Summer Sketches

 Here is a series of sketches I painted over the past summer.  The first, the full moon, mentions smoke but it was smoke coming all the way from Siberia!  They must have also have had a bad fire season.  Our fires have stopped growing.  We’ve had enough rain greatly reduce the threat, but they won’t be totally out until more fall rains come.   At least for now and our air quality has been wonderful and I doubt many more Oregon acres will burn this season.  California is still too dry.

The next three little paintings were painted while watching the osprey nest (I blogged about the osprey several times).  This is the farm house to the south.  

Orange Sulphur butteries are as bright and sunny as a summer day. They didn’t make an appearance until our osprey nestling had nearly fledged.  

The unexpected is often as interesting as the expected.  On Aug 19 we were quietly waiting for an adult osprey to return to the nest when this little family of California Quail scurried across the road.  During all our sitting we’d heard them a few times but only had one good look.  Members of the grouse family are unusual in that even at this tiny size they can fly.  Most birds are nearly full grown before taking to the air. 

Grasses turn gold by the end of June in Oregon and stay golden until the fall rains come.  These swallows there zooming low over the tall grasses, catching bugs.  

... and finally here is one of my favorite flower combinations:  Queen Anne’s Lace and chickory – also painted at the osprey nest. I knew both were there, but when I went to paint them, I couldn’t find the chickory.  Much to my surprise I discovered chickery close their blossoms in the early afternoon.  Next morning they are open bright and early.