Cape Griffon Pencil Drawing



Cape Griffon Pencil Drawing - 5" x 7"  There is beauty in all the species of wildlife and that is what I wanted to capture in this drawing - the magnificent feather array of the Cape Griffon. This bird is vunerable to extinction just as the California Condor is in the United States. This piece is available for purchase by clicking here.

REST (Rare and Endangered Species Trust) in Namibia, Africa is a non- profit organization, founded in September of 2000, to help save the Cape Griffon. Its founder has no formal conservation training but saw a desperate need for a species on the brink of local extinction. She was advised from the beginning to get the support of the trained experts and learn from them which she did. Many of the world’s top vulture experts are now on her scientific board and give advice on major environmental decisions. REST began by helping only the plight of the Cape Griffon vulture, but after a few years it became apparent that there were a few species that needed specific support in Namibia. Thus the start of the “Forgotten Five” began which has developed into the Forgotten 5 +1. These animals represent biodiversity within the entire land ecosystem of Namibia. Please visit http://www.restafrica.org

Winter in Florida

A frosty 24 degrees in northern Florida this morning - and look who I found hunting for breakfast. At every turn there seems to be

a water retention area in most Florida cities. Some are small, like this one that was only about 60' x 100' - but they are always full of different species of birds looking for food. I got some great shots for possible paintings this morning.

abstract impressionism - working with design & color

This is on a large canvas - 2' x 3'. The underpainting is in acrylics, the final layer will be in oils. I'm enjoying working with the design and the colors. I seem to be leaning towards less and less detail as you can see by the photo of the last workup. I'm thinking of putting a semblance of a western rail fence on the horizon - not sure yet. Having a lot of fun experimenting - thank goodness for Photoshop! :-)

Birding On A Bike

Besides the wonderful long stretches of flat roads to ride on in Florida, there's something else I really enjoy about riding here - and that's all the wildlife I see every morning. I usually head out soon after dawn. Not only do I avoid the summer heat, but I am treated to an array of wildlife on the hunt for breakfast. Yesterday I was treated to what seemed like a short-movie of this Sharp Shinned Hawk trying to catch some HUGE dragon flies that were flitting around a small man-made pond. Most of his time and energy was spent dodging the small birds that were harassing him, and trying to avoid flying into the pond. I'm surprised he didn't turn and snag one of the little birds as 90% of their diet is usually made up of small perching birds. But, he was intent on catching a dragon fly - and after many attempts he finally did just that.
Sharp Shinned Hawks are one of my favorite little hawks. They are only about 12" tall but have a beautiful little face full of brilliant yellows, reds and earth tones. Their breast is a rich cinnamon color with tinges of tan and white. Ahhhh :-) the colors of nature.
This is an image of one I drew nearly 20 years ago. At the time it was on the Endangered Species list in Ohio. I believe it is still a protected species.

Artist's Eyes

The 2500 mile drive from California to Florida is filled with visions of a thousand different paintings and drawings along the way. People ask how I do this drive every year but when your eyes see the spectacular beauty of this country around every corner and with each mile- it really is pretty easy. One day I decided to get off the Interstate for a few miles and find this place in Georgia selling fresh peaches. You know how you see those signs....Fresh Peaches 50 miles!.....Fresh Peaches 25 miles! ....Fresh Peaches! Next Exit!....Well, I just HAD TO HAVE one of those peaches! Driving down the exit's road I passed this barn like structure (one of many I'd seen that day) and something immediately caught my eye. You're probably looking at the photo and thinking......huh?that's pretty ugly....Well, I have no idea what that antenna is, or what those huge cylinder looking things are, and to tell you the truth the place looked very deserted and about to fall down.
What caught my eye was something I saw parked in the overhang on the far right. It was one of those "did I just see what I think I saw" moments. I turned around and drove back to the place and sure enough parked under the overhang was this beautiful old abandoned truck. The entire scene gave me goosebumps and was so inspirational I must have taken 100 photos. I'm not sure what my composition will end up being, or if I'll include the entire building or just some of it in the painting. I'm sure there will be wildlife in it though, but that's a secret - maybe you can guess. Stay Tuned! OH....believe it or not I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE PEACHES!

Okay, let's try this again!

I always seem to make things more difficult than they are. For instance - this blog thing. All I wanted to do was share my daily art activities - and I was doing that for quite some time. Then, as always, "life" got in the way and for some reason I stopped posting. But, it was always in the back of my mind. Posting actually helps motivate me - not sure why though. So - I'm going to start with what I'm up to right now and hopefully this will all lead back to my ART, and even if it doesn't - it's a nice journal of sorts.
So - where am I? I'm in Florida right now - enjoying my visit with family and friends, but missing my Mario. (wish you were here.....sigh) My daily bike rides here are so different from California. There are no hills or winds to deal with - only humidity and big bugs (have to remember to keep my mouth shut when I ride) - not sure if the trade-off is good or bad - but "different" is always nice in my book. I saw some beautiful scenery driving east this year - I'll share an inspirational scene tomorrow.....a drawing I hope to do very soon.

Happy New Year! Where to begin.

Although this book is advertised as a "guide to self-promotion" -it is really so much more than that. I know we artists would love to just sit in the studio and create all day long (letting someone else take care of the business end) - but, there really is more to "being an artist" than that, and (as the author states) YOU are the best promoter of your art. If you are one of the few artists that doesn't care about selling, promoting or showing your art - this book will still help you get organized and focused on just what it is that you do want to do with your art. The author, Alyson Stanfield, is also an Art Business Coach and offers classes, workshops, and other tips via her website http://www.artbizcoach.com/ I'm using the book as a guideline to begin 2009. Check it out!

Okay, so where do I begin? I thought I would start the new year by finishing a painting I've been working on for nearly a year. I'm at the "putting in the details" part of the piece - the part I always enjoy the most. This is an Egret, walking through some muck in the canals at Venice Beach, CA. 16" x 20", oil on board

I'd also like to begin the design concepts of a new painting. I was watching a show on Polar Bears and there was a scene where the bear was casually walking by a herd of walrus, looking for any possibility of an easy meal. I took this photo from the TV screen.

You can barely see the polar bear in the background. Of course the Walrus were frantically trying to move away, difficult to do though as they were packed together pretty tightly. What I'd like to capture here is the nonchalant stroll of the bear, AND the frantic (fear) of the walrus. So, the overall focus of the piece would be the "emotions" it generates, and not a focus on one animal over the other. Can I do this? Stay tuned!