Kurt Plinke, Artist and Naturalist - Blog

The River has Calmed...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:55:59 -0800

The Choptank behind the house has calmed, after most of the runs of fish have ended. Yellow Perch, White Perch, Shad, Rockfish and Herring have come and gone (for the most part), and the rush of fishing has dwindled along with the fish.

Human fishermen are the most visible of the river stalkers early in the spring, but a number of different wildlife species also gather as many fish as they can. Down at the river this year I've seen Otters, Mink, Eagles, Ospreys, Great Blue Herons, and Green Herons angling for a meal. The most interesting animal that I've seen so far this year was a Swallow-Tailed Kite, several miles downriver from the studio. An amazing black and white bird with a four-foot wingspan, the Kite is not often seen in Maryland. I guess this one must have been migrating north, and went farther than most of his kind. For whatever reason he was here, I was happy to have witnessed his travels for a few minutes.

The tiny white blossoms of Spring Beauties have faded, and right now Columbine, Jack-in-the Pulpit and Pink Lady's Slippers dominate the parade of wildflowers in the woods. Several species of ferns, their fiddleheads uncurling among the leaf litter, are also reappearing after a winter's rest. I'm still hearing the last calls of the White-crowned Sparrows before they head north, and I'm waiting for an Ovenbird's bright call to replace the sparrows as they leave. A pair of bluebirds have nested in a box in the back yard, and some Carolina Wrens have begun calling the shed home, dragging tufts of grass through the crack in the door. I hope they don't build their nest in the lawn mower.

In a few weeks, Canoes and Kayaks will begin silently gliding down the river. The season gets in full swing with Paddlefest, set for May 19th near Denton. I'll be showing some of my artwork art Martinak State park on that date. At the same time, hundreds of small, narrow boats will make their way from the shallow waters of Red Bridges to Martinak's wide banks. A lot of fun activities are planned, as well as art displays. I'm looking forward to the day.

Spring is Here!

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:13:04 -0800

Spring can be seen all over the woods that surround Sewell Mills Studio. Spring Beauties cover the leaf litter down by the river, emerald green Skunk Cabbages have unfurled their leaves in the bog and Bluets are in the meadow. Several pair of brilliantly colored Bluebirds have been checking out all of the nesting boxes, as have a pair of Chickadees. Black and blue Marbled Salamanders can be found moving around among the old piles of firewood that border the woods near the studio. Above, Red Shouldered Hawks call to each other.

It is this kind of activity that inspires me to paint, to find new subjects and plan new compositions. This spring, I have been experimenting with Claybord, made by Ampersand. Claybord is a Masonite-type panel, which has been coated with a smooth white clay surface. The clay is absorptive, and may be painted with egg tempera, acrylic, oils or watercolors.

I have used Claybord several times to paint images of wildlife, but this spring, I began painting more abstractly with transparent watercolors on the surface. At first, I found it difficult, because I was used to paper. The more I experimented, the more interested in the surface I became.

For subjects, I at first chose dark evening images of the river behind my studio. I began painting by pouring liquid watercolors on the surface of the clay. This worked for two reasons: it prepped the surface to accept more paint, and to quickly lay down large areas of color. Then I tried applying color in different ways. I tried scraping, layering with a broad brush, pouring multiple layers and adding multiple layers of scumbled and hatched lines. All of these techniques worked. In at least one painting, I even used masking fluid to reserve whites.

As I completed more and more of the paintings, I began varying subjects. Most are still abstract, but several of the paintings on boards are more realistic, at least in part.

When the paintings are finished, I cover the completed painting with several layers of varnish to seal the painting. It seems unnatural to seal a watercolor, as far as I was concerned, but now I like the idea, at least on a non-flexible surface like Claybord.

Spring Soon?

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:54:42 -0800

Long time since I've posted anything new....

Winter may be waning, and I for one am ready. The snow has mostly missed us here on the eastern shore, but the cold has stayed beyond it's welcome. I can't wait to paint a sprig of forsythia from life as it blooms along the bank by the studio.

During one of the many light snows this Winter in Greensboro, my wife Ruth and I watched the sun rise through new fallen snow on the road to the river. The snow clung to every branch and ice covered what snow could not. It was magical. I watched a barred Owl glide silently by us in the half-light as the sun peaked over the hill, heading to a grove of pines. The holly trees by the river cast an emerald glow over the snow by the water. It really was magical.

