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Wildlife Art Portraits Drawings & Paintings
This pastel painting received The People's Choice Award at the 2009 Cavalcade of Colors Onaping Falls Art Show (Dowling, Ontario).
Red squirrel pastel painting
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approx. size: 16" x 22"
"Meeting at Sugarbush"-Red Squirrels & Sugar Maple-original pastel on velour
View this portrait's work in progress here
Did you know that for every 40 gallons of maple sap collected, only 1 gallon of syrup is produced? The traditional method of making maple syrup is quite labor intensive and is still used today in smaller operations. In spring when the weather warms, collecting pails are hung on sugar maples (as many as four per tree) and a tap is inserted through the bark to allow some of the sweet sap to flow into the pail. The pails are then collected by hand and the sap poured into a large vat. The sap is then boiled under a wood fire for a few days until much of the water evaporates, leaving behind the sweet tasting syrup. Taffy and maple candy are the result of further boiling the syrup which concentrates (and hardens) the sugars even more.