"Winter Wonderland" (oil on stretched canvas; 24" x 30")

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I have been working on this painting for a few months.  It was initially a plain snowscape.  It was boring, so I decided to have fun by turning it into a zoological painting by adding the kinds of animals that are likely to appear in a suburban park.

After a light snowfall, the sun is out. So are the animals in the neighborhood. I see a white dog and her bouncy puppy, a red fox watching them, a stag and a young deer, a white rabbit and a brown one which must have spotted the fox, a robin and a great horned owl. I could have gone crazy by adding a coyote, more birds and dogs and deer, but my husband said there were already enough animals. Ha! 

"Doe and Fawn" (oil on linen; 8" x 10")

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A doe and her fawn in an enchanted forest. It is a dreamy, surrealistic painting!

"Twilight Snowfall" (oil on linen; 8" x 10")

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Snow falls gently in the country at twilight.  All is silent.  All is beautiful.

"Fawn in Dappled Light" (oil on linen; 6" x 8") sold

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Reference photo

It was Wednesday morning at breakfast table.  I was still tired, recovering from the rigors of the workshop last weekend.  I saw the fawn above in my backyard.  Through the kitchen window, I took some pictures, wondering where the mother was. There she was, partially hidden under a tree. 

The thing about deer is that they are rats on hooves.  If you are a gardener, you will know what I mean.  They act as if they own the neighborhood, treat our precious flowers as a salad bar.  Without natural predators, they are wreaking havoc in the eco system in many parts of the country. 

But look at the fawn.  How cute!  Despite my feelings about the species, I was genuinely concerned when I couldn't see its mommy.  If deer look like hyenas, I am sure the public will be up in arms.  We often equate beauty with goodness and ugliness with evil.  Things to ponder about.