speaking of March

'Vignette II, 30x22" pencil drawing;
Kathleen Faulkner


Here we go.
Back in lockdown again.
 
I have explored my yard like never before
this year. 
I'm drawing what I see  
in my tiny bubble.
  

 

first aid for a worried soul

'Art Pals' 22x30" graphite on paper;  Kathleen Faulkner

'Helpful Friends' 22x30" graphite on paper, in progress;  

Kathleen Faulkner

'Helpful Friends II' 22x30" graphite on paper, in progress;

Kathleen Faulkner

It has been a tough year.

Because of COVID, I am unable to be with my friends

so I decided to draw them.

Seeing them looking back at me gives me comfort 

and knowing they are all wearing masks out in that cold, cruel world 

gives me hope that I will see them again, 

in person, 

sometime in the future.

'Self Portrait: Mirror Image'

Kathleen Faulkner

 

offshoots

'Vignette' 14x17" graphite;  Kathleen Faulkner

Twig

a slender shoot of a tree

a small, dry, woody piece fallen from a branch

to see; perceive

to understand

 

musings

'Squall' 17.5x34" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

I am thinking about this strange and dangerous year

as I sit on a log and look out at the sea

Nature is not happy with we humans

Nautical Twilight

'Nautical Twilight' 29x28" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner 

two different worlds,

night and day

each as full

in different ways

B is for Brooch

A Bevy of Brooches various sizes, sterling silver, driftwood, pottery shard,

colored pencil;  Kathleen Faulkner

It is nearing the end of July

cool and cloudy weather

We are lucky, though, 

while the rest of the country burns up.

On this early afternoon

The sun starts peaking through the clouds

building patterns.

I am grateful to be here. 

here's a thought

'Thought Bubble' brooch 2.25x1.25" sterling silver, paper, ink, mica
Quote by Henry David Thoreau;
Kathleen Faulkner

...or don't see. 

things change

'Stick Pin'  4.75" sterling silver, stick;  Kathleen Faulkner

Back in the day

when running free was a given 

no worries about touching

or being in close quarters

 a sneeze brought a

'bless you'

a cough meant not too much

Community of stick pins. Kathleen Faulkner

We had our art openings and events 

filled to the brim

hugging and laughing

the good old days. 

'COVID safe' stick pin, 4" sterling silver, paper,
gouache, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Today's stick pin is fully covered

for protection

no direct contact

social distancing is currently in place

as it sits in a box 

on a table.

survival tips

'Western Larch' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

The good thing about living on the edge 

is that one must be

flexible.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, 

nor the most intelligent;

it is the one most adaptable to change."

Charles Darwin

Life during lockdown

'Hillside' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Springtime in the Pacific Northwest

It is especially beautiful this year

maybe it is the clean air,

the quiet 

or lack of humans 

all around 

I walk the trails

sunshine hits the back of my head

I forget, for a moment, that life is different now:

No touching

 no hugs, no kisses

10 feet

always wear a mask if out and about.

I can do this.  

It's not that different from my weird normal life

but I miss my friends.

on hold

'Slack Water' 20x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Life during the time of COVID

I am at a stand still 

no movement either way

 in the tidal stream of life

keep on the sunny side

'Slough' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness,

it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."

Charles Dickens

This oil pastel was completed 

during the pandemic.

It will

forever

remind me of the time 

we lived or died.

when in doubt

'Grey and White and Cloudy' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Max said,  "paint clouds and water".

life on the edge

'Moving Forward'. 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

It's been a tough winter.

I make myself move forward 

knowing that all things change.

 Spring is coming.

Junco junction

'Anne's Feeder' 10x10"oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I watch the birds

eat at Anne's feeder.

I look past the feeder at the tree behind

The leaves are gone now

replaced with juncos

waiting their turn.

weather or not

'Winter Morning'. 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes

in the midst of ruff and tumble weather

hopeful breaks appear.

I always appreciate those.

things we remember

'Childhood Landmarks' necklace 30" sterling silver,
gouache, graphite, ink, mica, glass lenses;
Kathleen Faulkner

I was born and raised in Seattle 

It seems like a very long time ago

or just yesterday

depending on the day.  

Many places are gone now. 

Some still remain. 

The links in this piece are names of meaningful

places from my childhood that no longer exist.