In the studio, I've been experimenting with claybord, a product made of masonite and a thin layer of clay, manufactured by a company called Ampersand. after some fits and starts, I have learned to like the way the surface behaves with watercolors. At first, the paint resists the clay surface but after an initial wash the manner in which the paint can be lifted and moved about is really interesting. Like egg tempera, watercolor on claybord can go back and forth between lights and darks, opaques and transparent layers.

I'm also looking more deeply at combining very quick, loose effects with extreme detail in my pieces on paper. The more of these I complete, the more I like the effects. On the surface these paintings look simple, but making the transition from loose brushy strokes to photorealism takes some thought. I do love the results. When I finish a painting that combines these two techniques, and do it right, the paper just feels right. I have to do more of these.

See you in the studio soon!

Greenbriar Dweller, 16" x 20" by Kurt Plinke. Watercolor on Claybord

Hot Day in Easton

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:34:55 -0800

Holy Cow was it hot in Easton today. I was there for a one-day outdoors exhibition of arts and crafts, in conjunction with the Easton Plein Air Arts Festival. The bank thermometer said that it was 107 degrees and I, for one, believe it. The trees were steaming in the little park across from Clay Bakers, but that did not deter the crowds who were in town for the festival.
Un the morning, the annual Quick Draw fast painting competition took place, and there were oil painters surrounding us as we set up for the exhibition. About twenty artists and craftspeople set up in the park.
I had a good day. Sales were slow, but I saw and talked to a number of students of mine, past and present. It was fun seeing Barb, Judy and the others in a setting outside of a classroom or studio.
I also met with several people who said that they would like to try painting in the studio on Tuesday night. Of course, they are invited, and I hope that they sho up soon. It's always fun seeing new painters in the group on Tuesday.
In the end, a painting was of mine

Friends of Patuxent exhibit

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:16:53 -0800

This is the 17th year that I have participated in the annual Friends of Patuxent art show, at the National Wildlife Visitor's Center, on the grounds of the Patuxent Wildlife refuge, near Washington, DC. The show is on Saturday and Sunday, at the visitor's center.
The Patuxent show is one of my favorite events every year. The facility is a great venue for a show, and the FOP volunteers are a wonderful group. If you have a chance, come on over and see the show.

Snow!

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:54:34 -0800

It's been a while since I've entered on this blog. Today, we're all stuck inside and my workshop, set for today, has been rescheduled, so I guess I have a little time. We are really getting snow here at the studio, and across the Eastern Shore. We are expecting at least fifteen inches of snow today, and the winds are supposed to kick up to near blizzard conditions later in the afternoon.

These kinds of snows, ones that come up the coast from the south, are the real snow-droppers in our area. Nor'easters, they are called, and when they slow down over our area, we can really get dumped on. It looks like this is going to be one of those days.

I always think about small birds on days like today. All of their food sources are buried deep beneath a thick layer of snow. I've already gone out once to fill the feeders in my backyard, and a huge number of birds are using the feeders, despite the wind and snow. So far, I've mainly been bringing in White-throated Sparrows, Juncos, Song Sparrows, House Finches, Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers and Blue Jays. I expect an influx of doves and blackbirds as the day goes on. A Cooper's Hawk has been scoping out the feeders, too. I imagine that by tomorrow, there will be poofs of feathers under the trees near the feeders. I guess that Coops have gotta eat, too.

With any luck I'll settle in, stay warm, watch the feeders and paint for the next few days.

A chickadee at one of my window feeders.

Painting Lots of Spring Things

Fri, 15 May 2009 19:14:15 -0800

It's funny how cyclical life has become. Each year, I look for the same indicators of the passing of seasons and the return of old friends.
It seems I look for Spring Beauties, Fish running up the river, Jack-in-the-pulpits, Adding compost to the gardens, and the annual shower of pine pollen to signal the passing of ice and snow, and the coming of longer evenings and the beginning of dreaded Eastern Shore humidity.
During this time, I begin feverishly painting wildflowers, scouring the woods for every bloom, so that I can paint them before they fade. This week, it is Columbines. Next week, the beginning of orchids. Soon, the canopy will close in across the woods, and the flower show will shift to fields, where light continues to reach the soil.
On a less happy note, I saw a bird get hit by a car yesterday. A male Yellow-breasted Chat flew out of a bush and into the car in front of me Wednesday morning on my way to school. I held it for a moment on the side of the road, as it died. Then I did as i always do, photographed it, sketched it, and planned a painting in it's honor. I have ten small thumbnail sketches of chats now, quick idea drawings for a soon-to-be memorial of this very cool little bird. Sad though, this is one of my favorite warblers, and not a really common bird. When I finish a painting, I'll post if here.

