Workshops are a necessity in my career, each provides lasting lessons and friendships for my students and for me.  Located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a large, comfortable, quiet lodge situated among a wooded area filled with wildlife inspires a casual and optimum educational experience.  My 8th workshop there, fall 2019 students spent all 4 workshop days learning the fine points of "painting with heat" while enjoying the backdrop of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains.  Early morning visits to Rocky Mountain National Park are just a five minute drive away and gave us a chance to observe and photograph wildlife in their natural habitat.  The addition of the exciting Elk rut made for some great photo opportunities!

Burning our Workshop days away!

That I can make some impact with teaching new skills, help forge or boost a career in pyrography and broaden an understanding in the business of art gives me satisfaction in doing my job.  Preparing my workshops takes considerable time in planning exercises, lessons and projects for each and every student, experienced or not, new or returning.  Slide presentations, demonstrations, group and individual sessions maximize everyone’s experience so that they can go back home and delve right into more burning.  Nothing is left on the "cutting room floor."

Images outside the Workshop cabin

Images from nearby Rocky Mountain National  Park

Happy student and instructor faces!

With another workshop in the books, I am once again thrilled to have shared my knowledge in pyrography and in watching the wildlife that inspired us all each and every day.  Already planning my 2020 spring workshop!  Watch for details very soon!

For information on all my workshops please visit my Workshops page, which will be updated mid-November.

Easily one of the most upbeat and fulfilling experiences of my life was witnessing a family of burrowing owls this past summer.  Year-round, this magical western region offers viewing and educational experiences for anyone invested in exploring and spending hours upon hours in the wild.  In two short months an intriguing burrowing owl couple claimed their burrow, courted, mated, nested, prepared for their upcoming owlets, nurtured them and watched them fledge.  They had me at “hello.”

Courting and Nesting

Our female was suspect of humans while she was on her nest.  She was often in her burrow while her mate hunted meals and nesting material.  What a rare treat to see her pop out of her burrow, if only to remain very close and somewhat hidden behind her love.  He was, in turn, very protective of her – and both extremely affectionate with each other. 

Hunting and Babies

Fierce, agile and intense are three adjectives that well-describe the survival skills of these 7 ounce adult birds as they awaited their brood.  One month to the day I began watching them, tiny grey-headed disheveled owlets popped out above ground to greet their brand new overwhelmingly big world.  To say it was an exhilarating thrill to finally see them is an understatement.

Feeding

As the six owlets grew (fast!) they became more acclimated to and confident of their surroundings.  Their first reactions to new experiences were mine, as well - and each lesson was a delightful insight into their everyday fragile lives.  Voles and a variety of bugs were on the daily menu, typically by way of Dad to Mom to kids.  Several weeks into their existence they began to take flight and learned to hunt for themselves.

Growing

Everyday was a gift watching this crew survive another day, grow more confident, interact, play, fend for themselves and generally enjoy their new lives.  It was such a privilege watching Mom and Dad act as their owlets' ever-vigilant and protective guardians.  I very much hope to see them again as they start their own families.

As with all wild birds and animals I find it such an honor to depict these burrowing owl beauties in my art.  After-all, that is what I do.  And as much time as I spent with this family from mid-May through mid-July, I’m sure they came to recognize me and trust my good intentions of acknowledging their due space.  It was such an incredible and unique experience, everyday brand new.  The difference in size of the owlets could be measured in one day, every day.  It was uncanny to see them quickly grow into brave, adorable, charismatic, self-sustaining beings.

And, one of my favorite, most important, takeaways, by far, was not the owls at all, but the new friendships forged by such like-minded individuals, photographers, who made the experience that much more rich.  To be able to look beside me to a new friend whose passion and joy about these birds were as strong as mine and remark "Did you see that!!!!" made the entire experience that much more valid and exciting; we learned, laughed and even cried together.  I looked as forward to seeing them as much as the owls; that shared experience is something we will talk about together for the rest of our lives.

After having collected ample observations and reference for dozens of works, “Quorum” is my first of hopefully many depictions of this remarkable family of extraordinary burrowing owls.