Just in from Neal Maine.

 

 

 

“Elegant Heron” signed photograph by Neal Maine/ PacificLight Images.

Great Blue Heron in the wetlands of Young’s Bay.

Astoria, Oregon.

August 2019

 

Grey mat, framed and signed.

Sizes available:
23″ x 17″ $295.
30″ x 22″ $395.
All proceeds in support of NCLC/ North Coast Land Conservancy.

 

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America, with a slate-gray body, chestnut and black accents, and long legs and neck. In flight, it looks enormous, with a six-foot wingspan. When foraging, the Great Blue Heron stands silently along riverbanks or in wetlands meadows, waiting for prey.

Great blue herons nest communally in “rookeries” or “heronries” containing up to 50 pairs. Herons typically use the same rookery every year until eventually the …https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory

 

“Heron Courtship” by Neal Maine/ PacificLight Images.

February 2017

Great Blue Herons photographed above the Neawanna River in Seaside, Oregon.  The river flows into the  greater Necanicum Estuary.  Fun Fact: this image was selected  recently for a NCLC fund raiser.

About the photographer Neal Maine

 

After a thirty-year career as an award winning biology teacher at Seaside High School, Neal Maine became the first executive director of North Coast Land Conservancy, which he co-founded in 1986. Since his retirement from the land trust in 2010, he has pursued his passion for nature photography through PacificLight Images, a partnership with Michael Wing, dedicated to raising awareness of coastal ecology and the wildlife with whom we share the region’s estuaries, freshwater wetlands and forests. Their photography centers around coastal and Columbia River landscape, ecology and the rich estuary habitat with the surrounding wetlands and forest systems.

Neal focuses his imagery on exploring wildlife in the context of its habitat, while Michael’s specialty is capturing action images that illustrates the dynamic nature of coastal wildlife. PacificLight Images is dedicated to working with coastal communities to protect wildlife habitat and its connectivity. A percentage of all photography sales are donated to North Coast Land Conservancy to help further this goal.

“Unless otherwise noted, images are presented as they were photographed. Slight adjustment by cropping, lightening or darkening may have been used, but the photo subject is presented as recorded in the Oregon coastal landscapes.” A Certificate of Authenticity is provided with each copyrighted and signed image. Available exclusively at Fairweather’s.

Sizes available:
23″ x 17″ $295.
30″ x 22″ $395.
All proceeds in support of NCLC/ North Coast Land Conservancy.

Celebrating 15 years in 2019, the next Seaside First Saturday Art Walk, will be held 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday Sept. 7th. The free event takes place between Holladay Drive and Broadway Street in the Historic Gilbert District of downtown Seaside

 

Fairweather House and Gallery

612 Broadway St. located in the Historic Gilbert Block Building

September 7, 5-7:pm

Opening reception for CONTRASTS, an exhibition, showing art from selected regional artists using bright, abstract palettes – electric yellows, brilliant blues, wild reds and shining greens, as well as abstract monotones found only in the natural world.

Featuring abstract artists Bill Baily, Gregory Bell, Tanya Gardner, Agnes Field, Sharon Kathleen Johnson, Jan Rimerman, Renee Rowe, Russell J. Young and Zifen Qian.

In addition Renee Hafeman, mid-century jewelry designer, and Gayle H. Seely, mosaic-bead artist, reveal bright, new fall work.

Introducing Monet Rubin, glass artist.

Artist lectures at 5:30pm.

Naturalist Neal Maine will speak on the local habitat at 6: pm.

Painting Seaside LIVE event by Paul Brent.

LIVE music by Shirley 88 throughout the evening.

To view more images please  go to http://www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com/  artists tab Neal Maine

 

 

For OUTSIDE INTERESTS. Neal Maine, naturalist and wildlife photographer.

“A Pile of Pelicans” by Neal Maine/ PaicificLight Images. Proceeds in support of NCLC.

White pelicans photographed in Youngs Bay, Oregon, rarely spotted in the Pacific Northwest. White Pelicans forage by swimming on surface, dipping bill into water and scooping up fish in pouch.

 

 

Q: Where in the world is Youngs Bay, you ask?

A: Youngs Bay, or Youngs River Bay, is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. The Youngs River meets the Columbia River at this point, which is situated between Astoria and Warrenton.

