Steven Strang

@alchemicalrat

Artist, researcher. Anthropology, experimental archaeology, painting, sculpture, visual communication. Slowed but not entirely stopped by ME/CFS. Ottawa, Canada.

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Bluesky

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Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 21d

Today’s #ArtRepostJuly theme is “Surreal”

The Astronomer. Painting of a girl in a blue dress holding the full moon on a string. She is standing in front of a cedar hedge and a hare is sitting at her feet.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 22d

Resting in the back garden. The neighbourhood ravens are calling to each other, sparrows chirping at the birdbath. Peace broken by the flying ambulance clattering directly overhead low and fast. Hopefully someone’s horrible day is going to end well as a result…

Photo of a clear summer sky. There are telephone wires overhead and the top of a sumac bush. A single fluffy white cloud peeps in from one side.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 22d

Not just the Great Lakes, even in our swamps and bogs too. Attached photo as proof…

Painting of a submarine surfaced in a misty bog.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 22d

For #ArtRepostJuly — since I missed the days for “Small” and “Large”, here is my biggest little painting. The tiny frame needed something visually massive but smaller than a phone screen in it. So why not the whole world as seen from a distance? You Are Here, egg tempera and Black 2.0 on panel.

Photo of a tiny painting of the earth as seen from space, set in a very ornate gold frame.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 25d

Since today’s #ArtRepostJuly prompt is “blue” In Transit, 20x25 cm.

Painting of a person standing with their back to you at the end of a wooden dock. They have a small suitcase beside them and the wind is tugging at their overcoat. The far shore of the broad lake or river is not visible. There is no sign of what the person is waiting for.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 26d

Today’s theme for #ArtRepostJuly is Whimsical. “The Lads from Next Door had Dressed for Dinner”, 2025, Acrylic on panel.

Painting of two people wearing coats and bowler hats standing companionably together facing you. One has the head of a raccoon, the other the head of a black bear. The bear is carrying a fresh fish as their contribution to the meal.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 28d

Well, this could be “fun”

Weather app page with bright yellow warning banners at the top for Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Watch, and for Air Quality

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· 29d

Today’s #ArtRepostJuly theme is “melancholy”. The Cave Spring, painted while caring for my mother during her final illness.

Ink wash landscape painting. A small stream flows into a narrow wooded valley from a dark cave at the bottom of a cliff. A lone woman is walking beside the stream towards the cave.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 16

Today’s #ArtRepostJuly theme is « Joy ». Not an emotion I express often in painting, but I imagine the pilot has a big grin on their face in this one.

Painting of a peculiar bright yellow small aeroplane flying in a lovely blue sky. It has a parasol wing, pusher propellor, open cockpit, skids instead of wheels, and the running lights are two hurricane lanterns swinging from the wingtips. Commissioned by a pilot who asked me to « make it weird ».

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 15

SunbeamMaxxing

Photo of a tabby cat making best use of a long sunbeam on a new cork floor

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 15

Today’s #ArtRepostJuly theme is Green, so here’s a walk in a forest

Monochrome green painting of a person wearing a diving suit standing on a footpath in a forest. Their air hose stretches upwards through the branches.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 14

Since today’s word for #ArtRepostJuly is Bone, here is a comb and a cloak pin I carved from bone while doing historical interpretation at L’Anse aux Meadows.

Photo of a bone composite comb and a bone pin, both in typical styles found at Viking period archaeological sites. The pin is a replica based on fragments found at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 7

So, today’s prompt is eerie: “Drifting”, ink on paper.

Ink wash painting of a small wooden boat drifting through a misty forest. An indistinct person is sitting in the boat and a lit lantern is hanging from a hook at the bow.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 6

Today’s theme is wet, so here’s a whale in the Mer Bleue

Painting of a whale leaping out of the water in the middle of a bog ringed with trees. The Mer Bleue is a bog in the east end of Ottawa, left behind after the last ice age. Whale skeletons have been found nearby from when this area was all covered by the Champlain Sea. I just compressed times little.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jul 2

Planning my post-deluge wardrobe for today…

Painting of a man in a black frock coat and top hat standing knee deep in water. He has a tall brass snorkel extending from his hat.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 30

From my Universal Anxiety Protection Suit series.

