Thick-Billed Parrot Art

Another ACEO currently on eBay: "Arizona Native", a Thick-Billed Parrot. This drawing's on black scratchboard. I use an x-acto knife to scratch the detail into the dark surface.

The Thick-Billed Parrot, an endangered species, is the only parrot native to the US. They no longer live in their former range of Arizona and southwest New Mexico, but there are still small (and unfortunately dwindling) populations in North and Central Mexico. Loss of forest habitat is the main reason for the bird's decline.

I took my reference photo at the Sacramento Zoo, which is working nationwide with zoos and government agencies on a captive breeding program designed to reestablish populations of this parrot in its former US range. Click here for a fact-sheet on Thick-Billed Parrots and conservation efforts.

View the Thick-Billed Parrot art auction

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Hugs for Pugs

As part of a pug promo week for one of the eBay artists' groups, I created these two brightly colored pug paintings. They're watercolor/mixed media in the ACEO format (2.5" x 3.5"). Pugs were bred to be companion animals and are personable "people dogs". Even though they may have "a face only a mother could love", they make wonderful pets for folks that have lots of love to give. I've never owned one, but I've met quite a few and every single one has formed a close bond with its family. Pugs - gotta love those mugs! For more info on pugs, check out PugSavers, a pug rescue organization serving Northern California & Northern Nevada.

I listed "Pug Mug" earlier this week, so the auction only has a couple of days left and there's already a bid. "Who Me?" was just listed today. View my current eBay listings

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Miniature Art - Golden Eagle "Cool Gaze"

This drawing of "Tesla" the golden eagle is now available on eBay. It's small, only 2.5" x 2.5", but has lots of detail. Drawn with an x-acto knife on black scratchboard. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet this beautiful bird "up close and personal" - more info about that in this post.

View the eBay auction of "Cool Gaze"









This listing is part of the monthly art2 theme week (starts on the 3rd Sunday of each month). This month's theme is "monochromatic".

Search for "Art Squared" or "art2" to find more square format art by a variety of talented artists! I belong to a number of groups on eBay and they all have promotions or theme weeks of some sort. The idea is that banding together and promoting art in a common theme will attract attention to the participants' art. There is a lot of art on eBay, so anything that helps ours stand out is worth a shot!

To learn more about buying art on eBay, visit my "Buying Art" Squidoo lens.

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Llama Lips!!!

I Love Llamas!
Don't have any of my own, but I find them fascinating and have had the opportunity to meet a few over the years and take lots of photos. They have tons of character and they're great subjects for drawings & paintings with wonderful expressions and textures. This is my latest ACEO mini drawing (2.5" x 3.5") - I used a card stock weight black scratchboard which is thinner and less "workable" than the professional scratchboard I use for my portrait and illustration work. It was good to use the thinner stuff, 'cause it kept me from over-working the piece and spending too much time on it.

The subject of the drawing is "Chewie" a handsome guy with a goofy side who lives in Penryn, CA.

View the eBay auction for this original drawing.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Just finished a painting that's been stuck in my head for a while (bouncing around in the background with lots of other flotsam & jetsam). With Valentine's Day approaching, I figured it was a good time to get it done and get it to the co-op Gallery where I show my work as it just might be the perfect present for someone to purchase! I'd been wanting to create a chocolate lab (as in Labrador Retriever) painting that wasn't just a brown lab, but a "chocolatey" lab. I've even had the reference photo picked out for quite some time (one of the photos I took a while back for a portrait of a cutie named Wrangler, who's actually a yellow lab).

So this is the result: "Chocolate Lab" a 4"x5" painting in watercolor on Yupo. I also used some interference red (irridescent) watercolor (Daniel Smith brand) in the background and on the heart on the pup's shoulder. There's just a touch of color pencil too. I'm usually not one to be schmoopy (Seinfeld reference), but the heart was appropriate for the season, so I added it.

I'm currently offering a matted print of "Chocolate Lab" on eBay along with some other critter art items. View my listing(s)

I'll be printing note cards too, but they're not yet posted in my web store. Please contact me if you're interested!

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Raptors!

I had a wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal to 2 amazing raptors (birds of prey) last Saturday (1/27). The California Foundation for Birds of Prey (CFBP) brought them out to the Scott's Corner Hay & Feed open house/fund raiser event which I also attended.

The event was fun with a steady crowd throughout the day. I displayed my art and sold a few small items; met lots of nice folks. It was also really good to spend some time with BK England, another local artist who had invited me to participate in the event. I run into her every so often, but haven't had the opportunity to spend time with her in quite a while - so that was great. She's a talented artist (specializing in equine art) and a sweet person.

Well, back to the birds: Tesla, the golden eagle was just downright impressive and Bob, the screech owl was adorable (but still awesome in his raptor-ness).

One of my favorite Gary Larson cartoons is "Birds of Prey Know They're Cool" and these birds reminded me of that. I tried to find a link to the cartoon on the web, but couldn't and I wouldn't dare scan my copy of it to put here - that would be copyright infringement, even though I have nothing but good intentions! In effect, the cartoon shows 2 hawks wearing sunglasses, sitting in a tree and looking very cool. I believe one of the hawks is even wearing a "Walkman" (a precursor to the iPod, for you young folks) - trust me, it's funny!

Neither Tesla 0r Bob can be released back to the wild - Tesla was electrocuted and severely injured when she tangled with some power lines (she's lucky to be alive) and Bob was taken in when he was very young so he was never able to learn what's necessary to survive in the wild on his own. Fortunately for them, and many other raptors that need help, the folks at CFBP are there. Most of the birds taken in by CFBP can be rehabilitated and released back into the wild, and obviously that's their goal. However, birds such as Tesla and Bob that can handle being exposed to the public are valuable teaching tools for educating the public about the place raptors have in nature. Please visit the CFBP web site to find out more about all that they do for these magnificent birds.

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Border Collies - Part Deux

In light of my last post, I have to share this article about border collies that I just read in our local Pet Gazette. For those of us who know these dogs, it hits the nail on the head - I was laughing out loud as I read it. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of meeting or living with a border collie, you'll just have to take my word for it!

The article was written by the Border Collie Rescue of Northern California.

Here's the link: "What is a Border Collie Like as a Pet?"

My favorite line: "A border collie is for you if . . . you don't mind a tennis ball being poked through the shower curtain at you." This has never actually happened to us, but I wouldn't put it past our t-ball crazy Magpie!

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