The completed work, just in the nick of time as it needs to be delivered to the gallery tomorrow! A day on the road ahead . . .

A bit further along today with the hope to complete the piece tomorrow.

Today's update. Can you find the hornbill?

Today, there's a mixed bag of uploads. First, one of the secondary subjects of the current work on the board finally puts in an appearance.


And next . . . with the arrival today of a fine disc full of images from the Birds in Art weekend, courtesy of the museum, filled with shots of all the artists attending and candid images of us all as we enjoyed each of the three days in Wausau, here are a couple of images showing yours truly, proving that I actually was there! My friends Paula Waterman and Alice Eberhard are featured as well! In this first image, I sure do look like I was asleep on my feet! Alice, behind me and to my right, seems to giggle with delight at the photographer catching me in this less than flattering shot.

And the tree continues to grow!

Continuing progress on this one, yesterday's work . . .

I am returning to Africa this week as I begin the last of the works for next month's showing at the Sporting Gallery in Virginia. This work, 19" x 15", will focus on a baobab tree with some other added 'attractions' to come.

This past weekend, I was in the midwest for the opening festivities of this year's Birds in Art exhibition at the Woodson in Wausau, Wisconsin. The weather was nice and fall-like and the atmosphere conducive to art talk! About 60 of 100 exhibiting artists were on hand from all around the globe. A fine time was had by all. Following are some images shot over the three days of the event, showing some of the 115 works of art, some of the artists and some of the museum! Enjoy.



This year's Master Wildlife Artist was Californian, Andrea Rich. Her beautiful, colorful woodblock prints were featured in the entry gallery and these are just three of the dozen or so works she showed.



Artist friend, Melanie Fain, struck a pose for me as we wandered the galleries, drinking in the fine, fine works.


















This work, one of a number of pieces that headed my short list of favorites, is by Zimbabwe born artist, David Langmead. I just could not get over the sharpness and sparkle of the sunlight dancing across his canvas.

My friend, Lyn St. Clair, brushed this wonderful work for her contribution to the exhibition, American Coots swim gracefully.



Kerri Burnett, with whom I enjoyed the artist luncheon on Friday afternoon, did this fine work, another of my favorite pieces in the show. These are also American Coots.



Another of my favorite works, this one by Kenn Backhaus, shows some resting Common Eiders in a very atmospheric oil that I could not stop going back to.



Louise Peterson, a transplanted Brit who now resides in Colorado, shaped this great, Great Dane after her own Nandi. The little Chickadee added just the 'right stuff' for inclusion in Birds in Art!



Bart Walter and Louise, both fine bronze workers, chat in the gallery.



















'Sanctuary', is Bart's work, a nice melding of shapes, forms, and the contrast of the man-made and organic.





















A wonderfully humorous and splashy work by Dutch artist, Dirk Moerbeek, one of the larger canvases in the exhibition. The bronze in the foreground is by Tony Angell, another of the Woodson's Master Wildlife Artists (awarded in 2001), entitled 'Raven Icon'.




Pete Zaluzec, left and Mark Eberhard chatting.



















Pete's creation, a Bateleur Eagle, one of several species of African raptor and I might add, one of Pete's best works, in my humble opinion.





















This is Mark's work, an outstanding piece that is emblematic of his graphic style of painting.

This work by sculptor friend, Don Rambadt, 'Chance Favors the Prepared Mind' is a stunning example of his imaginative approach to sculpture, using 'found' scraps of metal and combining them into the most appealing works of art! Bravo, Don.



Don (in the red and white striped shirt) chats with another artist during the informal Friday afternoon, artist only viewing of the exhibition. The rest of the weekend gets pretty crowded!



I know I have mentioned my good friend, Ryan Jacque in entries here before. He is another graphite artist whose work I respect greatly and I was so pleased that Ryan made 'the cut' this year. His work, 'End of Summer' just about knocked the socks off of many of the attending artists. A fine work from a fine artist!











Artist friend Paula Waterman chats with Alice Eberhard, wife of friend Mark, near Paula's wonderful scratch board work, 'Whoopers', which was done as a result of a fine afternoon spent at the International Crane Foundation in central Wisconsin last September after the opening of the 2005 Birds in Art exhibition. Readers of this blog page might recall just about a year ago, my entries about that fun day and some images of some of the crane species housed at the Foundation.



Having some fun in the gallery, Lyn gives it her best shot at emulating Kent Ullberg's eagle. Works by friends, Joe Garcia (on the left) and John Banovich share wall space with Kent in the gallery. John's work was particularly interesting as it did not depict a bird species at all, rather the bird's eye view of a bounding herd of African buffalo - a truly unique approach to the theme of Birds in Art!



John Sharp is indeed a master carver and was honored several years ago with the Master Artist status by the Woodson during that year's Birds in Art exhibition. Believe it or not, this magnificent work is carved completely out of a single piece of wood with no additions or applied pieces. The variations you see in the 'finish' of the different parts of the work are all done through textural differences and stains. John carefully carves away all that is not needed to leave such stunning works as 'Parakeets', done last year and carved in Black Walnut.



This beautiful work by friend, Lindsay Scott, depicts a spot close to where she and husband Brian live in New Zealand.



This fanciful 'bird' by sculptor Thomas Hill, a Brit residing in San Francisco, drew great attention and brought many smiles to the faces in the crowd on Saturday. On the wall behind his work, you can just see my piece, 'Close of Day'.












On Sunday morning, friends Pete Z (left), Paula W and Lyn (in cap) and I headed back to the museum for one more look at the exhibition without the Saturday crowds. We stopped along the way at a marshy area to get some reference material, Lyn shooting with her fantastic 600 mm lens! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and a terrific exhibition to see, if you are going to be anywhere near Wausau, Wisconsin between now and mid November. The next venue for the touring portion of Birds in Art will be at The Wildlife Experience in Parker, Colorado from November 29 through January 28. Go see it!

The new work, completed just twenty minutes ago - image 4" x 15" and headed to the October gallery show.

As planned, here are those hippos, in progress.