Morning Light - Shoveler 5" x 7" acrylic $295

Yesterday, I took the morning and drove out to our local wildlife refuge. It had snowed a couple of inches and I was looking for some good winter scenes (since we don't get much snow in the Willamette Valley). I came across a northern shoveler swimming alone in this pond and it struck me as a peaceful, serene moment with a subtle low light and the reflective qualities of calm water.
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Stormy Cove 5" x 7" acrylic

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A storm rolls into the rocky Pacific coastline. I recently visited the coast on an incredibly windy day and took some pictures of this scene. The wind seemed to be blowing the wavetops off and the rain was sideways! What intrigued me about this scene, besides the weather, was the powerful action of the ocean and the depth that the lines in the foam created as it leads the viewer's eye out to sea.

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Shoreline Reflections 7" x 5" acrylic

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Great blue herons are majestic, predatory birds that stand motionless waiting for their prey. In this case, the heron is more at rest as it's head is tucked as opposed to their erect posture when stalking. Herons are common throughout the United States and are common in Oregon. However, I saw this particular heron at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland's famed eastern shore. I spent five straight mornings at the refuge and got some fantastic reference of all kinds of birds from waterfowl to shorebirds and songbirds.
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On the Prowl 8" x 10" acrylic

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A fox hunts on a winter's day. They have the ability to hear hiding rodents under the snow with their large, sensitive ears and can pounce and catch them without ever seeing them. The scenery in this painting is from my neighborhood on a snowy day and the fox was added as one could quite possibly be seen in this area. Unfortunately, my camera did not do the colors justice and the painting looks a bit different in person. The snow is not actually that pink in the painting....
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Wetland Reverie 8" x 10" acrylic $1100

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This painting is heading to Settler's West for the American Miniatures show next Saturday. The early morning scene was inspired from a trip to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on a cool clear morning. The sun is just gracing the distant trees and has not yet reached the foreground.
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Snowy Prelude 9" x 12" acrylic $1200

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I redesigned this painting a bit by adding a second snowy egret. The original version, seen below, seemed to be missing something (at least to me). So, I sketched another smaller egret (so it could be in the distance) that was angled slightly toward the viewer on a piece of tracing paper and moved the paper around the painting - trying several different spots over the past couple of days. Seemingly, the only place it would work was lower in the paintng behind some reeds and in front of the main bird.

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Eurasian Autumn 4" x 4" acrylic $225

A Eurasian wigeon swims on the beautiful reflections of autumn. Eurasian wigeon are becoming more common in the United States and can be found among large flocks of the American version of the species - mostly along the west and east coasts. These birds most likely have migrated from Siberia and Iceland. In my hometown, there are about five that regularly winter on a pond at a local park along with several hundred of their American counterparts. What inspired me to create this painting was the fiery color in this males head and how it is reflected in the water.
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Snowy Prelude 9" x 12" acrylic $1200

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As a storm approaches, a snowy egret lifts up into the wind above the reeds. Egrets seem to evoke a sense of peace and solitude which is in contrast to the dark clouds above. I saw this particular bird at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge where they are common visitors. They are a smaller active egret and are distinguishable by their yellow feet.

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Northern Flicker 5" x 7" acrylic

SOLD Northern Flickers always seem to startle me because I never see them until they fly. Once they are airborne the red underwing (it's yellow on the East Coast) makes them easily identifiable. Although they are woodpeckers, flickers mostly choose to forage on the ground for ants and other bugs, which makes them so hard to see. Here one briefly lands on a picket fence before moving on. The posture of the bird is what I found intriguing. My Website

Eurasian Collared Dove 4" x 4" acrylic $225

Happy New Year!

