This painting is titled “Canadian Lady’s Slippers.” Many of you have seen it posted on Facebook by now. I know it has gotten many positive responses. (Thank you!)

There’s a backstory to this painting, and if it hadn’t been for a beaver lodge that raised my curiosity, I might never have come upon these flowers.

Years ago, I and another person camped on the shore of a small lake in the Canadian wilderness. The lake was surrounded by a high, forested bluff, and partway around the lake I could see where there was a beaver dam. In fact, periodically, one of the beavers would swim out, a short distance across from where the camp was, and slap his tail on the water, probably to try to scare us away.

I started to make my way around the lake to get close to the dam and take pictures, but I found myself climbing higher and higher up the bluff, trying to find a clear path.  There was no path, or no clear ground. I climbed over, and crawled under vegetation and fallen trees.  It was as if it had been decades or even centuries since another human had climbed that bluff.

As I got closer to the top, I saw three or four pink lady’s slippers growing there in the wilderness, their pink blossoms glowing against the green and brown backdrop.  I have a passion for wildflowers, and had never seen a pink lady’s slipper except in pictures.  I never pick wildflowers, but I photograph them all the time, so I took several photos. Later on, after I was back home, I painted this picture from one of the photos.  As of now, I have never seen another pink lady’s slipper.