A Family Adventure Story, Part I

Bikes to Canoes, Page

Clink on this link Family Marshall Trip Part 1 to follow the Marshall family through the woods and down the rivers, around the Gulf and the Florida panhandle on a travel adventure. The final panel shows a NASA shuttle blasting off. Guess who is on that ship? Follow their adventures in Part II

• Watercolor and Ink on Moleskin Watercolor Paper
• 3.5″ x 10″
• In a private collection

Wood Stacks

Made from rough 1 3/4″ walnut, finished with olive oil, these wood stacks were gifts for two fire loving men in my life. The cutout wooden forms on the top were drawn by my grandchildren, Maxx and Naomi, painted in acrylic and varnished with polymer. I inserted a dowel to mount them.

Maxx’ Drawing “Racing to the Birthing Center”

Racing to the Birthing Center

• Marker on paper
• 8.5″ x 11″
• Priceless

My grandson, Maxx, loves to draw and I really like this drawing. His family is just a few weeks, perhaps days, away from welcoming a new baby into the world. During a visit from one of the birthing center’s staff, Maxx drew this picture of the family racing for the Birthing Center. No doubt he recalls how fast his little sister, Nomi, arrived. She was birthed on the living room couch. In the drawing, the purple spot below the runners is their car; the only one in the parking lot, Maxx explains. As for the runners, Dad’s in front, Maxx and his sister, Nomi, in the middle and mom brings us the rear.

Summer Colors in Paint

We’re in the final weeks of summer. Begonia pinks and greens inspired this patio painting. Naomi and I make a good team. She’s in charge of color. I’m in charge of supplies. We both lay down the paint.

Kids reading 2D as 3D

Maxx’ Mural in progress

Using Maurice Sendak’s story “Where the Wild Things Are” as inspiration, I painted a jungle mural in Maxx’ room. He’s swinging through the picture on a vine, while monsters, lions, tigers and some ‘Gary Larson inspired’ fish play baseball in the creek. It’s a mix. I talked to Maxx about the images in the mural as it developed and one day, at the age of 13-14 months, he walked over to the mural and tried to insert his stuffed lizard. That amazed me and also that he chose an appropriate jungle animal. He’s definitely above average.

Let’s See What Happens

Let's See What Happens

Today Maxx, Naomi and I fed fish in the pond, waded down Rock Creek, balanced on logs and watched a snake sunning. It was exhausting good fun. When Rob returned from taking them home, he gave me a hand drawn heart and said it was from Maxx and Nomi. I’m rewarded.

The picture: As an amateur woodworker, I’ve learned that making frames is no easy task. The beautiful mahogany came from a friend and the glass bead inserts (look hard at the frames’ bottom horizontal) are something I’m experimenting with. Nomi marbled the background paper and she and Maxx added their hand prints. The picture and story, a gift for Anna’s birthday, were inspired by a walk in the woods with Maxx and Nomi.

The story:
Let’s See What Happens.
Not far from their house
Maxx and Naomi follow the river trail
into the dark woods.

“Be still,” whispers Maxx,
A strange clicking noise
is coming from a tree along the path.
“Trees don’t click”, Maxx says,
Naomi points to a colorful
orange, black and white bug.
(Cream Spot Tiger Moth)
“I think that bug is afraid of us” Maxx
says. They decide not to move and
the clicking stops.
(Cream Spot Tiger Moths make a rapid
clicking noise to scare away attackers.)

“I know! Let’s stand here,
listen, watch,
and see what happens” Maxx says.
Naomi agrees.

Before long a fluttering sound
announces a flock of butterflies.
(Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly)
They swirl around Maxx and Naomi.
One lands on Naomi’s pink dress
while others collect on the nearby tree.
Naomi gently lifts the butterfly onto her
finger.

A twig breaks under the hoof of a passing
deer as she leads her fawn to the river to
drink.

A dragonfly darts along the trail, stopping
to hover above Maxx and Naomi’s heads.
Maxx raises his finger
and the dragonfly (Twelve-spot Skimmer) lands.
Maxx and Naomi take a close look at the insect.

A sudden splash makes them jump.
An eagle skims the surface of the river,
and lifts a fish with his talons.

“I have an idea,” Maxx tells Naomi,
“next time, let’s bring our chairs.”

Drawing with Naomi

Plein-aire painting with Naomi