Great Blue Herons. Saddlebag Island Marine State Park. Close to the hustle and bustle of Anacortes town, but a world away via your own boat. Last summer, we anchored in the main cove of this blue heron rookery and nesting grounds.

On Saddlebag I saw so many herons of all ages, nests high in the trees, much heron squawking and many beautiful feathers on the ground! There were quite a few other birds and animals during our visit too. I made a short video from reference photos and videos taken on location, which helped me create the narrative in this finished art piece.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2018-19.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases a bald eagle and the island habitats it inhibits.

It’s difficult to imagine that these creatures were on the endangered species list. Presently the San Juan islands boast the most numerous bald eagles nests in any area within the lower 48 states. Only Alaska has more.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2018.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases an Eastern Washington state rattlesnake in the form of the Snake River.

The Snake River begins in Wyoming, then meanders through Idaho, Washington and Oregon where it joins with the Columbia river and on to the Pacific Ocean. 

It’s waters and lands are home to rattlesnakes, burrowing owls, deer, pheasant, quail, small mouthed bass, sturgeon, and so many other creatures. Chinook and other salmon are born here and will attempt to return home, after spending the middle part of their lives in the Pacific Ocean. Also along the river banks are people and towns, tribes, cities, ranches, farms, wind farms, railroads, roads. Fifteen dams divert water for farms, electrical power and transportation. 

Four of these dams have been identified as bad investments for tax payer money and good candidates for breaching to restore some of our regions endangered salmon stocks, which in turn would help our critically endangered 75 Southern resident orca that depend on salmon along the Pacific coast. 

The fate of the 4 lower snake river dams, salmon and orca have been intertwined discussions in our region for the last 20 years. Our governor has convened an Orca Task Force this year to study & recommend actions to save the orca, salmon & our regional ecosystem. 

I attended the last meeting in Wenatchee as the stories of Tahlequah (J35) and Scarlet (J50) captured world attention. Wildfires throughout the region, our new August normal these past few years, have made visibility and breathing difficult. I kept indoors working on this piece.

Damsense.org has more information on the dams, and more information on ways we can all take action. 

The orcas, salmon and the rest of our non-human neighbors seem to be asking us if we are brave enough to make the drastic changes and sacrifices necessary to save them, and in turn ourselves. 

What will our answer be?

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2017.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases this heritage barn, located on Decatur island in the San Juan islands.

This old island ranch has become a 600 acre land preserve owned in common by all community members of about 90 small building sites. The old barn is currently home to 3 horses. Twice a year the island’s heritage feral flock of about 100 black-faced sheep are passed through the barn for shearing, medical attention and thinning. Boy do I have some stories about that!

18″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2018.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases the last of the Cascade mountain range grizzly bears.

This was a private commission turned into a great learning opportunity. These shy, massive creatures — symbols of true wilderness – were once a thriving part of the North Cascades mountain range. Continuing human encroachment on their native territories has reduced their numbers to a very small population in Washington State and BC. Will they go extinct, or will we help them recover?

Watch a video and read more here.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2017.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases the harbor seals of the Salish Sea.

Oh, harbor seals (aka sea dogs, sea puppies, rock sausages). I never get tired of seeing them and interacting with them on the water and shorelines! They really are dog-like, following me around in my kayak or as I explore tide pools, albeit at a distance. They are beautiful to watch gliding through the water with ease, but goofy and clumsy on land wriggling on their bellies. Their diet is various types of fish, invertebrates and crustaceans. They themselves are a favorite snack item for transient/Biggs mammal-eating orcas. Especially their squeal-worthy cute pups, born in July. Well I squeal over them anyway, like a dorca (orca dork) squeals for orcas! Every. time.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2017.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This piece depicts a small pod of Pacific white sided dolphins near San Juan island’s Lime Kiln State Park.

Their bigger cousins, the orcas, get the bulk of attention around here, but these dolphins are just as fun to watch zip around the boat and bow ride (which is kinda like dolphin surfing the wave from the front tip of the boat). Traveling in pods up to 150 animals (although I once saw 500), they’ll keep pace with any boat – bow riding, leaping, playing – the entire ocean seems to explode with life. Usually found in the Pacific Ocean, they’ve been visiting the interior Salish Sea for the past few years as new visitors.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2017.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Here are Stellers at Whale Rocks, one of their favorite congregation spots when they come to the Salish Sea between mating seasons. Well, the “loser dudes” come to congregate, commiserate and practice fighting for the next season. A lucky few get to stay out on the Pacific Coast with the ladies, a spot they’ve literally fought everyone else for, and won. It’s because of their natural aggression that males live only about half as long as females.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2017.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases river otters of the Salish Sea.

