Last night, way up near the headwaters, work needed to be done.
The lodge and dam were looked over and patched up.
Food was gathered for the winter months.
Slowly the water is rising, expanding access and opportunity but only if the work is done.
Stick after stick, the work.
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I've played around combining wash (basically painting pencil/graphite) and pencil a bit before but never landed on anything I liked, but this time i like where the combo landed. The wash softens the pencil marks a bit and helps with subtle toning water and hazy light through trees often requires.
There are a good amount of other "technical" art things I learned along the way on this one too (finally sort of understanding how to portray the amazing complexity of moving water) but this piece came about on the heels of finishing "Eager, the Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb, so I was thinking a lot about the life of beavers and what is going on in this image. The book covers the benefits these keystone creatures can bring to an area (increase wetland habitat, trap and redistribute nutrient rich sediments, help recharge local aquifers, improve water quality, to name a few) and the near-extinction woes they have faced over the years, from over-trapping them for their furs, to eradicating them from parts of the west for "messing with" irrigation to lethal removal when their activity affects housing or other infrastructure... and now, they are making a comeback and lauded as water and habitat heroes in some places... in a large part because we, as humans, took the time to really study these guys and learn how we could work together for some really amazing outcomes. Slowing down, observing, learning from and making space for the good work of others... good lessons/reminders... for me anyway.
Beavers (and so many plants and animals actually) continue to amaze and inspire me on many levels.