Tag Archives: Wildlife

New Painting Post

Whidbey Island Prairie – Spring and Early Summer

Spring-prairie-progress

Work in progress: a new painting on it’s way. Click the image and it should enlarge in your browser.

Unveiling of an almost-finished new project today. I’ve been working on this for some time and it’s closing in on completion. Thought I’d toss it out for comments. I still have some bit to go, like adding another layer of closeup grasses and sedge, refining some of the flowers and critters – just tightening it up.

Nancy
Nancy at the prairie – pack strapped on full of camera gear for reference shots.

This is the sixth painting for the Whidbey Camano Island Land Trust and it will eventually be an outdoor wayside panel “planted” in a piece of rare natural prairie they’ve recently acquired. It’s right along the bluff in the Admiralty Inlet Natural Area Preserve – and in the background you can see Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula. So what’s the big deal here? It’s rare natural prairie, yes, but also a place with some very interesting and rare plants, like the Golden Paintbrush. And the site is only one of a handful where this beautiful plant grows. While it grows here naturally, the Land Trust is actively adding thousands of new plants or all types to jump start that’s already here. It’s a massive undertaking I’m continually impressed with – and I can’t even mow my own grass on a timely basis.

Nancy1
At the plant nursery where the Land Trust is supplementing thousands of new plants to help the prairie regain its original ecosystem. It’s a long haul that will take years.

This is the first of two of these prairie paintings. Stay tuned – I’ll send out photos of this one upon completion, and keep you in the loop for the second. It’s a very fun project for me.

Thanks for reading this week. Send this to someone who might appreciate what I’m painting and tell them to sign up. I’m trying to expand my list. An email will work.

Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post, Wildlife

Rufous Hummingbird Looking for Spiders

Rufous-Looking-Spiders

Click to enlarge in your browser.

Just a new painting that could be happening right outside my studio window, but isn’t. We have several Anna’s Hummers wintering over nowadays – enjoying our warmer winters. I often see them flying among the branches, carefully checking each bit of moss, each crook and corner, then a quick snatch-up of a hapless spider for lunch. The other hummingbird species commonly here is the Rufous, a reddish-brown job like this painting, but for some reason these tiny birds are NOT over-wintering. Instead, just like forever before, they fly off to Mexico or Costa Rica (where we all want to go this time of year). It’s obviously cheaper and safer for these little guys to stay home and dine on spiders and mites, but so far they don’t do it (so I painted one as if it did). Makes us think it’s spring already.

Rufous-Looking-Spiders-framed

This ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed. Outside edge of the frame is about 12″ x 15″.
This custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details.

Thanks for reading this week. You might send this to someone who you think would appreciate what I’m painting and tell them to sign up for my  weekly posts. I’m trying to expand my list. An email with their email to me will work too.

Thanks for reading this week, and enjoy the last of 2014.

Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web. And 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 beautiful photographs

And, Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Published Story

My Monthly Story for 48 North Magazine

ArtistsViewOct14

Click on the image to enlarge it in your browser. There might be a test later about Murres.

Dang, too much stuff to post. With all these small acrylic paintings flying about, I’ve been forgetting to post my monthly page in 48 North magazine. This one was about Common Murres, and in fall I see these birds often when I’m sailing in Port Townsend Bay, and, as usual, I simply painted and wrote about what’s happening in my life. Bear with me – it may be a couple of months old, but still some fun writing and illustrations. These pages are  pencil and acrylic illustrations – fun and fast for me, and hopefully loose and tight at the same time.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

Rufous-sided Towhee Study

Towhee-on-Leader

Sorry, it’s sold. “Rufous-sided Towhee Study” is an acrylic on board, 6″x 9″ and is offered in an 12″ x 15″ frame for $145, frame included. And we have several different frame styles.

These guys always look agitated and eccentric, so that’s what I tried to paint. 

