Rockets

Rockets  5" x 5"  acrylic 

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A small group of ringneck ducks rockets by with their wings cupped.  When these ducks are coming in, especially in windy conditions, they sound like jets approaching!
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Almanor Memories

Almanor Memories  16" x 32"  acrylic

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A color study of this painting was posted on this blog a couple of months ago.  This is the finished piece - a commissioned painting of a families favorite spot on a beautiful clear day at Lake Almanor in CA.  The dad is pointing at some distant geese as the family enjoys a special moment that is forever captured in paint.

March Snow

March Snow  5" x 7"  acrylic 

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Today, there was an unusual snowstorm in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  Normally, we get a couple of small snowfalls a year during the winter months and it melts away by afternoon.  However, this morning we woke up to a couple of inches and it's been snowing all day long!  Very unusual.  When things like this happen, I go out look for painting opportunities and this is the result of today's foray into the spring snow.
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High Rollers - Canvasbacks

High Rollers - Canvasbacks
5" x 7"  acrylic

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A pair of canvasbacks ride over a wave in some choppy water.  These ducks have the ability to dive deep for many types of food but it's favorite is wild celery buds.  The sloping forehead distinguishes this duck from other species in the field and is echoed by the slope of the wave.

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Waterfowl Dawn

Waterfowl Dawn  4" x 4"  acrylic $225

As the first light of dawn touches the marsh, a mixed group of waterfowl including wigeon, gadwall and snow geese feed and loaf in peace.
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Anna's

Anna's  5" x 5"  acrylic  $245

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A fully colored Anna's hummingbird briefly hovers to feed before it dashes off.  Hummingbirds are amazing birds and are like little jewels as the dart from flower to flower with their wings beating so fast they appear as a blur.
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Eagle in Progress - currently not for sale

Currently untitled  18" x 13"

Here is a painting of a bald eagle that is getting near completion.  You may not be able to tell because the photo is small, but there are small details left to complete that are very important to defining the power of this bird.
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Moonrise

Moonrise  7" x 5"  acrylic  $275

The moon rises over a hill alongside a majestic oak tree.  I saw this while driving home from California last month and snapped a photo while driving.  The photo turned out blurry, but enough was there to create a painting of this serene, inspiring scene.
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Black Phoebe

Black Phoebe 7" x5" acrylic 

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Black phoebes fly from their perches to catch aerial insects then immediately return to a similar perch to look for the next meal.  In this painting a phoebe awaits on it's perch...

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On the Run

5" x 7" acrylic on gessobord

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A striking male hooded merganser takes off running.  His mate is just in front of him as indicated by the splashing water left behind by her footprints.  I saw this handsome drake last weekend on the Metolius River in Central Oregon.  Hooded Mergansers winter on such rivers and can even be seen in open pockets of water on frozen rivers as they are fairly hardy ducks when it comes to cold weather.

Of note, American Miniatures opens this weekend at Settler's West Galleries in Tucson, AZ.  I have two pieces of art in the show which runs through the end of the month.
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Take 'Em 5x7 acrylic

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The first birds to arrive right at shooting time - pintail and mallard - a great start to the day!  From a blind's eye view, I was trying to capture the essence of that special time of the morning when the birds seem to be the most active.

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Sutter Butte Sunrise 5" x 7" acrylic

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I've heard it said that if there were one duck left in the world it would fly over the Sutter Buttes in California's Central Valley..  The Buttes are the smallest mountain range in the world and are located in the heart of the Pacific Flyway.  They are surrounded by hunting clubs, refuges and rice farms making the surrounding area incredibly attractive to wintering waterfowl.  While being a guest at the Snow Goose Festival in Chico, I was able to visit a couple of the surrounding wildlife refuges near the Buttes and the number of birds was spectacular!
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High Country Pronghorn 8x10 acrylic

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Recently, some friends and I went chukar hunting in the remote high desert mountains of Southeast Oregon.  On that trip, we saw big horn sheep, mule deer, wild burros and pronghorn (and a lot of chukar).  There were snow flurries that stuck in the higher elevations and, when it snowed on us, it came down sideways in the strong winds stinging our faces.  That kind of weather invigorates and inspires me.  I couldn't wait to paint this area!!

