The Pivotal Point

Bealtaine Cottage ~ The Oldest, Independent, Permaculture Smallholding in Ireland! Conceived, Designed, Planted and Worked by One Woman!

The west of Ireland has been drying out over recent weeks, as the drought continues to make it’s presence felt in streams, rivers and, most importantly for Bealtaine Cottage, Spring Wells…mine in particular!

Those attending yesterday’s workshop noted the now empty rain barrels!

There is rain promised for Friday the 12th of May…the day when a visitor from America flies in to take up a week long course at Bealtaine Cottage…so rain will be greatly appreciated on this occasion in order to facilitate shower facilities in the cottage!

On the plus side, there’s a new wooden veranda to enjoy sitting out on…the lodge is where visitors get to stay, in comfort and, to some degree, independence and privacy…that is unless SammyBear, Beauty or, indeed, Jack, try to barge in, as oft they try!

Over recent years, this early summer drought has become a feature of our evolving weather systems.

Who…

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May 7, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Good Morning, Sunshine

Good Morning, Sunshine ~ 6″ x 10″ oil on panel. Start bid $69.00 USD

A few years ago, we ran a cute little Bed and Breakfast, and in the summertime, many European visitors would visit Bella Coola, hoping to see BEARS! People were always asking us where to go to find bears, as many can be found fishing on the riverbanks in late fall. This particular Swiss couple were frustrated, as they were reaching the end of their stay and had yet to see a bear. We were standing outside the cottage, talking to them, and in the background our new puppy, a four month old hound lab cross was going nuts underneath a tree in our yard. He was barking frantically and jumping up and down beneath the tree. He was so noisy that he was interrupting our conversation, so we went over to see what all of the commotion was about. Up in the tree, resting his paws on a branch and his head on his paws, was a little black bear, looking down at the ridiculous mammal bouncing up and down beneath him. He was quite non-plussed and unafraid.

So, the Swiss couple got to see their bear. He wasn’t a magnificent grizzly, but a bear, nonetheless.

The auction starts Friday, January 26th over at DailyPaintworks. Click here to bid.

January 26, 2017January 27, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: Uncategorized, wildlife artTags: animal rescue, bear, Bear art, bear painting, black bear, colorful wildlife, impressionism, sunrise, sunset, wildlife art Leave a comment

Sassy Sunburst

Sassy Sunburst ~ 6″ x 6″ oil on canvas coated hardboard panel

“Sassy” is a little Stellar’s Jay that lives with her family in a big old cedar snag in my yard. I hear her squawking at the cats every morning, trying to scare them away from her suet. She has become very brave, landing on the windowsill and peeking in at us as we eat lunch if her feeder is empty, as if to say, “Hey, what about my lunch?” She is quite the mimic, even using a Bald Eagle call in an attempt to chase away the cats!

This little painting will be up for auction tomorrow morning starting at $49, at DailyPaintworks. Click here to bid.

 

 

 

January 18, 2017January 19, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: bird art, Uncategorized, wildlife paintingTags: 6" x 6", bird art, blue jay, daily painting, stellar's jay Leave a comment

Fierce Blue ~ Kingfisher

Fierce Blue ~ 6″ x 6″ oil on canvas covered hardboard. SOLD!

I am lucky enough to live near the ocean. Bella Coola is actually located right at the end of an inlet and instead of beaches, we have steep mountains plunging into the sea, much like the Fjords of Norway. It would explain why the Norwegians decided to settle here…it reminded them of home.

Anyways, every Sunday I go for a jog near the tide flats with my dog, and every Sunday I see this little guy, sitting on the telephone line, or diving like a torpedo into the water, hoping for a catch. I have yet to see him succeed, but I enjoy his acrobatics and his distinctive rattle  call.

This little painting is up for sale at DailyPaintworks starting at $49. The auction will go live Tuesday morning. Click here to bid. 

January 16, 2017January 17, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: acrylic painting demonstration, Uncategorized, wildlife portraitTags: bird painting, bird portrait, colorful art, impressionism, kingfisher art Leave a comment

Cowboy

Cowboy ~ 6″ x 6″ oil on canvas covered hardboard panel

To be so blessed to live in the wilds on the North Coast of B.C. is such an amazing gift. We are surrounded by majestic mountains, ancient old growth forests, and abundant wildlife, yet, being coastal in a coastal fjord, it is very rare to spot a moose. They prefer the plains and swamps and the wide open spaces of the Chilcotin Plateau. But then, there’s Cowboy, lovingly named by our local photographer, Michael Wigle, to whom I can thank for this reference photo. Cowboy seems to think that he is a cow. He was first seen grazing placidly with a herd this summer, head and shoulders, (and antlers) above the rest of his “mates”…They treated him as one of them, and he lived with them long into the fall, only leaving when it became clear that they weren’t interested in his (Hmmhmm) amorous advances. He could be seen on a daily basis, the lone set of antlers not helping him blend in at all,  only making him a target for daily traffic stops and photo ops of curious observers. This painting is up for bid at DailyPaintworks…you can bid here.