Painting of a person wearing protective clothing and a metal helmet with a circular faceplate. They’re lit from above while standing in an indistinct blue space

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 23

Safe travels. I received a crow feather as well this morning. Was about to cut it into a pen when I saw this, so will keep it as a passport instead.

Photo of a primary flight feather from the left wing of one of the neighbourhood crows, found on an unplanned detour during my morning amble. These make fine pens for detailed drawings, the original crow quill nib.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 21

A little solstice cat bliss

Photo of a tabby cat relaxing in a sunbeam on a staircase. The light has passed through my front door’s window and is prismed into bands of rainbows.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 16

Today’s peak mixed message

Open hours listing from a website:
Admission is free and all are welcome.
Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: closed
Thursday: closed
Friday: closed
Saturday: closed
Sunday: closed

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 15

One of my collectors just picked up this version of “Monolith”. Happy to see another painting go out into the world.

Landscape painting of a path winding through a pine forest. A large enigmatic stone or concrete cube sits among the trees while a raven soars upwards over it.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 13

Happy #caturday! The mysteriously-named Mr Socks taking a nap after second breakfast.

Photo of a tabby cat with no sock markings asleep on the sofa wrapped around my hand.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 12

Wake up, check the Discourse, sigh. Just another disabled artist here who neither needs, wants, nor uses the “AI” plagiarism regurgitation machine for anything. illus. Memory Thief, acrylic on panel.

Painting of a raven perched on a wooden fence. There is a green field, treeline, and cloudy summer sky in the background. The raven holds a gold pocket watch suspended by a chain from its beak.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 6

It’s hard to take a good selfie when you’re just a little mouse with short arms. Visited the old Dominion Observatory this morning.

Photo of a toy mouse wearing a blue jacket and paisley ascot in front of a small but ornate astronomical observatory. The observatory is out of focus.

Photo of the same toy mouse being held up to the plaque marking the Canadian Prime Meridian in Ottawa.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 6

If you see this, post your bird art #art #birds

Raised by Owls.
Formal portrait painting of a young girl and two Great Horned Owls. All three are staring at you with the same expression. The girl is holding an owl’s feather in her hand.

Memory Thief.
Painting of a raven perched on a pine bough with a landscape of rivers, woods, and fields stretching into the distance. The raven is holding an old door key in its beak.

The Dreamers.
Painting of a Merlin perched on the hand of a pilot in a WW2 era flying suit.

Through Owl’s Eyes.
Ink painting of a person in an ankle-length dress holding an owl up in front of their face like a mask. The owl is spreading its wings.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 3

So, in lieu of participating in my usual art show, I’ve actually (gasp) updated my website www.alchemical-rat.com with a blogpost listing 10 of my paintings currently for sale.

Photo of a grisaille painting titled “Object”. It is a view over a calm lake towards distant hills. A dark featureless hexagonal floats enigmatically in the sky.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· Jun 2

We all need an occasional moment of wonder. Moonrise, oil on panel, 13x18cm, 2025.

Small landscape painting. A man wearing a raincoat and fedora stands looking over a lake towards the far shore. A full moon is rising over the lake in front of the distant hills.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· May 31

Another slow day, but the window is open and we’re sharing a sunbeam.

Photo of a tabby cat asleep on a sofa with his tail curled over my legs. We’re both partly in a sunbeam.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· May 31

Hug Maman! Had a meeting at the Bruyère last week and stopped here for a rest on my way back. The child in the yellow shirt spent about 15 minutes hugging the spider’s legs.

Photo of « Maman », a very large sculpture of a spider by Louise Bourgeois standing in a plaza in front of the National Art Gallery. A crowd of people are standing under it and a young child is hugging one of its legs.

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· May 22

Here’s some peak sunbeam maximization

Photo of a cat stretching to make best use of a long narrow sunbeam

Steven Strang@alchemicalrat· May 21

It seems I’ve been channeling parts of Hookland’s landscapes for some time…. Doom Ships and Faery Barges.