 

White pelican normal migration:  Northern breeding populations migrate to southern California, the Gulf States, Mexico, and Central America. Yet, too, white pelicans were spotted along the North coast, recently! In fact, have been banded in the Columbia River.

 

 

 

Neal Maine lectured during the opening reception of OUTSIDE INTERESTS.

 

Fairweather House and Gallery

612 Broadway St.

located in the Historic Gilbert Block Building

August 3-25 Exhibition

OUTSIDE INTERESTS featuring local painters and artisans hugely impressed with the wide-open, majestic vistas of the Pacific Northwest. Selected art, new original work, conveys nature’s shifting moods, with no human presence visible. Artists include Paul Brent, Melissa Jander, Sharon Kathleen Johnson, Bev Drew Kindley, Martha Lee, Gretha Lindwood, Ron Nicolaides, Susan Romersa and Dale J. Veith.

Welcoming new artists:  oil painter Vicky Combs-Snider, glass artist Christine Downs and encaustic artist Elina Zebergs to the gallery.

“Pelican Point” photographed on Youngs Bay by Neal Maine.  Proceeds in support of NCLC.

 

Look closely. In the top tier of the white pelicans, one band sighted. Neal Maine will explain the backstory about the photograph.

“White pelicans forage cooperatively, lining up as a flock before feeding.”

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing good vibes. Summertime at Fairweather’s in 2019.

Handwritten thank you notes are so infrequent in our digital age that when one is received, it makes a statement. Sharing a few recent notes received.

 

“You are such an incredible inspiration. Thank you for doing so much to care for this precious coast and its people and for your amazing contributions to the planet. With deep gratitude.” Katie Voelke, Executive Director, NCLC, North Coast Land Conservancy, June 2019.

 

Katie Voelke, Executive Director/ North Coast Land Conservancy at Fairweather’s.

 

“I count on being in your gallery one of the most thrilling things in my life.  I enjoyed the show so much.  So did my family, who made a weekend in Seaside we will never forget.  Bless you for including me in your wonderful group of artists. It was fun to see a father unable to hold back his tears while watching his daughter give her talk at Fairweather’s.”  Carolynn Wagler June 2019

 

Carolynn Wagler, artist, and daughter with Saundra, gallery hostess.

 

“Thank you for a beautiful reception.  You are a class act.  I spent some time at the beach recently and talked to many business owners about the  current show at Fairweather’s.  Many knew you and said wonderful things about you and the gallery.  What a grand entity you have created.”  Jan Rimerman  July 2019

 

MAKING WAVES opening artist reception. July 2019

Photo collage by Linda Fenton-Mendenhall, Seaside First Saturday Art Walk photographer.

 

Q: Guess who visited recently on a Monday during the high season at the beach, you ask?

A: UK, Texas, Kentucky, Hood River, Arizona, Bend, New York, Seattle Florida, Colorado, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Tacoma, Missouri, Idaho, BC and California. And too, all visited on Monday July 8, 2019!  “Lots of people in; lots of appreciation for all the hard work you do for everyone,” Joan Smith, gallery hostess.

Over the years, more than 1500 hand written thank you notes have been mailed to the featured artists after an opening reception.

Joan Smith,  Fairweather’s Director of Style, has suggested a different hostess dress code for every exhibition since 2009.  For July 2019, Joan recommended dressing in blue and white for the opening reception of MAKING WAVES.

Kathy B., Fairweather’s Director of Hospitality, has created gorgeous plates of hors d’oeuvres, for every exhibit has been distinctive. For July 2019, Kathy designed  ruffle cups of blue berries and nuts combined with chocolate brownies.

Joan Smith, a retired school principal, has proof read each unique thank you note composed for over 140 exhibitions.  Indeed, Joan  corrected the grammar in the rough draft  with a red pen, always the educator…

 

See how we giggle? What, did you say, another show post, so soon???  Indeed, it be summertime.  Truly ’tis high season at the beach. Joan, Kathy and Denise.

Fairweather House and Gallery
612 Broadway
Seaside
August month-long exhibition
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Opening reception during
Seaside First Saturday Art Walk
Aug. 3, 5-7:pm

In the historic Gilbert District of downtown Seaside

 

Jan Rimerman finished her July 2019 note to the gallery with the news.

“I will get you my September show synopsis to you soon.”  

