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

Hansel and Gretel Dollhouse

Hansel & Gretel Dollhouse

Hansel & Gretel interior

Hansel & Gretel Dollhouse, front and rt. side

Hansel & Gretel Dollhouse, side and rear view

Asked to paint a dollhouse for the Douglas County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), I was joined and benefited from the skilled help of family, John and Mindy Huston. My son suggested the theme, and two of my grandchildren modeled. The front facade of the witch lair finds Hansel reaching for a cookie shingle while the witch peeks out the cottage door. Gretel has pulled a gumdrop from the wall to eat. The back side of the house is dark and stormy. The interior has bats, spiders, black cats, a jar of eyeballs and all things creepy. Hansel has been fattened in his cage and Gretel acts to save their lives.

CASA, which benefits abused and neglected children, raises fund by selling chances to win a large dollhouse. To support their efforts, please go to the CASA website. www.dccasa.org. or visit the CASA office, 1009 N.H., Suite B.

The Hansel & Gretel dollhouse, along with other donated dollhouses, was sold in a silent auction at the 20th annual CASA Playhouse Celebration July 16, 2011 at the Lawrence Arts Center.

The Davis’ Grandchildren

The Davis' Grandchildren

• Watercolor and Gouache on Aquabord
• 20″ x 36″ diptych
• Limited Edition Giclée Print on archival paper, 10″ x 18″ image size – $495, plus shipping
• Contact the artist.
• In the Davis Collection

This commissioned portrait of the grandchildren shows the Davis home and playground. Aquabord is meant for watercolors but it doesn’t act like watercolor paper and took some getting used to. The surface is coated masonite mounted on 2″ cradle board (birch plywood). Gouache (opaque watercolor) was used on the chairs so the color is more saturated. I sprayed the painting with a fixative followed by a polymer varnish so it does not have to be glassed.

Raven, Blueberries and Cherries

Raven, Blueberries and Cherries

• Mixed Media
• 5″ x 7″
• In the collection of CM, Topeka, KS

The media for “Raven, Blueberries and Cherriesl” include watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, and acrylic on Ampersand’s Aquabord.

Ravens are a favorite bird, intelligent and resourceful. I keep a copy of Bernd Heinrich‘s book “Mind of the Raven” around.

Favorite Raven Story: I know I’ve written this story somewhere else in my blog, but as my grandfather told my father when he had repeated one of his stories and been reminded of it, “I like telling this story.”
Standing in line at a local grocer I asked the checkout clerk if she had any bird stories as I was collecting them. The fellow behind me said he had one. While living in Alaska the previous winter he’d watched the ravens take turns covering the solar cells for the town’s street lights with a wing, thus keeping the lights turned on and providing a source of warmth for the flock.

Baby Logan

Logan – during his first year

• Pastel
• In the collection of N/JM-L

This drawing was a gift for young friends and their beautiful Logan. All the world is a wonder when we’re one, so I added some elements of wonder to the drawing…the fingernail moon, the crane and a prehistoric setting on the shirt.

My niece, Brooke

Brooke drawing

Brooke holds light

Brooke resting

Brooke Courtney Lehenbauer

Last summer I sat at the bedside of an amazing and beautiful young woman, my niece Brooke. She had made the decision to enter hospice and passed away almost a year ago. Despite severe cerebral palsy, Brooke was engaged in the world and loved to draw. In 2002 an exhibit of our collaborative work was held at the Texas Artists’ Museum in Port Arthur, Texas. Brooke’s line work developed over the years. It was active, sometime defining forms and always colorful. She was a keen colorist, patiently communicating to whoever was helping, just the right color from her huge collection of markers. It was then strapped into her hand and the work began.

Two  of Brooke Courtney Lehenbauer’s drawings, one collaboration and one completed solely by Brooke, will be shown along with my work at the Gardner House Museum this summer in Palmyra, MO.

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.”