I create what touches me because I enjoy it. But, even more so, I enjoy making something that touches another soul with it’s story. Ultimately, my purpose as an artist is to point to the Artist who created all this.
Prints of some of my paintings may be purchased in my Etsy shop: PamTeschnerArt.etsy.com
WATERCOLORS
Out on a Limb
I’ve lived all my life near the magnificent forests and lakes of Oregon and love experiencing them from my kayak. One summer day while paddling in a favorite spot, my eyes were drawn up by the iconic call of an osprey and saw him perched in a tree at the water’s edge. I believe this one’s a male because of his all-white throat. I took some photos and turned one into a watercolor painting. His eye is absolutely fixed on the lake below waiting for the next meal to swim into view.
Full of Heart
I was captivated by this spray of red dogwood leaves against the nearby dark green foliage. The red stands out against its complimentary green creating a spectacular pop of color. As I prepared the drawing, heart shapes emerged and echoed along the pale branches. Every set of leaves, and even the leaves themselves, form a heart.
The pair of chickadees bring life into the composition. I love their characteristic call of chickadee-dee-dee, but it’s their sweet melancholy fee-bee that’s arresting. The chickadees strengthen the theme by pointing to the dominant heart above the main branch on the left. There’s a double heart in those two leaves – one formed by the leaves and the other formed by the space between them. The linear branches string the hearts together and carry the eye through the painting.
The heart is a universal symbol for the love of good friends but also of the great heart of a loving God. The dogwood bears another spiritual symbol. It’s four white flower petals form a cross, each bearing a little scar on its outer edge.
Poem and Star
These two hens are a striking pair of blue sapphire gems and pets of my grandchildren. The gem on the left is shy and quiet and was named Poem for her uniqueness. Star is one of the top chickens in the hen house and was named for a pattern on her back when she was a chick. She’s protective and mothering especially to Bonnie, one of the Easter Eggers in the flock.
When I looked at my photo, I realized it was a strong composition because of the double golden spirals. A golden spiral is based on the golden ratio which is also known as the divine proportion. It’s a mathematical formula occurring everywhere in nature such as sea shells, plants, the human ear, curling ocean waves, hurricanes, and spiral galaxies. As a result, it has been called the fingerprint of God. Can you find the two Golden Spirals? They both start at the eye. One spirals clockwise (Star) and the other counterclockwise.
Hope
I received a commission to paint this cute little Western Bluebird couple as an anniversary gift. The birdhouse is on the campus of Corban University in an area called Rooster Gulch. The painting depicts the pair of bluebirds building for the future. Planted in the heart of these birds is a God-given instinct to simply do as He prompts them, and He takes care of the rest. It’s entitled Hope because God’s plans for us are to give us hope and a future. We simply follow His promptings and trust Him to take care of the rest.
A delicate white and red tipped flower is softly blended into the background in memory of a dear friend of mine and of the people of Corban and the sister of the anniversary couple. As Nancy (aka “Nin”) passed into the arms of Jesus, this flower spike rose from the heart of her plant that had not bloomed in many years. God gives us hope and a forever future.
Giving Thanks
I love watching the black-capped chickadees grab a seed from my feeder and fly off to gracefully devour it. They’re so cute holding it between their feet. It looks as if they’re thanking their Creator for his provision.
Fixer Upper
I watched this Downy Woodpecker hollow out a hole in a rotting snag in my backyard. I snapped some great photos during his building phase. The ground was covered with woodchips, and I was looking forward to him finding a mate and nesting in the remodeled snag. He must not have been too impressed with the outcome or couldn’t find a female downy interested in his remodel of the snag because he disappeared leaving an empty hole.
No Worries
The Cedar Waxwings love to stop by my house in the Spring when the Red Hot Pokers are in full bloom. The day I took this photo, I counted about a dozen birds perched on the flower spikes enjoying the feast. God tells me to look at them and consider how He feeds and cares for them. Then He asks, “Are you not much more valuable to Me than they?” So, what am I worried about?
Autumn Glow
I stood on a ladder in my front yard and took a picture of a cherry tree branch in 2008 and finally got around to painting it. The flowering cherry overgrew my front yard, and I had to have it removed. I miss the pink carpet it created every spring, and its reds and oranges of Autumn, but I don’t miss raking. I think God enjoys painting the colors of Autumn. The brilliance of the leaves and the house finches really pops and glows against the blue grey background.
Granddad’s Sanctuary – Hiram and Saidee Gregson’s barn
Hiram built his barn in the late 1930s using lumber from an old church building he obtained and dismantled in Tallman Station. With time and weathering, the original church lumber now shows itself. The barn became Hiram’s much loved quiet sanctuary. Gregson’s farmed the land, producing and selling sweet corn, blue berries, strawberries, and raspberries to local grocers. They also raised chickens, registered Shorthorn milking cows, and milked Jersey cows, hauling the milk to the main road with his black mare and two-wheel trailer. The adjoining land was owned by their daughter and son-in-law, Roberta and Luther Shanks. It is now owned by Gregson’s great granddaughter, Debbie. The field was covered with blue chicory blossoms in the summer of 2020. The day I took photos for the painting, a Lazuli Bunting flitted around begging to be included.