We have multiple families of these tail-flickers here at the studio. Always a pleasure to watch, we’ve come to recognize individuals by where they sit in the afternoon sunning themselves near a favorite hiding spot. Bold and vigorous, they flick those big tails, back and forth, up and down, as if that’ll impress someone. Maybe me.

Here’s the teachable moment, at least for me. We’ve come to realize the real value of ‘backyard’ birds isn’t just the entertainment, beauty and activity they provide out our windows, but a gauge of how vibrant and healthy a place is. When we moved in here many years ago, the last guy had a dog, sprayed lots of stuff, Roundup, soil sterilizers, you name it. He offered us about 10 sprayers and claimed I’d sure need them – apple spray, cherry spray, and when I asked him if he actually got cherries he said no. Time moved on, we didn’t spray, didn’t have an outside dog – and the wildlife eventually came to us in a very big way. Countless paintings of our ‘locals’ have ‘flown’ out the studio door because of the closeup wildlife we have for models. If you read this blog, you see that fairly consistently. I’m convinced that it’s not where we live as much as how we’ve treated our land and its residents. We’re a family here, although sometimes kids can get a bit unruly (take for instance that 220 lb. buck that came through last night).

 

Towhee-on-Leader

 

Here it is again: This ORIGINAL painting, “Rufous-sided Towhee Study” is an acrylic on board, 6″x 9″ and is offered framed in an 12″ x 15″ frame (outside measurements) for $145, frame included. and shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details.

Thanks for reading this week.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

Uncategorized

Golden-crowned Kinglet – Huckleberries

 

Golden-crowned-Kinglet-and-Huckleberries

Not 20 feet out the studio window, Nancy’s blueberry leaves are showing some amazing fall bronze, green and yellow. So, then a little golden-crowned kinglet came along. This painting was just meant to be, I guess. Someone asked me how these small paintings feel to paint after miles of paint on big murals. To tell the truth, what I like is the simple fact they’re not commissions and I have to please someone other than myself. Other than that, it’s all the same, just the brush sizes are different, and maybe the fact that I use my fingers on these – and the back of my hand of the bigger stuff.

 

One of my last posts sold to a past client who bought it for her budding artist grand-daughter. I wrote a little card to go with it which gave me a chance to speak of what I actually liked about the painting, what to look for if I were her. It was fun to think about.

This one? Look at the cool feathers compared to the rest of it, but not ‘cool’ in the 60’s sense. The slight coolness of the bird should make it recede (cool colors generally recede in a painting), but they just blow out at you because the rest of it is so hot.

Golden-crnd-Kinglet-Huckleberries-framed

This ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed.

The custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Outside measurements are about 12″ x 15″ Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details.

Thanks for reading this week. Send this to someone who might appreciate what I’m painting and tell them to sign up for more posts. I’m trying to expand my list. An email  to me with their address will work.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

Nuthatch in the Wild Cherry

Nuthatch-Cherry

Right down the lane from our studio some wild cherries are in the last throws of fall color. Bronze and red, yellow and  a little remaining green – stunning colors in a sea of cedars and fir. These trees appear to  have begun their lives in the 1980’s when our forest was cleared, then stump and dirt were sold for the house. I still see the guy around town who did this, and it’s all I can do not to yell at the poor guy.

 

But that happened 30 years ago, and since these hardwood cherries only live 30 years or so, I thought I’d eulogize them a bit with this painting. When they fall from winter storms and tired roots, I get the chainsaw out and most will eventually end up in our fireplace where we enjoy them again. And, the red-breasted nuthatches searching for spiders will find another tree to check out. For me, this painting will be a reminder of a thoughtful moment in our forest when I stood down there pondering the fall leaves.

 

Nuthatch-Cherry-framedThis ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed. Outside measurements are about 12″ x 15″.

The custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print. If you’re interested, you should let me know as these smaller paintings haven’t been staying around long.
Email us for details.

