Evening Wren 4" x 4" acrylic $225

A marsh wren, illuminated by the last rays of sun, takes a brief break on a cattail. She has been picking the dense cottony fluff to line her nest. Everything in the painting is a rich, warm green signifying the time of year.

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Eagle Study 4" x 4" acrylic $225

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An intimate study of an eagle calling. Bald eagles are fascinating birds and have a beautiful, majestic plumage. I don't think I could ever tire of painting them and seeing them is always a thrill!

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Hooded Mergansers 6" x 12" acrylic

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A trio of hooded mergansers swim on an unfrozen winter lake. I was taken by their striking plumage and the contrast the feathers created against the slate gray cold water. These ducks, which are the smallest of the three North American merganser species, feed by diving for small fish, frogs and mollusks.

This painting has been in progress for quite some time and I finally figured out how I wanted the finished painting to look. I had previously tried having some grasses and cattails coming out of the water in the foreground but it distracted the focus away from the ducks. Because hooded mergansers are common on wooded lakes, simple watery surroundings seemed appopriate. So, I enhanced the detail in the water and removed the cattails by painting washes over the entire image - a process that almost wiped out just about everything.

For more paintings in progress, you can visit my blog titled The Art of Peter Mathios as my recent post displays several others I am currently working on.
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First Light - Pintail 18" x 24" acrylic $5100

A flock of northern pintail turn towards you, committed to landing near by. The sun is rising and its beams struggle to illuminate the surrounding wetland through the morning fog. This was a familiar scene this past January as flocks of pintails flew throughout the day. Sometimes the flocks had birds numbering in the hundreds which was incredible to see considering pintail numbers have substantially decreased from their historical averages. This year, however, due to excellent conditions on their northern breeding grounds, their numbers increased making it possible for people to commonly see stunning scenes like this.
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Tuscan Landscape 34" x 68" acrylic

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This commissioned painting is the largest painting I have ever done and it was done in a different style - impressionism. Thick layers of paint were applied in a rapid fashion to capture the essence of the image without trying to get too carried away with the finer detail. For me the biggest challenge was knowing when to stop applying detail as the couple who commissioned the piece wanted the painting done 'loosely'. It was a great experience!

On a similar note, there is an auction going on for a fantastic cause - the St. Lukes Health Care Center. Proceeds from the auction will go to the St. Luke's Junior Auxilary, which supports the Womens Services and Pediatric Care units of St. Luke's Health Care Center. Money raised helps provides a wide range of services for women and children including obstetrical and gynecological care, immunizations, well-baby and well child check-ups and much more for those with nowhere to turn. St. Luke's Health Care Center is one of the only charity centers of its kind in the Bay Area.

There many great items for auction at this link including a 14" x 18" custom impressionistic painting of your subject choice. Auction Item Information and Bidding

Rufous Hummingbird 9" x 12" acrylic

SOLD This male rufous hummingbird is taking a brief rest from feeding on nectar. Rufous hummingbirds migrate further than any other hummingbird species spending their summers in the Pacific Northwest and their winters in Mexico. I actually saw this particular bird in Tucson, AZ. Perhaps he will be a summer visitor to my home in Oregon? Another interesting fact about rufous hummingbirds is that they are the most aggressive of the hummingbird species and will displace other hummingbirds. My Website

Columbia River Scaup 12" x 28" acrylic

This painting depicts a flock of greater scaup getting ready to land. There are several species of duck in the water including canvasbacks, a goldeneye, and a bufflehead. The inspiration for this piece came from a foggy, January morning on the Columbia River where wave after wave of scaup would land near our boat. After they would land, I could hear them milling around on the water and diving for their food. It was a constant sound almost like rushing water, then another wave would join them increasing the sound even more. It was spectacular to witness! To see the painting progress step-by-step you can click here to visit my other blog.

I'm not sure this painting is finished yet so it is currently not for sale. If you are interested in it, you can email me at peter@mathiosstudios.net.

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