue to inspire with blooms, both vibrant and faded. 

Garden Offerings

"Bee Balm Sparklers"
5x8" mixed media on paper

"Bee Balm 1"
5x8" mixed media on paper

"Coneflowers"
5x8" mixed media on paper

I took a break from the Isolation Series to paint some of my garden offerings. These garden flowers, along with the vegetables I've grown, have been a wonderful diversion from Covid-19 realities and isolation. 

 

Isolation Series: Catbird CanCan

"Catbird CanCan"
11x14" mixed media on paper

The Gray Catbird is a regular visitor to our garden - and yes, it can emit a mewing call. One morning, on my way to the creek a Catbird accompanied me, hopping from branch to branch. Once at the creek the Catbird settled in the overhanging branches of a buckthorn tree. As I watched this bold bird it began to hop and flick its tail up and down, flashing bright cinnamon coloured under feathers. What a dance - cheeky and saucy and oh, so fun!

Isolation Series: "Snapper"

 

"Snapper"
11x14" marker & ink on paper

Appearances can be deceiving. This fact is driven home time and again by my observations at the creek. I have watched a sun bleached boulder rise up, elongate, form a sinuous neck and a pair of outstretched wings, then fly away. I have witnessed a family of nearly full-grown mallards transmogrify when doing the bottoms-up dive. Miniature dolphins emerge, beaks beckoning as tiny flippers propel them backwards in a synchronized dance: how delightful! And I have seen a monster from the depths rise to fix a hideous, reptilian eye my way. What is this that lurks in the creek, I wonder? It blinks once, twice, then becomes an old snapping turtle, clambering slowly over rocks, shellback slimed with frothy green algae. It sinks to leave a wide, silent wake of neon bubbles and foam. Move over Harry Potter, this is nature’s ancient magic.

Isolation Series: Least Bittern

 "Least Bittern"

11x14 marker & ink on paper

A new arrival to our creek, the Least Bittern, has been surreptitiously clambering about the grasses and reeds that grow along the shore. It is slender and pretty, a very tiny member of the Heron family. One day, it planted itself right at my feet, hunched down, intent on fishing within the protective screen of water reeds but when it caught sight of me it stretched itself up tall, pointing its beak to the sky, as if to say: “See me become a water reed?” Nature is so very enchanting.

Isolation Series: Daylily Day

"Daylily Day"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

Daylily, ditch lily,

roadside or railway lily,

even known as "outhouse" lily!

(now, that’s a name that’s just plain silly.)

A lily, by any other name,

is still a fragrant, colour-bright,

welcome-in-my-garden, sight.

Isolation Series: Hosta la Vista

"Hosta la Vista"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

A vista of hostas flourishes in my shady back garden. Each spring I watch for their spear tips to poke through the soil, then wait for the unfurling and subsequent expansion of leaf. As summer waxes flower stalks emerge and fairytale-like caps bloom. Fat bumblebees frequent these “pixie caps”, crawling inside to reach each fuzzy offering. When inside, the bees’ buzz is transistorized - as though coming from a tiny radio speaker. It is an amusing sound. Watching and listening to the garden this pandemic year is a rewarding respite from watching and listening to global news.

Isolation Series: Bibitte's Joy

"Bibitte's Joy"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

One of my friends owns a beautiful cat, Bibitte, who unknowingly, came to my friend without any claws. This means outside living is done from the confines of a leash. Remarkably, Bibitte does very well on a leash - she has never known the outdoors without it. Sometimes she comes to enjoy the shade of my back garden. In watching Bibitte I observe how much she loves exploring the shady spaces. She chases grasshoppers and jumps at butterflies, and she watches chipmunks and birds with whisker quivering delight. Sitting or lying in the shade is Bibitte’s familiar, contented posture. Confined and constrained she might be, but living in the moment is Bibitte’s joy. One I can relate to.

Isolation Series: Evening Preen

"Evening Preen"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

There’s something about watching the water fowl going about their business. Be it fishing, or gathering, coming, or going, their wildly lived lives fascinate me. I’ve seen Canada geese use this particular stretch of the creek for all of the above activities, but nothing is quite so fine as watching them bathe as the sun goes down. The flapping of great grey wings, the rhythmic fluffing of feathers, the regal head dipping and wing spreading, are grandiose end-of-day ablutions to behold.    

