Little Watercolors. Springtime!

April 29, 2025 Natalie Wargin

I like watercolors and I haven’t done any for quite a while so here are two little paintings. One dark, one bright. I don’t grow poppies because my garden is very shaded and poppies need sun, as you probably know. They are interesting and showy and I’ve paired them with the least showy birds. Sparrows. I’ve heard disparaging remarks about sparrows so I always try to take their side. They are tough little birds that stick around all year and if you live in a northern climate like I do that’s saying something. The wild roses and honeysuckle in the second painting are flowers that I do grow. The little brown wood frog was a recent discovery. I’d never seen one before this year. A bit like the sparrows he is simply brown and unassuming. I liked this fellow immediately.

“Sparrows and Poppies”
Watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press Paper
6 x 6 inches
$275

”Wood Frog”
Watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press Paper
6 x 6 inches
$275

These paintings are available in my shop where I’m running a sale.
20% off any purchase from today through May 2.
You can find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4296893568/original-watercolor-painting-sparrows?ref=shop_home_active_2&logging_key=29a50e8cc240af728eee5fd889414710beb378e5%3A4296893568

Thanks for taking the time to take a look!

A small painting of my dog

March 18, 2025 Natalie Wargin

Tilly is a steady dog. loud sudden noises don’t bother her. The thunder of this electrical storm distracts her though which is too bad because she would have loved to go after that chipmunk. Lucky for the chipmunk. Tilly is very fast as I’ve mentioned several times. The rain comes down hard, the wind blows the catalpa’s leaves and scatters its blossoms. The birds are agitated. One chipmunk heads for cover while another sleeping below dreams on. I see the lightening. I’ll have to call the dog into the house in a minute.

“Dog#2”
Acrylic on claybord
6 x 6 inches
SOLD

I don’t do many of these small pieces but they’re fun for a change. Not nearly as time consuming as my 18 x 24 inch paintings so the feeling of accomplishment comes fairly quickly. It’s also a nice challenge to see how much detail I can pack into a small space. Prints of this image are available in my shop. Find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1888277519/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?ref=shop_home_active_1&logging_key=36b617c5ba07b83bca21d876e815eb424c365ec8%3A1888277519

Thanks for taking a look!

New work. More Wild Turkeys.

February 14, 2025 Natalie Wargin

A few months ago in autumn Tilly and I had the pleasure of watching the wild turkeys dance. Nearly every evening for a time they flew over the fence into the yard, walked and pecked and fooled around, then flew up into the trees and out of the yard. It was a show we looked forward to and we’d race from window to window to see all of the action as the birds circled the house.

I wish I knew more about what makes wild things do the things they do. It didn’t seem as though the birds were settling some dispute, no feathers flew. They flapped and surged upward then came back to earth, all in a fairly tight group. Happy hour? If you’ve seen wild turkeys you know that they’re not small birds. They are impressive. This evening’s display was a pleasure to behold even if we hadn’t a clue about what was really happening.

Here they are cavorting in the side yard. Wild roses, lilac, cyclamen, hydrangeas all around. Looks like the grass needs cutting. The swamp is busy too with all the little turtles. Other birds watch as the sky turns to evening with moon and stars. There’s a bluebird sleeping above the porch and a nest over the garage door. Babies soon. A small frog plays it safe. You can see Tilly in the window. My mother’s quilt is on the wall behind her.

“Wild Turkeys”
Acrylic on claybord
18 x 24 inches
If you’re interested in this painting please contact me.

I will be running a special sale on all greeting cards and note cards in my shop.
30% off all cards and notes.
Sale runs from today through Sunday.
After Sunday I will no longer be selling any cards.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

Thanks for reading along!

A New Wild Turkey. A Pencil Drawing.

December 5, 2024 Natalie Wargin

I want to get back to painting but the Roxbury show tired me out some. I decided to do this pencil drawing to get back into the swing of things, pencil drawings being less demanding than the detailed acrylic paintings. Here’s where I landed.

