“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
For Ilse 1917-2011
All images © Karen McRae
The Textural Beauty of the Canadian Shield
We spent an afternoon this weekend on a friend’s property that is a beautiful example of the Canadian Shield landscape. Rocky outcroppings covered in lichen and carpets of various mosses in a mostly forested area. Gentle breezes rustling the oak leaves, some of which seem to hold on for dear life all winter long. But it’s the mosses that completely captivate me. They are like little miniature forests with an astounding array of colour and texture. (Click on images to enlarge)
All images © Karen McRae
A Day to Remember 11/11/11
Shortly it will be 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Canadians will pause to remember all those who have been lost serving their country and send gratitude out to those who continue to serve. Lest We Forget. ♥
Feel free to use these poppy images.
The Softness of the Morning
Often, I am required to do some driving in the country, which I love, and although sometimes I forget to bring my camera with me, early this morning it was along for the ride. We are happily experiencing “warmish” weather and gentle mornings for November.
Crawling Around the Studio
Well, thankfully they are not literally crawling around, more like just hanging around not really posing any threat.
Mixed media: oil and Conté on Mylar mounted on board. 6″ x 6 ”
All images © Karen McRae
goodbye
I admit I had some trepidation about posting these photographs. But I think the subject is beautiful, even in death. A family of Robins are still occupying our yard. It seems late to me but it appears that the Robins had a late batch of babies and they are still here preparing for the migration. Except this little guy. I found him yesterday and he had apparently flown into a window. I am a huge lover of birds and they are often a subject of my art (not usually in this way) so I find this little subject sad but compelling. Also, I was driving a couple of weeks ago and a huge bird sideswiped my car and perished. I feel a bit like an unwilling enemy, so this is meant in a loving way. A tribute to nature’s beauty and frailty and to all delicate living creatures. 
All images © Karen McRae
goodbye
Phalaenopsis: a revisit
I thought these moth orchid blossoms deserved one last look. So here you go, I promise to move onto something else…for now. Enjoy!
Previous Phalaenopsis post here.
All images © Karen McRae
Brassia
You may remember a post of spider orchids that I did here. These are photographs of those same orchid blossoms which have obviously been aging awhile. The light was changing and shifting with the clouds as I was photographing these so the colour tones shifted also. They make me think of little dancers or insects. I had a hard time choosing which images to share and also I’ve been “dissecting” the little moth orchids so you may be subjected to another orchid post in the near future. Bear with me…
(click on images to enlarge)
All images © Karen McRae
Eerie
Sadly this beautiful neo-Gothic style church in Aylmer, Quebec was burned out over two years ago. It was suspected to be arson but no one was ever charged. The shell is still standing but is slated to be torn down to make room for a new church. The parishioners were hoping to rebuild this 1862 landmark but couldn’t find the financial backing for such an expensive project. I find the ruins of the church are still striking and beautiful. The pigeons call it home. (click on images to enlarge)
All images © Karen McRae
draw and shoot 