Invasive Species

A couple of years ago 

I sketched and photographed

 an interesting scene

 in Presquile Provincial Park....

bright, colourful and lively.

I discovered the following year 

that the plant was Phragmites

or European common reed,

an invasive species in the process

 of being eradicated!!

Alas, not all European imports

 are as desirable as 

French cheese and Italian Prosciutto!

Presquile Scene - Leslie Snider - pastel

 

Threatening Skies

Another in my series of sky studies in 

pastel on toned paper.

A Little Nostalgia

Header Art

I've been asked about the art piece

 used in my header

and although it is displayed in the sidebar 

it doesn't seem to enlarge enough to be easily read....

so here's a repost!

 The mysteries of flight may be symbolized by the story of Icarus 

whose wings of wax and feathers 

melted as he flew too close to the sun 

sending him crashing into the sea. 

But the secrets of flight were hidden 

not up in the air 

but under the ground as fossil evidence.

The concepts of balance and symmetry

 have long fascinated artists. 

The dinosaur archaeopteryx

possessed asymmetrical feathers, 

the leading edge being narrower 

and more streamlined.

This enabled the wings 

to slice through the air permitting 

at least rudimentary flight.

(Source of info National Geographic  - Dinosaurs Take Wings - 1998).

Revisiting a favourite painting location

Backlit Cedar Ridge in Pastel on Canson

Although I take hundreds of photos 

there are certain subjects 

which keep drawing me back.

Here is a re-visit to that group of old cedars 

(near the marsh) at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

Inspired by Van Gogh

As the temperature hovers near freezing in southern Ontario,

 I'm organizing 

(in the coziness of the studio)

that huge stock of photos 

I've accumulated over the last few months.

This springtime snap reminded me of a Van Gogh oil....

It is the pattern of filtered light and dark shadows

 that drew me to the composition.

I thought I could make the dark trunk balance with the bright whites of the trilliums 

scattered in the shadows at the base of the tree.

Trilliums are most abundant  in the rich composted soil 

at the base of mature deciduous trees.