January 11, 2017January 11, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: oil painting, Uncategorized, wildlife artTags: colorful wildlife, impressionism, moose, wildlife, wildlife art 2 Comments

Into the Dawn

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of horses, I drew horses, I was obsessed with horses. I lived in Quesnel, on a small acreage and I prayed and prayed that one day I could have a horse. When I was 12, my parents told me that I could have a horse if I built the corral, so I did! I’m not sure that they were prepared for that reality, but they stuck to their word. She was a purebred registered quarter horse, named Miss Peeti Poco, and I loved her more than anything in the world! I rode her every day, for as long as I could, and scared my parents half to death on more than one occasion. On one of these occasions, I had a friend visiting from Bella Coola (where I live now). We had borrowed another horse from a friend so that we could go riding together. I let my friend ride my placid mare, and I rode the gorgeous bay. She looked a lot like this one, glossy reddish brown coat, shining, blue black mane and a wide blaze down the middle of her face. We were out about 5km in the woods, when she went down. I saw the pain in her eyes right away, and knew she was colicking. I was terrified! I knew that this was life or death for her. I made her run the whole way home. She went down three or four times, and each time, I’d have to leap off and get out of the way of the 1000 pound animal, and then haul her to her feet and make her go again. We finally arrived at the home of a friend who had horses. We called the vet, but he was out on another call, so we took turns pulling her to her feet, and walking her in circles. By the end of the ordeal, we were exhausted, and some men took over. One of them had a painkiller for horses, which kept her up until the vet could arrive and work his magic. He told us we saved her life and if I hadn’t thought quickly and kept her on her feet that she would have died.

So this is my homage to that sweet little horse. I don’t remember her name, just that she was spunky and spirited, a lovely little Morgan/Arab cross…

She’ll be up for sale on DailyPaintworks tomorrow, starting at $49. The dimensions are 6″ x 8″ and it is painted on stretched 3/4 inch profile canvas. Click here to bid. 

January 6, 2017January 16, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: dramatic horse painting, horse painting, UncategorizedTags: animal portrait, art, equine art, horse, impressionism, oil painting, painting Leave a comment

Chilcotin Blues

To get out of my little village of Bella Coola, we have to drive a crazy gravel road, dubbed by locals as “The Hill”. The Hill is a notoriously steep, unpaved stretch of Highway 20 that connects the Chilcoltin Plateau to the Bella Coola Valley. The 43-kilometre road ascends some 1,800 metres with grades as steep as 18 per cent and there are no guard rails to prevent motorists from going over the edge. Last year, this little red fox was commonly seen sitting in the middle of the road, on the plateau. Waiting for handouts maybe? The snow gets very deep up there, so it’s possible that the highway was easier to navigate…My friend Gwynn from Little Nook photography, managed to snap this shot of him and graciously allowed me to use it as a reference for this painting. It’s up for sale starting at $49 at Dailypaintworks right now. Click here to bid :) Prints are available over at my Etsy Shop 

January 4, 2017January 18, 2017 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: 6" x 6", Uncategorized, wildlife artTags: art, fox, landscape, oceania, oil painting, red fox, snow, wildlife Leave a comment

Encounter

It’s been forever and ever since I posted anything on here, but I truly want to get back at it…I have been one busy girl for the last two years, but I have managed to have achieved (somewhat) my dream…But achieving dreams is hard work, and it doesn’t always look like what you imagined. It still needs some fine tuning…but I’ve opened up a little Art Gallery/Handmade Gift shop/Cafe in our tiny town, and it’s exceeded every expectation that I had. Unfortunately, it’s left me very little time to paint. It’s slowed down for the winter now, though, and I have some help, so I’m going to try posting some new artworks for you all.

Here is my first one. I call it Encounter…a white wolf. One of the most elusive of our planet’s beautiful animals. I hope you like her. She measures 4″ x 10″ and is painted on Raymar Artists Quality hardboard panel. She will be available at DailyPaintworks starting tomorrow, at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/634709.

December 18, 2016 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Buttercup ~ 4″ x 4″ oil on gallery wrap canvas
up for bid on DailyPaintworks
BID HERE
auction will be active on May 15th

I grew up on a farm, and we had goats. Over the years we had many different kinds of goats…Nubians, Alpines, LaManchas, and Saanans. I grew up on goats’ milk, and to this day still can’t drink milk from the store. I guess I’m processed dairy intolerant. Raw milk doesn’t seem to bother me.
I remember that we had a few different goats named Buttercup, and this one reminded me of her. (Yes, nanny goats can have beards and horns)

May 15, 2014May 15, 2014 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: UncategorizedTags: 4" x 4", animal portrait, dairy goat, farm animal art, goat painting, oil painting, saanan goat, white goat Leave a comment

4″ x 4″ oil on gallery wrap canvas (1.5″ profile)
Edges painted black and ready to hang

For sale at DailyPaintworks…starting price $30.00
BID HERE
(auction becomes live Wednesday morning)

The Stellar’s Jay ( I can’t help but call them blue jay…my kids are constantly correcting me!)
is B.C.’s provincial bird, and a very common one at our feeder. They’re rambunctious, noisy and comical. They squawk at me when they’re out of food, and they make such a mess. They only want the sunflower seeds, so they swish their beaks through the seed, scattering it everywhere, just so they can pick out the sunflower sees. I love watching them because they seem to try so hard to communicate. I’ve had many opportunities to take pictures of them, and I love the brilliance of their feathers.

May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 by Tahirih Goffic Categories: UncategorizedTags: art nouveau background, bird painting, bird portrait, blue and orange complementary, blue jay, stellar's jay Leave a comment