spring (cormorant and skunk cabbages)

Oil and mixed media on wood
18″ x 14″ x 1″
ⒸCathy Haibach 2020

Each March we visit a local prairie to see the skunk cabbages in bloom. They’re one of the first plants to emerge in the spring because they generate their own heat. They’re very prehistoric looking, and I especially enjoy seeing them pop up in areas that have been burned because of the contrast of their red-purple flesh next to the black of the ash and the heat that those areas generate. Similarly, cormorants often sit with their back to the sun to absorb warmth. The idea for this painting came to me on a cold spring day.

$350