Isolation Series: The Acrobat

"The Acrobat"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

Red squirrels, black squirrels, grey squirrels - they all vie for supremacy in the outdoor arena. I think they are part monkey too, as they vault and swing from branch to branch with breathtaking, daredevil risk. Their chittering is a far cry from a Tarzan bellow but the way they wave and twirl their tails rivals circus parade plumes. Frisky, pesky, charming, and cheeky, they announce their presence with voices most screechy!

Isolation Series: Lemonade Days

"Lemonade Days"
11x14 mixed media on paper

Cold, tall drink days are here 

A pitcher of iced lemonade with glasses to share 

in the cooler shade of the garden. 

Isolation Series: The Fowl and the Fisher: A Precautionary Tale

"The Fowl and the Fisher"

Summer has slammed into us with heat. The birds and wildlife seek shade - as do most people. On the creek, the ducks seem to be the most frequent inhabitants, although I know other animals are alive and well hidden. One day, a mother mallard and twelve ducklings were forced from their place of safe shelter by the attack of a fisher. My husband, some neighbours, and I, happened to witness the event. In a flash of movement, a brown creature lunged from the shore toward the nest. Mother mallard set up a high-pitched crying, flapping wildly across the waters to draw the fisher away from her young. The fisher was one minute racing on land, the next minute, in the water, swimming with speed, intent on capture. We stood on the shore feeling helpless, clapping and calling, hoping to distract the predator and enable the ducks to get away. Just as soon as it happened, it was over. The fisher disappeared. There was no sign of mallards either. It felt awful to witness the attack, to be left wondering the worst. About thirty minutes later, mother mallard and twelve ducklings sailed by, well away from the shoreline and in the opposite direction of their nest: safe - for this time.

Covid restrictions are lifting in Ontario. This is a good yet uncertain reality. Is the danger of infection disappearing, or is it just in hiding? Living with precautions is still the way forward; the new normal for uncertain times.

Isolation Series: Merganser Mother

"Merganser Mother"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

I have enjoyed seeing common mergansers on the creek this spring. The females have stunning orange feather-do’s. Their communication sounds like underwater sonar - very unusual. All the ducks and geese at the creek have focused on a singular mission: protecting and nurturing their offspring in the wild. Danger surrounds them hourly. I think how we need to be diligent in our pandemic world - even when it feels safer. One only has to read the news to know the “wild woods” still surround us. Let’s not let down our guards.  

Isolation Series: Honours with Distinction

"Honours with Distinction"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

These are cap and gown days. The pandemic has altered traditional ceremonial events with innovative distinction. Signs proclaiming: “a grad lives here!” have popped up in neighbourhoods across the country, and education facilities proudly display huge congratulations while conducting drive by diploma receptions. It pleases me to see how grads are being honoured in this time of social restrictions. I can’t help but think, that when they look back, they will be able to say all grads received certificates of honours with distinction in 2020. 

Isolation Series: Grandma, Braid My Hair?

"Grandma, Braid My Hair?"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

Today’s drawing is from a scribble left by my eldest granddaughter. Now that we can increase our “bubbles” in numbers my grandchildren can visit. The minute I saw she had brought her hairbrush and elastics she asked: “Grandma, braid my hair?” It was a simple request but it warmed my heart immeasurably. So, I braided my granddaughter’s hair and gave thanks for the gift of an ordinary, loving task, returned to my hands.

Isolation Series: The Garden Jester

"The Garden Jester"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

I have had to replant carrots, beets, and lettuce this year because this little critter likes to dig - all the way to China, it seems! Early morning, it pops out of yet another new hole to greet the day. I’ve observed it sniff the air and do a sun salutation. It likes to race and hide under the hosta plants then perch on the fence post to become a garden statue. It has been both chaser and chased when it comes to the prolific squirrels. Resilient, feisty, a comic and pester; Chipmunk is a garden jester.

(Thanks goes to my grandson, who left me with this scribble to make a into a drawing).

Isolation Series: Phlox and Fern

Phlox and Fern

These are gentle, pleasant days, as spring rolls over into summer. My morning visits to the creek involve strolling through gossamer threads of spider silk waving on the breezes, of seeing the ferny grass tops blush pink as the sun shines through them, and of watching puffs of pollen release into the air as the wind blows. The birds sing sweetly, the heron still fishes, and the baby ducks grow fat.

Isolation Series: The Fragrance of June

"The Fragrance of June"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

These late spring days are heady with purple scents. The creek banks flaunt cotton candy colours to accessorize bright spring greens. Wild honeysuckle, phlox and iris mingle with lilac blossoms and perfume the breezes. My visits to the creek are much sweeter for it.

