ACEO Orca Whales Puget Sound Watercolor Painting

"Orcas in the Wild"

The past week I have enjoyed painting one of my favorite subjects: Orca whales.  These striking marine mammals are residents of Puget Sound, Washington.  On each occasion that my family and I have visited the San Juan Islands, we have seen orca pods swimming free and feeding on salmon.  Many wild orca feed on marine mammals - but the pods in Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca have been feeding primarily on salmon for generations.  It is always a delight to see these majestic mammals 'wild and free'.

Orca Whale "Ocean Freedom" ACEO watercolor and ink 

   Orca Whale "Majesty Surfacing" ACEO watercolor and ink
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ACEO Orca Whale Breaching

Orca Whale "Breaching Majesty"

Hello Artists, Friends and Family : )


It has been a month since I last updated my blog - shame on me. 


Here is a fun Art Card painted in watercolor and archival inks of one of my favorite marine mammals.  "Breaching Majesty" was a wonderful miniature to create of our Pacific Northwest region complete with an orca and beautiful mountains on the horizon - all viewed from Puget Sound.  I never tire of painting, viewing, or learning about orca whales.  They truly possess strength, power, intelligence and a nurturing nature for their young.  Several pods have lived in Puget Sound for eons and they feed primarily on the resident salmon.  It is always exciting to view them. So enjoy this ACEO and may the power of the orca be with you!

Breaching Majesty 2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor and ink

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Sea lion and Sea Otters

More Marine Mammals!

"Bubbles at Play"

This week, I have enjoyed painting more marine mammals. "Bubbles" is a sweet sea lion that I have featured in several paintings over the past two years. She is a young, fun loving, wild pinniped (suborder of carnivorous aquatic mammals that includes: seals, sea lions and walruses) and she loves to blow bubbles and play with them.

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Sea Otters (Mother and Pup) "Sweet Moment"

Sea Otters have always been a favorite subject of mine to view and paint. These amazingly agile mustelids (heaviest members of the family including: weasels, river otters and minks) are so engaging. We have river otters on the bay near our home and their loud squeaks and whistles can be heard for quite a distance. In this painting, I am showing a sweet moment between mother and pup.

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Manatee Mother and Calf

"Grazing Joy"

This week, I enjoyed painting another manatee minaiture. These lovely creatures have captured my heart and I hope to someday share a moment with them in their habitat. The colors I chose for this art card include: marine blues and greens with a fair concentration of violet for the shadows.

Grazing Joy original watercolor and ink 2.5"x 3.5" SOLD

Manatee Mother and Baby

"Sweet Moment"

Manatees are such sweet aquatic/marine mammals. I thoroughly enjoyed researching them and watching several videos on Youtube showing individuals and families in man-made habitats and in the wild. These curious, very slow moving, vegetarians are in need of more protection from boaters and from garbage that pollutes their natural ecosystem.

This was a fun painting to create - the mothers and calves have a special bond. I hope to learn more about these wonderful mammals.

Manatee Mother and Baby "Sweet Moment" SOLD

Douglas Squirrel ACEO Watercolor and Ink

"Sweet Douglas Squirrel"



It is a dark, gray, cold, soaking day in the Pacific Northwest. So what better way for an artist to spend it than painting something fun, bright and cheerful.



Here is a watercolor and ink painting of one of our local Douglas Squirrels. These are the most active forest creatures I know. They just can't sit still for any length of time. These adorable bright rust and ochre colored, small squirrels literally zip about in the trees, dashing here and there so fast - it's a challenge to keep your eye trained on one. We have a few that visit our feeders and they are quite brave and will challenge the larger introduced species, gray squirrels - even though the little Douglas is half the size. Also, one individual in particular will alert me when I'm in the kitchen or the garden - to the fact that the feeder is out of seed. He stands on his favorite oak branch and just chatters and chatters at me until I add sunflower seeds to the feeder. This time of year they also enjoy the winter berries. I just love these little squirrels!



The bright colors and large expressive eye really make Douglas Squirrels fun art subjects. Also, with the green background and red berry - I must be thinking of the holidays. Enjoy!

"Sweet Douglas Squirrel"

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor and ink by Colleen K Carrigan

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