life

A Light Dusting

| drawandshoot

It’s December, I’m ready for more. I love how the snow softens the landscape and makes everything slow down. The sounds are a little bit muffled, the world is a little more still. I’m romancing the winter now.
Bring it on.

I’ve loved this poem since I was a child. Mom, Dad, if you’re wondering where your Robert Frost book is, I stole um, borrowed it years ago.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
By Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


All images © Karen McRae

The Coming Season

| drawandshoot

I  have a kind of love/hate relationship with Winter. I always dread the shortening days and biting cold and the fact that it tends to drag on and on. Once the snow is here I start finding it tolerable, even magical. Everything is brighter and fresher.  It’s more the anticipation of winter that gets me, once arrived  I have discovered that if  I embrace winter for what it is I can get lost in the beauty and possibility of it. And that means spending a considerable amount of  time outside. We often move from mountain biking season into ski season within just a few days but winter has been slowly inching towards us this year, slowly enough that now I am just eagerly awaiting a big snowfall. Itching to get out on my skis. Until then here is  a little glimpse of one of winter’s  magical possibilities. Tomorrow we welcome December.
Upper Nicholson’s Locks, Merrickville ON
All images © Karen McRae

Late Day, Late November

| drawandshoot

November is almost gone and it’s been a kind one. Warmish with more sunshine than usual and the snow that came a few days ago is all melted away. Today was mostly grey but the late afternoon brought some interesting light, and with it orange fields and purple-blue skies.That orange field has been beckoning me for a while now.
All images © Karen McRae

Words Only

| drawandshoot

Picture this. You are driving along a country road. It’s early in the morning and the sun is low in the sky filtering beautifully through the trees as you move along. You’re not in a hurry. You glance to the side and something catches your eye.  Something hanging low on a tree almost glowing in the warm morning light. At first you’re not sure what you see but then you say quietly,  “It’s a chicken”. And it is a chicken. It’s hanging by its feet from a low branch and it’s almost naked. Like the tree. There is a figure bending towards it removing the last few feathers. The light is perfect.  So perfect it seems only natural that this is unfolding before you. And you realize that if you had your camera with you, you might have stopped and interrupted this scene, but you didn’t and now you have only words.

You Are Carried With Us

| drawandshoot

“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

A Day to Remember 11/11/11

| drawandshoot

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.

goodbye

| drawandshoot

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