Spring arrival in autumn

Spring Arrival - Sandhill Crane

Artist: Ellen McGaughey

11x14 Watercolor

Our friend, Ellen McGaughey, recently had an exhibit of some of her work -- My Inner/Outer World- A Naturalist's View --at the Drury Gallery in the Portage Art Center. Tom and I had tried to go before and the gallery had been closed, and yesterday we made it in just under the wire. Ellen's work is all good, but when we walked into the small gallery, both of us were struck immediately by the above watercolor of a sandhill crane. We spent some time looking at everything and eventually decided that we wanted the crane. We purchased it but they asked if we would be willing to leave it in the gallery because of a piano concert scheduled at the Art Center today. So we won't have it in hand until sometime next week. Needless to say, this picture does not do justice to the original's color and texture.

Meanwhile, we have to decide where to put it. The house is full of original art, most of it Tom's. This piece is quite different from anything else we have, and it deserves to be in a place where it can be appreciated. It is good we will have a few days to ponder.

If you want to view some more of Ellen's work, click on this link, which will take you to her web page. Where, you will notice, our crane has pride of place.