The wild turkeys have been very wild this fall. The antics they get up to in my yard are noisy and crazy and Tilly and I race from front window to screen porch to watch them as they pass through. There’s a group of eleven that appears most evenings around six, just as we’re sitting down to dinner making my table manners less than appropriate. I just can’t help myself. Neither can Tilly. The birds talk and pick at each other, feathers flying here and there, launching themselves over our stone wall and back again.

This is one of them. A beautiful female, looking like a dancer. They are the most fabulous creatures.

“Wild Turkey”
9 x 12 inches
Prismacolor pencil on black Fabriano drawing paper
$200.00

This piece is available in my shop where I’m also running a sale.
20% off any purchase, including this drawing, today through Saturday, December 7.
Here’s a link to this drawing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1822543532/original-colored-pencil-drawing-wild?click_key=4603d584729f8a48b3dd77b8620dad71119edecc%3A1822543532&click_sum=e4516f47&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

Thank you, as always for your interest in my work.
I wish all of you the happiest of holidays!

New! A Wild Stampede!

August 15, 2024 Natalie Wargin

Tilly and I were on our way home from a walk at High Falls. You can see the falls in the upper right. I had just turned the corner at the food co-op to come on to our road when I saw some deer about to cross right in front of us. They were running hard. I slammed the breaks and was treated to a rare sight. Nearly twenty deer stampeding. I had never seen so many all together. They passed the red barns and the pretty houses and continued across the grassy field. Why, I wondered? Where were they headed? Did something frighten them? Were they simply having fun? I think if I had gotten out of my car I would have felt the earth shake.

Naturally I have embellished a bit. I don’t know who that woman is but she has my dog. And she’d better hang on. The black birds are startled. The smaller creatures at the bottom are running opposite to the deer. Smart. The white cat seems to have been rudely awakened. And the appearance of the gardener surprised me. Early on I tried to get rid of him but he started to remind me of my father, an avid gardener himself, so he stays.

This painting will be part of my Roxbury exhibit in November.
If you’re interested in purchasing this piece before the exhibit please let me know in the comments below or send an email from the contact page.

“Seventeen Deer”
16 x 20 inches
Acrylic on claybord

Prints of this image are available in my Etsy shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1748185640/art-print-of-original-painting-seventeen?click_key=c96439a265502fb287f77a402fc30219d7c312c9%3A1748185640&click_sum=3e5f4249&ref=shop_home_active_1
My shop is running a sale from August 15 through Sunday, August 18.
20% off any purchase.

Thanks so much for your kind attention.

Midnight. A New Painting.

July 18, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This painting was a challenge. It was a commission, a continuation of a story I began in an earlier piece about the tomato plant that fairly took over my front yard. Maybe you remember it with the lovely girl in her front garden picking a basket full of ripe tomatoes. The assignment here was to place our tomato girl in her garden again but this time at night. I don’t have a lot of experience painting night scenes. This is where I landed.

It’s a mild full moon night, the lady of the house sits on the bench in her side yard holding her squirming cat. There’s no doubt about her green thumb. The wild tomato plant in the front yard was no fluke. In fact you can see it at the edges of the scene trying to find a place here too. The air is perfumed with roses, peonies, dogwoods, tulips, trout lilies, daffodils, and those little seedy things. There’s scarcely room for anything else, the gardening style here being one of wild abandon. The little stream adds soft background music while birds and animals rest. The house is welcoming, warm light from the open window.

This is only the third commission I’ve taken. The first one was a success all around, the second was a nightmare which made me hesitant to take this “Midnight” assignment. But the patron was happy to review a sketch and then let me run with it. I was grateful for that and we are both pleased with the result.

“Midnight”
24 x 18 inches
Acrylic on claybord

Prints of this image are available in my Etsy shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1732756934/midnight-garden-art-print-of-original?click_key=88a21fe8b96e6e20b8bd45200102a90f8b7ee42c%3A1732756934&click_sum=70cc18d9&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thanks, as always, for taking a look!