And, so, we  now share our September show theme.

CONTRASTS  Sept 7- 25

Fairweather House and Gallery

612 Broadway

Seaside, Oregon

Opening artist reception September 7, 5-7:pm during the Seaside First Saturday Art Walk.

 

ww.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com

 

For MAKING WAVES. Photographers Neal Maine and Richard Newman.

“Lily Leap” by Neal Maine wood duck chick on West Lake lily pad.  Just in for MAKING WAVES. July exhibition.

Proceeds in support of NCLC.

 

 

“Seaside Sand Dollars” by Richard Newman fine art photo printed on glass.

 

 

Neal Maine received an anniversary cake for ten years of exhibiting at Fairweather’s during the opening reception of Making WAVES.

 

Artists Paul Brent and Victoria Brooks celebrated a ten year milestone with Neal Maine during the  Seaside First Saturday Art Walk on July 6.

Fairweather House and Gallery

612 Broadyway

MAKING WAVES

July 6-July 30

Fairweather’s July exhibition explores the deep, multifaceted relationship with the ocean.

Art for the exhibition, largely significant pieces include new original work, created entirely by North coast artists.

Featuring selected Fairweather artists: Blue Bond, Victoria Brooks, Paul Brent, Nick Brakel, Karen Doyle, Leah Kohlenberg, Karen Lewis, Emily Miller, Lee Munsell, Richard Newman, Ron Nicolaides, Jan Rimerman, Lisa Sofia Robinson, Peg Wells, Russell J. Young and Dale Veith.

Introducing artists Sharon Abbott-Furze and Phil Juttelstad.

The range in the show reveals the extraordinary impact of the sea and waves.

 

For more info go to http://www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com /  artists tab/ Neal Maine

 

For “Portaiture’ Neal Maine spoke about Arctic Light and fellow wildlife photographer Daniel Dietrich.

“Polar Snow Shoe” by Neal Maine

“Whale Within” by Neal Maine 

 

 

Wildlife photographers Daniel Dietrich and Neal Maine in 2015.

 

An event hosted in Seaside for the Alaska Wilderness League in 2015 has earned  recent  kudos and a connection to Art Wolfe, internationally known photographer. Neal Maine shared the news at the opening reception of ‘Portraiture’ on May 4, 2019.

 

Daniel Dietrich traveled to the Arctic with Neal Maine in 2014. Daniel recently entered his polar bear image, a photo one/tenth of a second from Neal Maine, in a competition.

“Thanks to BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition for selecting my polar bear image as a finalist in this year’s competition. The photo will be on display at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco July-October.”  Daniel Dietrich

 

And, too, Daniel Dietrich is with Art Wolfe on location in 2019.

 

 

To recall the 2015 event, go to…

https://fairweatherhouseandgallery.wordpress.com/tag/arctic-light

 

‘Arctic Light’ draws attention to global warming Presentation …

https://www.discoverourcoast.com/…/arctic-light…/article_1d181096-2d41-5d56-a37…

Feb 16, 2015 – ‘Arctic Light’ draws attention to global warming Presentation, … Neal Maine and Daniel Dietrich will speak about Alaska Wilderness League at …

 

 

“Feather Display” by Neal Maine.

Seaside Osprey.  Proceeds in support of NCLC.

 

Neal Maine shared news about fellow photographer Daniel Dietrich.

Neal Maine lecture.

‘Portraiture’ habitat lecture by local naturalist, wildlife photographer Neal Maine was given at Fairweather’s on May 4.

 

Ospreys return to Seaside

May 17, 2019/  Seaside Signal newspaper article

Oregon coast naturalist Neal Maine still gets a thrill after many years of watching the osprey return to their nests in Seaside. Maine has found nine nests so far and estimates that there are about 20 osprey locally, but he admits that there are likely some he is missing.

“When nature keeps on marching, you get excited. When the osprey return, somethings still right, they flew all the way from South America,” said Maine.

The annual return of the osprey not only marks the coming of summer, it is a sign of the progress being made in conservation. Osprey, along with other raptors, suffered a population decimation from the use of DDT, which caused eggshell thinning. Once the pesticide was banned, the bird of prey made a sharp recovery.

