Category Archives: Wildlife

Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Western Sandpipers – A Camouflaged Migration original oil

Western Sandpipers – Northern Migration is an oil on canvas painting, now available. The canvas is 18″ x 24″, with the silver frame as you see it making it approximately 24″ x 30″. It’s now available. I have other frame options for this as well.

I’ve had my sights on this painting idea for awhile. In fact, since I had my canoe along the Port Townsend shoreline a few months ago. I was paddling peacefully along and suddenly, right in front of me and within about 15 feet, a cloud of little brown sandpipers erupted off the beach – scaring the heck out of me. It was actually a wonderful experience, and I tucked that memory away for later. And, here’s the experience a second before they all flew.

These birds change colors from their summer arctic feather colors and patterns to much brighter colors to attract a mate. A few months later when fall comes around, they head south for the winter and change again to dull brown, grayish white and many other shades for camouflage to hide against overhead predators such as hawks and eagles. It also makes them almost invisible to paddlers like me!

And so, I made the painting with that in mind. Not obviously bright-colored birds, no brash and colorful wildlife, just a real experience I had seeing about 30 birds very close-up. It’s a believable experience, I hope, as you run your eyes around the canvas counting birds.

Here’s an early photo of my process with this painting with a working frame I use as I go along. You can see the progress of working out the design, adding the birds and shells. The big log in the background hasn’t been figured out yet.

This painting is $1300 with the silver frame you see at the top. Shipping is extra but boxing is included. Outside framed measurements are about 24″ x 30″. Oil on canvas and varnished. If you’re interested, or just want to communicate, write me at larryeifert@gmail.com

And below is the boat I used for the sandpiper experience – I built it last year!

Thanks for reading this week. You can sign up for emails for these posts on my website at larryeifert.com.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

And Instagram is here.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings.

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Nature Art, New Painting Post, Small oil studies, Wildlife

Small Oil Paintings Vol 4

Here are five more of my little oil studies – and all are available at the moment. Drop me an email at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested in purchasing them, or would like to see some of the others I haven’t posted yet. They’re all on linen canvas board, 5″x7″ and the framed outside measurements are 7″ x 9″. Shipping isn’t much as they’re small paintings. Email me if you’d like to know more about any of these: larryeifert@gmail.com Think Valentine’s Day!

Bewick’s Wren framed Sorry, it’s sold

Bewick’s Wrens are classic LBJs (little brown jobs) that I see right outside my studio window. That upright long cocked tail with the spots is a giveaway to which wren it is. The branch is a twig I brought in to the studio so I could have a first-hand model. Framed: $95 and available.

Bewick’s Wren oil on canvas Sorry, it’s sold

Bufflehead portrait framed

From a distance, I don’t often see the crazy iridescence on these beautiful birds, but walking recently on the local section of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (not two miles from our place here), one popped up next to shore and I could see the rainbow colors on the bird’s head. So, I made a painting of the experience. Bufflehead portrait is available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, $95 framed.

Bufflehead portrait oil on canvas board

Chestnut-backed Chickadee framed Sorry, it’s sold

Chestnut-backed Chickadees are the true Northwest Coast’s own chickadee species. There are others here, but this one is only here along the west-edge forests that have these reddish to brown needles, tree lichens and leaves, so it really blends in well here. I paint them often. This chickadee painting is available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, framed for $95.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee oil on canvas board Sorry, it’s sold

Douglas Squirrel framed

Douglas Squirrels, also red squirrel or chickaree is the Western forest squirrel in its various forms. In the Puget Sound lowlands, it’s called Douglas Squirrel after David Douglas, discoverer of maybe other things like Douglas-fir. He’s one of my heros, getting constantly lost and having the Indians save him. This little squirrel is fearless, and several of ours have allowed me close contact. They’re good at breaking into our studio’s shingled roof attic and yelling at the house cat.

I painted this from a photo I took of the rascal! It’s available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, framed for $95.

Douglas Squirrel oil on canvas board
Dark-eyed Junco on Queen Anne’s Lace framed

Dark-eyed Juncos are all over our place here, and recently one crashed into a window thinking it was a pathway to another part of the forest. So, this is a homage to that bird. Maybe you will live on, memorialized on a wall somewhere, little friend. They’re beautiful and subtle little birds. I’ve painted these guys many times. 7″x9″ outside measurements, $95 framed.