Portrait of a House - Sunnyside

June 6, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This is Sunnyside, viewed from behind the house. It was Washington Irving’s home, one of many impressive old mansions here along the Hudson, retreats for the well heeled wanting to escape New York City in the off season. I particularly like this building. Unlike many of the other grand estates built in the mid 1800s, this one seems less stuffy, almost as though it escaped from a fairytale. I might like to live here although it is large and then I'd need staff and how would I manage that? Anyway. Here’s a glimpse of the old pile with the garden in full bloom. Pink trees, red trees, wild roses, spiderwort, daffodils. Evergreens off in the distance, the sound and smell of the river too. Birds and animals are comfortably passing the night beneath the silver slipper of a moon, no dreams of headless horsemen disturbing them.

This painting will be part of my exhibit at the Roxbury Arts Center in November.
If you’re interested in purchasing it before the show please let me know in the comments below.

Sunnyside
12 x 12 inches
Acrylic on claybord
Framed - narrow Maple floater frame
$650

Prints of this image are available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1728131777/art-print-of-original-acrylic-portrait?click_key=e4b777a5f271b320612583d09fe4ae15b2f6e4b8%3A1728131777&click_sum=a0105ff1&ref=shop_home_active_1

From today, June 6 through June 9, get 20% off any Etsy purchase.
Thanks for following along!

New work! Portrait 4 - Barred Owl

May 9, 2024 Natalie Wargin

One morning, a while back, I was walking peacefully on the trail with Maggie, my faithful companion at that time. There were wild roses and a barn and a tree with a swing. We were minding our own business, looking and sniffing, when a barred owl dove down right smack in front of us, inches away, grabbed a chipmunk, and darted off. We stopped short, shocked and dumbfounded to say the least. Did we really see that? Maggie looked at me, I looked at her and nervously shook my head. Even the wild turkey was upset. What can you say? What can you do? We continued on our way but it was a different kind of walk after that.

Since then I have seen a number of things like this, one animal preying on another. This is the way of it and while I don’t enjoy seeing it I have to accept it. I also know that it’s not my business to interfere.

Here is a small depiction of that event. Perhaps you remember that I painted this story several years ago in a much larger piece. I’ll never forget it. I wish you’d seen it too.

“Portrait 4 - Barred Owl”
6 x 6 inches
Acrylic on claybord
Framed and wired
$400

I’m offering free domestic shipping on any order from May 9 through May 12.

This painting is available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1712634544/original-acrylic-painting-barred-owl?click_key=882a9f8517b80ecc53dd4fe47815dcc479bf4a45%3A1712634544&click_sum=0b5f0c79&ref=shop_home_active_1

Prints of this image are available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1726807481/art-print-portrait-barred-owl-chipmunk?click_key=afe08e645f7ee8dcd69be29fae7e9f1da6c6583f%3A1726807481&click_sum=09050b09&ref=shop_home_active_2

Thank you for reading along!

A Story of Three Bears - A New Painting

March 20, 2024 Natalie Wargin

Tilly and I are in the garden when we hear some loud rustling in the woods right behind the house. Usually rustling means chipmunks or squirrels which are really nothing special but this was extra loud rustling. We had to take a look. We see black bears from time to time and know to stay calm and still when we do. Fortunately Tilly was on her leash just in case. Here were three adolescents, romping while in a line, heading north towards Kingston. They move beside the swamp which is beautiful as always. The recently built beaver dam is masterful. There are birds, turtles, a squirrel, and a red eft. Bumble bees hum in the hydrangeas. There’s a fisher too, giving me a shiver. I figure the mother bear is up ahead somewhere, keeping an eye but letting go a bit. Her babies are nearly grown.

“Three Bears”
Acrylic on claybord panel
18 x 24 inches
This piece will be exhibited in November at the Roxbury Arts Center.
It is spoken for.
Prints are available. See below.

