Bird show!

The Gustavus Community Center has a nice little gallery space in its foyer, where local artists have been holding monthly themed shows. May’s theme is birds. It is a great opportunity for Steve and me to display some of our recent collaborative bird sculptures (Steve carves them and creates the mounts, and I paint them). This photo shows half of the show. I painted the kingfisher, warblers, and whimbrel. Steve painted the turnstone.

The swan painting on the left is also mine. It took me four years to paint… not because I painted slowly but because I couldn’t decide on an approach for the sky!

Little landscapes

I recently started painting more small landscape studies. In part this is to improve my ability to show the environment for the critters I paint. But the process is also teaching me more about choosing and balancing colors (something I’ve always been a bit shaky at). And it helps me learn to adjust landscape elements—and even create whole new landscapes—while still having the artwork feel true to life.

Two new painted birds

Carver friend Steve provided me with two new bird painting “assignments.” First was a kingfisher, which had quite a bit of wood patch-work so I decided to paint it completely rather than try to show the wood grain as I did with the owl last summer.

Then a whimbrel. This one had to show the wood grain—it’s such a natural undercurrent for the feather texture!

One more Artober entry

Here’s the last set. As in previous years, this has been challenging, fun, and surprisingly productive—every year, I’ve ended up with at least one or two images that turned into other art projects—from sweatshirt designs to greeting cards. I wonder which of this year’s will inspire a future art piece?

My thanks to the folks at SCBWI and GNSI for creating the prompt lists!

“Whiskered”
“Shell.” These are from one of my favorite clam species… the delightfully wonky (and highly talented) piddock (Zirfea pisbryi )
“Parasites”
Another fun exploration of negative space: “Dolphin” and “Bees”
“Amphora” and “Fall”
“Snake” and “Boo!”

Artober continues

The SCBWI prompt was “Ride,” so of course Banjo Woman was a shoo-in. As for the rest, I’ve been researching dung beetles for a writing project.
“Mushroom.” I loved drawing this one!
“Exoskeleton” made for a cool abstract pattern. It’s a dung beetle, of course.

More artober catch up

“Root”
“Bird” and “Basket.” I want someone to make this!
“Plankton” and “Bat.” Of course.
“Scales.” This is based on electron micrographs of placoid scales.

Catching up on Artober!

“Worm” and “Heart.” This one’s going out to my friend Kim,
who loves her worms…
“Rodent.” I like the negative space!
“Footprint”
“Butterfly” and “Full moon”

Artober part 4

Daily drawings from October 7-10.

“Fossil” (GNSI)— just riffing on an ammonite cross-section.
“Reptile” (GNSI) and “Apples” (SCBWI)—I have never drawn a crocodilian before… so this was particularly fun!
“Bear” (GNSI) and “Black” (SCBWI)
“Costume” (SCBWI)—camouflage is a kind of costume, right?

Artober, part 3

Another day of playing with patterns. The GNSI prompt was “Cell;” the SCBWI prompt was “Fire.” The combination put me in mind of a mitochondrion.
“Bone” (GNSI) and “Crow” (SCBWI)

Artober 2022, part 2

A harvest (SCBWI) of bird skulls (GNSI), ready to pluck.
As with the egg a couple of days ago, I decided to abstract a pattern from its typical enclosing form; this one’s inspired by the enamel on the occlusal surface of a mammoth molar. (GNSI prompt – teeth)