Dark-eyed Junco on Queen Anne’s Lace oil on canvas board

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Small Oil Paintings Vol 3

These are more of my little oil studies – and all are available. Drop me an email at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested, or would like to see some of the others I haven’t posted yet. They’re all on linen canvas board, 5″x7″ and the framed outside measurements are 7″ x 9″. Shipping isn’t much as they’re small paintings. Email me if you’d like to talk about any of these: larryeifert@gmail.com Think Valentine’s Day!

Wintering Ruddy Turnstone framed

Ruddy Turnstones are along most of our home bay’s shorelines now. In summer, they’re very spectacular in feather colors, but winter feathers are more subdued. Actually, I prefer them this way right now. Framed: $95 and available.

Wintering Ruddy Turnstone oil on canvas

Below: Golden-crowned Kinglet is available. These tiny birds are really fun to paint. 7″x9″ outside measurements, $95 framed.

Golden-crowned Kinglet framed – Sorry, it’s sold

Golden-crowned Kinglet is available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, $95 framed.

Golden-crowned Kinglet oil on canvas SORRY, IT’S SOLD

Varied Thrush is really common here and I paint them often. Same family as the American Robin except they like deep forest instead of lawns. It’s available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, framed for $95.

Varied Thrush framed Sorry, this painting is sold.
Varied Thrush oil on canvas Sorry, this painting is sold.

Swainson’s Thrush is also really common here in summer, but they arrive in late Spring. I painted this from a photo I took of one on our little pond and can you blame me for wanting to paint a summer bird? Another deep forest bird that is currently in Mexico, where I should be, too. It’s available. 7″x9″ outside measurements, framed for $95.

Swainson’s Thrush framed
Swainson’s Thrush oil on canvas
Olympic Chipmunk framed

This last one is of an Olympic Chipmunk, only found right here (well, up the hill from us in Olympic National Park near treeline). They’re endemic to the Olympic Peninsula. I’ve painted these little guys many times. 7″x9″ outside measurements, $95 framed.

Olympic Chipmunk oil on canvas

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Hiking, Interpretive Art, National Park Service, Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Dipper Flying Home – a new painting

American Dipper Flying Home is an original oil painting – not even varnished yet. It tells the story of a little flying dipper flying into a big waterfall, high in the Olympic Mountains of Washington.

This is an 18″ x 24″ oil on canvas, and it is now available. The frame in the photo comes with it but we have other choices – I just really like how the frame colors fit with this painting. Outside measurements are about 24″ x 30″. We can ship this at cost, double-boxed and ready to hang. Email me at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested in more information. The framed price is $1300.

For those who don’t know about these interesting little birds – dippers, here’s a short essay about them. Also known as Water Ousels (East Coast), they make their living completely dependent on cold, clear mountain streams. They lives are entirely connected to these streams and they don’t migrate – even in winter. They even nest behind waterfalls in mossy wet pockets they build.

Dippers were John Muir’s favorite bird, and maybe mine, too. (their name is because they tend to bob up and down as they stand on rocks) The young birds are wet from birth from the constant cold spray of snowmelt water. The parents teach them the routine by diving in, then ‘walking’ underwater, kicking over stones searching for insects and larva. They use their wings outstretched to hold them down in the current. Dippers never leave their streams, and if a tight river bend means a brief flying detour over land, they, instead, fly the long way around the curve to stay connected to their water-home. It’s the very definition of wilderness I’ve always been drawn to and love to paint.

Below is my photo of Royal Falls, one of the sources of the Dungeness River and a major reference for this painting. Royal Falls is high in Olympic National Park, but only about 25 air-miles from where I write this in my studio. The Dungeness is one of the steepest watersheds in the country, dropping over 7000 feet in just 28 miles.

A dipping American Dipper at Tunnel Creek, Olympic National Forest.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

National Park Service, Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Northern Spotted Owl original oil painting

This painting is sold!

Northern Spotted Owl: This is an 18″ x 24″ oil on canvas that is now available. The frame comes with it but we have other choices – I just really like the frame colors with this painting. Outside measurements are about 24″ x 30″. We can ship this at cost, double-boxed and ready to hang. Email me at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested in more information. The framed price is $1300.