This painting will be available at American Miniatures at Settler's West Galleries in Tucson, AZ on February 11th.
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Color Study for Lake Almanor Commission

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This is a loose color study for a commissioned painting that I am working on.  This spot is at Lake Alamanor near Lassen National Park.  For commissions, I start with a line drawing to get an idea of the composition, then I will do a color study to make sure everything looks right. Then, once everything is ok'd, I jump into the final painting.  This painting will be 16" x 32" and highly detailed when finished.
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Backwater Reverie 18" x 24" acrylic on canvas $4300

Sorry for the delay in posting! My family and I traveled for the holidays and this painting also took a while as it is larger than my daily paintings at 18" x 24". This quiet backwater is the perfect habitat for wood ducks and although I felt the painting was strong enough on it's own without wildlife in it, a single drake wood duck swimming across the glassy water breathed life into this peaceful scene. This painting will be available this month at the Orland Art Center in Orland, CA. The opening reception is tomorrow night(Friday night) at the center from 3-7pm. The one-of-a-kind show is a two man exhibition with fellow daily painter and Wild Wings artist George Lockwood. If you are in beautiful Northern California tomorrow evening, I'll see you there!
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Valley Pheasants

Valley Pheasants  5" x 7"  acrylic

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A pair of ringneck pheasants erupts from the safety of their cover. In the Willamette Valley there are a lot of blackberries and the pheasant feel safe hiding within their thorny confines. It takes a good dog to get these pheasant up.

Pintail Flush 8" x 10" acrylic

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This painting was inspired by two places. While in Maryland, I got several great photographs of pintails in various positions which were laid out in a sketch. The original plan was to use the Maryland background but after hunting at a friend's place this past weekend, I decided to use his pond as the backdrop. What inspired the change was a group of mallard that took off from this spot in the same manner as the pintail in my idea.

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Reflection 12" x 9" acrylic

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Standing silently in the glow of early morning, a great egret keeps an eye out for unsuspecting prey. This painting and several other new ones (to be posted throughout the next two weeks) will be available at Wildlife Wonders, a two-man exhibition with George Lockwood at the Orland Art Center January 6-29. A reception will be held the evening of January 6th.

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Christmas Card 7 1/4" x 5 1/8"

My painting, Riverside Retreat, was selected by Ducks Unlimited to become one of their annual Holiday Greeting Cards. The inside greeting says "Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year". You have the option of peronalizing your cards for free when you order 3 or more boxes, which cost $26 apiece. Proceeds from the sale of the cards will benefit wetland habitat throughout North America. Ducks Unlimited is the leading wetland conservation group in the world and is responsible for setting aside and enhancing millions of critical wetland acres.

Order Cards Here

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Fall Flight 7" x 5" acrylic

Fall Flight  7" x 5"  acrylic 

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The first light of the morning lights up the fall foliage as a low flying flock of Canada geese angles toward the viewer. The moon helps add to the high clear sky and helps to show how low the geese are flying. Fall is my favorite time of year and I feel this painting captures the essence of the season.
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Wild Parrot and Palm 5" x 5" acrylic

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A wild parrot clings to the side of a palm tree. The rough texture of trunk took some time as I had never painted this before. All of the nooks and crannies were fascinating and challenging at the same time and I would find myself getting lost in them a bit as they began to take shape. This is #5 and the final painting in the tropical series.

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Autumn Interlude 18" x 36" acrylic

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Today, I received a printer's proof of this painting from Idaho Ducks Unlimited and it looked great! They are producing a limited edition to be used to raise funds for wetland habitat, not only in the state of Idaho, but throughout the country. Ducks Unlimited is one of the leading conservation groups in the country and is responsible for millions of acres of restored and enhanced wetlands. Artist Proof prints of Autumn Interlude will be available on my website around the 1st of the year and more information will be posted then.

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Cardinal and Hibiscus 5"x5" acrylic

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This is the fourth painting in the tropical set of 5 paintings. Unfortunately, the camera did not capture the rich colors in the hibiscus flowers at all. There is more purple in them in the original painting.

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Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Palm 5" x 5" acrylic

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A handsome male red-bellied woodpecker scales the side of a palm tree. His belly has a slight red tinge to it during the mating season which gives the bird his name.