However, they are not out of the woods yet. There is a growing trend of osprey nesting on man-made objects. Osprey typically nest near rivers on the top of dead trees, but as forest composition changed and old growth snags disappeared, they started relying on utility poles and other tall objects to rear their young.

In addition, their choice location is not always convenient. When osprey in Seaside decided to nest on a pole near the Broadway baseball field the raptors did not consider that the power line may one day need replacement. The nest was relocated on a 60-foot high pole installed off Neawanna Creek. Fortunately, the birds were fine with the move and have continued to nest at the new location since 2012. Maine, who oversaw the project, has watched the same birds come back to the same nests since 2009.

Osprey that summer in Oregon typically winter off the islands and coast of Mexico, Central and South America, segregating into male and female territories. Osprey typically live to 25 in the wild and will continue to use the same nest with their monogamous partner, unless something tragic happens. The juveniles also come back to the area where they were reared so the birds on the coast have been here for many, many generations.

While their numbers rebounded significantly in most of the world after the banning of DDT, osprey are still threatened or endangered globally, including in many states nationally. In Oregon, they are not considered legally endangered, although are not as abundant as they once were. Currently, the biggest threat to osprey is aquaculture, which causes habitat loss because of damming. The raptors are often shot while hunting fish at aquaculture facilities in their southern territory.

However, here in Oregon the birds are increasingly overwintering locally rather than migrating and it is not clear as to why. The birds rely on an abundant source of fish, which may be harder for the birds to find as more rivers are dammed for agriculture, flood control, aquaculture and hydropower. It’s also possible that they are finding the Willamette Valley’s maritime climate more amenable than in year’s past and have moved north, like many birds, as a result of climate change. Moreover, it could be a slough of other variables not yet identified. There are not many resources on the coast dedicated to the study of osprey.

“We didn’t even know where the nests were, it wasn’t on anyone’s agenda. ODFW was budgeted back to survival level, there’s not even an ODFW office in Clatsop County,” said Maine. Since the ospreys are not a priority species, answering these questions might fall on the shoulders of people like Maine, who engages regularly in citizen science. “More and more are staying every winter in the valley, and last year I found one here in January,” he said.

Nature certainly does find a way and osprey are a testament to that. They are resilient birds and can make themselves at home in the busiest of human environments. “It seems like they watch the baseball games,” Maine said about the birds at the Broadway field.

 

Check out the osprey cam at seasideosprey.org or better yet, go find them in person in Seaside.

 

Just in from Neal Maine. For ‘March’ at Fairweather’s.

“Virginia Rail” by Neal Maine, PacificLight Images.

The Virginia rail is a small waterbird, fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen.

Read more at https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/virginia-rail

 

 

 

Seaside First Saturday Art Walk

Fairweather House and Gallery

Through the years, local habitat lecture every First Saturday by Neal Maine at 6:pm.

 

 

Neal Maine,  naturalist,  spoke about the nurse logs that establish marching orders for future forests during the Fairweather Gallery opening reception of ‘March’ on the March 2nd Seaside First Saturday Art Walk.

 

Even though they’re dead, they are not gone — trees find a way to help each other out postmortem. Introducing the nurse log. Defined as fallen trees that provide “ecological facilitation” as they decay, nurse logs offer seedlings shade, nutrients, water and protection from disease and pathogens, thus nurturing and making way for the new generation.

How does it work, you ask? Well, the process begins with a fallen tree’s gradual breakdown of lignin following its death. Lignin is a group of polymers that help form the trees’ structural tissues, especially in wood and bark. Biodegradation of lignin is facilitated by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria — white rot fungi, more specifically, is responsible for breaking down wood on the forest floor. As the lignin deteriorates, holes and niches in the bark begin to grow in size and, over time, become filled with soil, moss, mushrooms and small plants. This dark soil is called humus, the nitrogen-rich organic matter that forms when plant and animal matter decay. When moss covers the exterior of the log itself, the decaying process is expedited, and new plant species are more easily supported.

Plants aren’t the only ones that benefit, however. Many small animal species such as squirrels are also known to roost on or in nurse logs, enriching the humus and providing additional fertilization for germinating seeds and sprouts with their food debris.  –Allie Wisniewski, American Forests

 

 

“This tree I saw at Skipanon Forest, an NCLC Reserve. This Sitka spruce fell over some time ago, but instead of dying, it decided to become at least seven new “trees” from its branches. The largest new tree (just left of center) looked to be nearly a foot in diameter and perhaps 30’ tall. Amazing what a tree will do to keep on keeping on.”   Jeffrey Roehm, NCLC steward

 

Habitat lecture by Neal Maine

Jay Barber, Neal Maine, and Jan Barber in a Seaside conversation.