And here’s just the painting. Through the years, I’ve painted other images of spotted owls, several for Redwood National Park, but those were more ‘interpretive’. This is aimed at showing the dense, vibrant and truly amazing amount of organic ‘life’ in these Pacific Northwest forests. The spotted owl evolved for just this type of landscape with short wings for maneuvering through branches.

Above is a ‘progress’ photo I took in the studio, showing the evolution of this painting. It stayed fairly true to my ideas all the way through. And below are two reference photos. These were taken by Olympic National Park research crews high in the canopy at the Quainault forest. I used these for the big 500 sq ft mural installed at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center and they are the best photos I’ve ever seen of this unseen canopy world, hundreds of feet above hikers on the ground below. It reminds me of an organic messy grocery store.

Other paintings currently available can be found here on this page of my website. I’d be happy to answer any questions about any of them. No gallery is involved.

Thanks for reading this week. You can sign up for emails for these posts on my website at larryeifert.com.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

And Instagram is here.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings.

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Little Oil Paintings – Vol 2

This second round of little oil studies are mostly sold, but the top few are still available. Drop me an email at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested. This probably won’t be a Christmas gift unless you live on the Olympic Peninsula.

They’re either linen canvas board or stretched canvas, mostly 5×7, framed outside measurements are 7″ x 9″. Shipping isn’t much as they’re small paintings. Email me if you’d like: larryeifert@gmail.com

Nuthatch Nest Hole sorry, it’s sold.
Song Sparrow portrait study. sorry, it’s sold.
Red-breasted Nuthatch sorry, it’s sold. Oil on canvas board.
Olympic National Park alpine meadows SORRY, IT’S SOLD
Brown Creeper portrait study: sold to Heidi Brill – excellent!
Chestnut backed Chickadee – Sorry, it’s sold.
Oregon Junco on yellow willow leaves. Sorry, it’s sold.
11″ x 14″ Song Sparrow in winter twigs. Sorry, it’s sold.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Nature Art, New Painting Post, Wildlife

Little Oil Paintings – Volume 1

After a very long time, I recently circled back around to painting with oils. Here are some that are currently available. I started with this medium a half a century ago, and I just thought it was time to get back to it. There’s a color glow with oils that acrylic can’t get, at least I don’t think so.

I’m still making paintings in acrylic and watercolor, still have a bunch of new projects scheduled for parks (Hawaii Volcanoes right now). But these little 5″ x 7″ paintings (that’s the canvas size) are using various fluid mediums as I’m trying to find my footing with this. For some, I used linseed oil, some with odorless turpentine or a mix of both, some with an addition of either cobalt drier or Liquin (a dryer). All are now far enough along to offer them here in a series of blog posts.

This one is a black-capped chickadee on a lichen-covered branch. SORRY, IT’S SOLD.
Barn swallow in flight, as I worked out painting wet on wet.
Golden-crowned kinglet from our little forest here, taking a winter nap in the leafless branches of a willow. SORRY, IT’S SOLD.

These are small enough to ship inexpensively, so we’re offering them for $95 framed – plus a bit of USPS postage. Email me at larryeifert@gmail.com if you’re interested. Or if you’d like to see some of the others.

It’s been a few months since I posted my recent paintings here. Some of my subscribers have written asking what’s happened, but it hasn’t been for lack of work to show – I’ve been busy. In fact, it’s been on of the busiest years in decades for both of us. I’ve decided that’s really no good excuse, so expect to see more soon.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Interpretive Art, Nature Art, New Painting Post, Waysides, Wildlife

MacKay Landing – Lopez Island

This is one of three paintings for MacKaye Landing on Lopez Island – in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. It’s another restoration project to enhance altered shorelines and make them healthier for forage fish, salmon’s main food source. I THINK, these three a total of 38 waysides in the San Juan Islands, a place I called a summer home in the 1980’s, so they all have good meaning for me.

They were commissioned by the County, another project like the Orcas Landing panels a few years ago. Katie and Frankie wrangled me into submission (in good ways) to produce these. I’ll show the others in the next post.

This photo below is from the boat ramp area where the panels will go, a peaceful and beautiful place, Canada’s Vancouver Island in the far distance, the Cattle Point Lighthouse just peeking out – where I have two murals (one is the 37′ Indian wall). This is a prime launch for kayakers and fishermen aiming for the archipelago of islands near Cattle Pass. A truly beautiful place.

