
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Let's Hear it for The King
I remember how, on my first trip to eastern Africa 37 years ago, we saw lions aplenty. I can actually recall by the beginning of my second week on that three week trip, hearing others in the group bemoaning the sight of yet another group of lion . . . 'Oh, just more lions! How about a leopard?' Little did we know.
It is disturbing to me to watch reports on TV and read in print of this massive attack on the lions of Africa and I continue to look for ways to make a difference. Recently at a gathering here at my house, artist and collector friends were discussing this very issue and trying to come up with some ideas of how we might help to get the word out. Perhaps by my bringing this work, when completed, to the upcoming Waterfowl Festival next month, I will have an opportunity to talk to those enjoying the Festival, and make as many others as possible aware of what is happening to the lion in the hope that a broader awareness might help to change the current course of events and save this majestic animal from possible devastation.
The 'King' does indeed sit in a precarious position.

As I read just this morning in an on line posting . . .
Lion population down almost 90 per cent from two decades ago.
In the minds of many people, the lion is what comes to mind first when they think of African wildlife. The sad fact is, the 'king of beasts' may not be found in Africa for much longer.
Dr. Laurence Frank, a wildlife biologist from the University of California, says that based on a study he did in Kenya, the current population of lions is 23,000. Twenty years ago, it was close to 200,000.
Frank says "People know about elephants, gorillas and rhinos, but they seem blissfully unaware that these large carnivores are nearing the brink. It's not just lions. Populations of all African predators are plummeting."
Dr Frank blamed the decline in predator numbers on a problem that occurs world wide, not just in Africa. People killing them to protect livestock.
"People have always killed predators," he says. "But there's only so much damage you can do with spears and shields. Now everyone has got rifles and poisons."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009


(1:08 PM posting) One of the little guys just about done. Hard to see the subtle variations in the 'black' coat of this guy, but maybe when it's all said and done and I photo it outside in natural light, all that will show up.

(2:12 PM posting) Building up some whites now on this foreground guy. Time to make a cup of afternoon tea!

And here (4:30 PM posting time) is the completed work. Image size on this one is 5 1/4" x 5 1/4"

Monday, October 19, 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

An interesting morning, this . . . while having my cup of tea and munching on a bagel and thinking about the approaching ten o'clock time set for the closing on my house purchase, I was surprised to find, upon reviewing early morning and overnight entries to Facebook pages, a posting from the Woodson Art Museum with a link to the home site of the Wausau Daily Herald newspaper. The link was to a photo essay on the currently hanging Birds in Art exhibition at the museum and amid the ten photos, this one caught my eye as there was my piece being discussed! Evidently one of the museum docents is talking about my piece to a group of grade school students touring the exhibition. Well, there was my five and a half minutes of fame!
And now, to read through the pages and pages of documentation from the closing and try to figure out just what I signed for this morning!
(photo by Corey Schoth of the Wausau Daily Herald)
Sunday, October 11, 2009


Posted at 4:45, here is today's little six hour work for the Festival. Image size on this one is 3" x 5". I seem to be in a 'dark mode' these last couple of days. Might have to try and lighten up! Perhaps the next one?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
I have not posted in a few days as I have been busy digging through reference material, gathering up ideas for small works for the upcoming Waterfowl Festival in the middle of next month. This little work, begun about an hour and a half ago (12:15 now), will go quickly as it is just 5" square. But I wanted to show some in-progress images of it as I go today. There will be a lot of over layering, building up of darks in this one as I want to make it quite 'moody'. I'll give an update in another hour or so . . .
(1:20 PM update)

(2:30 PM update)

(3:55 PM update . . . well, I did have to stop for lunch!)

And, here is the completed work at 5:15 PM. A good day's work at the drawing board. I'm rather pleased with this little work . . . 5 1/4" x 5 1/4".
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Yesterday, good friend and fellow artist, Paula Waterman, and I headed south and east across the Chesapeake Bay to just over the line into Virginia and out to Chincoteague Island for a fine, fine day of reference gathering. What a glorious October day in nature. Here are just a very few of my hundreds of images. I just bet some of these creatures are going to show up in drawings in the very near future.


Saturday, October 03, 2009

On a secondary note, I am still reviewing the hippo work to make certain that it is finished. I will review it this weekend and post the final shot when I feel like it is time to sign my name.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
After steeping my tea, toasting my bagel and plopping down in front of the computer screen to enjoy reading the article . . . was I amazed to find in the next to last paragraph, a reference to my work, The Horse Whisperer, which is part of this year's exhibition! Many of the other works in the showing were singled out by the author of the article and several comments from attending artists as well. But when I got down to the bottom of the page and became aware that I thought I noted my name coming up in subsequent lines . . . I was blown away. Thank you Ann Landi! Click the link above and check it out.
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Posting at 5:30 PM . . . today's bit of work. The 'end' is truly in sight now!