My first post of 2011 is of a Eurasian Collared-Dove a relatively new species to North America. They were first introduced in the Bahamas and have since been spreading throughout the United States. There is now a permanent population in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I saw this particular bird in my neighborhood. They are larger than mourning doves but still have the classic dove shape. The dark ring on it's neck is where the bird derives it's name.
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Il Paesaggio 12"x16" giclee print $125

Il Paesaggio means the landscape in Italian. This tuscan landscape painting was done for an Italian-themed website that will soon be launched and feature this painting in the form of 9" x 12" giclee prints on canvas. The original is sold, however, prints will retail for $125 and can be purchased at the link below.
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Wigeon Remarque #2 2" x 2" acrylic

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Here is a second remarque of a wigeon - this time in flight. Remarques are similar to my daily paintings in that they are miniature and take about a day to complete. However, they pose a bit more of a challenge in that they are so small it gets hard to correctly accomplish the level of detail I like. For example, something like creating the subtle color changes that foster the illusion of roundness (such as the shading on the underbelly shadows) can take more time to achieve.
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Wigeon Remarque #1 2" x 2" acrylic

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This remarque is one of several that I am finishing up for the the 2010 Texas Duck Stamp prints. If you are not familiar with what a remarque is, it is a tiny original painting completed in the margin of the print making it a unique piece of artwork which, in turn, increases the value of the print substantially. If you are interested in owning one of my limited edition prints and having it remarqued, feel free to email me - pmathios@comcast.net.

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Junco 5" x 7" acrylic

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A dark-eyed junco rests on a cool, overcast autumn morning. These birds, which are members of the sparrow family, can be found throughout North America. In fact, they are one of the most numerous species of birds totalling over 630 million individuals. Most people notice them as they flock together during winter months. Their plumage seems to vary from coast to coast and the markings of this bird are of the 'Oregon Junco'.
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Suisun Evening 5" x 7" acrylic $265

Evening descends on California's Suisun Marsh as the last rays of sunlight escape through the overcast. This area has special meaning to me as a grew up hunting and exporing the marsh, which is one of the largest brackish water marshes in the United States. As a kid, I used to explore every nook and cranny in search of anything I could find be it different birds (and there are alot) or small mammals. This area and it's wildlife has been the subject of numerous paintings through the years and will be for years to come as it is where my passion for wildlife and wild places started.
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Downy Woodpeckers 5" x 5" acrylic

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A pair of downy woodpeckers scales the side of a tree. Originally, this painting only had one woodpecker in it (the one on the side), but it seemed too rigid. After thinking about how to add more interest, I decided to add the second bird which is strategically placed to move the viewers eye around the painting. The bird is looking toward the one on the left and the angle of its body posture lends to the directional movement. The other elements like the tree branch and the hint of thinner branches in the back assist with the flow of the eye as well.

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Carolina Wren 5"x5" acrylic $245

This carolina wren was foraging in the brush around a wetland in Maryland and when it worked its way up this tree to this natural cavity, I thought I had found a nesting site. The morning light lit up the buff-colored breast and I knew I had to paint it, especially since it is the first carolina wren that I have seen in person.

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Autumn Wetland 5" x 7" acrylic $265

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Falls colors are changing and the last remnants of the morning fog are giving way to blue skies. This painting was done intentionally in a looser style as an experiment to see how realistic I could make something while painting quickly and loosely.
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Evening Marsh 5" x 7" acrylic

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Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge basks in dusks final grasp... I have been inspired lately by landscape paintings and am excited to do a few of my own including a few in oils. This particular part of the refuge is off the main auto route and out quite a way. I had the place to myself and got a bit too far because part of the road I was on was flooded over. Apparently, the Chesapeake Bay has a bit of a surge during windy high tides. I tried driving through the floods a bit, but I felt my little rental car was a bit to low to the ground to handle anything deeper than a foot so I turned around.
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Tranquil Evening 5" x 7" acrylic

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A solitary duck glides through the calm evening water. Marshes at this time of day (as well as at dawn) are a special place and hold special memories for me. The abundunt life, the smells and the sounds all lend to a unique sense of tranquility. I observed a similar scene to this while visiting the East Coast last week and touring Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
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Chickadee and Sumac 8" x 10" acrylic

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This painting depicting a chickadee foraging on sumac berries is currently exhbiting at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD. The colors of the original painting have been lost a bit in this photograph as the background features warmer tones of greens and ocres to compliment the red berries.