As I was deciding what this habitat panel would look like, I happened to view a YouTube video of two Canadians doing a kayak trip here, with lots of underwater photography showing the amazing variety of aquatic life along these south-facing rocks, which I love to paint – so it was easy to focus on that. Below is the concept sketch I made just after watching that video.

I anchored here several times in the 1980’s, and as I remember, it was a rolling anchorage with swells coming in at 90 degrees from the boat’s angle – not good for sleeping. And here I am, back with some art that will live here for decades – and be seen long after I’m gone – my favorite public art. For me, it’s a small world in hopefully a long life of art – and I’m just trying to remain relevant while I’m still here.

Thanks for reading this week. You can sign up for emails for these posts on my website at larryeifert.com.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

And Instagram is here.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings.

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Interpretive Art, New Painting Post, Washington State Parks, Waysides, Wildlife

Hoypus Landing Wayside Panels

Recently finished some new art for wayside panels at Deception Pass State Park here in Washington State. I’ve lost count of the number of installations I have at this park, a dozen maybe, with a couple even having been washed out to sea in a storm last year.

These three are for a salmon habitat restoration project, which I’ve sure been painting a lot of recently. Washington is betting big on salmon restoration, spending billions (yes) removing road culverts, rock walls on the beaches, fixing it so young salmon and forage fish can have places to live. I seem to be THE guy for interpreting this, and have made dozens in the past few years. Here are three.

So, this place was once a ferry landing. It didn’t last long before the state built the nearby bridge, but in the process, the ferry landing really messed up the beach, making it difficult for fish to feel at home. So, fast forward a century, and Northwest Straits Foundation managed the removal of the mess, putting it back to as natural as possible. It was my job to show this.

This panel went to a similar messed-up beach just to the north of Hoypus Point, same reasons, same fish, but along a neighborhood of houses.

Here’s the result at Hoypus, the ferry landing road is now a trail, the beach put back to gravel and forest duff. The only man-made installation here now is going to be my panels.

Thanks to Lisa Kaufman from Northwest Straits Foundation (on the right of Nancy), and Joy Sullivan at the state park, for allowing me to paint yet more forage fish and my other favorite critters.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.

Hiking, National Park Service, New Painting Post, Wildlife

North Fork Nooksack River – a new painting

This painting is 16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas, and is available. Email me if you’re interested at larryeifert@gmail.com.  It’s also available with the nice Taos school inspired frame (like you see here) and I already have a shipping crate ready to go. The offering price framed as you see it here is $950 – shipping cost is extra but it will go double boxed UPS.

The Nooksack River, just south of the Canadian border in Washington State. It’s one of our favorite Northwest rivers because it drains water from two of the greatest Pacific Northwest peaks, Mt Baker and Mount Shucksan. North Cascades National Park: big mountains, big glacial power, and the river valley shows that with miles of beautifully sculptured river rock. I’ve painted this area before, but pulled this painting together after I found an unfinished canvas just waiting for me. For some reason, I started this then it just sat there. I especially liked the way the foreground goes blue at the bottom, showing the sky overhead, the water tinted with glacier flour that always makes these river more aquamarine than cobalt.

Someone already asked me about the ducks in the painting, a pair of common mergansers, male has the green head. In the Northwest, these guys spend winters out in salt water. Then in spring, mated pairs head back up rivers to nest in tree cavities beside their grocery stores – the rivers. Their routine is to float leisurely downstream from pool to pool, diving for fish, sometimes resting on a rock in midstream. Then they fly back upstream and start the routine all over again.

This, believe it or not, this was my model for the painting. I like to take an idea and just make it up into a painting that’s far beyond what I originally saw. Let’s see, bigger rocks, add the birds, make the thing glow with Hudson River School late afternoon light.

Again: This painting is 16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas, and is available. Email me if you’re interested at larryeifert@gmail.com.  It’s also available with the nice Taos school inspired frame and I already have a shipping crate ready to go. The offering price framed as you see it here is $950 – shipping cost is extra but it will go double boxed UPS.

Thanks for reading this week.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s my Facebook fan page. I post lots of other stuff there.

Click here to go to our main website – with jigsaw puzzles, prints, interpretive portfolios and lots of other stuff.

Nancy’s web portfolio of stunning photography and paintings

And here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website.