The drawings are of some places and things that we can still visit. 

It's just a  glimpse. 

'Childhood Landmarks' detail;  Kathleen Faulkner

wishes

'One of Many' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Happy Solstice, Friends! 

My wishes for the New Year are 

probably about the same as yours:

Our Planet is saved

and the quality of Life is improved for Us All!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Better New Year! 

Humidity: 82%

'The Rainy Season' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

The rains have come.

I put on my rain gear

and walk anyway.

Kelp Beds

Harbormaster Office,  LaConner Marina;  Kathleen Faulkner

I like a challenge.

I was offered a job opportunity: 

paint a mural on a post at the LaConner Marina.  

I gladly accepted.

It was a harder, longer process than I imagined

but I learned a lot.

I would do it again.

all photos: Kathleen Faulkner

A good view

'Roadside' 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

As I look out over the Skagit fields

I am grateful to know that development 

will not be happening here. 

moving forward

'Best Roundabout' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

The first time I experienced a roundabout was in Europe in the 90s  I drove the clutch on the opposite side on the two lane roundabout. 

Forever after I feel empowered when it comes to roundabouts.

Here in the Skagit there are quite a few.  All have unique personalities and we interact with each one differently. The Best Roundabout is, of course, on Best Road. It is handsome. Each direction gives the feeling that the road is really going somewhere.  It may also be the easiest to navigate. 

It has history.  People who have lived here awhile remember the house on the corner with chickens in the yard under the huge willow.  I always made a point to notice the tinfoil on the windows.  The house is gone now but the willow still remains and so do the views, including some new ones.

It is the best.

perspective

'Hat, Dot, Saddlebag' 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I can see Hat island from my studio. 

 Dot and Saddlebag are hidden behind Cap Sante.

Over on the east side of Padilla Bay 

it's a whole different look.

perks

'Little Indian Slough' 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

One of the ways to get to Edison

is the Bayview road.  

Two sloughs along the way: 

Indian and Little Indian

I see them as I come and go. 

The tide dictates the scene and

it is always dramatic. 

It is usually a high tide when I head north

a low tide when I'm heading home.

There's a whole lot going on along that road

the sloughs are one

an added bonus to my day

Landmark

'Landmark' 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Landmark

A recognizable natural or man-made feature used for navigation

A notable location with historical, cultural, or geographical significance.

A major, important event.*

*Wiktionary

Rx for today's woes

'Afternoon at the Slough" 10x10" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes,

when the light hits just right,

what one sees 

can become something else.

it is a good distraction

What would you wish?'

'Islands' 2.5x1.5" sterling silver, beach rocks;  Kathleen Faulkner

I have always lived near water.

It is a different world down below the surface.  

I don't go there but I think about it.

Sometimes I wonder if the marine creatures 

 think about

 our strange world up top.

As I walk along lost in these thoughts

I find a wish rock.

It is my lucky day

Three wishes!

'Three Wishes' brooch 1.5x2" sterling silver, paper, gouache, colored pencil,
graphite, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Better than prozac

'Minus Tide' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I like to walk along the channel at low tide.  

there is so much to see and hear and smell

The Swinomish Channel connects Skagit Bay, to the south, with Padilla Bay to the north.  It separates Fidalgo Island from the mainland of Skagit County.

Eleven miles long, it was once a collection of shallow tidal sloughs, salt marshes and mudflats known as Swinomish Slough.

During the Depression, the Army Corps of Engineers used dredging and diking to make it a navigable channel.  It is heavily used today by many types of vessels.

I consider it one of the necessary ingredients for mental health.

A Love Story

'Edison Slough' (The Grass is Greener) 32x32" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

I spend a lot of time in and around Edison. 

In a couple blocks one can find three art galleries, a wood shop, a printmaking studio, a bakery, deli, two taverns, two eateries and four gift shops (all completely different). 

Soon there will also be a distillery.

On any given day one will run into at least a couple of artists and any number of eagles, hawks, geese, herons and ducks.  

I don't know why it works but it does.

 I'm grateful that this little town of Edison

has enhanced my life.

Snow day

'Craft Island' 20x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

It is snowing outside

I am inside 

one minute watching the snow fall

the next

wandering around in my memories 

 It was a good day to go to Craft Island

my first time there

I think about it often.