#461 • The Hunter

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Once in a while I see an image that evokes something deeply primal. This docile, elegant creature sitting quietly and in a seemingly meditative peace in a field somewhere in Maine... is actually hunting. 

Programed to hunt, it waits for unsuspecting victims to make a mistake. It has laser sharp claws, teeth like steel daggers, and is quick and efficient enough to take down any kind of smaller two-legged winged or four-legged before they know what's happened to them.

We forget about all of this primal stuff when these love bugs morph into adorable purring fur balls that keep our laps warm on cold winter nights, have a way of convincing us that they hold us in awe, and lull us into thinking we are the only ones.

It's a trade off. That farmer up on the hill will never be bothered by vermin in house or barn as long as this beast stays alive. So love them or fear them, they are what they are, always first and foremost, hunters.

The Hunter • 8 x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#460 • Embracing Mud Season

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There are two things that will help keep rural Maine from ever becoming fully civilized. Mud and black flies. These two elements are associated with spring. So there is actually no one calling spring a season up here. We call it mud season and then black fly season in that rapid order of appearance because when the mud fully thaws, out come the flies.

All of us have ways of dealing with these two seasons. We either don't come home from winter away homes too early, or we go into combat by leaving our snow tires on longer, wearing waterproof boots and full body mesh armor 24/7.

Today I think about maybe trying to embrace the upcoming mud season. It's already here, but will be in full bloom when the rain comes later in April. There's no good way to make it look beautiful out there, so I'm romanticizing here for practice, and maybe my own sure-to-be-tested sanity.

Embracing Mud Season 8 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#459 • Just One More

 

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We knew it would be back. So.... one last painting of deep winter before we are officially into the spring of 2023 tomorrow.

Just One More • 8"x 8" acrylic framed to 12"x 12" 8 $275

#458 • And Just Like That It's Spring

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Yep, and just like that it's spring. Today.

I found this buried in my studio just like those bulbs out there.

And Just Like That It's Spring • 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#457 • And Just Like That It's Winter Again

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And just like that, we are back into a real Maine winter again. It was the flower post I did last week. It works every time.

Finally we skiers have some stuff to play around in. I had forgotten how much fun it is to ski in a snow storm. There are a lot of positive ions floating around in the air when it's snowing that hard. And it multiplies by a lot when there's a gale blowing through. 

I'd also forgotten how it feels to have a billion little ice needles scouring your face. Don't know if it's a good-for-you facial or a bad one, but it's invigorating when snow hits you that hard all the same. And for us with thin lips, it feels like you've been botoxed when you get back indoors.

But the best part about a winter storm is that no one is out and about buzzing around in their cars and trucks. The peace and quiet is a welcome change of pace.

And Just Like That It's Winter Again • 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275