Taste of Caroline

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:37:48 -0800

This weekend in Denton, Maryland is the annual Spring Gala, on Saturday evening. If you haven't attended in the past, you have missed some great food, good music, lots of great artwork, and all of the best that Caroline County has to offer.

I'll be there with my artwork, although I confess that the real reason that I go is the food. Restaurants that have served their best have included, in the past, Harry's from Greensboro, The Lily Pad, The Public House, The Emerson House, and lots of other great restaurants from Caroline County.

At least a dozen artists will display their artwork, too. If you've never seen the diversity of style among the artists of the county, this is a great venue to get a feel for the array of artwork

Jack-in-the-Pulpits and Prothonotaries

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Over the past weekend, my son and I took our first canoe trip of the spring down the Choptank. The water was high, and we glided down the river with very little effort. The water was cool the air was warm, and small birds were flitting among the budding-out branches. best birds of the trip included Ospreys, three bright yellow and blue-gray Prothonotary Warblers, a Yellow Warbler, some Blue-gray gnatcatchers, a female Mallard with a brand-new brood, and a Green Heron. The canoe let us slip right up on these, without making a sound. Overhead, there was the constant refrain of Laughing Gulls, reminding us that this was a river close to the bay.

As we cruised downstream, we also saw our first Jack-in-the Pulpits of the year, as well as some almost-open Indian Cucumber Root. Ferns were unfurling fiddleheads all along the bank, and the sound of turtles plopping into the water was almost constant.

We put-in at Red Bridges, and took our canoe out of the water in Greensboro at the Carnival Grounds. The river above Greensboro is unspoiled for three-fourths of the way, and we only saw a couple of other people the entire trip.

Turkey Tracks, Spring Beauties and Peepers

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:15:35 -0800

Early one morning over the Easter weekend, I walked down towards the Choptank. The woods was wet from rain, and a mist rose among the sweet gums and maples near the creek. With the fog and tall tree trunks, the scene was almost primordial as I headed downhill towards the distant sound of rushing water.

As I slowly moved towards the river, I began to hear the chirping of hundreds of Spring Peepers, those small frogs that announce the coming of warmer weather evry year. With their calls echoing in my ears, I saw fresh turkey tracks coming out of the sandy uplands and heading down the dirt road towards the water. I followed the tracks for a while before they veered left and off the track. As I came level with the spot where the tracks left the road, an explosion of noise silenced the peepers, and made me jump. A huge tom turkey had been crouched in the tall weeds at the side of the road and had burst from the brush to fly away. We were about six feet apart when he took off, his huge wings beating rapidly until he cleared the tops of the tall trees in the wet woods. I watched in awe as he flew out of sight through the leafless early spring trees.

I continued to walk towards the water, until the leaf litter was covered with a thick layer of spring beauties, those small delicate spring flowers that dot the lowlands on the eastern shore. Individually, these little five-petaled flowers are barely noticeable. Taken in mass, however, thousands and thousands of blooms seem like a natural carpet on the forest floor. A stood for a while to appreciate the way that these early spring plants can change the entire way the woods are viewed.

Right at the water's edge, A heard the scolding, buzzing calls of several blue-gray gnat-catchers over my head. I finally saw one of the little birds, acting like brightly colored wrens, twitching their tails as they flitted from branch to branch.

All of these scenes reminded me that winter was gone, and that we would soon have a mantel of green over our heads when all of the trees erupted with millions of leaves. Soon, mosquitoes will fill the air, and the fly catchers will feast, as will the bats as they zig from one meal and zag to the next.

Of course, the turkeys are here year-round, but it seems the only time I every get a chance to really see them is in the spring, as they loose their caution and have less places to hide.

I can't say that I'll miss the Winter, with it's cold blasts of air and all of that wood to cut and haul. I will miss Spring, though, as it quickly gives way to Summer. I love the early spring sights and sounds, the cool mornings and the chance to again see things that I have missed since the previous year.