Myth of the Mouse and Douglas Fir
11" x 14"
Mixed Media Encaustic

This mixed-media painting contains a shadow box with two Douglas Fir cones with gold accents. The painting contains gold mica and a drawing of a little mouse in the bottom right corner. The background is made up of a variety of vintage ephemera including letters, book pages, sheet music, and more. The sides are painted black.

Legend says that a long time ago there was a large fire in the forests of the west. Many animals were running around frantically trying to escape the flames. Tiny mice, not fast enough to outrun the fire, were trying to find shelter in various trees. The mice approached many trees asking for their help and were continuously denied. Finally, they approached the large and mighty Douglas fir tree and asked if they could take shelter amongst its branches. The Douglas fir agreed to help the mice and allowed them to hide in its cones. The mice survived the fire, and to this day, if you examine a Douglas fir cone you can see the tails of the mice sticking out of the scales of a cone.