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Foggy Arrival 8"x10" acrylic $950

Hundreds of Canada geese swarm into a foggy, open and slightly flooded, grass seed field. This is a common sight during fall and winter in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. These geese are primarily cacklers as they are small and have darker bodies than most of the other subspecies. In hand, they are almost the size of a large mallard. There distinct cackling call (as opposed to the deeper honk of the larger subspecies) is what gives them their name. This painting will also be available at the Waterfowl Festival this weekend. If you get a chance come by and visit me in the armory in downtown Easton, MD. It is a fantastic event that celebrates fall and waterfowl that the whole town participates in!!

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Resting Gambel's

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These quail are at home in the hot climate of the desert Southwest. Here one rests on a rock in the cool shadows the early morning. Although their plumages are similar, Gambel's quail are slightly bigger than the more common valley quail that everyone is familiar with.
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Autumn Passage 5" x 7" acrylic

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The sound of geese in the sky marks a seasonal transition in most parts of the country each year. This particular group is from Maryland last fall...
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Valley Quail 7"x 5" acrylic

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Available through Collector's Covey, Dallas, TX

Quail are one of the most animated birds with the way they scurry along the ground in their ornate plumage. Standing on a rustic post this male takes a regal pose.
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Dove and Oleander 5" x 5" acrylic

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The second painting in a commissioned series -

A handsome dove sits among the tropical setting of oleander and philodendron. The structure of the feathers was particularly fun to depict as this bird had just finished fluffing them.
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Blue Jay and Bougainvillea 5" x 5" acrylic

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In the Eastern United States, blue jays occur as far south as Florida and here one rests among a tropical setting creating a beautiful display of color.

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Tiger Swallowtail 8" x 10" acrylic

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This painting was originally completed in 2008 as a mountain meadow. F0r a couple of years I looked at it knowing that it needed something else and finally decided on a tiger swallowtail butterfly. This painting will also be available at the upcoming Waterfowl Festival.

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Blackwater Reflections 8" x 10" acrylic

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This is Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Easton, MD in all of it's reflective glory! This painting will also be available in at the Waterfowl Festival in November.

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Pintail Solitude 12" x 16" acrylic $1900

I saw an image in church on Sunday morning that reminded me of a place I grew up duck hunting as a kid. It sparked a feverish inspiration that resulted in a painting marathon lasting until 2:30am last night and this is the end result. As I painted, I was continually reminded of some the classic etchings by Roland Clark that I used to ogle at as a kid. I kept the composition as simple as possible to make the scene lonely and quiet (as marshes can often be) creating a classic feel.

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Evening Shores 5" x 7" acrylic

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When storms begin to break up and the sun emerges through the clouds unique patterns emerge. Times like these seem to last for but a moment.
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Reflections of Pine 8" x 10" acrylic $640

For some reason painting water is one of my favorite things to do. Whether it is a small bit in the distance or the subject of the painting, it is almost always present in most of my paintings. Here the calmness of the water creates an almost mirror like reflection in this wetland pond and the strong vertical presence of the pine trees are what inspired this painting.

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Wigeon Reflections 5" x 7" acrylic

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An American Wigeon calmly swims through first ringlets of raindrops from a coming storm. The feathers of ducks are better than Goretex because they preen themselves with an oil produced by a gland near their rump. This causes water to bead up and roll off. Combined with the downy feathers underneath, ducks are perfectly warm in inclement weather as well.
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Brant and Teal 5" x 5" acrylic $245

This particular spot in Newport Bay, Oregon has a viewing blind that is a wooden framed, three-sided shack. The day I was out photographing these Brant the wind became so strong it was picking the side of the shack off of it's foundation! Because of the wind, many types of waterfowl flew close including greenwing teal. Bald eagles even swooped over the geese to look for sick or injured birds to prey upon.
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Blackwater Morning 8" x 10" acrylic

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Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is a special place - particularly in the fall when migrating ducks and geese stop over. I spent a lot of time in this spot when I traveled to the Waterfowl Festival last year and have done several paintings. What struck me about this composition is the depth created by the wispy seed heads of the phragmites, a cattail-like reed common to wetland environments. For me, predawn is the most exciting time in a refuge as the wildlife is the most active and although there are not any birds in this painting, they certainly were present on this morning. I am looking forward to going back to the show again this November!

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Afternoon Surf 9" x 12" acrylic

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Churning surf stirs up the sand and a plethora of food for this flock of Marbled Godwits. These migrating shorebirds are filling up for their long journey south on the bounty left behind by the sea. The depth created by the different stages of the waves as well as the striking reflections of the birds are what inspired this painting.

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