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#3019 "Turtle High Rise"
Oils on canvas 11 X 14 (inches).
Started Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 |
My friend John Verburg provided me with an inspiring image of the turtles that we care for in Singleton Lake. This is what John had to say about his capture of the stacked turtles: "
I can see better from up here…. and I'm closer to the sun! Northern Map Turtles."
The following series of graphics summarizes the "Turtle Story" at Singleton. Pictures are worth thousands of words and are easier to read. I have a reputation for being a "turtle whisperer". They are my friends and deserve protection and assistance.
I have not painted a turtle portrait before, so I thought I would give it a try on a hot May day. The turtles were starting to wander around the property, trying to dig the perfect hole for their eggs. There are test holes all around the property, including the garden and the gravel driveway. I had brought in loads of sand and gravel just for this reason. It is time to get the Turtles Protectors out.
The raccoons are also out prowling the property with their keen sense of smell. The Ninja-like turtles are masters of hiding their nests from me, but can't defeat the predator's sense of smell. I still manage to protect about a dozen turtle nests a year. That is better than none.
In 2025, the Ontario Conservative Government tabled Bill 5 called “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act.” Amidst reducing environmental and heritage protections and proposing sinister "Special Economic Zones" that bypass all protective legislation, the Ontario Government repealed the Ontario Endangered Species Act. The Conservatives replaced it with the "Species Conservation Act" on March 30, 2026. The misappropriately named, contradictory, oxymoronic "Species Conservation Act" encourages quite the opposite impact, offering much less protection to species at risk of extinction. Essentially, business and money override the environment and nature. Shame. Shame. Shame.
Similar deeds are being done by the Federal Liberal government using Bill C-5 (the One Canadian Economy Act). Species extinction is forever. Stomping on nature like the childhood bully did to the anthills is never good. Shame.
I have a vote, but it is ineffectual. Bill 5 and Bill 5-C are just two of the countless examples of
political corruption. "
The Narwhal" is a good source for the truth.
The wording of these political documents reminds me of "
doublespeak" and the writings of George Orwell in his 1949 dystopian social science fiction novel "
Nineteen Eighty-Four". George was absolutely right. His forecast only missed the mark by forty years, more or less. Not bad for an author, but not nearly close enough for a meteorologist concerned about climate change.
I have not discussed the probable collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) or the impacts thereof. Those dire consequences are well beyond human experience and are the stuff of nightmares. Current estimates have the AMOC being "extinct" around 2050... within the lifetimes of many of you!
Now back to art. I typically start portraits with the eyes. Good luck with that in the case of Northern Map Turtles.
I find solace in our symbiotic relationship with nature and the forest of Singleton. I also feel peace in front of my easel. The following collage summarizes just a few of the steps I took with my friends, the turtles (also a rock band of my youth).
You know it is past time to step away from the easel when the discerning eye can't see any significant differences from the last few days of effort. Perfection is overrated. Look for fine art in the wild and crazy brushstrokes. The following collage summarizes a very few of the steps and days allocated to my friends, the Northern Map Turtles.
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