Days and days of radiant sun and what seems like weeks of no rain. The grass is brown and crunchy underfoot. Dormant. A wilting heat that makes everything close up on itself. Even the river is thirsty and shrinking away from the shoreline. I am not the only one wandering in the shallow waters.
A mussel roadway is a slow and lovely, meandering build.
A thick scattering of snails and mussel trails in the evening light.
All images © Karen McRae. 2012
Breathing Space
All images © Karen McRae, 2012
Driftwood Diversity
I’m working on a little art and photography project related to children and it got me thinking about things that I would have been interested in, and looking for, when I was a child. Not so different from what I’m always absorbed in now!
The bird above is a good example; I picked this up when I was child, out of the same river I am often beside (or in) these days. I was at a cottage with my family and this driftwood bird was lying at the water’s edge waiting for me to come along. It is, as I found it, and has flown with me from home to home ever since.
These smaller driftwood pieces have been arranging themselves into little works of art. They are pieces infused with salt air and salt water. Wood that has traveled the sea.
listen…
All images © Karen McRae, 2012
The Weight of Water
The heady fragrance of rain is filtering in through the windows. A rain that has been holding off for so long it is welcomed. A smell that feels like a luxury, much like putting your head on a pillowcase that has spent the day outside tracing shadows on the ground. Sun drenched. Rain drenched. It is the balance that is perfection.
A West Coast garden
All images © Karen McRae
East to West
Tomorrow, the first of July, we celebrate Canada Day and I was thinking about how fortunate I have been to recently travel to both the east and west coasts. It’s an expansive, diverse, and beautiful country, and I am grateful to live here.
Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians, and if you live south of the border, happy Fourth of July!
Boundary Bay, British Columbia
A silky Cape Breton sky.
Cape Breton bog flora. Below: Pitcher plants
All images © Karen McRae
Moving Day
A rare draw portion of Draw and Shoot…I posted an unfinished version of this previously but I think I’ve finally finished fussing with it.
Moving Day oil & conté on Mylar, mounted on board
18″ x 36″ (2 panels)
© Karen McRae, 2012
Recurrence
I’ve been examining some of the natural objects I’ve picked up over the last few months and I am always amazed at the extraordinary things that can be observed when one stops to really look.
This is a collection of small but very different natural works of art, etched out by time and environment.
This worn shell from Cape Breton reminds me of a delicate piece of filigree china.
It also appears to have tiny articulated legs!? Perhaps the calcified legs of some other creature, or some sort of plant growth, I really don’t know. Or maybe it’s just the way it’s wearing away. Any ideas?
This small stick I picked up from the shore of the Ottawa River is heavily engraved with “drawings” made by insects. The first thing that comes to my mind, is that it looks like a little carved totem pole.
Below are images taken of fossil-bearing rocks from the Ottawa area. The first three contain beautifully patterned fossils of tetradiids, which were solely Ordovician lifeforms. These fossils are quite small and were photographed using a macro lens.
Fossils in the abstract.
All images © Karen McRae
Okanagan Dusk & Dawn
Since posting these images I have done a little research and found out that this sturdy looking boat has the eloquent name CN No.6 Tug. There is an interesting write-up about the tugboat here.
The Romp by sculptor Chong Fahcheong
Photographs from the Lake Okanagan waterfront in Penticton, BC
All images © Karen McRae
Illumination
Looking out to Okanagan Lake and the surrounding landscape from the Penticton shoreline
We actually traveled to Penticton from Vancouver to go rock climbing at the Skaha Bluffs. Unfortunately, we hit the rainiest week of the year. The Okanagan area is high mountain desert and typically gets low rainfall. We did manage a few days of climbing and fortunately, it is also wine country.
Looking down on the vineyards along the beautiful Naramata Bench
All images © Karen McRae
draw and shoot 