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.

winter perk

'Night Vision' 12x12", mixed media;  Kathleen Faulkner

On these cold, clear nights

one doesn't have to travel far

to get a glimpse 

of our vast

Universe

Near here

'Sanctuary' 16x40" oil on canvas;  Kathleen Faulkner

 I was born and raised in the city.

noise, people, traffic...

Now I live where I can walk to quiet,

or listen to the geese

where it is empty of crowds 

and roadless.

in defense of color

'A Grey Day' 24x36" oil on canvas;  Kathleen Faulkner

On the greyest of days,

a little color can ease the doldrums.

life cycle

'Minders' 24x30" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

The nurse logs

feed new growth

and life goes on.

Lucky Day

'Lucky Day' 18x24" graphite on paper;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes, 

when I wish I had done things differently,

I think of the Chinese tale of the father and son: 

The son had many misfortunes

that turned out to be 

A blessing in disguise 

 

If trees could talk

'Family Tree" (I & II) 24x24 / 24x20" oil pastel;  

Kathleen Faulkner

 

I don't have to go far

to see the natural history

around here.