Two!

We thought we had one baby raccoon but discovered there are two of them!  Actually, we thought we saw two yesterday but when it didn't show up in all the time I was taking photos of the one, we thought we must have been mistaken.

These two don't seem to be really afraid of us and just go about snuffling the ground almost ignoring us.  I was able to get quite a bit closer today.  So, let me introduce you to TWO young raccoons!

They're really cute right now but I know they'll grow up quickly and can cause some damage with their curiosity so I'm really resisting the urge to feed them!  I don't want them to become dependent on us either.  It's hard to resist babies though, isn't it?

Gray Fox WIP

I started a new pastel painting the other day and sort of promised a WIP of it.  It's still not finished but wanted to post what I have as it's really in the ugly stage and it always helps to see a painting posted to see the direction it needs to go.  Soooo----

Lots more to do on this but hope to finish it soon!  Many thanks to Annette Herz for use of her beautiful photo as a reference!

North Carolina Wildlife Artist Society

I received word yesterday that I have been juried into the North Carolina Wildlife Artist Society and I'm very excited about it.

Many of you know I was once a pet portrait artist and also know how much I like painting animals.  You also know that we live in a very rural area where we see wildlife of some kind every day.  You may not know that I'm not much of a joiner - most of the time I prefer to be painting instead of just talking about it!  To be honest, I checked out some local chapters of various art media societies and felt totally out of place not to mention that I don't like being confined to just one art medium.

But when I discovered NCWAS, it just felt like a match made in heaven.  Artists lead a somewhat solitary life anyway and rural artists are really isolated!  Normally that doesn't bother me a bit but recently I've felt that being around other artists and participating in art events would help me to stretch as an artist.

NCWAS is perfect for me as it's not media-specific, I can use any medium I want. I think they only have one meeting per year which leaves time for actually painting!  The subject requirements aren't overly strict and are what I'd be painting anyway.   They offer participation in various shows or exhibitions but I don't think the participation is mandatory which is a real plus for someone who paints as slowly as I do!

Is there any wonder I submitted an application for joining?

So, in light of this new membership, stay tuned for more wildlife and wildflower paintings!  You can check out NCWAS by clicking on the links for their website and Facebook page listed at the top right.

Temporary Yard Ornament

 

This was what was in our yard this morning probably less than 25 feet from our house (actually, probably less than 15 feet!)

This is an American o'possum or, as they're called here, just plain ole possum.  We have quite a few of these guys hanging around but they're rarely seen in the daytime.  This one was feasting on some fallen apples or maybe even some grubs - I really didn't want to get close enough to see!

The possum is pretty laid back, not usually dangerous but they do have very sharp teeth and can bite.  Mostly they act like they're dead if they feel threatened without any means of escape.  And if they can get away they'd rather run than fight.

They are the only marsupial in the US and not nearly as cute as their Australian counterparts.  In fact, they're pretty ugly with that long pointy face, rat-like tail and beady eyes but their fur is rather pretty and many of the old-timers survived by eating them. 

We saw a female possum carrying her babies on her back earlier this spring but none of the photos I took of her were any good as it was dusk dark when she appeared.  This could very well be one of her offspring as it's a little more than half the size she was.