Ode to a Virginia Rail

$150.00

14 X 14 original acrylic painting on canvas

There is a story behind this painting (as there is with most of my paintings). In the summer of 2022, I came across a road-killed Virginia Rail next to a beaver wetland while on a morning run. I didn’t know what species it was at the time, but despite being deceased, it was a beautiful creature. As I gently moved it to the side of the road I made a mental note of its markings so I could identity it later. I noticed an uneaten earthworm in its beak and felt heartsick that maybe it had been gathering a meal for a left behind chick. I vowed to honor its life by learning more about it - at very least it’s name! At that time I was struggling with my own heart sickness in making a major transition in my life from professional scientist to artist. So for me this portrait of a Virginia Rail is symbolic of all I was feeling at that time and finding my own resurrected identity in combining dual loves of art and natural science.

Ships framed in a generously padded box. If you are local to Vermont you may also opt for “pickup” upon checkout at the Emile Gruppe Gallery in Jericho, VT.

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14 X 14 original acrylic painting on canvas

There is a story behind this painting (as there is with most of my paintings). In the summer of 2022, I came across a road-killed Virginia Rail next to a beaver wetland while on a morning run. I didn’t know what species it was at the time, but despite being deceased, it was a beautiful creature. As I gently moved it to the side of the road I made a mental note of its markings so I could identity it later. I noticed an uneaten earthworm in its beak and felt heartsick that maybe it had been gathering a meal for a left behind chick. I vowed to honor its life by learning more about it - at very least it’s name! At that time I was struggling with my own heart sickness in making a major transition in my life from professional scientist to artist. So for me this portrait of a Virginia Rail is symbolic of all I was feeling at that time and finding my own resurrected identity in combining dual loves of art and natural science.

Ships framed in a generously padded box. If you are local to Vermont you may also opt for “pickup” upon checkout at the Emile Gruppe Gallery in Jericho, VT.

14 X 14 original acrylic painting on canvas

There is a story behind this painting (as there is with most of my paintings). In the summer of 2022, I came across a road-killed Virginia Rail next to a beaver wetland while on a morning run. I didn’t know what species it was at the time, but despite being deceased, it was a beautiful creature. As I gently moved it to the side of the road I made a mental note of its markings so I could identity it later. I noticed an uneaten earthworm in its beak and felt heartsick that maybe it had been gathering a meal for a left behind chick. I vowed to honor its life by learning more about it - at very least it’s name! At that time I was struggling with my own heart sickness in making a major transition in my life from professional scientist to artist. So for me this portrait of a Virginia Rail is symbolic of all I was feeling at that time and finding my own resurrected identity in combining dual loves of art and natural science.

Ships framed in a generously padded box. If you are local to Vermont you may also opt for “pickup” upon checkout at the Emile Gruppe Gallery in Jericho, VT.