My Etsy shop is open again and I’m running a sale. 20% off any purchase from March 20 through Sunday March 24.
You can find prints of the “Three Bears” here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1684296836/art-print-of-original-painting-three?click_key=3cb2c1fa6eb0c01f12ac0b7261e760259e9ab84c%3A1684296836&click_sum=0a13be6a&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thank you for taking a look at what I’ve been up to!

Small Portrait #3 - Wild Turkey

February 29, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This is the third piece in my series of portraits, a second wild turkey. Turns out I’m enjoying these small paintings. And you know I love wild turkeys.

Here’s a quiet country road on a moonlit night. She passes the barn then stops and turns her head, wary, careful. There are other turkeys nearby but she’s heard a strange sound, maybe unfriendly, that stops her short. We see her here, her head catching the light, feathers glowing. She’ll be moving on shortly.

“Portrait #3 - Wild Turkey”
6 x 6 inches
Acrylic on claybord
$450.00

If you’re interested in this small painting please leave a note below in comments.
My Etsy shop is still closed but will be reopening soon in March

Thanks for taking a look!

Another Small Portrait

January 30, 2024 Natalie Wargin

Usually I work on paintings that are considerably larger than this, 24 x 18 inches is a favorite size. But I enjoyed doing the little Wild Turkey Portrait that you saw last month so I thought I’d try another. Here is Portrait 2: Porcupine. These portraits may become a series.

I don’t often see porcupines near where I live and I’m grateful for that because if I’m walking outside I’m nearly always with Tilly. She is a mad hunter and I would fear the outcome of a porcupine encounter. I’m certain it would be bad. However I have seen and photographed porcupines and I like painting them. Here is one in an autumn setting, beneath the surrounding plants that are going to seed, turning rust colored and orange. Two little frogs observe. A pale bird seems to have something to say.

Portrait 2: Porcupine
Acrylic on claybord
6 x 6 inches
$450

My Etsy shop is on vacation until March but if you’re interested in this piece you can let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for taking the time to take a look. As always, it’s much appreciated.

Two Turkeys Crossing The Road, New Work

October 26, 2023 Natalie Wargin

This usually happens. Tilly and I are out for our three o’clock walk, we turn down Coxing Road and there they are, a line of turkeys crossing east to west. These days there are twenty one in this flock. We stop at a respectful distance to admire and let them pass and fortunately they move slowly, with only a slight flutter here and there, so Tilly is not inspired to chase them. I hang on to the leash just in case. On this particular day I focus on a pair who are caught in a shower of falling blossoms while they pass a garden in bloom. Hollyhocks and blue flowers. A few little houses too. Do I know the people who live in the house with the inviting red chairs? Up in the air are a pair of brilliant cardinals.

“3 O’Clock”
12 x 16 inches
Acrylic on claybord panel
$800.00

This painting is available in my Etsy shop. Find the listing here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1578746348/original-acrylic-painting-of-two-wild?click_key=3e47223ca9dfeab484037b287d1874557f55f59a%3A1578746348&click_sum=bb1d62a3&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

Prints of this image are available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1579252004/art-print-original-watercolor-two-wild?click_key=89067dafdb51eacc5ce805875e2c0153cafc1e93%3A1579252004&click_sum=fcfec72e&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

I’m running a little sale for the next three days: 20% off any purchase from my Etsy shop.
Thank you for taking a look! I always appreciate it.

Hello! I'm back with a new drawing.

September 17, 2023 Natalie Wargin

Please forgive my absence. It’s been a ridiculous summer with a carpenter ant infestation, a bedroom ceiling that collapsed due to a water leak, and a porch repair that needed doing twice. Don’t ask. I hope your summer has been more fun than mine.