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Meadow's Edge 5" x 7" acrylic

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I saw this bull elk in Yellowstone National Park. The elk have become harder to spot outside of Mammoth Hot Springs but this lone bull was found on the edge of Gibbon Meadow.
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On the Hunt 5" x 7" acrylic

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This healthy coyote was faniscinating to watch as he hunted his way through the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. Every now and then he would pounce at an unsuspecting meal in the tall grass. Pronghorn didn't seem to mind his presence although they did keep a watchful eye.

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Winter Woodies 9" x 12" acrylic

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This painting will be available November 12th at Collector's Covey in Dallas, TX for their annual miniature painting exhibition. When I first saw this spot while exploring this shallow lake on Sauvie Island, I thought "Wow! this would look fantastic with a group of wood ducks." - and the painting idea was born. As it so happens there were nesting boxes in some of the surrounding trees, so I knew that they used the area at times, especially in the spring. Ultimately, the intricate, reflective patterns created by the fallen trees and the marsh grasses are what inspired this scene and twelve wood ducks filled the area as I imagined.
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Pintail Pair 5" x 5" acrylic $245

Northern pintails are among the earliest nesters after arriving on their northern breeding grounds. They also migrate incredibly far with many reaching Mexico and Central America during the winter months. This pair was seen in the Willamette Valley in Oregon (where I live) in the same spot as the birds from the previous post. In this painting, I used their graceful plumage to lead the viewers eyes into the painting creating the illusion of depth. The subtle habitat also lends to the illusion and indicates how shallow the water is.
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Pintail Trio 5" x 5" acrylic

This painting will be available through Collector's Covey in Dallas Texas.

Drake pintails have such graceful lines that I will never tire of painting them. Here a trio of pintail uses one of my favorite wetlands. Every time I visit this spot (in winter) they are there, sometimes in huge numbers. They are used to cars so they are easy to sketch and photograph. I have a spotting scope that attaches to the window of my car that I will look through while I draw the birds. The second the car door opens though, they fly!

Morning Web 5" x 5" acrylic

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Sometimes the subtle things in life are inspiring like a spider web straining under the weight of morning dew. The spider itself is in hiding as it's web is not as effective in these conditions. The pattern is amazing nonetheless and inspired this painting.
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Signs of the Season 6" x 6" acrylic

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This painting was done as a commission where several sketches were completed and the idea was agreed upon. I enjoy sharing a vision and creating paintings that people will enjoy for years (or even generations) to come. In this case a female goldfinch is returning to her nest to line it with some freshly found thin grasses. The model for the painting actually collected these grasses from a planter right outside of my studio window this past spring. The pink crabtree blossoms help to offset the other primary blues and yellows in the painting.
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Brown Trout 12" x 12" acrylic $650

Number two in the trout series. This one features a brown trout and a series of favorite nymphs. The little yellow stone, pheasant tail, prince nymph, zug bug, and gold-ribbed hare's ear. These popular flies catch a lot of fish because they represent the insects in their larval stage.
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Misty Marsh - Egret 7" x 5" acrylic

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A snowy egret rests along a misty marsh. This elegant bird is at ease as it's head is tucked in. I saw this landscape over the weekend at a local wildlife area and added the egret to it as almost an afterthought as I wanted it to be a part of the landscape.
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Rainbow Trout 12" x 12" acrylic

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This is the start of a new series of rustic, contemporary trout paintings on 12" sqaure canvas that also features popular trout flies. In this painting, they are a series of dry flies that includes a stimulator, a yellow humpy, a royal coachman, an adams, and an elk hair caddis. Other paintings will include wet flies, streamers and emergers to go along with a brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout.
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Moonrise at Sunset 5" x 5" acrylic

