Line of sight

'Marine, West Coast' 24x30" oil on canvas;

Kathleen Faulkner

The thing about being on the water

is that one can usually see distance

probably the same idea on a mountain top

not so in fog

but most interesting in heavy weather

west coast treasure

'I am Madrona' 18x54"oil pastel on three panels;

Kathleen Faulkner

Madrona comes in different shapes and colors.

We love madrona.

When people come in different shapes and colors,

some of us are afraid.

                                           

Life on Earth

 

'A Precarious Situation' 18x18" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner  

 It is always a challenge

living on the edge.

The good news is that 

sometimes,

when you least expect it,

wonderful things happen.

So, in the end,

this life really is a delicate balance.

Mountain talk

'Kwelshán', Early Morning' 10x12" oil pastel on paper; 

Kathleen Faulkner

This has been my home for 32 years. 

I have always had a view of the mountain. 

I keep track of the weather by its look

 and the seasons by its snow cover.

Developers showed up recently 

and took two thirds of my view.

Now the neighbor's oak trees have taken that last bit.

The good news is that

this beautiful mountain, 

called Kwelshán by the Lummi, is still there 

and I can see it when I step outside my front door.

'Kwelshán, Afternoon' 10x12" oil pastel on paper; 

Kathleen Faulkner

Cheers!

'Hopeful Hanna' 10x10" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

 

2022

I am grateful for the opportunities that I have received.

I am sharing some highlights with you.

April was a banner month:

 'Craft Island', an oil pastel, was accepted into the permanent collection at the Museum of Northwest Art in LaConner. 

My ring, 'Apartment Complexity' was published in Metalsmith magazine.

Two works, an oil and oil pastel,  'Almost Home' and East of Here' were loaned to the American Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo.

Then, September offered me a spot in a show to start out the new year

 at Harris Harvey Gallery in Seattle  

December came with the honor of having my work represented on the kiosk at the entry to Dog Woods, Guemes Island.

Despite my good fortune, this year had it's challenges 

yet I am grateful for every moment!

I am hopeful for the future.

Here's to a new year of wonderful possibilities

and a wish 

May we become the people that

make this world a better place for all

living beings.

the neighbors

 

'Minders" 16x16" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

They wait in silence.

patient and stately.

Deadly

The bugs never know what hit them.

significant

 'Wake-robin' 12x12" oil pastel on panel; Kathleen Faulkner

Trillium

a precise and elegant wildflower

so

fragile and shy

 

They always bring up memories

that always make me smile.

Be prepared

'Wish Rock' brooch 2x1.5" sterling silver, mica, 

graphite, paper; Kathleen Faulkner

 It's always good to have a wish rock or two 

hanging around.

I keep several. 

You never know 

when you might need one.

breather

'A Morning Walk' 20x30"oil pastel on panel;

Kathleen Faulkner

It's my good deed to myself..

that morning walk 

Always different, always something to see 

 never a dull moment.

I return home feeling awake and energized

ready to seize the day.

ghosts

 

'Ghost Pipes' 12x12" oil pastel on panel; Kathleen Faulkner

My father spotted them for me.

He said they were rare. 

As a child,

that experience left a deep imprint.

I thought I would never see them again

but, every now and then,

I spot the Ghost Pipes. 

which day is it?

'Just a Thought' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes our thoughts can flow like water

other times they just dam up the works.

glide flow skim slide..

'Drift' 12x15" oil pastel on paper; Kathleen Faulkner

I am sitting in the sand

listening to the waves.

It isn't cold but it has that look.

The smell of kelpy salt water mingles with the breeze

and sends a wave of happiness through me

I am reminded that I don't visit often enough.

I love a sweet surprise

Two Madronas, oil pastel approximately 40x30" each;
Kathleen Faulkner

It's always a bit of a shocker to see the work 

that I haven't seen in years. 

These two pieces grace the walls of a collector on Guemes Island. 

It made me happy to see them again.

High Life

'High Life' 19x19" oil pastel and oil pen;  Kathleen Faulkner

                                                  

It is a different world up here, say the trees.

The air is different, the climate, too

we see things

Birds love us.

who knew that brown feels hopeful

'Seasonal Color' 16x16" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

These fields will always be here. 

We have protected them against development.

 

Sometimes they are green or yellow.

Sometimes, when the County sprays ROUNDUP,

the fields glow orange.

I like the naked field best.. 

the dirt is so dark and rich looking.

A hopeful thing

giving me something to look forward to.

getaway

 'Swift Creek' 20x20" oil on panel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Growing up in Seattle I would often think about how long it would take me to get out of the city in case of an emergency.  I would even factor in rush hour.

That amount of time will get me into deep woods here.

bucket list

'Iceberg' 4.5x1.4" sterling silver, reticulated 

silver, plastic, oil paint; Kathleen Faulkner

I have never seen an iceberg in real life. 

Maybe I never will. 

thoughts and prayers

'Lip Service' 4x3" brooch, sterling silver, paper, colored pencil,

graphite, watercolor, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

empty talk  hollow words

Treasure or Trash

'Good/Bad' 16x20" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

This time of year the wild grows quickly

I don't know which I like best

horsetails or skunk cabbage.

shining sea

'Breather' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

So much is going on in the world.

It's good to take a break

now and then.

 

it's all relative

'Almost Home' 30x24" oil on canvas;  

Kathleen Faulkner

So close

yet so far away...

 

current events

 'Tangle' 20x20" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

'Oh what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive'

Sir Walter Scott

Why is water sometimes green?

'Agua Verde'  24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

The more phytoplankton in the water, the greener it is.

I see the green as I approach the coast

and it is dramatic!

Where are we going?

 'Heading Out' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Off we go

into the wild blue yonder...

Who knows what lies ahead.

Hydrology

'Water Study' 16x16" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I am surrounded by water. 

It is different throughout each day.

never a dull moment

'Water Study II' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

what if..

'If Sand was Wood' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I almost became a biologist.

Life would have been different

I'm sure.

small events,

forks in the road

that lead to 

different worlds

 

nightspots

'Night Life' 22x30" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

This nightspot has

no cover.

some thoughts

'East of Here' 12x18" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

A moat, the dike, even a trench or the channel

It always reminds me

of a friend

who painted

fuzzy ditches.

Iceberg

'Growler' 1.75x2" brooch, sterling silver, paint, plastic;

Kathleen Faulkner

a large floating mass of ice 

detached from a glacier or ice shelf

an emotionally cold person

iceberg lettuce

that is just the tip of the iceberg

Sing a song

 Song Sparrow 10x10" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

Let's just say I know 

because

a little bird told me.