Although my own work has progressed slowly I did manage to complete this drawing which I donated to the Paper Unframed online auction benefitting the Woodstock Artists Association Museum. The auction is running now through September 24. There’s also a timed auction Sunday the 24th at 2:00pm. All contemporary work in the auction, like this drawing, starts at $100 and historic work starts at $240 with proceeds benefitting the museum and its educational programs. If you’d like to take a look here’s a link:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/298857_paper-unframed-benefit-art-auction/

Dogwood and Deer
10 x 9 inches
Prismacolor pencil on black Fabriano Drawing Paper

This is a small colored pencil drawing. The doe and fawn appear beneath some pale pink flowering dogwood, grasses underfoot, busy spider above. If you were to visit me in the spring I would show you just where this little scene occurred. It’s right up the road in a spot that the rabbits like too.

I have prints of this drawing in my Etsy shop. Etsy is offering $5 off any purchase of $25 or more through today, Sunday September 17.
You can find the prints here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1567878741/art-print-original-colored-pencil?click_key=cde756235c6f00ef444e8c39b10a162c726d54fe%3A1567878741&click_sum=3c81812b&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

Thank you for following along! It’s most appreciated.

Smoke. A new painting.

November 25, 2022 Natalie Wargin

One morning, very shortly after I moved to the Hudson Valley, I looked out a second floor window and saw a flock of wild turkeys. I was entranced and delighted, as I still always am when I see turkeys, but there was something odd about this group. One of the birds was practically white. Knowing absolutely nothing about the wildlife in these parts I guessed that perhaps this group had welcomed a white hen or some sort of duck. Nope.

I came to find out that the light gray, practically white bird, was a smoke phase turkey. Not a true albino it retains some of the natural coloring of a wild turkey but its feathers are primarily a soft gray. I painted a watercolor version of this flock. It was one of my very first paintings. I positioned the birds in front of one of my favorite barns, the one with the gray and oxblood paint. This is a reconsidering of that early painting and a retelling of what I saw way back then.

Here is the flock on a glorious autumn day traveling through a field. The grasses are fading to parchment, as are the ferns. The buttonbush has turned red. Trees and bushes are wildly colored. Woodsmoke from the chimneys fills the air with that lovely smell. The sky is moody. There may be a hint of snow in the air. The turkeys are restless, the smoke phase stops to groom herself. A little frog observes.

“Smoke”
Acrylic on birch panel
20 x 16 inches
$1600

This painting is available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1340474200/original-acrylic-painting-of-wild?click_key=c0562f837032618839743f4c8e7db56a09ebc416%3A1340474200&click_sum=d431ec44&ref=shop_home_active_1

Prints of this image are available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1354447555/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?click_key=0dbd2844f029a3e56c9717ccd08849c9394aaf0f%3A1354447555&click_sum=a537c3b0&ref=shop_home_active_1

Everything in my shop is 20% off through Tuesday, November 29. No code needed.
Get things while you can because my shop will be closing indefinitely on Wednesday, November 30.

Thank you for following along. Thank you for your interest in my work.
I wish you all the very best of holidays!

One Box Turtle, Coming Right Up

June 23, 2022 Natalie Wargin

This painting was a commission, a birthday gift for a man who has a soft spot for turtles. I saw this particular box turtle in my driveway and thought I'd paint her instead of one of the snappers that I usually see. Box turtles are especially beautiful and a little showy with bright orange markings. Unlike other wild creatures that I encounter turtles don't mind inspection or a nosey photographer getting close. That's my little house in the upper corner and the woods beyond. It's windy and the trees are getting tossed. And because they are blooming now I've added wild roses and hydrangeas. If you look very carefully you can see that the spiders have been busy too.

I’ve reopened my Etsy shop with a 20% off sale on any purchase through Sunday the 26th.
You can find prints of this turtle painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1239661358/art-print-of-original-acrylic-painting?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=natalie+wargin&ref=sr_gallery-1-3

NOTE: For those of you who follow me on Instagram I have a new account.
You can follow me here to see me working on new things:
@nataliewargin2.0

And as always, thank you for taking a look at my work.

