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.

A new Sampler In Colored Pencil

August 5, 2022 Natalie Wargin

I decided to do another colored pencil sampler, just to get back into the swing of things after my exhibit in Woodstock. These drawings done in the style of an old fashioned sampler are relatively quick for me to execute and they’re very satisfying when completed. I’ve titled this one “Everything.”

Just above the curve of the earth are the moon and stars in the night sky and the soft clouds and sun of a new day. In the hills white tailed deer graze, odd birds fly, a rabbit runs, a horse gallops. Somebody should repair that fence. The woman waters her wildly successful garden. Just get a load of the peonies. An old dog relaxes. I’ll bet the house is cozy. The shed seems in good repair and if you choose to sit and rest for a moment you can watch the turtle in the pond under the buttonbush. There’s a black bear near the tree. I have to think about him.
This is everything.

“Sampler #4, Everything”
19 x 22 inches
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper
$400

I’m running a sale in my Etsy shop, 15% off any purchase. The sale runs from today, August 5 through Sunday, August 7.
This original piece of art is available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1278990519/original-colored-pencil-drawing-country?click_key=82736205cf8f36676c849f1f380c14b46f89819f%3A1278990519&click_sum=852e91ca&ref=shop_home_active_1

Prints of this image are also available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1265042630/art-print-original-colored-pencil?click_key=355b32be87acde1a1c3fa446a8713b5229ebfd6f%3A1265042630&click_sum=9f11c33f&ref=shop_home_active_1

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

Two Bears and Homeopathy

December 17, 2015 Natalie Wargin

"Grandparents of the Forest" website header art

I've been busy lately developing some characters for a website and a future children's book. The client is an herbalist and therapist who specializes in behavior disorders in children. She's chosen a bear couple, bespectacled Nicolas and Lila, as the stars in a story about how herbs, natural remedies, and nature itself can help children to lead calmer lives. The author wants to show children the wonders of nature and how turning to nature can be helpful and healing.

The bears are mythical medicine makers – community herbalists. The female is a shaman, the male is a scientist although there is some fun and play in this as they switch roles often. They complement each other. The bears have a cave to retreat to – deep in the woods. It’s a classic underworld cave with mystical writing and drawings on the walls. Lila talks to the plants, rocks, animals and birds, listening for their reply. She is the personification of the Mother, warm, welcoming, kind. Nicolas is a scientist who knows a lot about plants and animals and he likes to dabble with potions and medicines. The book will tell of Lila coming to know that there is a need somewhere amongst the children of the village. She'll look for the right plant to help.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll let you know how things progress.

I want to wish all of you the happiest of holidays.
Thank you for following along with my bits of news.
I'm planning lots of new work in the new year.

New Painting -- A view from the Cottekill Trail

September 22, 2015 Natalie Wargin

I see a lot of deer these days. It must be the time of year. I'll be running on the trail and they'll walk out of the woods and stand in my path, looking at me as I get closer and closer to them. It's a delight to see them though I worry that I can get so close before they leap away. I know that animals are far from stupid. Most, I suspect, are much more intelligent than we egotistical humans will allow. But I don't want the wild animals around here to ever trust people. Hunting season is around the corner.

I pass this spot on the Cottekill trail. The trail is bordered by woods and all sorts of small plants. That funny lattice structure is a puzzlement. There are houses beyond and the mountains of course. This is a cool morning with smoke from wood stoves in the air. You can also spot bunnies, a squirrel, and one deer a-leaping.

This is a 12 x 16" acrylic painting on birch board. It's titled "Over."
https://www.etsy.com/listing/248611494/original-acrylic-painting-a-view-from?ref=shop_home_active_1

Dogwood and Deer

July 28, 2015 Natalie Wargin

This spring was a good one for the dogwoods here in the Hudson Valley. While other things, my honeysuckle for example, failed after the terrible winter the dogwoods were as full of blooms as I've ever seen them. Branches heavy with perfect pinkish white flowers that stopped me in my tracks more than once. I thought I'd make a canopy of them. The deer and rabbits beneath are actually a study for a larger acrylic painting that I'm planning. They do seem at home here though, silent in the cool dark wood. I've finally gotten some cattails into the mix, there in the foreground. And a few spiderwebs higher, in the tree tops.

This is an original watercolor and gouache painting of three deer and a few rabbits under a blooming dogwood. The painting is 7 x 10 inches (18 x 25 cm).
You can find the painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/240400084/original-watercolor-painting-dogwood?ref=shop_home_active_1

And prints of the image here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/241120525/art-print-deer-and-dogwood?ref=shop_home_active_2

Lucas Avenue

January 23, 2014 Natalie Wargin

This is my house -- sort of. I do live in a sweet eyebrow colonial in the woods. I wish I had a wrought iron filigree gate. And as for the attack rabbits guarding either side? I ordered them from my favorite garden shop and they arrived broken. Maybe I'll order them again in the spring. They would be so much fun, don't you think?