Quiet Waters – He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.
There’s an unchanging strength and a peaceful calm in natural places. I’m especially touched by it along a river bank where the water is translucent and the sky is mirrored. The veil between the seen and Unseen is thin in these places. This is one of my most frequented places on the S. Santiam River near my home in Oregon. An American Dipper bird is hiding in plain sight. Can you find it?
At the Abbey Door
This cherub and toad sit at the entrance to the Mt. Angel Abbey church. The abbey sits on the top of a small hill above the town of Mt. Angel in the central Willamette Valley of Oregon. It’s a very peaceful setting with a stunning view of the Cascade Range and surrounding farmland. At least once a year, I travel to the abbey to spend time on its quiet grounds. When I’m there, I always make sure to visit the little irrepressible toad. The relentless noise of our world and our lives can over speak and drown out the whispers of the Almighty. It’s important for my soul to sit a while everyday in the presence of the Living God. But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down…. Psalm 5:7
Touch of Glory
Pine Siskins frequent my yard in the fall and winter. They’re small finches with very streaky breasts and subtle yellow edges on their wings and tails. They would rather cling to branches and feeders than forage on the ground. The glowing yellows, reds, and oranges of the painting reflect an infinitesimal touch of the glory of their Creator.
Little Nut
I love the way Red-breasted Nuthatches wander up, down, and sideways along tree trunks without concern for which way is up. In fact, they seem to enjoy the upside-down perspective and prefer going down trees headfirst. This little guy is hanging from one of his favorite foods – conifer seeds. I made a Christmas card from the painting, and called it “Turning the World Upside Down” which is exactly what God did in the birth of Jesus.
To a Wild Rose
A friend of mine began playing the piano as a young girl. Then one day God used the song, To a Wild Rose, to open the door to a deeper dimension of the heart and soul of music. The melodies, harmonies, rhythms, dynamics, and textures of music unfolded in her like the petals of the rose. There are people who play and sing songs, and there are musicians through whom the heartbeat and soul of the song is given voice. I painted the wild rose and penned a portion of the melody line to remind my musician friend of the creative grace of God that fills her head and heart with music.
Mutual Friends
Paddling the south arm of Foster Reservoir last summer, I came across this overhanging foxglove stem and took a picture of it. I then added a bumble bee to the painting to give it movement and a little buzz. The title is reflective of the symbiotic relationship between the bee and the flower. Each needs the other to survive. I also like the passage of time that’s depicted along the length of the stem – from the aged withering flower to the emerging young bud all connected to the same stem.
Day is Done – L. R. Shanks Barn
The Luther and Roberta Shanks barn was built in Lebanon, Oregon in 1940 with hand-peeled poles logged from their farm. It was used to milk cows and store hay and farm machinery. “Day is Done” reflects both a moment in time with the setting sun and its existence as a barn. The original watercolor painting was commissioned by their son Rod. Although the barn no longer stands, I was able to paint it by piecing together old black and white photos and family memories. Some of those memories came from Debbie, their granddaughter and now owner of the farm. Grandpa Gregson’s old pitchfork leans against the barn, and continues to make itself useful in the hands of Debbie, his great-granddaughter.
Midge
There’s something special about Midge, the miniature donkey. It’s more than her long soft ears, her love of scratches and carrots, her endearing bray or even the cross on her back. There’s something in her eyes that seems to see into your very soul.
Best Friends
This is the grand finale of my Midge series. God has used the series to bless me and grow me as an artist. And, I think, to also bless LaDonna. However, Midge seems unimpressed.
The composition has a rhythm and flow to it carrying the eye back and forth between LaDonna and Midge. Her downward gaze draws the viewer’s eye to Midge, and the upward pointing angles of Midge’s head and neck and ears draw the eye back up. The word “faith” on LaDonna’s t-shirt also carries the eye down to Midge. It connects the two of them as it crosses her heart and touches the mind of Midge.
Mike’s Carrot
Mike, the neighbor, would often walk by Midge’s pasture carrying a carrot. She came to look forward to his visit. On his last walk, he gave Midge a carrot and took a picture of her as he left. He texted the photo to Brian with a good morning greeting. That was his last visit with Midge, and she grieved his passing.
Brian’s Home!
During the photoshoot of Midge, I took this picture of her not grasping what was in her mind at the time. Seeing the look in her eyes and her pose of pressing her face against the gate, I wondered what had so captured her attention. After rethinking the timing of the photos, I realized that she was gazing at Brian, who had just got home and was walking towards her.
WATERCOLOR SKETCHES
The next four watercolor sketches came out of a trip to the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona. Being immersed in the stillness and open expanses of the desert was transformative.