Eleven pieces and a pre-show sale

May 13, 2022 Natalie Wargin

This is the final piece for my show at the Woodstock Artists Museum and my third Peaceable Kingdom. You may have heard my sigh of relief when I finished it. Below are all the pieces I will display along with details and prices. If you want to buy a painting before the show let me know. Any work purchased before May 20 will be discounted by 15%.

Peaceable Kingdom #3 - All Around Us
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

There are 32 creatures here, all sharing the woodland, existing nicely, just as it really is. The birds are busy, bluebirds and sparrows and owl and woodpecker. The black bear dozes while a pair of squirrels chatter, the turtle looks surprised by the snow, the fisher heads for her underground shelter, the coyote is almost invisible. The dancing horse feels the excitement of the cold. There’s a little fox next to the stone wall where a chipmunk sleeps and a crow complains as crows do. Deer rest, so does a cow. A raccoon gets cozy, and turkeys, geese, and a single pheasant scatter. In front of the house, where welcoming lights shine, a bunny rests. There’s a goat there too. A woman, who might be me, walks the snowy lane, watching the dog who is certainly my Tilly.

Tomato Garden
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Porcupines At Mohonk
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
SOLD

The Letter
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Red Fox And Barn
Acrylic gouache on birch board, 18 x 12 inches
SOLD

Foxes At High Falls
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Maggie And The Goose
Acrylic on birch board, 24 x 18 inches
SOLD

Donkeys And Pears
Acrylic on birch board, 20 x 16 inches
$2000

Memento Mori
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper, 28 x 18 inches, framed
$650

Meteor Shower And Bouquet
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper, 22 x 18 inches, framed
SOLD

The Fight
Acrylic on birch board, 18 x 24 inches, framed
$2200

A Firefly Metaphor. A New Painting.

December 4, 2020 Natalie Wargin

Yes, I know. The Fourth of July isn’t on anyone’s mind right now. But this is a timely painting although I didn’t realize it until I was almost finished. Let me explain.

I set out to do a night time painting of Circle Avenue, a little neighborhood near my house that’s strung along a semi-circular road. You may have seen that I’ve painted this street before. I’m drawn to the neighborly feeling I get whenever I drive through. I also wanted to do another night scene.

While painting the trees I kept remembering all the fireflies that I see each summer lighting up the forest behind my house. The tall dark trees and all the tiny insect lights. On and off. It’s magical. I don’t need to tell you. So in the end I decided to add some fireflies. And a thought occurred to me. Here was some light in a dark landscape. Something I suppose, in a way, we’re all waiting for. I do not paint political statements or protest pieces. I believe that the beauty all around us will save us. Perhaps it’s my protest not to paint a protest. But I think I did paint a metaphor.

”July Fourth”
Acrylic on panel, 16 x 20 inches.
$1500.00
This painting along with prints of this image are available in my shop.

You can find the painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/915868367/fireflies-on-july-fourth-original?ref=shop_home_active_2

You can find prints of this image here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/901940178/fireflies-on-july-fourth-art-print-of?ref=shop_home_active_1

I will be running a brief sale from December 4 through December 6.
20% off any purchase.

I wish you all the very happiest of holidays, whatever they may be.
Thank you for your interest in my work. It means the world.

Hello! The shop’s open with new work!

March 19, 2020 Natalie Wargin

Hello again! Little did I realize when I was working on this bright piece that a splash of bold color might be just what we all need. Especially this spring. I hope you’re all taking care and keeping well.

You may remember that last year I put in a peony hedge. Surprisingly it was kind of a success. I cut some blooms, red ones and white ones, and took some photos to work from. Here I've featured only the red and deep pink flowers in a bouquet, and I will admit that in this painting I got a little carried away with red. I thought for a minute that I'd use up all of my red paint. I really worried a little. In the upper corner I opened a window for some relief and there was a pink house with an impatient woman in the window watching a very happy black dog. The woman might be me. I don’t recognize the dog.

“The Pink House”
12 x 16 inches, watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press.

