Ruffed Grouse in Snow (11 x 14 in.) Sold

The morning of Monday, 18 February found us revved up and preparing to work, when Bentley the Cat was sighted through the living room window, head held high, half-obscured by the feathers of a Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus, as he strode through the 5 cm of new snow.

We try to let Bentley out only when there's minimal chance of his acting as a subsidized predator, and Fred was sure this was proof that he should never be let out of the house

ever again, but when we examined the Grouse it didn't seem to show any signs of the kind of struggle that would be involved in being caught by a Cat, so we surmise that Bentley had found it road-killed and was bringing it home as a scavenged trophy.

I feel obliged to paint Birds found freshly dead and that, what with the usual deluge of obligations, was the end of any hope of work this week. Perhaps the charm of looking at a winter Grouse from this unphotographical angle will compensate for postponing the start of my next commission - six watercolour views of gravid Lampsilis fascicola mussels displaying their variously coloured mantle flaps to attract curious and hungry fish.

Dear patrons and supporters,

This painting is for sale by auction to support our work on the 30 Years Later project, as we revisit places we studied over the past three decades. If you would like to purchase it, please send your bid to me   Bidding is open for one week from posting date, ending on Tuesday, 12 March at 12:51 pm eastern standard time. The starting price is $300.   

Aleta Karstad