This is a follow-up to my earlier post, obviously.  It will be the last in this series but I wanted to illustrate how effective blogging can be and why I prefer it to social media, i.e., Twitter and Facebook, and online "artist registries," etc.  I might write more on the subject of blogging itself at a later date.  I know some have questioned whether it can really work or not.  I say it can and I'll use an experience I had several years ago to explain why I feel this way.

 

I recently visited the Fine Art America website.  Their tagline perfectly illustrates why I choose not to be there...

 

No, that's not the Chicago Cubs but real Maine Black Bear cubs...LIVE online!

 

Lugnut

 

I caught this on the news yesterday and thought I'd share it.  You can watch streaming LIVE video of a Maine black bear and her cubs.  "Lugnut" gave birth to two cubs on January 16 and the Wildlife Reasearch Foundation has set up a live streaming video camera in the den.  You can watch it on the center's website:   http://www.wildliferesearchfoundation.org/ 

 

From MPBN:  "Maine officials and a wildlife group have teamed up to install the state's first "bear cam" in a black bear den. The camera streams video 24 hours a day of the bear, Lugnut, who gave birth to two cubs on Jan. 16. 

 

Lugnut is one of several black bears in Maine equipped with radio collars, which enable state wildlife biologists to keep track of them. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife teamed up with the newly-formed Wildlife Research Foundation to install the camera in Lugnut's den."

 

More from WCSH TV in Portland.

 

Now, I wonder if "Lugnut" will complain about someone 'throwing a wrench in the works'?  Pull down that shade!

I'm going to resume online auctions of small paintings Monday, February 6.  Read the Auction Rules and Guidelines for more information. 

 

I'm not sure how often I'll post new paintings...weeklies were once an idea.  I'll post them as they come but each will stay up for bid for one week.   And as before, any work that doesn't sell via auction will be removed from the site.  Sizes and subject will vary according to my mood.  You can see samples of earlier auction paintings here. 

"The Stephen Taber Passing The Rockland Breakwater"

24"x36" oil on canvas © 2011 Brian Kliewer

 

It is a small world, and the Internet makes it even smaller.  I was recently contacted by a mutual fan of the schooner Stephen Taber after he saw my painting online.  I liked his comment...

 

"I enjoyed seeing your charming painting of the Taber passing the Rockland Breakwater light....she shows best with a bone in her teeth rather than pushing along with the yawl boat in little or no breeze, however it doesn't always blow a gale." 

 

No, it doesn't...and I probably wouldn't have been on the breakwater if it had been.  But I agree that a strong wind would have given a stunning view.  However, I love the golden backlit view of the sails in the sunlight here and for me, this worked fine.  The Taber's elegant lines are prominently on display here and that was the most important thing.  I think it's a beautiful ship.  Perhaps future paintings will have more "action" but this day on the breakwater was a very calm, pretty kind of day and I didn't want to change anything. 

 

This reminds me of a walk I took out to the lighthouse once.  It was a fine morning, though kind of chilly.  The breakwater is nearly a mile long and you really don't want to be on it in any kind of "bad" weather.

 

 

When I got out to the lighthouse I decided to take  a break and sat down for a few minutes.  I was on the sheltered side of the lighthouse.  When I got up and looked back toward the shore, the wind had picked up and waves were crashing over the top.  I still had that long walk back to take!  It wasn't quite as bad as it looked but I was dodging spray most of the time.  When I'd see a particularly large wave coming I'd try to time my steps to miss the worst of it.  I got back fine, just a little wet and with nerves mostly intact.

 

 

The building you see in the distance is the Samoset Resort.

 

 

 

It is kind of a long walk.  About halfway out you'll see this granite slab (middle of photo) that spans the breakwater from one side to the other. It's the only piece of granite on the entire breakwater that stretches across its width and it's easy to walk right past without even noticing it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love walking out to the lighthouse.  You can see so much you'd otherwise miss onshore.  It's almost like being aboard a boat without actually being "on the water."

When I was younger, I took up birdwatching as a hobby.  I bought Roger Tory Peterson's "Field Guide To The Birds," a spotting scope, binoculars,  and even a fishing vest so that I could carry my gear around.  We had a bird feeder in the tree in the front yard and had plenty of visitors.  I remember seeing a Dicksissel after one particularly fierce storm.  This was a stray from the midwest, only rarely seen around here.  And I remember one time seeing a Bluejay sit perfectly still for an entire half hour....completely motionless.  Then I saw the reason...

 

A hawk had discovered our "small bird sanctuary" and decided to have a meal.  I never got a good look at it to determine what kind of hawk it was but it caught one of our English Sparrows (no great loss among "birders") and made a quick lunch of it.  After it was finished and flew off, I went outside and found some feathers, the feet and what was left of the bird's skull.

 

Anyway, this year I decided that I wanted to get back to my hobby and possibly do some small paintings of the birds that come to my new feeder.  So I set it up out back... but this has been one quiet winter!  All I've seen after nearly a month are a few Chickadees, a Red Squirrel and the neighbor's cat.  

 

 

I placed the feeder in what I would call a "good" spot.  It's only about 10 feet away from a nearby Maple Tree and hovers about 3 feet above some evergreen shrubs.  Quick and easy "cover" if the birds do decide to show up.

 

 

 

 

 

Other than the Chickadees, there have been no birds to speak of in the trees here.  It would upset me more if they were here and just not visiting my feeder but they aren't.  This "open winter" seems to be the culprit.  There's been very little snow so far.  My biggest concern when I bought the feeder was my neighbor's cat.  But just like the birds, he hasn't been around much either.  The squirrel is new to the feeder and I've only seen him once or twice.   If he's reaching it, there are no signs of it other than his sitting atop the post.  My supply of black oil sunflower seeds doesn't seem to be diminsihing at all.