Isolation Series: Morning Coffee

"Morning Coffee"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

These are busy outdoor days. I have drawings on the go - but gardening calls. My morning starts with a cup of coffee to accompany quiet contemplation. I think of it as brewing gratitude. Enjoyed inside or outside, that first cup is an infusion of satisfaction and thanksgiving.

Isolation Series: Red Fox

"Red Fox"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

It is no surprise Red Fox emerged from my line drawings this week; he made an impressionable appearance at the creek. The sun was shining and his flaming red coat stood out instantly as he wandered through the bright grasses on the opposite bank. He didn’t stay long, unfortunately, as the birds were on high alert and a collective air attack commenced by crows, red-winged blackbirds, and grackles. Red Fox was having none of this! He gave a glorious leap into the air and hightailed it back to the shadowy growth. I do hope to see him again - from a distance, of course.

Isolation Series: Violet Showers

"Violet Showers"
11x14 mixed media on paper

On a particularly hot day, my husband and I sat down to enjoy the backyard shade. We had just watered the gardens so all the green plants were sparkling and dripping with water drops.  A trembling from within the white violets caught our eyes. A wren hopped out, shaking itself with water drops, then hopped back in to the plant where more foliage trembling occurred. This went on for a little while. We looked at each other and remarked: “How innovative!” I believe we just discovered when it comes to bathing; wrens prefer showers under the flowers!  

Isolation Series: Water Balloon Bounce

"Water Balloon Bounce"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

My grandkids have a backyard trampoline. It is a constant source of entertainment when good weather arrives. On hot days they fill water balloons and load up the springy surface for a splashy bounce. My scribbled lines reminded me of their sparkling energy overlaid with giggles and joy, so I joined in and “bounced” along with them.

Isolation Series: Scanning the Horizon

"Scanning the Horizon"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

My heart is heavy as I look out on the world this day. I grieve with others around the globe for those who have been so tragically wounded. In a season of incredible hardship, when we speak so often of caring for each other and loving well, senseless, cruel violence still goes on. Oh, God! I cast my eyes up and ask: “where does our help come from?” I look out toward the bend in the creek and as I pray for the world to heal the words of Saint Francis come to mind. “Make me a channel of your peace...”

Isolation Series: Threading a Needle

"Threading a Needle"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

In art history I briefly studied the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century Norman Romanesque embroidery. Stretching nearly 230 ft long, the work is a continuous narrative depicting events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. I imagine the countless hours, threads, ideas, and hands that laboured to create such a lasting story: fascinating! The images of threads being woven, sewn, and embroidered together lead me to ponder how life’s events and experiences shape mine. It is a challenge to see what will come of all these threads, but I like looking and creating. So, I pick up a needle, and with hands that feel all thumbs, and eyesight that needs assistance, I gather up the threads and proceed.

Isolation Series: "Perfeck"

"Perfeck"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

When I was making something out of this scribbled shape all I could think of was the perfect non-hairstyles of 2020. In the ‘90’s, a British TV show “The Darling Buds of May” aired. Actor David Jason started as Pop Larkin. (A very young Catherine Zeta-Jones also stars in the show.) Pop has this endearing way of saying perfect: “perfeck” - hence my title. It feels like a fitting response to all of us who groan about our shaggy heads in need of a haircut: “You look perfeck!” Indeed we do!  

Isolation Series: Paddling About

"Paddling About"
11x14 mixed media on paper

My husband and I like to kayak on the creek. We reference our excursion by the number of turtles we spot: “That was a twelve turtle paddle,” we say. We always see at least one turtle. Apart from counting turtles we notice how the trees are leafing out and how many the beaver has felled on the opposite bank. We see where the herons land when they move away from our stationary land point. On the creek we have fresh eyes as we paddle about. The familiar landscape is suddenly new and we are explorers. Our paddles dip and stir the sparkling waters, composing aqueous music, that restores body and soul.

Isolation Series: Spring Line-up

"Spring Line-up"
11x14 marker and ink on paper

A few days ago I wrote about spying a solo pair of Canada geese. That not-so-solo pair have been spotted again in the full sunshine of a day in May. (I think I understand why they were cavorting at sundown.) Between mother goose and protective papa a healthy brood of goslings - numbering nine – gently paddled past our view of the creek. Mother proudly led the bright offspring parade and father loudly announced their arrival, bringing up the rear. I do enjoy this daily nature show; I’ve yet to see reruns.