'The Last Picnic'

Busy guy today . . . new work just completed, begun late yesterday afternoon . . . this one also going to go to Troika Gallery in a couple weeks . . . image on this one 6" x 4".

This is a small work (5" square) that I started late yesterday afternoon and finished up about ten minutes ago. It will be heading across the Chesapeake Bay with me in the middle of next month for Troika Gallery's big Anniversary Group Show that coincides with the weekend of the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland.

Got right to it today and this one is ready for a frame.

Today's work . . .

Let's Hear it for The King

I have begun a new work today, again on the African theme that I have been trying to get myself back into lately. This work brings a bit more to the doing than simply a depiction of a lion on the rocks. I have been reading, lately, of the devastating plight of the African lion and how they have been killed in frightening numbers in these last several years. The 'King' of beasts is truly in harm's way.

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."

Today, I'm going to post another 'one day wonder' as some have called them. Here is the beginning of a small work, started about ten minutes ago, let's say just about noon for time-keeping sake! I'll try and update every hour or so and we'll see if I finish up by dinner time.

(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!

(3:08 PM posting) Well, this one has gone a lot faster than I expected. I guess I am on a roll today! Anyway, appears to be another hour or a bit more of work and this one will be done.

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

Hard to believe that it's forty years since George Harrison penned that phrase! (I was a mere tot!!!) But, after four and a half days of rain in these parts . . . it was wonderful to wake up to sun rays streaming in through the blinds this morning! Thanks sun . . . Thanks George!

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An additional note this morning - my good friend, Paula Waterman, has risen in the wee hours, gotten bleary eyed onto a big jet and flown to north-central Wisconsin to begin a week long residency at the Woodson Art Museum. Without question, I have always (as do many, many others across the globe) felt that Paula is the preeminent proponent of the scratch board medium. I don't say this because she is a friend. I do say this as I believe that her talents with little scratchies and scuffies and such, when painstakingly applied to a clay board covered in black ink as she does, result in some of the most wonderful images in shades of black, white and grey that you can imagine.

If you are in the area of Wausau, Wisconsin in the next week, do stop into the museum and watch her in action. She will be doing a series of teaching lessons with school children, teens and adults over the course of the next six days and you can check out the schedule here. Also, Birds in Art, that incredible annual event, continues to hang at the Woodson through the middle of next month.

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)

As mentioned in yesterday's posting, I am preparing for next month's big show at the 39th Annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland. This will be my 17th or 18th year of being a part of this wonderful, town-filled weekend of arts, crafts, sculpture, decoys and all sorts of great food. If you have never attended before, it is a wonderful fall weekend in a beautiful, historic location; lots to do, lots to see, lots to enjoy. Many fine artists, carvers and sculptors from all across this country and Canada will be there. Here is a link to the Festival web site.

See you in mid November!

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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?

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".

American Art in Miniature at the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK.

October 24 - November 8, 2009

The museum has posted the work for this year's event here.

The auction takes place on November 5 and this year the museum has set up a phone bank for those unable to attend in person. Take a look at some fine, fine art work, including mine on page 6, and see if there is something that strikes your fancy!

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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.

It's done. Image size, just shy of 12" x 16".

Will try and remember to post a shot of it in the frame once it is framed.

Today marks the opening of this evocative exhibition which includes the works of 41 artists, two works of which are mine. Here is a direct link to the page on the Center's web site, showing all the works. Some mighty fine art for sure!

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.

As I do pretty much every morning when I come downstairs, and after heading to the kitchen to get the water going for that all important first cup of tea, I get the old computer up and crankin'. After checking email, I usually head over to the Facebook page to see what has been going on with friends. This morning, an interesting posting from the Woodson Museum regarding an article in today's Wall Street Journal about Birds in Art.

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!