Beaver Raising a Dam on the Winding River

A beaver squats on a heap of sticks and logs at the left, its face turned toward the water, with golden fur on its head, deep blue and cream swirls on its back and a long scaled tail in coral, teal and violet. Small mossy islands grow on its fur, with ferns, pink flowers, yellow feathers and purple mushrooms. Workers live among them. One hammers on the head, another sits at a winch with a ladder on the back, and a third drives a post beside the tail. Others pole small log rafts across the current, carrying tools. Around the dam, the river curls past lily pads, cattails, bundled branches and heaps of orange shells. Because the swirling fur, the log pile and the water each have a different texture, the pieces are easy to place.