Friday, October 26, 2018

Rekindled...

"In the Wild Plum - Nashville Warbler"
oil painting on canvas - © Bruce A. Morrison
(click on image for a larger view)

I was having one of those days last spring where I was in a funk of some sort, and Georgie came into the studio and said the plums were full of warblers and "Why didn't I get outside and take some warbler pictures!"

To make a long story short I gabbed a chair and sat under the plum across from the studio deck and photographed these little, almost hyper warblers catching tiny insects pollinating the profusion of blooms...come to think of it, I may have even blogged about it.

I had been working on other things at the time but while going through the files of warbler shots one caught my eye - a male Nashville Warbler "on the hunt"...the camera caught the small fly and the warbler's posture about to spring and catch it's prey...the photograph was "OK" but it needed something - I knew it needed painting.

Finally, in mid June I got around to stating the idea of this painting...I began by laying in the entire background of out-of-focus and blowing branches, trying to create some kind of movement of color and shapes.  A couple of days into the piece I felt I did have something I needed to finish.

My Dad had just taken ill and I wanted to make a trip to see him, so I broke loose from the studio and headed to Ft Dodge - it had been raining A LOT and on the way I was detoured twice by water flowing over the county black tops I drove...it delayed me and when I arrived I found my siblings there at Dad's side; he was unconscious and slipping away.  

We spent the day together there in our Father's room, trying to stay calm and together; later that night Dad left us as I was talking to him.

My Father had always supported my work...I keep a note he wrote me a few years ago, here on my studio desk...sometimes it makes me smile, sometimes cry...its signed "your proud Dad".  He liked being a part of my artwork in earlier years, when I was obsessed with drawing, silk screening, photographing and painting birds...even  surprising me by showing up at "Birds in Art" exhibitions I was accepted into, at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI.  He always asked what I was up to in later years.

I was hoping to show him my latest painting, it is more reminiscent of those early passions I fed off of...I think he would have liked it.

It wasn't easy picking this back up after Dad's passing...it was weeks before I finally kicked the stool out from under myself and finally got in front of the easel again; but even then my progress has been less than stellar. 

I feel a rekindling of sorts now.  Its hard to explain.  Have I come full circle?  I don't know, but I've got too many things in my head now - I'd better get busy before they disappear! 
 

Friday, October 19, 2018

Who Needs the Stink'n Grid?!

Been off the internet "grid" in a couple ways lately – one way – Good! In another way...ugh...annoying. I'll get the annoying part out of the way – we've been without internet service for about 7 days this month...maybe more, don't know because we were also gone on vacation a week this month too – a Good thing!

We spent a week up along the north shore of Lake Superior, visiting old haunts and enjoying the beautiful autumn colors. We built a small cabin on the shore of Lake Superior nearly 35 years ago, enjoyed 18 summers and a few off seasons there and loved it very much. But things change – usually beyond our control, and we sold our small north shore paradise and luckily found a new retreat on the prairie to call home year-round. But it had been 16 years since last visiting NE Minnesota and it was a good return visit.

Sometimes you really can't “go back”, things change, situations evolve...you know what I mean. But even though the weather was mostly gray and wet, it was a pleasant reunion with the natural surroundings...I'll leave you with a small sampling of our “Good” internet free week!

 
Cascade River Falls - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison
 
Lake Superior and the distant Sawtooth Range
west of Grand Marais
photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison


 Grand Marais harbor 
photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

Pincushion Mtn overlook above Grand Marais
photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 Along the Kadunce River canyons - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 
Along the Flute Reed River - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison


 
The Moose Valley Road - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison


Mt. Josephine and Hat Point - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 Teal Lake - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

The Pigeon River - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 
The High Falls on the Pigeon River- photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 Lutsen Mountain color - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

  Along the Sawbill Trail - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 Back country marshy stream - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

East branch of the Baptism River - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 West branch of the Baptism River - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

And now that we're back I had better get back to work - I've got a lot of unfinished business here...unfinished paintings and half formed ideas stuck in my head that need to be released before they disappear.  But I feel renewed, like after visiting with old friends I haven't seen in a long, long while.  

Now waiting for my internet service to be restored...if you see this you'll know I'm back...at least for a moment...