Mule Deer and Deergrass; Acorn Woodpecker and Oak; Coyote and Coyote Brush

Artist: Lake, Carly b. 1994

Date: 2024

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Artwork Dimensions: 20 x 28 in.

County Department: Public Works

Artwork Site: La Puente Enhanced One-Stop Development Center

Supervisorial District: 1

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: The triptych of paintings, <em>Mule Deer and Deergrass</em>, <em>Acorn Woodpecker and Oak</em>, and <em>Coyote and Coyote Brush</em>, illustrate local animals and plants that share common namesakes and relationships in the Southern California chaparral, woodland, and desert landscapes. Mule deer often hide their babies among the dense clumps of deergrass. Multiple generations of Acorn Woodpeckers will use a "granary" tree, which can be an oak or another type of tree, to store family acorns for their winter food supply. Coyote brush bushes provide habitat for small mammals and birds that may be prey for coyotes. These shared namesakes point to our human observations of life cycles and honor the sacredness and interconnectedness of all beings within our shared space.

About the Artist: Carly Lake is a visual artist primarily working in watercolor, natural dyes, and weaving practices. She creates nature-focused illustrations for books, editorial, and mural artworks. Her debut picture book, <em>Waa'aka The Bird Who Fell in Love With the Sun</em> (Heyday Books) by author Cindi Alvitre (Tongva), was awarded Excellence in a Picture Book of Cultural Significance by the Children's Literature Council of Southern California. Alongside her art practice, Lake develops classes on topics of drawing, watercolor painting, connecting with nature, and cultivating imagination for children and adults. She facilitates hands-on workshops about natural dyes, sharing ethnobotanical histories, artistic techniques, and collective learning about our shared ecology. Through natural dyes, she is interested in maintaining a tangible engagement with her local environment, as well as continuing to connect with personal and global histories. Lake received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and minor in Native American Cultures from California State University at Long Beach. She lives near the San Gabriel Mountains in Ontario, CA.