When the wildlife I love gets a little too close! August 2026 update
It's very smoky and hot where I am right now — not my favourite thing! Instead of going out and breathing all that smoke, how about we take a few minutes to get up to date on what I've been up to?
In this update:
When the wildlife I love gets a little too close!
Coming up: I'm getting ready for the Lake Country ArtWalk
On my easel: A new, softer Wild Essence
When the wildlife I love gets a little too close!
Lunch ended suddenly. One minute we were eating our cucumbers, crackers and cheese and the next we were standing and looking across our pond at two bears romping through the field.
One of the bears was black and the other was brown. They weren’t huge bears, but they weren’t small cubs. And they didn’t seem to care we were standing and looking at them.
We called to the bears. We clapped our hands. We whistled. None of it fazed the bears. They just kept moving, stopping briefly to eat Saskatoon berries off the bushes near the pond.
With bear spray in hand (we always have some nearby), we followed the bears’ progress, still calling to them and hoping to scare them off. The bears continued to ignore us, even as they jumped in the pond and swam.
That was the best moment. Because while we were concerned about the bears, we also enjoyed watching them. And as we watched, the bears started play fighting in the pond. They looked like two overgrown, young siblings having fun in a swimming pool, batting at each other and splashing around. (My husband got the play fight on video — let me know if you’d like to see it!)
After a few minutes, the bears tired of the pond. They pulled themselves out and took to the road that runs near our pond. They ambled down the road, looking like they didn’t have a care in the world.
What a visit! But it wasn’t over, because later that day, while we were out running errands, the bears came back. This time, they ripped up our garden, bent a metal pole and ate every morsel in the bird feeder we had hanging on the pole. (Note to self: no more feeding birds at the pond!)
It was an amazing encounter for me. I love to paint bears, and this was a great chance to see them up close and being themselves. You can be sure those bears will be featured in some of my art in the future!
Coming up: I'm getting ready for the Lake Country ArtWalk
On September 12-13, I’ll be taking part in the Lake Country ArtWalk, a huge art show in the Okanagan.
The show features up to 200 artists, including yours truly. Each year up to 7,000 visitors come to view art, buy art and talk to the artists. It’s great fun, and I’d love to see you there! If it will help to sweeten the deal, I will be holding a draw for a piece of my art at the show.
Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on some new paintings I’ll be showing at ArtWalk (if they don’t sell first!). I’m also planning my display booth, which takes a little work, as the show is in a new location this year.
Don’t miss out! Put the ArtWalk on your calendar and come to see me!
On my easel: A new, softer Wild Essence
For the last few weeks I’ve been working on paintings that features bears, wolves and ravens in a misty, soft environment. It’s not a whole new series, separate from Wild Essence, it’s just a slight departure from my usual look. That’s what we artists do! We experiment, we take chances and sometimes, they work.
In this case, I think my exploration is working out well. What do you think? Let me know! And if you can, drop by ArtWalk in September to see the finished piece!
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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