River otters were surprisingly the most requested new animal/habitat to create when I visited Seattle and Portland for the holiday shows. Anyone who lives in river otter territory knows their latrine and denning habits can wreak havoc on boats and cabins, but they *are* amazing to watch in their natural environment. Those of you that follow my instagram account know I’ve had many memorable encounters with them. This is a river otter family in the Salish Sea just off of Johns Island. Inland you’ll find them living near rivers, creek or ponds (hence the name). Here in the islands they also take advantage of sea bounty. They’ll eat practically anything they can stick in their mouths: voles, mice, fish, crustaceans… the list goes on.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases a minke whale of the Salish Sea.

This minke whale is affectionately known by researchers as Nick Jagger (see the nick in his dorsal fin?). I worked with a local researcher (Hi Frankie!) to depict him accurately. Here Nick’s depicted on the eelgrass meadows of southwest San Juan island’s Salmon Bank competing with the harbor seals and birds for clusters of small fish (herring, sandlance, surf smelt).

Among whale watchers, Minkes get a bad wrap for being stinky (their breath), slinky (elusively disappearing after a single sighting, no visible exhalation when they surface, never breaching above the surface) and dinky (they’re 30 feet long at most, compared to the 50 foot long humpbacks). Despite – or maybe because of – all this, I enjoy spending time with these underdogs of the sea (underwhales?). And if I ever see one of these shy guys actually breach I will definitely lose my shit! Breaching orcas and humpbacks are so ordinary. #MinkesAreWhalesToo

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases the Humpback Whales of the Salish Sea.

Here are three of the Salish Sea’s humpback whales: mama Heather, her son Split Fin and a baby. Living in a tent for a bit on the western edge of San Juan island, I learned there’s nothing quite like drifting to sleep near the water’s edge on a windless night, listening to all the subtle night water noises.

A treasured memory: the stars above dance on the water’s surface as a passing humpback whale quietly surfaces and breathes on it’s way down to Mexico for the winter. Gentle whale-made waves eventually lap against the shore when it has gone. The absence of daytime boat traffic noise at night allows Salish Sea inhabitants a brief tranquility that their ancestors always enjoyed. Our present night peace is occasionally interrupted by the loud “thrum thrum thrum” engine noise of tankers, cargo ships or cruise liners chugging through Haro Strait, nighttime be damned.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases chinook salmon.

This piece depicts the lifecycle & habitat of our Chinook salmon, a keystone species here in the Salish Sea and throughout the Southeast Pacific Coast Salmon Nation (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, BC, Alaska). This piece came out of several conversations I had with local researchers based on their years of intense local salmon research.

This original artwork was commissioned by Kwiaht, Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea.

11″ x 17″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases a heritage barn, located on Orcas island in the San Juans.

This original artwork was commissioned by the San Juan County Fair.

11″ x 17″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases this heritage barn, located on Lopez island in the San Juans. I was able to spend a day exploring this barn and horse farm, with the barn cat whose name escapes me following me.

This original artwork was commissioned by the San Juan County Fair.

11″ x 17″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases this heritage barn, located on San Juan island in the San Juans. This piece is special to me as I lived and worked on the dairy goat farm that used this barn in it’s last year of agricultural use.

The constantly escaping kid goat gang, led by head rascals Mocha and Dotless. Bindi the barn cat. Montana, the surely buck that peed all over himself the first time we met, typical. Burying a yearling attacked by a fox. Number three, the yearling that always always got her head caught in the fence and screamed and screamed for help, until the farmer and I finally duct taped a long stick between her horns. Holding a newborn goat in my arms while it’s mother died on my lap. The early morning milkings before a quick kayak before heading to work on the boat.

The year I learned I’m better suited for farming plants than animals, mirroring my childhood spent in orchards. Or better yet, at this stage in life: being farm adjacent and offering an occasional helping hand.

This original artwork was commissioned by the San Juan County Fair.

