A flutter of black catches my eye. Looking up from my plate, I peer out the restaurant’s window and see beady black eyes peering back at me. The crow jumps on the porch banister, shakes the rain from his feathers and implores me to share. It’s cold and wet outside. On a nicer day, if we were on the porch, he’d have helped himself from my plate. On a day like today when we’re inside, my lunch is safe.
It’s spring on Vancouver Island and while we’re occasionaly blessed with sunshine, we have long stretches of grey days and constant rain. It’s the rain, forest and wildlife that make this the Pacific Northwest.
At this time of year. the big animals become more evident. I guess it’s because they’re coming out of hibernation. Or maybe it’s just us humans. In any event, I know it’s spring when the community Facebook group starts sharing posts like this.
If I go by Facebook alone, wolf encounters are rare. I hear more about cougars that come down from the mountains to hunt and bears that scavenge on garbage pickup day.
Given the cougars, wolves and bears I wonder why anyone would let their dogs and cats run free-range. And yet …
A couple days later, I’m reminded that dangers lurk from the skies above too. Yikes.
At least the bears haven’t started the neighborhood rounds. It’s early in the season and they’ve yet to learn the dangerous delights of ultra-processed and under-secured human food. Facebook warnings to bear-proof garbage bins will come later.
In the meantime, the first Facebook sighting of a bear is on the Wild Pacific Trail. It’s a black bear foraging on the rocks at low tide. He’s barely discernable in the vast landscape – a tiny black dot, distant and wild. As it should be.
Photos taken from Facebook posts during one week in May. Illustrations done by myself as an exercise with alcohol markers and ink.
The Sandy Chronicles 
Your alcohol ink prints are very sweet! What scary stories about the wild predators there. I can’t imagine letting my pets run free in such an area. Wow.
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I surely wouldn’t!
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Well, that’s exotic! 😮
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Painting is now my go-to relaxation. I am experimenting with Acrylics and texture
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Do you share on your blog? or plan to?
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Plan to
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You live in a magnificent place.
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It is! Thanks for dropping by Neil
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At least I don’t have to worry about bears! AS animals suffer more habitat loss, it is sadly inevitable that they will come to more blows with humans. And I know who the eventual winner will be.
I think your illustrations are really developing a style of your own, Sandy! I love line art and pen and wash and you have developed it further with more colour! Well done! I have not painted for so long I wonder if I have lost my painting mojo altogether. I still want to paint but am drawn to the keyboard instead.
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Because there’s so much to explore & learn in terms of mediums and style, I find painting and drawing mesmerizing. I find it’s not as intensive as writing but I’m challenged to do both. Writing or art – they exercise different parts of my brain.
I like line & wash pieces too. I’ve been admiring urban sketches & portraiture using the technique and hope to try it soon. Thanks for you kind words on my pictures Amanda.
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I must have felt similarly early in my creative journey as I recall telling people that I’d like to be able to paint every day. But then, fashion changes, not everyone wants my particular art form and so the pie es clutter up my home, making me dusinclined to paint more. Mind you, it took 30 years to reach this conclusion.
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