Thanks for reading this week.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs. She has a new show up at Gallery Nine in Port Townsend. Stop in and see it.

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Chestnut-backed-Chickadee

Sorry, it’s sold.

I have an ongoing series with this little bird, and their buddies, the  nuthatches, kinglets and wrens. This time of year the leaves are mostly gone off the alders and maples, and for the first time in months I can see their beautiful shapes. Some of the older trees are nicely festooned with moss and lichens, making for even better drawings. The birds and branches, nice subjects for small paintings of these small birds that are currently flocking together in little gangs. They’re this summer’s families, still bonded together and working the branches for insects.

Chestnut-backed-Chickadee-framed

This ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed. Outside frame measures about 12″ x 15″. Gallery prices will be higher. The custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details if you’re interested. I’m happy to say these little paintings aren’t lasting long.

Thanks for reading this week.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs She has a new show opening this weekend in Port Townsend’s Gallery Nine.

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

Nuthatch at the Front Door

 

Nuthatch-Front-Door

A new painting: Red-breasted Nuthatch at the front door. Click to enlarge in your browser.

What to do? – I have nine new paintings awaiting posting on my blog, but already four have gone to new homes. And then there are all the other projects coming out of my studio – none of them have been posted here in months. Maybe I need to post more, but I don’t want to over-burden my faithful followers with too much of this stuff. Speaking of faithful, this painting came about from our bird feeder faithful and a recent warm sunset making our woods just glow with light.

Nuthatch-Front-Door-framed

This ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed.
The custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details.

 

And if you made it down this far, I had a very nice feature story in the Springfield Illinois newspaper last week about my past adventures. Someone once said my life reads like a Steinbeck novel. Possibly, but for the most part, it was fair and fairly well written, not too many lies or exaggerations.

Thanks for reading this week.

Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

A New Eifert Puzzle of Old-growth Forests

12764 Old-growth Puzzle

Not just the paintings, but I also do all the designs for our stuff, puzzles, posters, books – you name it – the go-fer guy. I figure if I painted the thing, I should be able to transfer some of the same ideas to the rest of it. So, after talking with a bunch of puzzlers, I worked on this new design with a better understanding of what makes an interesting and somewhat difficult jigsaw puzzle. Add to this the box with a species list, key and a bunch of stuff about ancient old-growth forests, and I think this is a winner. Lots of layers of color and texture, lots to look at, and many pieces that could go anywhere. I think it should be an entertaining and educational product – and you may learn a few things about these forests in the process.

Just in time for the approaching holidays, this week we received a giant load and our warehouse is stuffed. The details: 500-pieces, finished size is nearly 18″ x 24″, and the box is 9″ x 12″. You can order it now on our website here.

Old-growth-box-front


Email us for details.

Thanks for reading this week.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.

New Painting Post

Red-breasted Nuthatch study

Nuthatch-Alder

A new little painting today: Click and it should enlarge in your browser.

Here at home in our little forest I see these little birds enough that I’ve gotten to know them individually and as friends (which I think they are). The suet feeder gets a workout from nuthatches, chickadees, along with the woodpeckers (including a pileated or two), but painting a nuthatch on the feeder seemed, how should I say, indelicate. So, wanting to show off my little backyard bunch, I painted one with an early fall feeling, red alder seed cones, leaves fallen, that golden glow we all know won’t last.

Nuthatch-Alder-framed

This ORIGINAL painting is acrylic on board, 6″ x 9″ and $145 framed.
This custom frame has a triple liner and glass. Shipping adds just a bit more depending on your zone. This is the original painting, NOT a print.
Email us for details.

And, if you know others who might enjoy this weekly post in their inbox, just send me their email address. I’ll never give it to anyone else – I promise.

Thanks for reading this week.
Larry Eifert

Here’s the blog on the web.  And 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 beautiful photographs

And Click here to go to Virginia Eifert’s website. Her books are now becoming available as Amazon Kindle books.