11″ x 17″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases this heritage barn, located on Waldron island in the San Juans.

This special island is where I lived my first year in this archipelago: off the grid, without ferry service, and no deer (so no deer fencing necessary)! Blue Moon Produce, the farm that utilizes this barn, has been growing a full range of vegetables, herbs, garlic, berries, and cut flowers since 1999 using no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. Their products are distributed solely in the San Juan Islands, and can be found at the San Juan Island Farmers’ Market, the San Juan Island Food Co-op, at many local restaurants, and through a weekly CSA program.

This original artwork was commissioned by the San Juan Ag Summit.

11″ x 17″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases this heritage barn, located on Shaw island in the San Juans.

This original artwork was commissioned by the San Juan County Fair.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2016.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. This original mixed media artwork on heavy watercolor paper showcases the southern resident orcas of the southern Salish Sea are re-imagined as the coastal waters and islands among which they live: Shachi (J19), Scarlet (J50), Slick (J43), Blackberry (J27), and matriarch Granny (J2).

A favorite orca memory: Working as the County Park Campground host one late summer, it was my job to make the rounds at 10PM to remind everyone to put out their fires and be quiet for the rest of the night. Both things not every camper wanted to do. One moonless night I was beginning my rounds when I got a text message from a friend at Lime Kiln, south of my location, “Vocalizations on the hydrophone now, all three pods heading your way!”

The orcas certainly made my job so much easier that night! As I made my rounds I told each campsite in turn, “A reliable source told me the entire group of Southern Resident orca are on their way towards us now. If you’re quiet, you may be able to hear them as they pass by.” No one challenged me on the quiet-time enforcement rules as usual. The first orca blows sounded from the water, gradually drawing all the campers to the field between their tents and the water below. “That first blow we’re hearing is probably Granny, she’s the matriarch and usually in the lead.” This was also the first summer I’d been working as a naturalist aboard a wildlife tour boat.

Occasionally I’d offer commentary or answer a question, but for the most part we all stood silently together there on the field, listening to every orca-related sound. Breaches, tail slaps, and even vocalizations came from the water and reverberated off the cliff behind the campground, amplifying all sound. The whales socialized and played for several hours in the water before us, unseen. The majority of the people there that night had never seen orcas in the wild before. And technically, they still hadn’t, but together we all witnessed an increasingly rare scene in the Salish Sea: all members of the Southern Resident orcas accounted for and together.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2014.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the wild wolves of western BC Canada are re-imagined as the coastal islands in which they live.
My first wolf encounter memory: There’s something moving along the top of that nearest rock/island. It’s some kind of animal. Oh. Is it a bird? It’s cresting the top of the hill from the other side, becoming larger, coming into full view. Is it a river otter? No. I squint. Is it a seal? No. It has four legs now. What is that? I’ve only just arrived to this remote homestead 2 days previous and haven’t yet learned the lay of the land, plants or animals here. A fox? A dog? It’s definitely some kind of canine I decide as it turns in profile and comes into full view, silhouetted by the sun. It shakes itself off. Huh. It must have swam over from the other island.

The young king-of-the-hill proudly struts around his new territory, sniffing various spots this side of the rock for I don’t know what. He tries to creep up on a resting gull at the water’s edge, snapping his jaws in it’s general direction, but he’s much too young and clumsy. Judging by his movements, this fox-dog is teenager-aged. The gull is onto him and easily flies away.

Now bored, the dog jumps into the water, swimming towards me. We’re about 300 feet away from one another. Is this a wild dog, or a domesticated one? I don’t want to find out. I stand up. The fox-dog-thing simultaneously changes course to paddle onto the beach 200 feet to my left, just where the cliffs begin. He shakes off, watching me. He sniffs the ground, feining indifference. Typical teenager. One more glance in my direction, and he disappears into the woods.

“Hey, I saw a black fox, or a dog, on the beach yesterday.” The gardener who hiked in for the day to work the grounds stops what she’s doing to give me her complete attention. “Well we don’t have foxes.” We’re both silent for a minute. “I think what you saw was a wolf. And that’s pretty rare to see one, especially during daylight hours.”

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2014.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the great horned owl is re-imagined as the coastal Pacific Northwest ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. This is basically a chart of everything it eats, ha ha. Seriously though, these owls are one of the top predators and will go after just about anything. Little creatures, watch your backs!

