I love these early morning winter walks with my dog Lucy along Whatcom Creek. The frosty days are gone for now and the temperate drippy climate prevails. Painting winter in the Pacific Northwest rainforest is all about every shade of green you could imagine. My palette is primarily Chromium Oxide Green, Deep Green, Naples Yellow, Paynes Gray along Siennas, Umbers and Ochres and some Cadmium Yellow for hi-lites. Whatcom Creek drains Lake Whatcom as it plunges over sandstone ledges dropping more than 300 feet in 4 miles before emptying into Bellingham Bay.https://cob.org/services/recreation/parks-trails/parks-guide/whatcom-falls-park . Whatcom Falls park is a 240 acre gem disecting the eastern end of the city. This park with its many waterfalls, swimming holes, and rugged canyon can feel very wild and remote in places even though it is within city limits. I am fortunate to live in a neighbourhood where i can walk into the park on a daily basis.
There was a devastating pipeline rupture and explosion in this park in 1999. A gas pipeline had been ruptured during a construction project and dumped 200,000 gallons of gasoline into the creek as it wound through a deep canyon. Since it was close to July 4th there were two 9 year old boys playing with firecrackers in the canyon which ignited a fireball. The boys died from their injuries and a 3rd victim was overcome by fumes as he was fishing and drowned before the explosion. Safer pipeline regulations were the result of this terrible tragedy. https://cob.org/services/environment/restoration/olympic-pipeline-incident
The creek and riparian habitat are recovering nicely and I have seen nesting Osprey and Eagles along with Owls and the Woodpeckers are having a great time digging into the skeletal forest left behind from the explosion.
I have been a casualty of my own success lately with many sales and find myself having to work at building up my inventory. I currently have four paintings in the Jansen winter show, two which have sold, and have been offered an exhibit there in 2026. https://www.jansenartcenter.org/
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