Neal Maine habitat lecture

Q and A with Neal Maine.

Neal Maine lecture.

Kathy B. Director of Hospitality (aka Director of Smiles) and Neal Maine.

Naturalist Neal Maine

Nature photographer Neal Maine shares what’s outside “within steps from the ocean.”

Naturalist Neal Maine offers photographs in support of NCLC.

Patrons listen to naturalist Neal Maine.

Seaside/Gearhart nature photographer Neal Maine speaks about his natural history journal of images found in the local habitat “steps from our own back yards” and shares his latest framed photograph. Proceeds benefit NCLC.

Take a note!

Next Seaside First Saturday Art Walk

April 6

Fairweather House and Gallery

612 Broadway

Next local habitat lecture by Neal Maine at 6:pm on April 6.

For more info about the Art Walk events, please visit www.facebook.com/SeasideFirstSaturdayArtWalk

 

Neal Maine introduced a catalog of PacificLight Images recently at Fairweather House and Gallery; an exclusive catalog featuring his entire collection with images that can be special ordered as framed prints or as matted prints, representing more than a decade of habitat photography.

 

 

100% profits from the sale proceeds in support of North Coast Land Conservancy, NCLC.

To read more about North Coast Land Conservancy, please go to https://nclctrust.org/rare-

For more about the naturalist/ photographer Neal Maine, please visit his artist’s page at

www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com

 

Just in from Neal Maine for “All is Calm.” December Fairweather exhibition.

“White Wings.”

Common white egret by Neal Maine, PacificLight Images.

November, 2018

Sunset Beach, Oregon

 

Read more about Herons and Egrets | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/-herons-and-egrets

After a thirty-year career as an award-winning biology teacher at Seaside High School, Neal Maine became the first executive director of North Coast Land Conservancy, which he co-founded in 1986. Since his retirement from the land trust in 2010, he has pursued his passion for nature photography through PacificLight Images, which is dedicated to raising awareness of coastal ecology and the wildlife with whom we share the region’s estuaries, freshwater wetlands and forests. The photography centers around coastal and Columbia River landscape, ecology and the rich estuary habitat with the surrounding wetlands and forest systems. Neal Maine focuses his imagery on exploring wildlife in the context of its habitat.

 

To view more of Neal Maine’s photography, please go to the  artists tab/ Neal Maine http://www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com

100% of profits from Neal Maine’s photography  are donated to NCLC,  North Coast Land Conservancy.

 

 

 

Q: “Would it be possible to share the poem that Kim Stafford dedicated to NCLC as a story for the “All is Calm” Art Walk at Fairweather’s?”

A:  “We’re so glad you were touched and appreciate you wanting to share it with others,”  NCLC/North Coast Land Conservancy.

For more about NCLC go to https://nclctrust.org/ North Coast Land Conservancy. Helping to conserve Oregon’s coastal lands, forever.

Mother Mountain
Heaven, the old proverb says, is at your mother’s feet—
and here we are at the forest hem watching fog climb
through trees toward the queen’s crown peak,
hidden harvester of rain, alpine realm of silence
and starlight, home to bear cave, elk wallow,
cougar range, rare flowers brimming from persistent
seeps, trees shaggy with centuries on their blue ridge
where sister peaks layer shadows far.
So close the gate, let the alders usher in young fir,
cedar, hemlock, spruce, let the road become a path
for pilgrims seeking myriad mysteries, magic
not yet known, the black petaltail dragonfly
born from fog-fed, moss-footed mud to soar
before our eyes from the time of legends.
Here we dwell at our mother’s feet, blessed
with bounty we protect, home to wild origin.
Kim Stafford

 

Kim Stafford named Oregon Poet Laureate | Oregon Cultural Trust
https://culturaltrust.org/blog/news/kim-stafford-named-oregon-poet-laureate/

 

Please note another Fairweather blog post next week will present the entire back story to the poem created by Kim Stafford for NCLC with a letter by Katie Voelke, executive director.