Each evening on the goat farm where I lived for a year, I’d watch a great horned owl sit on a tall fence post overlooking one of the fields. S/he would periodically swoop down into the field for an unsuspecting shrew feast. The low calm owl calls deep in the night were comforting to me in my bed, probably terrifying for everyone else outside.

Yes I know we don’t have skunks on the islands, I was trying to be inclusive of mainland owls also.

18″ x 24″ ink, pencil & paint on paper. 2014.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the marmot is re-imagined as the Pacific Northwest forest meadow ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. I hiked Mt. Rainier a few years ago with a whining 6 year old, scarred from the previous summers’ all day hike across the hot Oregon sand dunes to the coast and back. The Mt. Rainier fields were full of prime August blooms, the occasional snow drift, birds, butterflies, and all manner of stunning flora and fauna. As the rest of us exclaimed at each new wonder, the six year old remained unimpressed. “I hate hiking” she pouted each time. “But if you didn’t hike, you wouldn’t be able to see these beautiful things” we’d remind her. “I hate hiking” she’d repeat.

Then we saw a pair of marmots. They were there in the field beyond our path, nonchalantly eating grass together. Our hiking grouped stopped to silently watch a while. The marmots began wrestling each other, each fat furry mass rolling over the other squealing with delight and then sprinting hither and yon across the meadow. We spectators squealed, enchanted by the speed and agility of these creatures that seemed so sedentary at first. The six year old changed her tune. “I LOVE hiking!” she said over and over the rest of the way, now enjoying everything else we encountered that day.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2011.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the cascade red fox is re-imagined as the Mt. Rainier forest ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. An August visit to Mt. Rainier and a brief encounter with a fox on the road up to the lodge inspired this piece.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2011.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the nubian goat is re-imagined as the farmland ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives.

A few years ago, a Portland-area friend brought home a miniature nubian goat mom and two kids. They lived in her yard in a miniature barn and barnyard alongside a flock of chickens. When they first arrived, the goat kids were as tall as the full grown chickens. Precious! These goats and their dog-like antics were the original inspiration for this piece, although a few years later I had the opportunity to live and work on a (saanen breed) dairy goat farm and really get to know these animals well!

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the pacific octopus is re-imagined as the shoreline & tidepool ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. I have yet to see a Pacific Octopus in the wild, only a den with remnants of meals scattered around it in a tidepool at low tide.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the pika is re-imagined as the sub-alpine rocky ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. If you’re not sure what a pika is, I recommend searching for a video of one. You’re welcome.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the spring & summer butterflies are re-imagined as the mountain floral meadow ecosystem of plants & animals in which they live. I created this piece after a magical hike up Mt. Hood when I lived in Portland, Oregon. A friend and I wound our way up a mountain trail through wildflower meadows as the butterflies zoomed around us.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2011.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here heirloom chickens are re-imagined as the farmland ecosystem of plants & animals in which they live. Inspired by a Portland friend’s urban chicken coop residents, and rosy remembrances of my own brief time with a flock of chickens on the childhood farm (wild dog pack = 24, juvenile chicks = 0).

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the [female] California sea lion is re-imagined as the ocean ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. Certain docks and beaches in California and Oregon are inundated with California sea lions, sometimes we even see them co-mingling with the more commonly seen Steller sea lions at certain haul out spots up here in the San Juan islands.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the elk (wapiti) is re-imagined as the mountain meadow ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the seastar are re-imagined as the tidepools ecosystem of plants & animals in which they (used to) live. Seastars were once plentiful in tidepools all along the west coast, but the seastar wasting disease – apparently triggered by rising sea temperatures – took it’s toll on the population in the past several years. Diving friends tell me the seastar populations are recovering, but they have abandoned the tidepools in favor of living further down in the water column where the water temperature is still to their liking.

19″ x 24″ ink on paper. 2009.

My Habitat series explores the shape and form of nature in the Pacific Northwest. Here the black bear is re-imagined as the douglas fir forest ecosystem of plants & animals in which it lives. This guy was the first born of this “Animal Habitat” series. The original piece, surrounded by scrawled pencil notes which wouldn’t erase after I was finished inking in the art, remains in my private collection. I have never seen a black bear in the wild, but hope to one day.