Here’s a second piece finished just a week or so ago. The little yellow building is a Quaker chapel in the woods next to a trail. The trail, you can see it on the right, starts with a rocky section that's not difficult to negotiate unless it's rainy. Then be careful please.

The yellow chapel is sometimes used for weddings and is beautifully simple inside with benches arranged on the square, an open area in the center of them. Here are all of the woodland creatures I've grown accustomed to along with spring flowers -- day lilies, daffodils, fragrant mountain laurel.

I've added several foxes, mostly red, one gray. The grays are unusual here and after eleven years I've only seen one. Foxes are true survivors and should we finally destroy this planet of ours cockroaches and foxes will live on. Foxes are supremely adaptable. Social in a skulk or solitary they can live practically anywhere and they can eat practically anything.

“Fox Chapel”
18 x 24 inches, acrylic on board.

My Etsy shop is open again. I’ve added some new prints and some new originals and from March 19 through March 26 all prints and original work is 20% off.

You can find my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

The “Red Peony” painting is here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/770512022/original-watercolor-painting-of-red?ref=shop_home_active_4

And the “Fox Chapel” painting is here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/785439255/original-acrylic-painting-woodland?ref=shop_home_active_7

Thank you for following along!

Let's Not Fight

December 18, 2019 Natalie Wargin

I heard a story from a hunter about two does who fought over an apple. How intriguing. The deer I see, and I truly see them every day, seem so docile and calm. I’ll occasionally hear one huffing a mild protest but an actual fight? I did some research and not only can you find photos you can also see fights in action. I was shocked and inspired. Here’s the result. It’s a blue sky day in autumn, the oaks are full of bright leaves and acorns. Chattering birds and a single leaping squirrel seem surprisingly uninterested in the situation below them. A quiet red fox walks out of the tree line. In the center two bucks are in a tangle. Is it a fight? Is it a dance? Do the two does figure into this situation? I’ll let you decide.

“The Fight.”
Acrylic on panel, 24 x 18 inches.

This image is available as a print in my shop. You can find it here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/762761807/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?ref=shop_home_active_1
Receive 20% off any order from December 18 through December 20.
My shop will close on December 21. Any orders received by the 21st will be filled.

Thank you all for your continued interest in my work. I wish you the most joyful of holidays!
See you in the spring!

A New Kingdom and a Podcast

May 30, 2019 Natalie Wargin

“Peaceable Kingdom. The Animals” detail.

This piece has taken it’s sweet time coming into being. I was sidetracked by several matters that took me away from my work. But here finally is the finished painting. It features the animals that I see almost daily. That’s me on a very good day, jawline tightened, with faithful Maggie in the center beneath a surge of blackbirds. In real life I was caught beneath that surge one morning on the trail with a flock of one hundred blasting above me, nearly touching my head. It was breathtaking. Here is a calmer version. I appear to be releasing a blackbird into the spiraling flock, insinuating myself I suppose, into this impossible scenario. Blackbirds, coyote, deer, black bear, fisher, turkeys, pheasant, squirrel, skunk, fox, rabbit, chipmunk. You’ll recognize my house in the background. The question remains, why are they all on the move? I could get political and say it has something to do with the damage we’ve done to our natural world and the list of soon to be extinct species I’ve been hearing about. But I actually think those crazy birds just got everyone excited.

“Peaceable Kingdom. The Animals.”
Acrylic on board
24” x 18”
$1500.

A reader made a suggestion that I add an audio feature to this newsletter. I kind of liked the idea so here goes. I wrote several versions of a script, all of which I tossed. They sounded too stiff and in the end I decided to simply talk about what I see when I look at this painting. Although I’ve called this a podcast it technically isn’t, not yet. You won’t find it on iTunes although, if this goes well, who knows?

ETSY SALE! Get free standard shipping on any purchase from May 30 through June 3.
The painting and prints of the image are available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/693860112/peaceable-kingdom-the-animals-original?ref=listing_published_alert

https://www.etsy.com/listing/693858252/peaceable-kingdom-the-animals-art-print?ref=shop_home_active_1