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As I turned the corner onto my street last night, I was taken by this breathtaking moment. The moon was rising as the last rays of sunlight graced the trees at the end of the street. Moments of inspiration can strike at any time and I had to quickly capture the moment so it was done in a bit of an impressionistic style - more like sketching with paint. The whole painting was done with a 1/2" flat brush.
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Wood Duck Pair 5" x 7" acrylic

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Luckily, wood ducks are common around my neighborhood as we are surrounded by wooded waterways on three sides. This allows the opportunity to see one of my favorite ducks and one of the most decorated birds in North America on a regular basis. Every summer, wood ducks (and all other ducks) go through a molt and lose their spectacular color but, now in September, they begin to regain their colors. Here a male and female swim together. This 'daily painting' took a bit more than a day because of the amount of color and the fact that there were two ducks involved. The female is quite colorful in her own right.
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Spring Creek 5" x 5" acrylic

SOLD An icy, spring fed creek winds it's way through a summer mountain meadow. Water in these creeks is usually crystal clear and if high enough in elevation, it is usually drinkable and very good. Streams like this are vital to wildlife such as deer and elk and native trout. This particular stream had a nice 14" trout feeding just behind the fallen wood. My Website

Heavenly Coast 5" x 7" acrylic

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As a winter storm breaks up over the Pacific, the setting sun peaks through the clouds creating a dramatic landscape. Words cannot describe the inspiration I felt when the light created this breathtaking scene, so I did my best to describe it in paint. It was amazing - perhaps a slice of heaven on earth!
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Badia 4" x 10" graphite on paper

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Located in the Tuscany region of Italy near Gaiole in Chianti, Badia a Coltibuono is a former monestary that has been transformed into a farmhouse-villa. There is an amazing abbey garden that is laid out as an ancient enclosed garden (on the backside of this view)where geometric box hedges surround beds of aromatic and medicinal plants in classic Tuscan garden style. The new owners produce fantastic wines that are fairly well-known and this drawing was created to be fittingly used as an image on a wine label.
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The Watchman 4" x 4" acrylic $225

Keeping this one to the 'daily painting' format of completing it in a day or less was a challenge. This one started at 5 am and was just finished (after 5pm). I just kept adding ducks to create an almost abstract composition. Even when waterfowl seem to be sleeping there is always a sentry on the lookout for danger. The light is getting low as evening darkness overtakes what was a foggy day. The ducks are sleeping along a shoreline but will soon be up and flying to their favorite feeding spot.

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Pintails 5" x 5" acrylic

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A trio of drake pintails loafs in the cool mid-morning sun on a shallow sheet of water. My goal for this painting was to create the feeling of sneaking a peak into the pintails world. Normally, duck paintings show the birds in somewhat of a perfect posture, but with this painting I used different body positioning to guide the viewer's eye back toward the more 'hollywood' posed pintail.

First Snow 5" x 5" acrylic $245

This bear has fattened up on salmon and berries and is ready to survive the oncoming winter as the first snow begins to fall. He walks the rocky shoreline in search of a final meal as a couple of ravens squawk in front of him all the while knowing their wings can bring them out of harms way. Another summer season comes to end...

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Backwater Mallard 9" x 12" acrylic $1400

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The water in this painting has taken a loooong time! It is finally getting close to being finished so I've decided to post it here the on the blog (but will continue to hone in the final details over the next couple of days). It surely has been a challenge creating a rainy environment for this mallard. To create the feeling of inclement weather, there are raindrops beaded up on the ducks oily feathers, numerous water rings, drops and even a couple of bubbles in the water. The autumn leaves are soaked and submerged just under the surface as well. Of note, this painting was submitted unfinished (even more so than here) back in June to the Oregon Ducks Unlimited art competition and it won by one vote in the unfinished state (whew!). Prints of this painting will be available sometime in late November/early December.